Ever since a coronavirus outbreak tore through the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home last year, killing 76 veterans, the search has been on for not just accountability, but also steps to prevent another such tragedy from ever happening again. Now Beacon Hill lawmakers have filed legislation that they say will do just that.
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Jim Braude was joined on Greater Boston by State Senator Michael Rush and State Representative Linda Campbell, both of whom served on the joint investigative committee that examined what went wrong at Holyoke.
Among the recommendations in the legislation, Campbell said, is establishing a clear chain of command and major systemic changes with staffing. “These problems with staffing were there well before the tragedy occurred,” she said.
“To really understand the issues, you need to look at the history and understand that these two homes — their purpose is to serve every veteran across the Commonwealth, and they’ve really become very isolated in their approach, unfortunately,” Rush said.
WATCH: These Beacon Hill Lawmakers Want To Prevent Another Holyoke Soldiers’ Home Tragedy
