Ron Welch, the unassuming and soft spoken Commissioner of the Department of Veterans of Affairs for Connecticut is doing all he can to serve his country and others who have served. Behind all of the work at the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs is “Serving Those Who Served”. Almost a year into his new role, Commissioner Welch strives to make a positive impact everyday.
At their sprawling 90+ acre campus in Rocky Hill, Welch leads a diverse team that includes skilled nursing care, residential and family housing, and cemetery and memorial services.
Currently, there are 150 Veterans at the facility, which is down significantly from 25 years ago when the numbers were four times that amount. Much of this is thanks to the progress by the Federal Government to reduce homelessness in Veterans and provide better job, career, and employment opportunities. There is always room for growth and improvement.
Inside the John L. Levitow Healthcare Center, there are about 85 Veterans. Levitow is a Medal of Honor awardee for his exceptional heroism during wartime. Levitow served on board a Douglas AC-47 Spooky gunship of the 3d Special Operations Squadron of the United States Air Force on February 24, 1969.
Pictured above is John L. Levitow
The healthcare center is licensed as a Skilled Nursing Facility by the Connecticut Department of Public Health, and is federally certified for Medicare and Medicaid by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMMS).
Laura is the leader of the healthcare center, and similar to Commissioner Welch, exudes a high level of passion for her work and the opportunity to serve Veterans. The opportunity for Laura to utilize her deep background leading private healthcare centers has enabled the healthcare center to maintain its high level of care, and maintain its license throughout the various audits and inspections that the Federal Government performs on an unannounced annual basis.
There are a variety of engaging items to improve the health of the Veterans.
Pictured below is the gym at the healthcare facility
One of the most popular events at the healthcare facility is bingo which draws out many Veterans to come and participate.
Recently, the psychiatrist on site has increased their work time from 16 hours a week up to 20 hours a week. The ability to have a psychiatrist in such proximity for so many hours with the Veterans allows them to maintain a close oversight of any conditions, changes, and recovery.
Luckily, the facility was well managed during COVID leading to only three COVID-specific deaths. However, two of the three people were already in very late stages of their life, but due to the law, if the Veteran tested positive for COVID then they had to list that on the death certificate.
The response to COVID is in stark comparison to other Veteran and non-Veteran health care facilities during this time with some even in neighboring Massachusetts having had lawsuits against them.
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Residential Program
Outside from the healthcare center is a residential program where Veterans can decide to live, get back on their feet, and build more resilience.
The dining area is a large, vast area with extremely high ceilings and walls adorned with various Army divisions banners. There are maybe 50 to 100 of these banners hanging on the walls, and with each banner representing roughly 15,000 people, it demonstrates visibly how large the Army has become.
Pictured below is the dining area with banners hanging on the wall
The residential program is a place where Veterans have their own living quarters, shared bathrooms, and laundry facilities. Veterans who have higher functioning abilities and better health are able to take on various chores and tasks around the compound to ensure it is maintained in a tidy fashion. Veterans are able to earn minimum wage for some of these tasks.
Various community organizations, companies, and individuals strive to support the Veterans in both small and large ways. For instance, many of the laundry pods are donated to the Veterans eliminating the necessity to purchase them and ensuring the Veterans maintain clean attire.
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Cemetery
One of the top priorities is the cemetery to expand the amount of people they can bury, which unfortunately has become a grim reality of the current state of Veterans Affairs.
Currently, there are roughly 16,000 veterans in the Middletown Cemetery. But this number is quickly growing with the burial of 650-700 Veterans a year.
With only about 2,000 spaces remaining, the Department of Veterans Affairs is under time pressure to acquire more property to ensure that the Veterans are able to have proper burial services.
Commissioner Welch says “we owe it to the Veterans and their families to provide a distinguished service.”
The cemetery in Middletown has striking resemblance to the Arlington Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. White grave markers are spread nearly as far as the eye can see.
Pictured below is a section of the Middletown cemetery
Expanding the cemetery is a big project, and the leadership in the state is looking at costs that could be three million dollars, but potentially up to $15 million.
So long as certain stipulations are made, the Federal Department of Veterans Affairs will reimburse for nearly all of these costs. Still, though, the Commissioner testified in front of the bonding committee in December of this last year to move forward the initial tranche of funding to jumpstart the project with great support directly from the Governor.
Currently, the cemetery in Middletown has a variety of notable people including former Governor O’Neil, former Governor Rell’s husband, and Mr. Johnson who was awarded the Medal of Honor, among others.
Vanessa Wiltes of Easter Seals.
The Cemetery Services are starting to utilize columbarium for those who choose to be cremated and place the urn inside of the structure.
Pictured below is where they place the urns, the columbarium
Otherwise, there are two options for burial services:
- Traditional burial
- Cremated remains burial
Roughly 650-700 services a year, which is such a high number for a small state.
“People would never believe it for such a small state,” said the Commissioner. There are only about 2,000 spots left in the cemetery leaving them just a couple of years before they are completely full.
Wreaths Across America is an organization with the goal of having a flag at each spot in the Middletown Cemetery. The goal is to help educate the public, especially children, the value of freedom. The event is slated for December 14, 2024.
Aquamation is a new way to bury used in 30 states that uses heated alkaline water under pressure to decompose the body into skeletal form in under 12 hours. If the body is in a grave, the same process in alkaline soil would take up to 20 years.
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COVID
Only had 3 covid deaths. Were able to have same day results. Two out of the three were already near the end of their lives, but had to list void on the death certificate.
There is a Chaplain on site, and a sanctuary for religious services.
Pictured below is the sanctuary
It feels like a Catholic setting, but is non-denominational. The backdoor allows for the casket to be brought into the area without going through the main hallways and upsetting other staff or Veterans.
Small acts of care and compassion seem to go a long way in providing the best possible environment.
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Residential Program & Services
Just down the hall from where the Veterans stay in the residential program is an outpatient clinic where Veterans can walk in anytime during the day and receive care from two helpful staff members, Wendy and Shamin. They also have a full-time APRN.
Sometimes the Veterans come on a daily basis as a way to check-in and have some social support, explained Wendy. Both Wendy and Shamin were busy working away with big smiles on their faces, devoted, and passionate about what they were doing to help Veterans and the Veteran community.
Wendy and Shamin co-manage certain aspects of care with the Federal Department of Veterans Affairs, and conveniently no appointment is necessary. The outpatient care clinic also has the ability to do referrals if there are more acute or specialized cases taking place.
Thankfully, there is interoperability between records enabling both the Connecticut and Federal Department of Veterans Affairs to have the ability to access records.
Inside of the residential program area, there is a specific wing, called “Wing A” that is an isolation unit for people who test positive for covid and there is a negative air pressure system for safety. Currently, there is nobody in this wing and the isolation time has been reduced per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance.
There’s a counselor and social worker on campus to help the Veterans. Veterans who have good enough health are provided chore lists where they can earn minimum wage to keep things clean and tidy throughout the grounds.
Companies and organizations donate to help keep the costs down for the Veterans. For example, laundry pods are donated so Veterans don’t need to purchase them. The Veterans do their own laundry on campus.
About 25 years ago, there were nearly 500 Veterans on the campus. Thanks to changes in Federal law and improvements for Veteran homelessness, the numbers are just a fraction of that currently, although through recent American Rescue Act (ARPA) funding, the capacity to house more Veterans is growing.
Roughly 30 percent of the Veterans staying on campus drive and there is ample parking for them to leave their vehicles.
There were large American Disability Act (ADA) improvements to the grounds to help provide for railing and wheelchair accessibility throughout. This is right next to some of the over mile and half of tunnels that connect the entire sprawling compound underground.
One Veteran who is battling Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has made inspirational quotes and board that are posted throughout the grounds to help inspire people to make it through their challenges.
Pictured below are inspiring quotes to help overcome challenges made by a Veteran
Jim is the lead resident supervisor and has been working with the VA for over 25 years. He exudes passion as he is walking down the halls of the Residential Program and talking about the plethora of services provided.
The team works hard to provide lots of recreational activities for Veterans:
- ODO Open doors outdoors arranges for four hiking trips throughout the year
- Take a vet fishing
- Baseball games like Hartford Yard Goats
- Mystic aquarium
- Pool and ping pong
- Reading program with schools to help share their stories
Pictured below are variety of outings that Veterans have been on
There are six females on campus and their living quarters are sectioned off from others and are more secure. The women live in single rooms since they have less than half the occupancy of the amount of space they have.
Patriots Landing is across the street and is family housing for single mothers. It is a two year program that allows women to get back on their feet at a reduced cost, along with support services.
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Dining Hall
The dining hall is an ideal location for town halls, presentations, and events taking place. Walking into the large, vast space one is able to quickly start smelling the concoction of smells and aromas that start to whet an appetite.
Inside the kitchen area, one can see a passionate team of chefs prepping and preparing the next meals. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner is served at designated times each day and there are televisions throughout for people to watch news or sports – except on Wednesdays when they only put music on and encourage more social interaction between each other.
The team organizes cultural events throughout the year like military family appreciation month, events for women in military appreciation, Christmas Party, and others. The women in military appreciation allowed for the women to connect on particular issues pertaining to serving as a woman led by a woman.
In addition to their own team members, the residential program team members bring in speakers for cultural events throughout the year, and do their best to help keep Veterans knowledgeable about what is going on in the community and services offered to them.
The Department of Social Services and the Social Security Administration come from time to time to connect with Veterans and provide them with the benefits they have earned.
Always seeking ways to give back to the community, the staff and Veterans put together toys for tots and donate to the community during the holiday season.
One veteran who stays at the residential program enjoys the shrubs and gardening so much he can be seen moving things around, digging things up, and making the grounds look even nicer. There is a large quad area with a very generous donation of a gazebo from an organization. Veterans can be seen taking walks around the grounds and enjoying some fresh air.
From time to time, the residential program has therapy animals like dogs, goats, and horses come and provide therapy for the veterans.
Collaboration and partnership is also a part of the residential program. PGA Hope is a program that helps teach Veterans to golf and sets them up with clubs. Then they can go out and the Department of Veterans Affairs arranges for them to go golfing once they’ve learned.
There are also other activities such as artwork, music with guitars, and other creative outlets.
A volunteer barber comes in once a week to provide haircuts to the Veterans in the barber shop.
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Healthcare Center
There is an in-house pharmacy where the pharmacists can be in touch constantly with the Veterans to ensure any changes in their health as it relates to their medicine is quickly communicated.
The entire pharmacy system is fully automated making it a very streamlined and efficient process. Barbara leads the pharmacy and could quickly provide a comparison of how things “used to be done” and now the much improved process.
Her personality bubbles with enthusiasm and passion to help the Veterans on a daily basis.
The pharmacists work together with the families and the Veterans to sometimes de-prescribe medicines as they age if the medicines are no longer needed.
Pharmacists try to reduce the amount of medicines and prescribe fewer than too many medicines, if at all possible. This helps the pharmacists to eliminate unnecessary medications.
A new program that the pharmacy instituted is a continuous glucose monitoring system which enables the ability to keep close watch on all of the blood sugar levels of the veterans. Now the Veterans are able to put the monitoring system on their arms which allows the pharmacists to keep a closer watch.
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Collaboration between Federal and State
A key tenet of Commissioner Welch’s leadership is to increase collaboration and partnerships between the VA, organizations, and companies.
There is a lot of collaboration with the Federal Department Veterans Affairs, even though some Veterans could get confused as to if the State of Feds are provided certain benefits or services.
There is an agreement for the pharmacy that helps for the reimbursement of the medication through the Federal Department of Veterans Affairs.
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Commissioner’s Background and Experience: Distinguished Service
Before being appointed the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs by Governor Ned Lamott, Ron Welch had a variety of high level roles including Director of Joint Chief of Staff with a partnership with Uruguay that had three main goals: save lives, reduce suffering, and reduce damage to property. He had 5,000 people responding to him.
Prior to that, Welch was an Army Chief of Staff with 3700 people reporting to him. He was responsible for coordinating training, logistics, facilities, management, and coordinating services.
And prior to that, he was MaCom Commander like a Colonel for 1400-1500 soldiers.
Currently, it is estimated there are 150,000-170,000 Veterans in Connecticut. All of the Commissioner’s previous roles, including his own time serving, has enabled him to be fully adept and qualified at dealing with and resolving the issues of the nearly 200,000 Veterans throughout the state.
In a constantly changing world, Veterans Affairs are no different. It takes constant adaptation, involvement, learning, and improvement to ensure the State fulfills its mission of “Serving those who Served”.
“Progressive discipline” is a practice that the Commissioner champions for those on campus if they run afoul. This helps ensure they are encouraged to take positive steps as there is no prescriptive plan that the Veterans must follow or adhere to.
Over the nearly year that the Commissioner has held the role, he has attended nearly 50-60 events outside of normal working hours to honor Veterans, deliver a speech, or other activities. Sometimes he joins Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz at certain events.
Commissioner is really grateful for his staff that has helped him lead the way like Paul Splagletti for Veteran Service Officers. Laura in the healthcare facility. Paul Berger. Lindsay, and the attorney Jane Siegel.
“At this point in my career, it’s important to act as a mentor to as many people as possible,” said the Commissioner. “I want to do my best to help fill the bench and ensure that the next 5, 10, 20 years are in good order,” he said.
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Top Priorities
Commissioner Welch is nearly a year into the job and has a list of roughly top ten priority items in order of importance.
One of the major priorities is finding Veteran Reps in all of the 169 towns and municipalities throughout the state. Currently 120 out of the 169 locations have a Rep.
This is a volunteer role and the person doesn’t have to have served, but just simply a passion to help Veterans and help connect them to the existing services that the State or Federal government provides for them.
Another priority is to remodel veteran housing. There were significant ARPA funds dedicated recently that will allow them to expand their capacity.
Another priority is to improve the aging infrastructure, including the boiler that has been put off for years and is a needed investment.
Another priority is to collaborate more closely with the Department of Labor to help find meaningful employment for the Veterans, support in the outreach, and improve situations where Veterans are underemployed. This includes helping Veteran-Owned businesses through the micro-business certification that allows them to have a 15 percent price preference when bidding for state contracted after certification by the DVA.
Another priority is working to improve the Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and updating to use the most appropriate software to better manage patients and make the system more automated
“God forbid there is a natural disaster and there needs to be work done on Veterans in rapid time,” said the Commissioner.
The ultimate goal is to have improved interoperability.
Another priority is to update the webpage, and this is planned to be completed in six weeks. Since it’s an aging population, it’s important to have the most effective and informative webpage that veterans can access in a user-friendly method.