On Monday, Jan. 22, three Veterans – who served in eras from World War II to Vietnam – became the first Residents to call the newly opened Minnesota Veterans Homes - Montevideo their new home.

Long-time Montevideo community member and World War II Veteran William Homan, who served in the Army Air Corp, was the very first Resident at the Montevideo Home. “I made many, many trips to the State Capitol, helping people understand the need,” said Mr. Homan. “I can’t tell you what an honor it is to be the first Veteran to move in. This will really benefit Montevideo and the area for a long time.”

Montevideo Veterans Home Administrator Ashley Bormann notes, “The facility is absolutely beautiful, and our team members are thrilled to now be working on site. This is really a meaningful day for our community and all of western Minnesota.”

The Home came to fruition after more than a decade of advocacy and planning and two years of construction.

Jan. 22 move-in activities garnered a good deal of media attention including coverage from WCCO-TV.

During the next few weeks, the Home will continue to admit Residents up to a total of 24. It must then successfully complete a recognition survey from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (Federal VA), which is expected to take place later this spring. The Home will also be pursuing its certification with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in the first year of operation.

Additional employees will be needed as more Residents are admitted. To learn about career opportunities serving those who have served, visit /mdva/about/work-for-mdva/featured-jobs.jspour Current Jobs page. Openings are updated on a daily basis.

Note: The Preston Veterans Home admitted its first Residents on Jan. 3; details of its opening were featured in last month’s newsletter. The Bemidji Veterans Home, scheduled to start admitting Residents on Feb. 13, will be shared in next month’s edition of Minnesota Veteran.