The courtyard at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown. (Photo and logo courtesy of the State of Iowa)
An Iowa Democratic lawmaker is asking for a state audit of the Iowa Veterans’ Home following July staffing changes.
Rep. Sue Cahill, D-Marshalltown, sent a letter to Iowa Auditor Rob Sand this week calling for an audit of the state-run veterans’ home, located in Marshalltown.
The request follows the July news that the Iowa Veterans’ Home would undergo a “restructuring” process that would eliminate 11 full-time positions and reduce four other full-time jobs to part-time beginning Aug. 15. Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs Communications Specialist Karl Lettow said in a statement to the Marshalltown Times-Republican that the staffing changes were made to meet the “challenging needs of our residents” amid a financial squeeze.
“The cost of care is increasing while federal reimbursements aren’t keeping pace,” Lettow said. This realignment will result in more efficient and responsive support and care for our residents by putting more staff in a direct care role. This is a strategic decision to position ourselves to provide the very best support to our residents now and into the future.”
In the letter to Sand — the only Democrat to currently hold statewide elected office in Iowa — Cahill said the decision to cut staff positions at the care facility were made without input from lawmakers, and occurred despite a $1 million increase in state funding for the home.
Cahill, who represents the residents of the Iowa Veterans’ Home, requested the auditor’s office review of whether the facility is using appropriated state funds in a lawful manner, consistent with state regulations and contractual agreements. She wrote that the audit was being requested “out of concern for Iowa taxpayers and the veterans who have served our country.”
“Veterans have sacrificed so much for our country, and we have to ensure they receive the highest level of care and respect in their later years,” Cahill said in a statement. “I am calling on the State Auditor to ensure that the Iowa Veterans’ Home meets the highest standards of care and transparency.”
The staffing cuts primarily affect positions focused on recreational services for residents, Cahill wrote — eliminations that will conflict with the Veterans’ Home mission of providing a continuum of care to veterans and spouses with services focused on a high quality of life.
Lettow said in a statement sent to Iowa Capital Dispatch that there has been “disinformation” about the staffing changes at the Iowa Veterans’ Home.
“Our new structure is built to improve service delivery for our residents,” Lettow said. “Unfortunately, there’s been disinformation throughout the transition, and the main points of the press release also appear misinformed and factually wrong. The assertions in the press release that 11 employees were laid off and the realignment would negatively affect our quality of care are objectively, verifiably false.”
New positions were created at the same time as the elimination and changes to previous full-time positions, Lettow said, a detail that “has been consistently, selectively omitted by multiple sources.” He also said a majority of staff whose positions were affected by the July changes are still working at the facility in newly created positions, and that three were promoted.
Three other staff members “will pursue other opportunities,” he said, but added there are multiple open positions available at the veterans’ home.
“Our people are what make Iowa Veterans Home the greatest place in Iowa for our veterans and spouses,” Lettow said. “Thanks to them, we’ve achieved and sustained a 5-Star CMS (Center for Medicare and Medicaid) rating since 2016, meaning IVH has been in the top 10-percent of long-term care facilities in the U.S. for eight straight years. Any change we even consider, must improve our home for our residents and staff.”
Lettow also said the Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs recently received the results of their annual state audit from fiscal year 2023 with no discrepancies, and are already in the auditing process for the upcoming year.
Sand released a statement Tuesday confirming that Cahill’s request was received.
“The Auditor’s office will review Rep. Cahill’s request and make a determination on how we might move forward to ensure Iowa’s veterans receive the highest level of care and tax dollars are spent as intended and consistent with the law,” Sand said in a statement.
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