Copyright NBC10 Boston
Massachusetts Veterans Services Secretary Dr. Jon Santiago is preparing to leave his position by year's end. The emergency room doctor-turned-cabinet secretary began his three-year tenure by shepherding the creation of the commonwealth's Executive Office of Veterans Services in the wake of dozens of COVID-related deaths at veterans' homes in Holyoke and Chelsea. "There was a loss of trust in the community, locally, at Holyoke and Chelsea. So, it really needed a rebirth, a transformation," said Santiago. "We secured hundreds of millions of dollars from D.C. to make Holyoke happen and I'm proud to say that today it's ahead of schedule. The plan is to open next week." That process began shortly after the tragedy by identifying what issues led up to the situation in the first place. "A lack of resources, a lack of leadership, a lack of competence, health care experience — you name it, that's what led up to the crisis," Santiago said. While progress has been made, Santiago is conscious of the tendency for urgency and attention to wane as time passes. "That's why it's important to develop systems," said Santiago. "Systems of accountability, systems of 'how do you standardize processes and procedures.' That's what was missing there." Beyond that, he had a focus on the government shutdown and its impact on Bay State veterans. "It's incredibly frustrating, it's infuriating," said Santiago. "Twenty-one thousand veterans in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts are on SNAP. That's almost 1 in 10 veterans, not just them but their families." While Santiago plans to remain engaged, he's ready to hand over the reins, urging his successor to hit the ground running. "We need your leadership to continue to transform and build on the gains that we've made," he said. Tune in Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. for our extended @Issue Sit Down with Secretary Dr. Jon Santiago.
