St. Paul, Minn. – As construction on the Montevideo Veterans Home continues toward a late summer completion, officials from the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) met with community advocates on January 11 to provide an update and introduce the Home’s leader. Administrator Ashley Bormann joined MDVA January 4.“I’m very excited and grateful to be here,” Bormann said as she greeted the group. “My job will be to help create the best environment possible to live in, work in and visit.”Bormann has served as a Nursing Home Administrator since 2014. She brings experience with planning and opening new facilities and is passionate about ensuring the best quality of care and quality of life for Residents. Bormann is a graduate of Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota where she obtained a degree in healthcare management with an emphasis in long-term care administration.“My focus will be delivering high quality care and a high quality of life to our Residents as well as a positive work culture for our employees,” Bormann said.Construction is 66% complete and continues on schedule for the 72-bed skilled nursing facility, according to MDVA Commissioner Larry Herke. The Home is located at 2190 William Avenue on a 13.5-acre site at the intersection of William Avenue and County Road 15.The first Residents are expected to be admitted in September. Since MDVA began accepting Resident admission applications in September, 76 Veterans and 10 Veteran spouses have applied. To be accepted for admission, Residents must be:• Discharged under honorable conditions from any branch of the U.S. armed forces and a current resident of Minnesota, who served 181 consecutive days on active duty, unless discharged earlier because of disability incurred in the line of duty.• The spouse of an eligible Veteran who is at least 55 years old and meets residency requirements.• Able to demonstrate a medical or clinical need for skilled nursing care.County Veterans Service Officers are available to assist future Residents with the admission application process. Admissions inquiries can also be emailed to NewHomesAdmissions@state.mn.us.Bormann will lead a team of more than 160 full and part-time employees. The staff will be hired over the next six months. She acknowledged the challenge of hiring during the current workforce shortage and believes the Home offers competitive wages and generous State of Minnesota employee benefits. “We have lots of open positions,” Bormann noted. “People who’ve never worked in healthcare but who have certain skillsets may be a perfect fit for one of these opportunities. We will partner with applicants to find the best fit for them.”Current recruitment efforts are focused on leadership roles for Nursing, Human Resources, Business Office, Building Maintenance, Clinical Education, and Health Information. Most frontline staff will be hired in mid-summer. Job openings will be posted at mn.gov/careers. Employment inquiries can be emailed to NewHomesJobs@state.mn.us.“Our goal is to encourage more community members to explore a rewarding career in long-term care and to improve the workforce shortage for all facilities,” said Simone Hogan, Senior Director – Veterans Healthcare for MDVA. “Our hope is that new employees to the Veterans Home will make this their career and be here 25 years from now.”Despite the recruitment challenges, MDVA officials are confident that staff will find the Veterans Home a great place to work. The staffing ratio between employees and Residents is lower than other facilities, allowing staff and Residents to really get to know one another and provide more continuity of care.After a tour of the construction site, MDVA Deputy Commissioner – Healthcare Douglas Hughes was elated with the work to date. “This will be one of the best nursing homes, not just among Veterans Homes, but among all nursing homes in the country,” he exclaimed.The Montevideo Veterans Home will include 72 residential units with private baths that will be split into two “neighborhoods” and four “households” of 18 residents each, providing a more homelike atmosphere. The home’s design reflects a prairie-style inspired design that integrates natural materials such as wood and stone into the spaces. The public spaces include a Town Center featuring a small coffee shop/cafe, theater/meeting room, family dining room, meditation room/chapel, and club room.The Home also includes a 2,900-square foot community room made possible by a generous donation by the estate of Vietnam Veteran Steve Williams. The goal is that Veterans, their families and friends will visit Residents in this space, engaging community members in the facility.Until the facility is completed, Bormann and other staff will work from a community office space located at 202 North 1st Street in Montevideo.For more information, visit the MDVA website at MinnesotaVeteran.org/FutureHomes