9a. Southern MN Veterans Home Coalition mw
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Saint Peter
Southern Minnesota Veterans Gu.
s Home Coalition
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' March 22 , 1989
' The Honorable Tom Hamilton
City of Chanhassen
690 Coulter Drive
Chanhassen, Minnesota 55317
Dear Mayor Hamilton:
We would like your assistance in providing the Chanhassen
City Council with the following information and include a
' resolution of support as an item on your next meeting
agenda.
The Southern Minnesota Veterans Home Coalition would like
' to call your attention to a proposal currently before the
Legislature regarding the siting of a new Veterans Home
in Health Service Area 6 , a 27 county region in the
t southwest quadrant of the State. Saint Peter is one of
four sites being considered by the Legislature for this
new State veterans home. The other sites under
consideration are Luverne, Worthington, and Willmar. The
' Senate site selection process will be limited to these
four recommended sites. Final selection is expected to
be made during the current Legislative session.
' This is a historic opportunity for our region, and the
communities and veterans within it. It is not often that
the State locates new facilities of this nature. The
' proposed facility would consist of approximately 60 beds.
The important issue is service to southern Minnesota
veterans . Of the four recommended sites , Saint Peter is
' best able to do this. Of the 50 , 000 veterans in our 27
county area, fifty percent (50%) live within a fifty (50)
mile radius of Saint Peter. The facility will be highly
' accessible to veterans and their families.
Veterans will have access to the most advanced,
' specialized care available. The Saint Peter site lies 65
miles from the Minneapolis Veterans Administration
Medical Center, a state-of-the-art art facility. Veterans
will be able to utilize a transportation system which
' makes daily trips to this facility.
The Saint Peter site offers a shared services approach
' which will expand availability of services to veterans,,
as well as reducing construction and operational costs.
MAR 2 7 1989
' 227 South Front Street Saint Peter, Minnesota 56082-0270 (507)931C %F CHANHASSEN
The Honorable Tom Hamilton Page 2 `' 1-
March 22 , 1989
The Saint Peter Regional Treatment Center, adjacent to
the site, offers pyschiatric, general medical, laboratory
and x-ray, and hearing impaired services which may be
utilized by the Veterans Home. In addition to
professional services, the Regional Treatment Center is
able to provide services including food, laundry, and
steam heating by utilizing existing excess capacity. The
Regional Treatment Center currently serves 575 patients
on a campus designed for 3,000 . The Saint Peter site
enables both facilities to operate more efficiently at a
reduced cost to the State.
At its March 1 , 1989, meeting at the State Capitol, the
Region Nine Development Commission unanimously adopted a
resolution to support efforts to establish a Veterans
Home in Saint Peter. Their endorsement of the Saint
Peter site confirms the significance of this region-wide
issue.
We believe that a cooperative effort among cities in our
area is an effective demonstration of widespread support
for a new Veterans Home. The Southern Minnesota Veterans
Home Coalition requests your support by way of a
resolution endorsing the Coalition' s efforts to establish
a new Veterans Home in Saint Peter.
Working together, we can guarantee that the Saint Peter
Veterans Home site proposal receives serious
consideration before the Legislature. In this way,
veterans in our communities will benefit from quality
care close to home.
Sincerely,
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA VETERANS HOME COALITION
4Zachary ZZoul
Chairman
Enclosures
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Of THEc„ City of Saint Peter
p
Saint Minnesota Veterans Home
PETER �� Peter Site Proposal
SAINT PETER OFFERS VETS COMPREHENSIVE CARE IN MINNESOTA
C1 ITER OF DR$0GR F 1ItS Saint Peter is the demographic center of the
' southwestern Minnesota veteran population. Fifty percent (50%) of the veteran
population lives within 50 miles of Saint Peter.1 A majority of the veterans'
families would be within a one hour's drive of the facility. Most major
highways in southwestern Minnesota offer a direct route to Saint Peter.2
CLOSE TO VAHC The Saint Peter Veterans Home site lies 65 miles from the
' Minneapolis Veterans Administration Medical Center,3 a state-of-the-art medical
facility. Veterans would receive comprehensive medical care in their home state
of Minnesota. The route from Saint Peter to the VAMC is via four-lane Highway
169,4 maintained in excellent travel condition throughout the year.
' SHARED SERVICES APPROACH The presence of the Saint Peter Regional Treatment
Center adjacent to the Veterans Home site offers a unique opportunity to utilize
the RTC's excess capacity in laundry, food service, steam heating and
recreation.5 Both state-owned facilities would benefit from improved cost-
effective operations.e
' REDUCED CONSTRUCTION COSTS An estimated $500,000 savings on construction costs
could be realized due to the shared services approach, use of existing state-
owned land, and City of Saint Peter financial contributions.?
REQ EELL. TON (X)STS Long-term operation costs could be significantly
reduced as a result of the shared services approach. Potential savings exist in
' several areas including administrative and indirect care staff levels,
contracted professional services, utilities, food and drugs.°
' POSITIVE SITE AMENITIES The Saint Peter Veterans Home site is a 14 acre parcel
most suited for a nursing care facility because of notable physical attributes
and a supportive community environment. Veterans would enjoy a spectacular view
' overlooking the Minnesota River Valley,e and a convenient location in which they
have access to a great variety of educational, recreational and cultural
opportunities.10
ASSURED TAFFING Saint Peter anticipates no difficulty attracting qualified
personnel to staff the veterans home. Statistics indicate that 9.5% of the
' labor force have health care training. Area residents have access to
specialized health care training programs at Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint
Peter, and Mankato State University and Mankato Technical institute in
' Mankato. 1i
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References
Minnesota Department of Administration, Management Analysis
Division, Potential Sites for a Minnesota Veterans Home, February 1989,
Appendix 7.21.
2 Saint Peter, Minnesota Veterans Home Site Proposal, November 1988,
page 36.
3 Klein McCarthy & Co. , Ltd. and Gair & Associates, Veterans Home
Siting Study, February 1989, Appendix II-2.
4 Saint Peter Site Proposal, page 35.
5 Saint Peter Site Proposal, pages 3-5.
6 Department of Administration, page 45.
7 Department of Administration, pages 45 and 95.
8 Department of Administration, page 45. '
9 Klein McCarthy, Appendix IV-27 and 28.
10 Saint Peter Site Proposal, pages 14-15 and 18-31.
11 Saint Peter Site Proposal, pages 16-17.
For additional in rma inn r n art:
Zachary Z. Zoul
City Administrator
227 South Front Street
Saint Peter, Minnesota 56082
(507) 931-4840
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A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING EFFORTS OF THE SOUTHERN MINNESOTA
MINNESOTA VETERANS HOME COALITION TO ESTABLISH A
MINNESOTA VETERANS HOME IN SAINT PETER
' WHEREAS , The
recognizes that elderly veterans comprise an increasing share of
' the total veterans population; and
WHEREAS, Many of these veterans will require nursing home
care; and
WHEREAS, The Saint Peter Veterans Home site lies in close
proximity to the Minneapolis Veterans Administration Medical
' Center, a state-of-the-art facility providing highly specialized
care; and
' WHEREAS , Fifty percent (50%) of the Veteran population in
Health Service Area 6 lives within fifty (50) miles of Saint
Peter; and
' WHEREAS , The shared services concept with the Saint Peter
Regional Treatment Center facility offers an excellent
opportunity to reduce construction and operation costs and
' improve efficiency of both the regional treatment center and
veterans home; and
WHEREAS, The Minnesota Department of Administration
' Management Analysis Division recommended the Saint Peter site as
one of four sites which best meet the veterans home siting study
criteria.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE of
the of , that the
' wholeheartedly endorses and supports the efforts of the Southern
Minnesota Veterans Home Coalition to locate a Minnesota Veterans
Home in Saint Peter and urges the State Legislature to act
favorably on behalf of this proposal.
Adopted by the ; this
day of March, 1989 .
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