(St Paul, MN) – January 3, 2024–Governor Tim Walz announced that the newly opened Minnesota Veterans Home in Preston admitted its first residents today – four veterans who served in eras from Korea to Vietnam. The Preston Veterans Home is the first of three new veterans homes scheduled to open this month. The communities of Montevideo and Bemidji will also admit their first residents to new veterans homes in the coming weeks.
“We are proud to open the doors of Minnesota’s newest veterans home in Preston, expanding services and increasing quality of life for our veterans in southeastern Minnesota,” said Governor Walz. “We have a responsibility to ensure Minnesota’s aging veterans receive the care and services they need.”
“MDVA is honored to expand our veterans homes across the state this month,” said MDVA Commissioner Brad Lindsay. “As our 294,000 Minnesota veterans age, it is more important than ever that we can care for them in their final years.”
Long-time Preston community member Walter Hanson, one of the veterans who moved into the new veterans home today, also celebrated his 91st birthday today.
“It takes a lot of people to put this together,” said Hanson, an Army veteran who served in Korea in the 1950s. “It’s going to be quite a shot in the arm for Preston and the area. This is going to be a nice place to live. I’ll find out soon enough!”
“Our residents are excited to come through our doors today,” said Home Administrator Dave Dunn. “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 southeastern Minnesota.”
The home came to fruition after more than a decade of advocacy and planning and two years of construction. During the next few weeks, the home will continue to admit up to 24 new residents. The home must then complete a recognition survey from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (Federal VA). The survey is expected to take place in early 2024.
Once that federal VA survey is completed, the home will continue to admit additional residents and hire the remaining staff required to care for a full facility. The home will also pursue its certification with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in the first year of operation. Minnesota Veterans Homes are surveyed by both MDH/CMS and the federal VA.
While the Preston Veterans Home has hired most of the staff needed for the first month of operation, additional employees will be needed as more residents are admitted, according to Gabby Kinneberg, Preston Veterans Home Public Affairs Coordinator. “We still have a few staff positions open right now. We want to let everyone know that once we get to full capacity, we will be hiring additional employees. I encourage community members to keep an eye out for new job openings soon.”
To learn about employment opportunities, visit MinnesotaVeteran.org/Careers .
“The support from the community is absolutely amazing,” added Kinneberg. “Preston and surrounding communities have been so supportive. We couldn’t have done this project without their support. It’s an awesome thing to see come together.”
Groundbreaking for the Preston Veterans Home took place in August 2021 for the 54-bed skilled nursing facility located at 1864 First Minnesota on a 15-acre bluff-top site surrounded by a 200-year-old native white oak forest.
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.
A formal, large dedication event will be planned for late spring. To schedule a tour, contact Gabby Kinneberg at gabby.kinneberg@state.mn.us or 507-808-8927.
For more information, visit the MDVA website at MinnesotaVeteran.org/Homes .
