Major General Hartzell, director of the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs, told the Senate Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security Committee that the department is expanding long‑term care capacity and outreach for the state's roughly 1,400,000 veterans.

Hartzell said the department will open a 10th state veteran nursing home in Collier County, describing it as “a first of its kind, best in class state veteran nursing home in the nation.” He said the Collier facility will include standard skilled‑nursing private rooms together with a 40‑bed adult day health care unit, outpatient therapy and other services; the department expects a groundbreaking early next year.

The new facility is part of the department's effort to fill regional gaps in skilled nursing availability, Hartzell said. He explained that federal placement decisions for state veteran nursing homes are driven by a federal calculation that looks for communities where veterans 65 and older need skilled nursing care and where private commercial nursing homes cannot meet that demand. “Where they go is where there's not the availability for that commercial care,” Hartzell said in response to a senator's question about siting.

Why it matters: Hartzell framed nursing homes and adult day health care as central to veterans' access to health and long‑term care benefits. The Collier County project and a statewide assessment of adult day health care respond to uneven geographic access, especially in north‑central Florida and the far west (Pensacola area), he said.

Key program and outreach details

- Dental program: Hartzell credited the Legislature for recurring state funding for a dental program that began this fiscal year. He said the program served 245 veterans in the first quarter (July–September) and delivered 1,631 procedures in that period; the department's foundation reports the work saved about $525,000 compared with standard fees. The program is administered through the Florida Veterans Foundation with participating private dental offices.

- Veteran service officers: The department added positions after the last legislative session, increasing capacity to connect veterans to federal, state and local benefits. Hartzell said state veteran service officers helped about 245,000 veterans in 2024 and that the department added five officers this year, which he credited with increasing claims and federal funds returned to Florida communities.

- Population shifts and program focus: Hartzell cited changing age cohorts: about 3,800 World War II veterans remain in the state, Vietnam‑era veterans numbered about 406,000, and the post‑9/11 generation was about 681,000. He emphasized outreach to newer veterans who use different communications channels and to older veterans who may require in‑person assistance.

Homelessness and mental health

Hartzell told the committee Florida reported a 13% year‑over‑year reduction in countable homeless veterans, the largest reduction reported among states for the period cited. He said the result reflects local, state and federal efforts and described outreach and training initiatives for veteran mental health; he pointed committee members to safeflvets.org and an “Overwatch” training program the department supports for county veteran service officers and other local partners.

Other items and announcements

- Florida Veterans Hall of Fame: Hartzell invited committee members to an induction ceremony on Nov. 6 in the Cabinet Room.

- Veterans Month: The department will mark Veterans Month beginning Nov. 1 following a change in state observances.

- Staffing: Hartzell announced Ret. Col. DJ Reyes will begin as deputy executive director for the department on Nov. 7.

Questions and follow‑up from senators

Senators asked about future nursing‑home siting (Hartzell reiterated the federal need/availability test), the adult day health care study (he said it is under way and that adult day care is state funded, not federally funded), and how localities use state resources for homeless‑veteran services. Hartzell said the department will share county‑level homeless veteran data with the committee on request and emphasized that services and outcomes vary by provider and locality.

Ending: Hartzell closed by repeating contact options (floridavets.org and department e‑mail/phone lines), thanking the committee for legislative support and offering to provide additional data and follow‑up on specific county questions.