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FDVA details state veteran services, nursing homes and first adult day health integration planned for Collier County
Summary
Major General James Hartsell (FDVA) told the Senate committee the department is expanding outreach, state veteran nursing home capacity and adding adult day health care at a planned Collier County facility funded largely by local contributions.
Major General James Hartsell, executive director of the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs, gave a broad update to the committee on veteran outreach, benefits claims, state veteran nursing homes and efforts to add adult day health care to the state system.
Hartsell emphasized Florida’s growing veteran population, noting an increase in Gulf War and post‑9/11 veterans alongside a shrinking World War II cohort. “We have become the second largest veteran population in the nation,” he said, arguing that the state’s in‑migration drives the need for expanded services.
He described FDVA’s service footprint — 75 state veteran service officers who handled roughly 245,000 claims last year, including 45,000 new claims that generated about $260 million — and touted a reported return on investment: “We currently are doing $41 to every state dollar spent,” Hartsell said.
Hartsell presented plans for a new Collier County state veteran nursing home that will include a 20‑bed skilled nursing unit, memory care and an integrated adult day health care program for up to 40 veterans. According to Hartsell, Collier County community partners committed roughly $9.5 million to cover adult day health care costs and raised about $30 million to cover the local cost share for construction; the state would cover remaining costs. FDVA representatives said the federal government does not fund construction of adult day care and the state must provide capital and operating support.
Hartsell also described Hope Florida navigators and state veteran service officers who provided outreach during recent hurricanes and disaster recovery operations. He said FDVA performed about 875 outreach events last year and is seeking additional state veteran service officers and navigators in the governor’s budget to meet demand.
Questions from committee members focused on capturing veterans’ histories, staffing and the department’s record of recent standard‑setting inspections at nursing homes. Hartsell noted two deficiency‑free surveys in FDVA nursing homes over the prior year and said agency vacancies and agency use have declined following multiyear pay increases.
Why it matters FDVA’s planning for integrated adult day health care and its claims work have budgetary and operational implications. The Collier County project illustrates a public‑private financing model local officials and FDVA support, but any construction or operating funding for state facilities would require legislative appropriation and ongoing state oversight.
