Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs outlines rising care costs, Sallisaw home opening and deferred‑maintenance needs

Jay Bynum, director of the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs, told the Senate Health and Human Services subcommittee the agency is expanding its homes footprint and is asking lawmakers to address rising care costs and an extensive deferred‑maintenance backlog.

"Our goal really is to improve our performance to meet our aspiration to be the choice state of residence for veterans and their families," Bynum said, outlining a two‑track mission for homes and services.

Nut graf: ODVA is opening a new facility, shifting some services toward outreach and registration, but faces rising costs of care, workforce shortages and aging infrastructure that the agency says require additional funds and careful fiscal controls.

What ODVA presented

Sallisaw opening and capacity: Bynum said ODVA will add a seventh home at Sallisaw, increasing capacity by about 175 beds; substantial completion was reported at roughly 95 percent and the facility was on track for substantial completion by month‑end, with a ribbon cutting planned for Feb. 21 and first admissions targeted for March 1.

Funding mix and occupancy: Bynum described a funding model that pairs federal U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) payments with state appropriations and private pay. He said the VA contributes roughly 65 percent toward facility projects and about 70–75 percent of fully burdened operational costs in the homes mission; state appropriations and resident payments make up the remainder. Bynum told the committee ODVA has 1,600 employees and about 160 contract personnel, with most labor concentrated in the homes.

Rising costs and deferred maintenance: The director said the cost of care has risen sharply since 2019, citing a combined increase of 66 percent (driven by food, medical supplies and other cost components); he said the VA's contribution covered about 32.4 percent of that growth as of October. Bynum also said ODVA has about $240,000,000 in deferred maintenance needs and requested capital funding to leverage federal matching; he said $7,000,000 in state investment could attract additional VA contributions on a multiple‑to‑one basis.

Tallahina property: Bynum said the agency has spent about $60,000 this fiscal year to maintain the Tallahina (transcript: Tallahina/Tallahina spelling variants) property and that potential buyers — including tribal interests and the Department of Corrections as a mental health mission — have not produced a binding offer; he said discussions were continuing.

Workforce, contracts and savings: Bynum said ODVA has been reducing reliance on highly priced contract nursing by hiring state staff where possible, saving roughly $4 million after moving certain assistant positions from contracts to state payroll. He also described plans to have the agency manage some PRN/temporary staffing directly to reduce the roughly 30 percent contractor pass‑through premium.

Committee exchange and oversight

Senators pressed Bynum for details on cash balances, the Sallisaw timeline, Tallahina status and fiscal controls. Bynum described efforts to tighten spending approval and to provide monthly transparency on working capital, and he emphasized the agency's intention to partner with the VA to leverage matching dollars for capital projects.

Ending: Bynum invited committee members to the Sallisaw ribbon cutting and said ODVA will continue working with legislative fiscal staff on execution and transparency.