Secretary of Veterans’ Services resigns
Secretary of Veterans’ Services Francisco Urena says he has resigned ahead of the release of an independent investigation into the coronavirus outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home that has resulted in the deaths of dozens of veterans.
Urena, a Marine veteran and Purple Heart recipient who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, confirmed to the Herald late Tuesday night that he had submitted his resignation.
“I’ve been asked to resign and yes I did,” he said.
Ninety-seven veterans have died at the facility since March — 76 of whom tested positive for the novel virus. Eighteen of those 97 veterans who died tested negative, two were clinically recovered when they died, and one’s status was unknown, according to the state.
The virus’ rapid spread through the facility led to the suspension of superintendent Bennett Walsh and triggered several state and federal investigations.
Gov. Charlie Baker tapped former federal prosecutor Mark W. Pearlstein in April to lead an independent investigation into the home’s coronavirus response.
Pearlstein’s report could be released as early as today.
The timeline of when state officials learned of the deaths at the soldiers’ home is a major source of contention.
State officials, including Baker, have repeatedly claimed they didn’t learn of the deaths at the Holyoke facility until March 29.
But Walsh’s attorney provided documents last month showing the superintendent alerted Urena the night he learned a veteran had tested positive for COVID-19 on March 21 and filed a critical incident report — the state’s mechanism for flagging issues at facilities it oversees — with the Department of Veterans Services and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services the next day.
Coronavirus has devastated long-term care facilities, but Holyoke remains one of the deadliest outbreaks, leaving dozens of workers sickened and prompting complaints about inadequate personal protective equipment and patient isolation.