 April 2026
Register now to join MVH at Chesterfield Township veterans, families, friends, and community members for the home's Fifth annual walk, run, & roll event held on the home's campus. The event, held Saturday morning June 6th at MVH at Chesterfield Twp., will offer a 5k walk/run/roll as well as a 1/2-mile Remembrance Walk/Roll.
A fun morning for people of all ages and abilities, the event brings community together with our veterans to celebrate service - and to get some exercise while doing so. We'd love you to consider registering to join us, donating, and/or sponsoring the event. Reach out to Hilary at KuretichH@michigan.gov for more information, or with questions about the event and opportunities to support it.
Walk. Run. Roll. Sponsor. Donate. However you join us, make your impact on Michigan Veteran Homes.
Governed by the Michigan Veterans' Facility Authority and its Board of Directors, MVH's strategic direction is guided by strong leaders with diverse experiences and perspectives who generously give their time to benefit our Homes, and our veterans.
Appointed by the Governor for a term beginning April 16, we are thrilled to welcome Gregory Sobczyk to our Board of Directors. Mr. Sobczyk serves as the administrative director of health care for the University of Michigan School of Medicine and School of Dentistry. Previously, he served as the administrative officer of surgical services at the John D. Dingell Detroit VA Healthcare System. Sobczyk is a proud veteran of the U.S. Navy, where he served as a fleet marine force corpsman, and is also a lifetime member of the DAV. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Wayne State University, an MBA and Master of Health Services Administration from University of Detroit Mercy, and a Doctor of Philosophy in business leadership from Capella University.
We're thrilled to welcome Gregory to our Board of Directors, and we're grateful for his willingness to serve our organization, and Michigan veterans!
With 175 State Veterans Homes across the nation - at least one in every State, as well as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico - it's unsurprising many members of congress take an active interest in the work and impact of these homes and this special and historic program. Indeed, State Veterans Homes provide the lion's share of long-term care to veterans across the nation, and lawmakers often seek to ensure veterans are receiving the care and quality of life they earned and deserve. One way of doing that is through legislation.
In 2025, H.R. 1970 - the Providing Veterans Essential Medications Act was introduced. This bipartisan legislation, currently with forty-four cosponsors, seeks to address how State Veterans Homes are reimbursed by the VA for exorbitantly high-cost medications for severely disabled veterans. While such severely disabled veterans would have such high-cost medications paid for in VA Community Living Centers and at VA-contracted community nursing homes, no similar 'cost carve out' exists for such situations at State Veterans Homes, and this bill seeks to address that. More can be read about it here. Amongst the bill's forty-four cosponsors from twenty-six states, are Michigan Representatives Jack Bergman, Rashida Tlaib, Hillary Scholten, Tom Barrett, and Lisa McClain.
In late 2025, S. 3532 - the State Veterans Homes Inspection Simplification Act was introduced. This bipartisan legislation, currently with seven cosponsors, seeks to compel coordination between the VA and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on their survey (inspections) of State Veterans Homes, allowing CMS to accept VA's annual survey for participation in the CMS program as well. Currently, the two separate inspections are uncoordinated, and inspect against nearly identical federal regulations. The senate bill currently has no Michigan cosponsors. Last month, Congressman Jack Bergman (MI), alongside Congressman Tom Suozzi (NY), led the introduction of the House companion bill to S. 3532: H.R. 7747.
Also in 2025, H.R. 785 - the Representing Our Seniors at VA Act was introduced. This bipartisan legislation, currently with eighteen cosponsors, seeks to secure representation of State Veterans Homes and a licensed long-term care administrator as a voting member on the VA's Geriatrics and Gerontology Advisory Committee, which advises the VA Secretary on topics related to geriatrics and gerontology. Amongst the eighteen cosponsors, two are from Michigan: Representative Tlaib and Representative Barrett.
State Veterans Homes across the nation are serving those who've served us.
We began communicating the forthcoming demolition of the aged buildings on our Grand Rapids campus last August, and in February we finally saw bricks start coming down. The entire process is expected to last until August 2026, when contractors should have everything demolished, and cleaned up.
We're excited for this next chapter in our historic campus's long history of serving veterans. MVH opened the replacement building on campus in 2021 - a $63M investment in veterans - and thus the aged buildings have been vacant for years now - though with the ongoing expenses for keeping vacant buildings up: things like gas, electric, fire system, etc.
For 140 years the people of Michigan have been serving veterans on this property. Buildings have come and gone. Services, like healthcare, have evolved. Careers have started here, and were finished here. Veterans since the Civil War era have made this campus their home. This phase is just the next evolution in our journey to meet the needs of veterans today, and for generations to come. You can see some of the news coverage of the demo below.
Haven't been to visit? You can take a virtual tour of the home that opened at MVH at Grand Rapids in 2021:
First Look at Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids | Flickr
March was Careers in Aging month: a time to celebrate and raise awareness about the many diverse careers in the field of aging, gerontology, and related fields. During the month, the Health Care Association of Michigan spotlighted one of MVH D.J. Jacobetti's amazing team members: Robbie Conklin. Robbie is a joy to work alongside, and an incredible asset to the Jacobetti team - not to mention a great person.
Careers in aging - and careers at MVH - are plentiful. We're grateful for Robbie, and for the many, many individuals with of a wide array of skills who are serving our aging veterans and their loved ones. Thank you!
We try to say 'thank you' and express our immense gratitude for all the support we receive at the Jacobetti, though no number of 'thank yous' adequately describes our appreciation for the many amazing people and organizations we have supporting our veterans, and their home.
For 'Spread Goodness Day' in March, our veterans and staff were able to give back just a little bit of gratitude to the community, by baking and packaging some cookies and delivering them to the Marquette Coast Guard station, Marquette Fire Department, and Marquette Police Department. Solely for safety and quality assurance purposes, our veteran bakers taste tested the goods prior to packaging and delivery to assess their palatability and confirm their fitness for consumption: all cookies passed these rigorous assessments.
We just have so much for gratitude for the Marquette community, and the broader U.P. community (and beyond) that wraps their arms around our home and our veterans, ensuring they receive the support they deserve. We appreciate you all - and all you do for our mission and our veterans.
Michigan has just three of the 175 State Veterans Homes across the nation. While each is owned and operated by the individuals states, we all share a special mission and passion in serving those who've served us. And while there's good things happening here in the Great Lakes State at our Homes, check out just some of the good things happening around the nation at State Veterans Homes, below.
Donations to Michigan Veteran Homes are tax-deductible under 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Michigan Veteran Homes are making a difference in the lives of Michigan veterans and their loved ones. Join us.
Want to learn more about participating in the representative democracy our veterans stood to protect? Visit the Michigan Voter Information Center.
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