The Michael J. Fitzmaurice State Veterans Home in Hot Springs, S.D., recently was featured on The American Legion’s national website.
The story of how the building came to be is told in a website feature, Department Spotlight.
The 133,000-square-foot facility has beds for 100 veterans and room for some spouses and family. It was completed in July 2016.
Influenced by the small-house philosophy and resident-centered approach to delivery of care, TSP architects designed the building so each “household” has 12 residents living in a home-like environment. Caregivers focus on serving specific households.
In recent years, officials had discussed closing the Hot Springs facility and moving it elsewhere. Department of Veterans Affairs officials opposed that action, however, and the state of South Dakota listened. The need to work together had been highlighted in a series of meetings Legion officials had with gubernatorial candidates. As a result, the Veterans Affairs department was upgraded from division status and received Cabinet-level status.
Groundbreaking on the building site began in 2013.
To read the entire story, visit this site.