“The care of our veterans must be a priority of our state. Yesterday, a devastating audit was released that outlined critical and ongoing problems at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, including chronic staffing shortages and the failure of staff to follow up on important care needs, such as investigating patient fall alerts. I welcome the news that Jeff Barnes is resigning as the director of the Michigan Veterans Affairs Administration, and that James Redford will take his place. This is the first step toward accountability, but it must not be the last. Patient care for profit has not worked, and we must return to making excellent care for our veterans the mission of the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans. I anticipate working closely with Mr. Redford in the coming months in order to make sure that the persistent concerns about the quality of patient care at the home will finally be addressed and remedied.”