MARQUETTE, MI— Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist toured the Jacobetti Home for Veterans in Marquette Wednesday during his tour of the Upper Peninsula.
Michigan Veteran Homes Director of Development and Strategic Engagement Ryan Engle told Gilchrist all three of the state’s veteran homes got five-star ratings from Medicare/ Medicaid, are ranked in the top five percent of skilled nursing homes in the state, and earned American Health Care Association Bronze awards this past year.
Gilchrist said having a high standard of service in skilled nursing facilities was one of the state’s explicit goals.
“Not only because we think the residents deserve it, but, you know, this is part of a comprehensive approach to making sure that Michigan is a great place to be a veteran.”
Gilchrist is running for Secretary of State this year on the Democratic ticket. Should he win the election, he said he wants to focus on making department services more available to people like those in veterans homes, possibly through additional mobile facilities.
“How can we support people to be able to, you know, exercise the rights that are theirs, regardless of their health status—you still are a voter—and so therefore, what does it take, what do we need to make possible to support you to exercise that right?”
Gilchrist later visited Ishpeming, which achieved a Redevelopment Ready Community Designation, and the Eagle Mills roundabout project in Negaunee.
