Iowa Veterans Home Update

Memorial Day at IVH

Under the universal theme of “Remember and Honor,” the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown hosted its annual Memorial Day service to a deeply moved, standing-room-only crowd inside the Malloy Leisure Resource Center. The morning was filled with traditional military pageantry, stirring patriotic music from the Marshalltown Municipal Band, and poignant poetry readings that paid tribute to the legacy of America's fallen heroes. Serving as the program's keynote speaker, Lieutenant Colonel Jodi Marti, Commander of the 334th Brigade Support Battalion (Iowa Army National Guard), delivered succinct and inspirational remarks. Having recently re-deployed from operational missions in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, LTC Marti offered a deeply personal perspective on modern sacrifice, drawing a powerful connection between our nation's historic losses and the enduring gratitude of the communities left behind.

Campus Modernization & Construction 

We are continuously investing in our 158-acre Marshalltown campus to provide a safe, modern, and beautiful environment for our residents.

• Infrastructure Upgrades: Major roofing projects for the Dack and Malloy buildings are scheduled to commence in three weeks, alongside targeted water infiltration repairs beginning shortly.
• Enhanced Accessibility: Thanks to state legislative approval, $180,000 has been secured for facility-wide sidewalk improvements, with funds becoming available at the start of Fiscal Year 2027.
• Innovative Maintenance: To maximize fiscal efficiency, we are evaluating the purchase of an exterior window-washing drone. Traditional service contracts exceed $25,000 per cycle; a drone will cost less than a single manual cycle and allow for more frequent cleaning. Additionally, our grounds crew is testing autonomous mowers to optimize staffing levels for complex care tasks.
• Advanced Medical Equipment: Technical blueprints are being finalized with Philips and the federal VA to install upgraded stationary and mobile X-ray units.

IVH Fact: Did you know IVH maintains a dedicated sharing agreement with the VA to provide local diagnostic X-ray imaging for patients at the Marshalltown Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC)?

Information Technology Enhancements

To streamline care and eliminate administrative burdens, our teams are working with the Department of Information Technology (DoIT) on several modernization paths:

• Nutrition Management: On June 8, 2026, our new MealSuites software officially went live, optimizing dietary preferences, menu revisions, and recipe building for residents.
• Clinical Software Overhauls: Fresh platforms are being secured to replace outdated pharmacy, dental, and resident transportation tracking systems, moving operations away from legacy software dependencies.

Clinical Excellence & Regulatory Standards

Annual Federal VA Survey

From May 18–22, 2026, a team of five federal surveyors and a life safety officer conducted their annual unannounced review of our nursing and domiciliary scopes of care. While official written evaluations are pending, preliminary feedback indicates another highly successful visit. 

Quality Assurance & Prevention

Our Quality Department continues to audit compliance for our specialized oxygen care plans. Additionally, data from our recent Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) tracking tools is being used to analyze the specific days and times problems occur, allowing our floor teams to build proactive, preventative care strategies.

Infection Control Honors

Our specialized Infection Control team was invited to present at the statewide Health and Human Services conference in Ames on May 5–6. Following their stellar, diligent mitigation work during the community-wide Legionella outbreak last spring, our team led an acclaimed breakout session utilizing an educational "Infection Control Jeopardy" format to train other health professionals.

Summer Activities & Community Events

The campus is buzzing with life as our summer recreation, music, and sports calendars kick into high gear!

• IVH Summer Concert Series: Sponsored proudly by the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), we are launching an outdoor courtyard concert series starting June 17, kicking off with a performance by Storm Seymore.
• Valor Field Youth Sports: We are thrilled to welcome local youth back to campus! Valor Field is hosting a series of boys and girls Little League and tee-ball games throughout June and July.
• June Highlights: Our community partners brought incredible energy to campus this month, including the annual ABATE Motorcycle Visit, specialized Off-Highway Vehicle rides for residents, an Elks Ice Cream Social, the local UAW picnic, and the dynamic "Walk in Her Shoes" awareness event traversing the IVH grounds.

Community Generosity: May Donations

We extend our deepest gratitude to the veteran service organizations, auxiliary units, and private citizens whose incredible generosity directly enhances the daily lives of our residents. In May alone, your contributions provided thousands of dollars in recreational funds, canteen support, handmade lap quilts, and social programming.

Note: Over 25 additional individual donations of greeting cards, puzzles, reading materials, fresh garden flowers from Hy-Vee, and memorial gifts were also gratefully received this month.

To learn more about resident eligibility criteria or to schedule a baseline tour of our historic Marshalltown campus, please contact our admissions team or visit us online at dva.iowa.gov.

Iowa Veterans Home In the News