AUGUSTA, Maine — After closing down in October due to construction issues, the Togus VA Fisher House hasn't been able to host hundreds of families that have had relatives receive care at the VA Medical Center.
NEWS CENTER Maine first learned about the closure when a viewer emailed the newsroom in January 2023. Officials confirmed then that it was closed, and Fisher House representatives said they were buying families hotel rooms.
Now in July, officials confirmed to NEWS CENTER Maine the Togus VA Fisher House is still closed.
Jonathan Barczyk, a public affairs specialist with the VA Maine Healthcare System, said the VA is still awaiting the results of a structural evaluation of the building's foundation settlement. He said the VA hopes to have the results by the end of August.
"Once we have the results of that survey, we will be able to determine next steps. In the meantime, while the VA Maine Fisher House remains temporarily closed, we continue to provide lodging to families and caregivers of Veterans receiving care at our Togus VA Medical Center through the Fisher House Foundation’s Hotels for Heroes program," Barczyk said in an email.
As of June 2023, Barczyk said the Hotels of Heroes program has provided lodging for 651 guests, totaling $129,696.
Earlier in NEWS CENTER Maine's January reporting, officials could not point to a direct cause of the building's failure to host families but did say there is an active investigation to find out. VA and Fisher House representatives called it a settlement issue, adding something was wrong with the building's construction.
"The details of the assessment is just not something I can go into further detail with," Barczyk said.
Officials also could not say whether there was a timeline for the home to reopen to host families.
When the Togus Fisher House opened, it was built right across the street from the Togus VA Medical Center. It's designed, like dozens of other Fisher Houses across the nation, to allow veteran families to stay close to a relative who is receiving medical care at the hospital.
"I've been at this house since it opened ... I love my families and my veterans," Patrick Crowley said in a January interview. Crowley is the Fisher House manager for the VA. "We’ve been able to keep in touch with our families."
Representatives said that while there is no timeline for when the assessment of the house will be complete, that assessment will give them a better idea of when it can be open for new families.
