Dr. Dean Hartwig, O.D., Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center Optometrist, checks a veteran’s eyes at the Iron Mountain VA Medical Center on Feb. 2. (Courtesy photo)

IRON MOUNTAIN — The Department of veterans Affairs announced that veteran trust in Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center has risen to 94.9% — up from 90.8% in 2018, the first year since VA began conducting this survey.

Additionally, nationwide trust in VA outpatient care has increased to 91.8% — up from 85.6% in 2018.

This finding is based on a survey of veteran patients who received VA health care in the past 90 days. Within one week of using VA services, veterans were asked whether they trusted VA for their health care needs across a variety of categories — including scheduling an appointment, health care visits, in-person pharmacy, mail-order pharmacy, labs/imaging and veteran safety.

This survey mirrors the findings of recent independent studies. According to Medicare’s latest nationwide survey of patients, VA hospitals outperformed non-VA hospitals on all 10 core patient satisfaction metrics — including overall hospital rating, communication with doctors, communication about medication, willingness to recommend the hospital, and more. VA health care has also consistently outperformed non-VA care in peer-reviewed studies, overall quality ratings and affordability for veterans.

“It’s uplifting to know our veterans think so highly of us. This score is our report card, and according to our veterans, we’re doing well,” said Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center Director John P. Shealey. “But there’s always room for improvement. We look at every comment we receive, and use them to make improvements. Every day we aim to make ourselves better than we were the day before.

“As a testament to our commitment to our veterans, we’ve received a patient experience award for five consecutive years since the awards inception in the category of level 3 facility or overall for all facility levels. It’s only been given for five years, and we’ve won each year. We’re the only VA to have accomplished this.”

OGJVAMC has enrolled more than 800 new veterans over the past year, due in part to new legislation like the PACT Act, signed into law by President Biden as part of his Unity Agenda for the nation, which has allowed VA to expand health care and benefits to millions of veterans.

VA recently expanded health care eligibility for millions of veterans nationwide, years earlier than called for by the PACT Act. As of March 5, all veterans who were exposed to toxins and other hazards while serving in the military and meet certain requirements became eligible to enroll directly in VA health care. This means that all veterans who served in the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, the global war on terror, or any other combat zone after 9/11 can enroll directly in VA health care without first applying for VA benefits.

Additionally, veterans who never deployed but were exposed to toxins or hazards while training or on active duty in the United States are also eligible to enroll. VA also recently expanded health care to all World War II veterans.

VA is also conducting the most aggressive outreach campaign in its history, including hosting over 2,600 events since the enactment of the PACT Act, launching a more than $16 million advertising campaign, using public service announcements, and — for the first time — sending text messages to veterans encouraging them to enroll in VA health care.

“I strongly believe that the Oscar G. Johnson VAMC and its community-based outpatient clinics are the best medical option for veterans throughout the Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin,” Shealey said. “We will continue to pound the pavement, seeking out the veterans who are not enrolled so we can explain their benefits to them and hopefully get them enrolled. They’ve earned these benefits and we want them to have them.

“Moving forward, we will continue to aggressively reach out to veterans to encourage them to come to VA. VA encourages all veterans, family members, caregivers, and survivors to learn more about VA to understand how VA fits into their lives, and apply for their world-class health care and earned benefits today.”

OGJVAMC expanded its outreach efforts in 2024 by re-engaging with local communities throughout the U.P. and northern Wisconsin through in-person town halls, while maintaining the use of virtual town halls that were very effective throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Facility leadership is also looking into other ways that have not been previously tried to reach veterans.