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IRON MOUNTAIN -- For the sixth time, the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center has been named one of the nation's top VA facilities, earning the Department of Veterans Affairs’ 2025 Best Experience Award for Level III small, low-complexity facilities.
Registered nurse Adria Brietzke accepted the award on behalf of the facility's staff and volunteers during the Customer Experience Symposium in Washington, D.C.
The latest honor adds to a long track record of national recognition for the Iron Mountain facility, which serves Veterans across 15 counties in the Upper Peninsula and nine counties in northeastern Wisconsin. The medical center previously earned the Level III Best Patient Experience Award in 2018, 2019 and 2021 and captured the Best Overall Patient Experience Award among all 170 VA medical centers nationwide in 2020 and 2022. It was also recognized with the Own the Moment Award in 2024 and the Best Innovation Award in 2019.
“Our employees bring an extraordinary level of commitment to serving Veterans and supporting one another,” said medical center Director John P. Shealey. “This honor belongs to the entire team and I'm proud to serve alongside them.”
Consistent high performance
According to results from the VA All Employee Survey and V-Signals patient experience surveys, the facility has consistently ranked among the VA's top performers for both employee and patient satisfaction since 2012.
That reputation extends beyond internal VA statistics. The center received a five-star overall hospital quality rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, an evaluation that measures safety, mortality rates, readmissions, patient experience and timeliness of care.
Over the past year, the facility has expanded access for rural veterans by boosting telehealth capabilities, increasing same-day access clinic availability to shorten wait times and refining its Home Based Primary Care programs to lower readmission rates.
Reaching out to unenrolled veterans
With eligibility expanding in recent years--particularly through the PACT Act--hospital leadership is using the award to encourage local veterans who have never enrolled, or who were previously denied coverage, to apply again.
“You don't have to wait until you need health care to find out what VA can do for you,” Shealey added. “If you're a veteran and you haven't enrolled, we encourage you to take a look at your eligibility and learn what services may be available to you.”
Depending on eligibility, VA coverage includes primary and specialty care, mental health services, rehabilitation, prescription coverage, and telehealth. To lower barriers, the center’s outreach teams regularly travel across the U.P. and northeastern Wisconsin to assist veterans with the application process directly in their home communities.
How to apply
Veterans interested in exploring eligibility can start the enrollment process in two ways:
• By phone: Call Enrollment and Eligibility at 906-774-3300, ext. 32810.
• In person: Visit the medical center at 325 E. H St., in Iron Mountain, Room 1101.