VA center earns sixth national best patient experience award
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IRON MOUNTAIN -- The Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center has again earned national recognition for the experience it provides veterans, receiving its sixth Best Patient Experience Award from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The medical center received the 2025 Best Experience Award in the Level III category for small, low-complexity facilities at the Customer Experience Symposium on Thursday in Washington D.C. Registered nurse Adria Brietzke accepted the award on behalf of the employees and volunteers at the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center.
For the employees who serve veterans each day, the recognition is about more than an award. It reflects a culture centered on listening to veterans, responding to their needs and continually improving their health care experience, according to a news release.
"Our employees bring an extraordinary level of commitment to serving veterans and supporting one another," said John P. Shealey, Medical Center Director. "This honor belongs to the entire team, and I'm proud to serve alongside them."
The award adds to the medical center's record of national recognition. The facility received the Own the Moment Award in 2024 and the Best Innovation Award in 2019. It earned the Level III Best Patient Experience Award in 2018, 2019 and 2021, as well as the Best Overall Patient Experience Award in 2020 and 2022, ranking first among 170 VA medical centers nationwide.
The medical center has consistently ranked among the VA's top-performing facilities for employee and patient satisfaction since 2012, according to results from the VA All Employee Survey and V-Signals patient experience surveys.
That commitment is also reflected in recognition outside the VA's patient experience awards. In 2025, the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center received a five-star overall hospital quality rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The rating considers mortality, safety of care, readmissions, patient experience, and timely and effective care.
Over the past year, the medical center has continued to improve veterans' access to care. Those efforts include expanding telehealth services for rural veterans, increasing the use of same-day access clinics to reduce wait times, and making changes to Home Based Primary Care that reduced readmissions.
The Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center serves veterans across 15 counties in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and nine counties in northeastern Wisconsin.
Many veterans who qualify for VA health care have not taken the first step toward enrollment. Eligibility has expanded in recent years, especially through changes made by the PACT Act. Veterans who were previously denied coverage are encouraged to check their eligibility again.
"You don't have to wait until you need health care to find out what VA can do for you," Shealey said. "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."
The medical center's outreach and enrollment teams regularly travel throughout the Upper Peninsula and northeastern Wisconsin to help veterans understand their eligibility and complete the enrollment process.
Veterans can begin the enrollment process by calling Enrollment and Eligibility at 906-774-3300, ext. 32810, or they may also enroll in person at the medical center, 325 E. H St. in Iron Mountain, room 1101.