Iron Mountain VA receives national award

IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. (WLUC) - The Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center received the 2022 Best Overall Experience Award.

This is the fifth year the Oscar G. Johnson Medical Center has received a national award and the second time it has received the Best Overall Experience Award.

Given out by the Department of Veteran Affairs, the Oscar G. Johnson Medical Center was the only VA chosen over the other 171 VA Centers across the nation.

Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center Director Dr. John Phillip Shealy described how Oscar G. Johnson was able to rise above other VAs.

“It’s not about me, it’s not about any other leader in this facility. It’s about our staff and the excellent care they provide,” said Shealy. “Whether you’re a clinician or whether you’re checking in a patient at the front desk, you’re the difference.”

Shealy explained how the award factors into veterans searching for care.

“You want to get care here,” said Shealy. “You would not only know that you are getting the best care available, but you are going to receive that care in a caring environment.”

Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center Veteran Experience Officer Pamela Dubrow said Iron Mountain’s tightly knit community drives the staff to go above and beyond standard care for area veterans.

“We live and work with one another,” said Dubrow. “We could see each other at the baseball game tonight with our kids. It’s the community. A lot of the veterans here are our family, our friends, our neighbors.”

The center also received a five-star rating in Hospital Quality from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

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