IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. (WZMQ) – In a remarkable display of commitment to veterans’ healthcare, the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center is aiming for a continuation of its excellence as it secured the coveted “Best Patient Experience Award”, marking their 5th consecutive win. Some years past, the hospital was awarded for best patient experience at a level two facility, but this year’s award beat out 171 VA hospitals nationwide for Best Overall Patient Experience Award.
This triumph was celebrated during an award ceremony held last week in Washington, D.C., attended by the hospital’s dedicated Director, Dr. John P. Shealy.
Dr. Shealy, upon returning from Washington D.C., alongside a frontline healthcare worker who symbolizes the hospital’s dedication, reaffirmed the institution’s relentless pursuit of excellence.
He emphasized their focus on continuing to provide the highest quality of care to veterans. Part of Dr. Shealey’s choosing a frontline staff member to receive the award, on behalf of the hospital, was because he recognizes that staff members are the first faces that patients see. Sheri Tyner, an MSA (medical support assistant) of the Gladstone CBOC (outpatient clinic), was chosen, in part because the outpatient clinics are an extension of the hospital. Dr. Shealey wants the clinics to feel a part of the hospital team, regardless of their geographic location across the Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin.
The outpatient clinics are a big part of this year’s focus, according to the hospital director.
“We are going literally one by one with those, doing evaluations,” stated Dr. Shealey. “Some of those will be entirely new replacement clinics. Some of those will be remodels or expansions of the current space. For those areas, as we just looked out back, we’re working on our new primary care expansion here at the main facility.”
Construction is currently in full swing at the Iron Mountain facility, where a state-of-the-art primary care expansion is taking shape. However, the Director’s aspirations reach even higher, as he unveiled his ambitious plan for a groundbreaking women’s healthcare facility in the coming years.
“And the reason for that is that the data is showing us that’s our fastest growing population. Female veterans are coming to us more and more frequently, and they’re trusting us with their care,” he informed.
Looking ahead, the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center has an impressive slate of new construction projects scheduled to commence in January 2024. These projects aim to evaluate, expand, and streamline clinical services while ushering in an era of enhanced healthcare for veterans.
