U.P.’s only VA medical center wins national award

What's happening: The Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center, the Upper Peninsula’s main Veterans Affairs healthcare location, received the 2022 Best Overall Experience Award from the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) for providing veterans with outstanding healthcare experiences. The award was given during the Customer Experience Award Ceremony on Sept. 13, 2023, in Washington, D.C.

Annual success: Oscar G. Johnson is the only VA medical center to receive this award five years in a row among the 167 VA facilities nationwide. The Best Overall Experience Award was established five years ago by the DVA, so Oscar G. Johnson is the only facility to win the award. The center’s success also predates the award, with a ranking within the top 10 of VA medical centers nationally for the last 10 years.

What they're saying: “From my first day here as the director, it has been obvious to me that our staff is just different,” said John P. Shealey, director of the medical center. “They take a lot of pride in the mission and are dedicated to the Veterans and family members they are serving.”

What's next: Military service is considerably higher per capita in the U.P. compared to the national average, with most of the region’s 15 counties being three to five times the national average, according to Michigan Veterans Affairs. The Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center will continue to serve U.P. veterans' healthcare needs. The medical center also recently opened its Virtual Health Resource Center to help veterans understand and navigate VA applications on various electronic devices like smartphones.