A review by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs gives high marks to the Iron Mountain VA nursing home. The Oscar G Johnson VA Medical Center announced its nursing home received 5-stars as part of its annual performance rating. Brad Nelson, Public Affairs Officer with the Oscar G Johnson Medical Center says the new rating system compares VA nursing homes with their private sector equivalents and the Iron Mountain facility was listed as one of the best in the nation.
Nelson says because they host a unique type of resident, the challenges VA nursing homes face and the services they offer are much different than private nursing homes.
The Oscar G Johnson VA Medical Center provides services for all of the Upper Peninsula and nine Wisconsin Counties. Because they cover such a large area and only have a 40-bed nursing home in Iron Mountain, Nelson says they frequently contract with private and Medicaid nursing home facilities to allow veterans to live closer to home while still receiving VA benefits.