VA in IM marks 75th anniversary as a mainstay for veterans’ care

VA in IM marks 75th anniversary as a mainstay for veterans’ care 
The Daily News, Iron Mountain, MI; by Betsy Bloom; 3/6/25 
A winter storm didn’t stop the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center from celebrating its 75th anniversary with an open house Wednesday. The facility opened on March 5, 1950 — it then was the largest construction project done in the Upper Peninsula — as strictly an inpatient hospital with 264 beds, primarily for treating World War II veterans ... [and much has] changed in 75 years. The medical center now serves about 22,000 veterans in the U.P.’s 15 counties, along with nine Wisconsin counties — more than 26,000 square miles, giving it the most rural patient base in the VA system. ...  Its hospice area now has a semi-private patio that allows even a full bed to be taken outside so those in end-of-life care can still enjoy some fresh air, said Mary Oman, [a] tour guide.
Editor's note: Congratulations and thank you to the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center for your history of innovating care for veterans--especially your rural care system and hospice care.