The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced the winners of the 2025 VHA Patient Experience Awards, recognizing facilities that deliver exceptional, Veteran-centered care. Top-performing VA medical centers including Altoona, Lebanon, Erie, and Wilkes-Barre were honored for excellence in trust, access, communication, and overall patient satisfaction. As a long-standing partner supporting these facilities, DSS applauds their continued commitment to putting Veterans first and advancing high-quality care across the VA system.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently announced the winners of the 2025 Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Patient Experience Awards, honoring facilities that set the standard for delivering exceptional care to Veterans and their families.
These awards highlight VA medical centers that excel in key areas such as trust, communication, access, care coordination, and overall patient satisfaction, which are core pillars of the VA’s mission to provide Veteran-centered care.
This year’s winners represent the very best of the VA health system, demonstrating what it means to consistently put Veterans first.
Among this year’s honorees:
Altoona VA Medical Center, Best Patient Experience Overall
Lebanon VA Medical Center, Best Patient Experience for Facility Complexity Level 1
Erie VA Medical Center, Best Patient Experience for Facility Complexity Level 3
Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center, Most Improved Patient Experience for Inpatient Care
Each of these facilities demonstrated sustained excellence and a commitment to continuous improvement based on direct feedback from Veterans.
One standout example is the Lebanon VA Medical Center, which continues to set a national benchmark for patient experience.
Lebanon has now earned recognition for best patient experience for five consecutive years, a remarkable achievement that reflects a deeply embedded culture of quality, consistency, and Veteran-first care.
This level of sustained performance is driven by strong leadership, dedicated clinical teams, and a clear focus on improving every aspect of the Veteran experience, from access and communication to care delivery and follow-up.
Patient experience is not just a metric, but a direct reflection of how Veterans perceive their care and their trust in the system.
The VHA evaluates facilities based on real feedback from Veterans across critical touchpoints, ensuring that improvements are guided by those who matter most.
Facilities like Erie, which has also been recognized multiple times in recent years, demonstrate how continuous improvement and operational excellence translate into measurable gains in Veteran satisfaction and trust.
At DSS, we are proud to support many of the VISNs and facilities recognized in this year’s awards, including Lebanon, Erie, Wilkes-Barre, and Altoona.
These recognitions reinforce what we see every day. VA teams across the country are deeply committed to delivering high-quality, coordinated care that improves outcomes for Veterans.
Technology plays an important role in enabling this mission by supporting clinical workflows, improving access to information, and helping providers deliver more efficient, patient-centered care. Ultimately, it is the people behind these systems who make the difference.
The Patient Experience Award winners represent more than individual achievements but reflect a broader shift across the VA toward a culture of trust, accountability, and continuous improvement.
As VA continues to modernize, maintaining this focus on patient experience will remain essential. Delivering great health care means ensuring every Veteran feels heard, respected, and cared for at every step of their journey.
DSS congratulates all the VA Patient Experience Award winners and the teams behind these achievements. Your dedication to serving Veterans is making a meaningful impact across the VA system and setting the standard for what Veteran-centered care should look like.
Contact our team today to learn more about how DSS supports VA in delivering high-quality, Veteran-centered care. Subscribe to our blog page to keep abreast of the stories that matter to you.