West Palm Beach VA Medical Center

Okay for basic care. But, if you have anything beyond basic care needed I would go elsewhere if you can.
Staff: Generally rude and don’t listen.
Coordination of care is substandard.
Staff with ESL should at least be understandable in English.
As with every VA facility I have been in, the dead weight government sycophants are ubiquitous in this facility.

As a former critical care/​intensive care RN, I offer my evaluation through a professional lens. Either the standard of care in healthcare has decreased across the board or this facility is simply substandard. I was admitted through the ER for a potential cardiac issue. This is a triage priority and if I hadn’t expressed my disappointment at waiting to the nearby police officer, I may have been made to wait longer.
I have been under the care of 4 nurses since then and not one has done a physical assessment, a basic for every patient and in my case would involve auscultation of heart sounds (listening to the heart valves and rate/​rhythm via a stethoscope). None has listened to my lungs, despite reporting episodes of shortness of breath prior to my arrival, nor has anyone assessed quality of distal pulses-​another standard in a cardiac case. Those are just heart/​lung assessments, not one nurse assessed level of orientation, pupil reaction, GI or GU patterns nor did anyone at anytime question or verify ALLERGIES which they had recorded inaccurately in the computer.
They get one star for a great TV system and a knowledgeable ER doc, Dr Lowe, who by no coincidence trained at the same world renowned heart hospital in NJ where I trained. His care was the excellent standard I am used to in healthcare and his training is clearly why he stands out.
The VA has a bad reputation and I am seeing why firsthand.

The VA doesn’t have the greatest reputation as it is. Long waits to schedule appointments, even for those that should have priority. Disgruntled employees who aren’t so happy to be working for the VA which means they aren’t very nice to patients… News flash, if you can’t be polite & respectful (which is your freakin job) to patients, you should probably LEAVE. Stop mooching off the VA just so you can get your retirement. You’re a waste of space. I’ve also noticed a LOT of employees, African Americans mostly, employed by the VA just waste time laughing and joking when patients are waiting… Those people need to be ousted, ASAP.
There’s so many elderly people who are ALSO covered by Medicare that come here, who shouldn’t. People covered by Medicare have great coverage, STOP taking appointments away from people in need & GO see your damn civilian doctor.
Im disabled & don’t have civilian healthcare. There’s so many veterans who don’t have insurance & who actually need the healthcare provided at the VA, even if it sucks.

Just got a new hip and could not be happier. The treatment at all levels was first class, something i never felt in the private sector. Thank you for taking care of our veterans.

The doctor and the nurse couldn’t stop trying to force Christianity on me. I explained to them I wasn’t interested and that it made me uncomfortable but all they kept on repeating was «just pray» and «he (god) is there for you». I was there to try and receive help for my service connected issues like back and neck pain, trouble sleeping and eating. But they kept derailing everything I said to talk about how I am transgender. Even tho I wasn’t there to discuss nor do I have issues with being transgender. If I were to say I feel terrible about being a pawn in the army and I have trouble sleeping because of it, they would cut me off and suggest that I was feeling that way because of my gender. Fuck them. I don’t feel safe there. If you aren’t cis gender, white, and christian you are probably going to be treated like a subhuman.

What can I say about the VA. Everyone that I have been to is always crazy. This one as well. But at this one it doesn’t take months to see my primary doctor which is good. Dental on the other hand always gives me the shafts and this has gone on for eight yrs. Anyway at least the staff are always friendly and the cafeteria is good

I’ve had all kinds of services here, and cannot think of one problem. The majority of the staff I have dealt with, including doctors, nurses, admin, volunteers, heck, even those that work in cafeteria has been great. They are professional, friendly, and I am always happy about the level of care I receive. Is it going to be that way for everyone? Maybe not, but I’ve been very pleased.
The only downside I can think of in general is the parking. If you aren’t there early, it’s a long walk, but there is a shuttle bus you can wait for.

One of the nicer, friendlier VA medical centers. There is a lake on the campus which is very pretty. The shuttle drivers are also great and very friendly. Parking can be difficult though.