Thomas H. Corey VA Medical Center

The Thomas H. Corey VA Medical Center operates on Blue Heron Boulevard in West Palm Beach, Florida, within the Veterans Health Administration. Opened in the mid-1990s, it serves a veteran population shaped by South Florida's demographics: a large share of retirees, many of whom relocated to the region after military careers elsewhere, which pushes the average patient age above what most VA facilities see. Community-based outpatient clinics extend access north into the Treasure Coast and west toward Okeechobee, covering both dense coastal communities and agricultural inland areas.

Services include inpatient medical and surgical care, intensive care, surgery, primary care, and a range of outpatient specialty clinics, alongside mental and behavioral health programs covering outpatient treatment, PTSD care, substance use treatment, and outreach to veterans experiencing homelessness. Extended care through a community living center, along with rehabilitation and palliative services, carries significant weight given the age of the population served. Nurses practice across critical care, medical-surgical, perioperative, outpatient, mental health, and long-term care settings, with geriatric care and chronic disease management featuring heavily in daily work. Nursing positions fall under federal employment, so pay and advancement follow VA structures rather than private-sector terms.