Stories

The need for health care doesn’t stop just because it’s 5:00 p.m., the weekend, or a holiday. In fact, the busiest time for both urgent care clinics and emergency rooms is early afternoon and evening hours.

With U.S. Navy Veteran Walter Smith’s art teacher, just a hop, skip and a jump away from the front door of his childhood home since he can remember his fondest times have always included creativity in one form or another.

Born into service, it is not new to Summer Youth Volunteer Kirk Chaplin to give back his most valuable gift- time.

Rolling up sleeves, trading in stethoscopes for hammers, and learning new craftsman skills is how the West Palm Beach VA Healthcare System team gave back on their day off.

The sense of freedom from gripping the throttle, the breeze hitting his face and getting a good sweat from the gym, was all that was on U.S. Army Veteran Michael Meltzer’s mind on the morning of July 15, 2019, as he made his way to Florida Atlantic University (FAU).

For Jose Torres Andujar, the military motto of ‘service before self’ continues even twenty years post discharge from the U.S. Army.

With the help of a skilled art instructor, twenty-five pounds of ceramic clay, and an open studio, Veterans tapped into a community they had yet to discover.

From jumping over 3-foot-tall hurdles on the track field to jumping over hurdles on the West Palm Beach VA hospital floor, Patrina Allen, Intensive Care Unit Nurse (ICU) Manager, redefines endurance.

Any once active-duty service member can agree that their physical health was prime when serving.