Health

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital has announced they are offering full scholarships for two individuals from the community to attend the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) course held this winter in Waukon. The course will be co-sponsored by Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) and Veterans Memorial Hospital. The classes will begin January 7 at the NICC Waukon Center.

There is a great need for more EMTs in the area so the hospital’s Auxiliary, in an effort to help recruit, will pay the NICC college credit fee for two individuals this upcoming semester. Classes will meet twice per week with additional clinical time at Veterans Memorial Hospital and other larger medical facilities.

Did you know just how much blood is needed by certain patients?  Here are some facts from the LifeServe Blood Center.

· Cancer patients can use up to eight units of blood a month.
· Bone Marrow Transplant patients can use up to two units a day.
· Cardiovascular Surgery patient can use between two and 25 units.
· Liver Transplant patients can use up to 100 units.
· Auto/Trauma Accident patients can use up five to 100 units.
· Premature infants can use up to one to four units.
· Burn victims can use up to 20 units of platelets.
· Heart surgery patients can use up to three to eight units of red cells and one to 10 units of platelets.
· Organ transplant patients can use 10-30 units of blood.

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Thursday, November 7 from 12:30-5 p.m. The blood drive will be held at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon.

An estimated 252,710 new invasive cases of breast cancer are expected to occur among women in the United States during 2019 and about 2,470 new cases of breast cancer are expected in men in 2019. In total, an estimated 40,610 deaths (40,170 women and 440 men) are anticipated from breast cancer in 2019. These numbers have steadily decreased since 1990. The American Cancer Society states the decrease represents progress in both earlier detection and improved treatment.

October is National Physical Therapy Month. Patients who would prefer to try just about anything before taking prescription opioids to treat their physical pain are not alone. According to a new report, most Americans would rather use a drug-free approach.

Earlier this year, data was collected from nearly 63,000 American adults, 78% of whom prefer to find another option to treat pain rather than taking medication prescribed by their doctors. The use of narcotics is viewed as a “crisis” or a very serious problem, and most people do not want to get caught up in it.

This study could mean that in the future, patients and health-care professionals alike will try drug-free treatment options before relying on opioids.

Instead of using pain medications, those surveyed in this recent study chose physical therapy as the safest option in treating pain.

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital has announced they are offering full scholarships for two individuals from the community to attend the Emergency Medical Technician (E.M.T.) course held this winter in Waukon. The course will be co-sponsored by Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) and Veterans Memorial Hospital. The classes will begin January 7 at the NICC Waukon Center.

There is a great need for more EMTs in the area so the hospital Auxiliary, in an effort to help recruit, will pay the NICC college credit fee for two individuals this upcoming semester. Classes will meet twice per week with additional clinical time at Veterans Memorial Hospital and other larger medical facilities.

Those eligible have until December 7 of this year to enroll in or change Medicare drug plans for 2020. Don’t wait until the last minute. Remember, if you’re on Medicare and don’t have drug coverage, or the coverage you have is not as good as Medicare’s, you will face a penalty for each month you delay enrolling.

If you have questions about Medicare drug coverage call your local SHIIP counselor at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411. SHIIP volunteers are available to meet individually with anyone in the community who wishes to compare the Medicare Part D plans available for 2020. Appointments are required. Call Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411 to schedule your appointment. You will need to bring your Medicare card, current Part D plan card and a list of your medications from your pharmacy. SHIIP is a free, confidential service of the State of Iowa.

With possible vaping-related deaths dominating news headlines, there is an increased concern on its effects and associated lung illnesses. Health officials are worried that there is a possible connection between vaping and a number of multi-state deaths that have occurred in the United States. While it’s not necessarily clear what is causing the lung damage, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a warning to discontinue vaping pending further investigation into the surge of lung-related deaths.

LifeServe Blood Center is asking community members who have never donated blood to step up and do their part to boost the local blood supply. Blood cannot be manufactured in a lab, and there is no substitute for it. In order to ensure blood will be available for local hospital patients in their critical time of need, new donors are being relied on to roll up their sleeves.

The standard blood donation process only takes an hour, start to finish, with the actual blood collection procedure only lasting about ten minutes. One donation can save the lives of up to three local hospital patients. Be the lifesaving link and schedule an appointment at an upcoming blood drive in the local community.

The Waukon Community Blood Drive is scheduled for Thursday, November  7 from 12-5 p.m. at First Baptist Church, 614 Rossville Road, Waukon.

The local Grief Support Group will not be meeting at Veterans Memorial Hospital until after the first of the year, 2020. When the January date is set, notice of the next meeting will be published.
 

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Maggie Kruse by Chuck and Lois Votsmier, Jerry and Linda Siegrist, Bob and Linda Thompson, Hilmen Christianson and Butch and Lois Fossum.

Donations were also made to the Foundation in honor of Dr. Chelsea McMillan by Pat and Kathy McMillan, Don and DiAnne Haler, Richard and Liz Seibert, Dave and Sandy Lyons and Russ and Mary Jo Meyer.

Memorials and donations are appreciated by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation. The Foundation is a 501C3 organization. All donations to the Foundation are tax deductible. Memorials and donations can be sent to 40 First Street SE, Waukon, IA  52172.