Health

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Speech-Language Pathologist Steven Mazzafield offers a Stroke Support Group for individuals who have experienced a stroke, as well as caregivers and family members affected by stroke.

Monthly meetings are held the first Thursday of every month at 2 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Hospital. The next Stroke Support Group meeting will be held Thursday, March 7 at 2 p.m. This month the meeting will be held in the Large Conference Room.

The Stroke Support Group provides opportunities to share tips, tricks, or trials among participants, offer support for caregivers, and provide an opportunity for socialization.

While strokes can happen at any age, risk of stroke is greatest as people get older with the majority of strokes occurring after the age of 70. Risk factors for stroke include obesity, sedentary lifestyle, binge drinking, diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon will sponsor the next Babysitting Seminar Friday, March 29, from 9 a.m. to Noon. The class will be held in the Large Conference Room located on the lower level of Veterans Memorial Hospital.

Intended participants are individuals 10 years of age and older who are responsible for their own care after school until their parents come home from work, and individuals who care for other children in or outside of their own home. Girls and boys are all welcome and encouraged to attend.

Topics to be covered include fire and personal safety, accident prevention and emergency actions, nutritious snacks and basic care of children.

Over 950,000 Americans die each year from cardiovascular disease. Since February is National Heart Month, Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) provides the following facts and tips on heart health:
• 250,000 people die within one hour of onset of a heart attack.
• 60-70% of those individuals are male.
• Heart disease is the #1 killer of American women and men.
• 75-80% of arrests happen in the home.
• Bystander CPR does improve the outcome once someone has arrested.
• Traditional CPR courses are not reaching those who live with high-risk populations.
• Rapid defibrillation is the most important treatment for victims.
• For every minute delay in defibrillation there is a 10% loss for chance of survival.
• In the case of heart attack, “Time is Muscle.”
• In the case of stroke, “Time is Brain Tissue.”

National Phlebotomists Recognition Week was February 12-16. Phlebotomists are “Drawn to Help Others” through their skillful abilities in drawing blood from patients for clinical or medical testing, transfusions, donations, or research. Administrative duties include accurately preparing, coding, and organizing blood samples for analysis. Phlebotomists are certified professionals who must pass an exam and have the required education and experience to receive this professional certification.

Karli Rains is the Phlebotomist at Veterans Memorial Hospital. She works full-time in the Laboratory drawing patients along with many administrative duties.

by Amy Rolfs, RN, VMH Cardiac Rehab Supervisor
                
If you have a heart attack or other heart problem, cardiac rehabilitation is an important part of your recovery. Cardiac rehabilitation can help prevent another, perhaps more serious, heart attack and can help you build heart-healthy habits.
About 800,000 people in the United States have a heart attack every year. About one in four of those people have already had a heart attack. Cardiac rehabilitation not only can help a person recover from a heart problem but can also help prevent future heart problems.

Did you know one in seven people entering the hospital will need blood?

The next LifeServe Blood Center Blood Drive will be held Monday, March 4, from 12-5 p.m., at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon. Blood drives are held once per month in Waukon, the first Monday of the month. The LifeServe Blood Center supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital with its blood and blood products.

The LifeServe Blood Center is seeking donors to ensure a safe and plentiful blood supply in Iowa. Because there is no substitute for human blood, the need for donors is continuous.

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Community & Home Care/Allamakee County Public Health warns of the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning, especially during the winter months, with these facts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, and toxic gas. Exposure to carbon monoxide impedes the blood’s ability to carry oxygen to body tissues and vital organs. Carbon monoxide may be emitted by vehicle exhausts, fuel burning furnaces, coal burning power plants, small gasoline engines, portable gasoline-powered generators, power washers, fire places, charcoal grills, marine engines, forklifts, propane-powered heaters, gas water heaters, and kerosene heaters.

Common symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure are headache, nausea, rapid breathing, weakness, exhaustion, dizziness, and confusion. Hypoxia (severe oxygen deficiency) due to acute carbon monoxide poisoning may result in brain damage or heart damage.

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Speech-Language Pathologist Steven Mazzafield offers a Stroke Support Group for individuals who have experienced a stroke, as well as caregivers and family members affected by stroke.

Monthly meetings are held the first Thursday of every month at 2 p.m. at VMH. The next Stroke Support Group meeting will be held Thursday, March 7 at 2 p.m. in the Large Conference Room. The Stroke Support Group provides opportunities to share tips, tricks, or trials among participants, offer support for caregivers, and provide an opportunity for socialization.

While strokes can happen at any age, risk of stroke is greatest as we get older with the majority of strokes occurring after the age of 70. Risk factors for stroke include obesity, sedentary lifestyle, binge drinking, diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

Kee High School in Lansing is planning to host a blood drive Wednesday, February 28 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Kee High School gymnasium in Lansing. Participants can save five lives in one day with a blood donation, and earn a $20 Amazon gift card.

For an appointment to donate blood, call Allison Fitzwater at 563-538-4201, ext. 110 or visit redcrossblood.org. The event is sponsored by the Kee High School Student Council.

Those who donate at this blood drive are helping one or more graduating seniors earn a scholarship. Participants can save up to 15 minutes when they donate blood by using RapidPass. Visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass for more information.
 

For the second consecutive year, Bandmates, Brothers and Friends will reunite in Waukon for another night of musical entertainment to benefit the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation. This year will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Toe Tappers, who will be part of the musical line-up for that benefit event.

The event will again be held Friday evening of Mother’s Day Weekend, May 10, from 6-11 p.m. This year the event will be held at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion to allow for more room for sitting to enjoy the show and for dancing. Plans are also underway for additional food and beverage options to be available this year.