Health

Veterans Memorial Hospital will hold a Prepared Childbirth Education class (formerly called Lamaze) Saturday, December 18, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Large Conference Room.

The Prepared Childbirth Education classes at Veterans Memorial Hospital are offered in one half-day session. Tours of the OB Department are available with these sessions as well. There is a small fee per session for the Prepared Childbirth Education classes that are offered every three months at Veterans Memorial Hospital.

Preregistration is necessary, as seats are limited. To register, email childbirth@vmhospital.com or contact Jayne McCormick, RN, Nursing and OB Manager at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.
 

Veterans Memorial Hospital will be offering the next recertification course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for health care providers (those working in health related fields such as physicians, nurses, EMS, etc.) Thursday, December 2, beginning at 5 p.m. This “Health Care Professional” CPR class will be held in the Large Conference Room located on the lower level of the hospital.

There is a small fee to attend this class and all registrants should bring along their own pocket mask, if they have one. Upon successful completion of the class, the participant will receive an electronic card certifying them as a BLS Healthcare Provider for a two-year period.

Pre-registration plus a minimum of three participants is required for the class to be held. All participants will be screened at the entrance, required to physically distance during the class and wear a mask.

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Marilyn Mahoney by Dan and Traci Byrnes, Mary Fink, Dr. David and Suzanne Hahn, Les and Ada Marie Kerndt, Patsy Kerndt, Jim and Jill Kiesau, Dave and Sandy Lyons, Dave and  Laurie Martin, and Diane Regan.

Memorials were also received in memory of Kathryn Stortz by Tom and Karen Regan, Chuck and Lois Votsmier and Mary Fink; in memory of Ione Rema by Chuck and Lois Votsmier; in memory of Emma Jane Schoh by Dr. Linda Carstens and Randy Petersburg, Chuck and Lois Votsmier, Delores Fish, Ethan Jacobson, Steven and Joan Malm, Greg Mohwinkle and Les and Ada Marie Kerndt.

In addition, memorials were received in memory of Gilbert Lensing by Jane Dietrich, Gil and Sharon Hunstad, Terry and Laurie Welch, Brad and Erin Berns and Craig and Barb Lensing.

A donation to the Foundation was also received in honor of Norbert Palmer’s 90th Birthday by Marvin and Marjorie Strike.

by Brittney Snitker, Pharm.D., BCPS, CDE, Pharmacist and Certified Diabetic Educator, Veterans Memorial Hospital

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. If you have diabetes, you are twice as likely to have heart disease or a stroke than someone who does not have diabetes.  There are many things you can do to lower your risk of heart disease. Diet and exercise are most important but when these are not enough, there are a few other medications that can help lower cardiovascular risk.

Veterans Memorial Hospital will be offering the next recertification course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for health care providers (those working in health related fields such as physicians, nurses, EMS, etc.) Thursday, December 2, beginning at 5 p.m. This “Health Care Professional” CPR class will be held in the Large Conference Room located on the lower level of the hospital.

There is a small fee to attend this class and all registrants should bring along their own pocket mask, if they have one. Upon successful completion of the class, the participant will receive an electronic card certifying them as a BLS Healthcare Provider for a two-year period.

Pre-registration plus a minimum of three participants is required for the class to be held. All participants will be screened at the entrance, required to physically distance during the class and wear a mask.

Veterans Memorial Hospital has offered Babysitting classes for area youth for years and will now begin to offer Grandparenting classes as well.

Corinne Cook, RN, Babysitting Class instructor, is going to begin to offer Grandparenting Classes Saturday, December 4 at 9:30 a.m. In these classes, new or soon-to-be grandparents will learn all the new protocols to use when caring for their new grandchild. Some topics covered will include basic baby care, car seat safety, Tylenol/Ibuprofen dosing charts, home safety, poison control information, infant/child CPR, choking and other emergency medical information, as well as tips to support parents such as handling the baby blues and postpartum depression.  Free-will donations will be accepted to cover the costs of the class.

During the winter months, blood donations are especially needed to help prevent a critical blood shortage. Local hospital patients rely on life-saving blood donations from volunteer blood donors. Help is needed to guarantee an adequate blood supply is available at all times.

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Monday, December 6 from 12-5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon. Blood drives are held monthly in Waukon to allow for more donors to give. The LifeServe Blood Center supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital with their blood and blood products. Here are some interesting blood facts from the LifeServe Blood Center:

Veterans Memorial Hospital will hold a Prepared Childbirth Education class (formerly called Lamaze) Saturday, December 18, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Large Conference Room.

The Prepared Childbirth Education classes at Veterans Memorial Hospital are offered in one half-day session. Tours of the OB Department are available with these sessions as well. There is a small fee per session for the Prepared Childbirth Education classes that are offered every three months at Veterans Memorial Hospital.

Preregistration is necessary, as seats are limited. To register, email childbirth@vmhospital.com or contact Jayne McCormick, RN, Nursing and OB Manger at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Shirley Elliott by Dave and Karen Mathis, Cindy Barness, Angeline Schulte, Chuck and Lois Votsmier, Ron and Nancy Brandt, Mary Ann Hager, Thomas and Judy Kemp, and Pat Pettingill.

Memorials were also received in memory of Eleanor O’Neill by Jerry and Linda Siegrist, Sandra Williams, Mary Axmear, Kay Carter, Kathy Clark, Nan Grangaard, Jim and Jill Kiesau, Roger and Rita Ludwig, Dave and Laurie Martin, Dale and Rita Mathis, Don and Connie Nagel, Sigurd and Barb Ness, Diane Regan, Gary and Janis Schulte, Larry and Nancy Straate, Terry and Laurie Welch, Barb White, and Chuck and Lois Votsmier.

In addition, the Foundation received memorial donations from Albin Massman in memory of Verna Massman, by Jeff Moe and Mary Ann Hager in memory of Dominick Damiano, and by Carol Paus and Richard and Sue Schulte in memory of Willard Meyer.

by Jill Fleming, MS, RD/LD, Veterans Memorial Hospital

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month.  I encourage anyone with diabetes to eat more fiber! Dietary fiber is probably best known for its ability to prevent or relieve constipation, but foods containing fiber can provide many health benefits. Fiber helps with weight loss, lowers your blood sugar numbers, prevents heart disease and some types of cancer.

What is dietary fiber?
Dietary fiber, also known as roughage or bulk, includes the parts of plant foods your body can’t digest or absorb. Unlike other food components, such as fats, proteins or carbohydrates, which your body breaks down and absorbs, fiber isn’t digested by your body. Instead, it passes relatively intact through your stomach, small intestine and colon before exiting your body.