Health

More EMTs greatly needed in local area

Northeast Iowa Community College Business and Community Solutions will be offering an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) course in Waukon through video conferencing being broadcast from Calmar. This 138-hour course begins in early October.

Areas of study include an introduction to emergency medical services systems, roles and responsibilities of EMTs, anatomy and physiology, medical emergencies, trauma, special considerations for working in the pre-hospital setting, and providing patient transportation.

Effective immediately, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends the following:

• People 65 years of age and older and residents in long-term care settings should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series.

• People aged 50–64 years with underlying medical conditions should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series.

• People aged 18–49 years with underlying medical conditions may receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks.

Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon will sponsor a Babysitting Seminar Saturday, October 23 for a total of 40 students. This year, the class will be broken down into two different sessions to allow for better spacing of the students. The morning session will be held from 8:30-11:30 a.m. and the afternoon session from 1-4 p.m. The same information will be taught at both sessions, so students can sign up for one session or the other. A total of 20 students will be allowed in each session. Both 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 are not the sole babysitters in this society. Boys are also welcome and encouraged to attend.

Veterans Memorial Hospital in cooperation with the American Heart Association is offering a course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for lay people (those not working in healthcare), which includes child care providers, Wednesday, October 6, from 5-8 p.m.

The CPR class, which will cover adult, child and infant CPR, will be held in the Large Conference Room located on the lower level of the hospital. The cost of the class, for certification or recertification, is the same. Upon successful completion of the class, the participant will receive an electronic card certifying them in Heartsaver CPR automated external defibrillator (AED) for a two-year time period. This class does not include a first aid certification.

Ness Pumping and Porta Potty Rentals, along with Monroe Auction, will host their annual Breast Cancer Awareness Walk Saturday, October 16 in the Waukon City Park to raise funds for breast cancer awareness and detection.

The event will begin at 9 a.m. and will be COVID-19 friendly. Participants may come and go as they please that morning and can choose to walk with friends, family or on their own. Breast Cancer survivors will be asked to sign a pink porta-potty sporting the breast cancer ribbon. Event t-shirts will be available for sale and light refreshments will also be offered.

Veterans Memorial Hospital has welcomed a new addition to its staff. Benji is a certified therapy dog that makes regular visits to the hospital and helps lift the spirits of the hospital’s patients and staff. Benji is owned and trained by Dannette Hermeier of Waukon, pictured above, who is also a registered nurse on the hospital’s staff. She brings Benji in to see specific patients such as small children, adults who are dog lovers and others who just need a morale boost. Benji works well to boost the morale of hospital staff as well. Not every animal can visit the hospital. Benji is a true certified therapy dog and has all papers on file at the hospital so he meets all criteria. Submitted photo.

The Waukon Indian volleyball players invite the community to “get their pink on” and join them  Tuesday, September 28 in wearing pink to their volleyball games. The teams have decided to support local breast cancer survivors by hosting this “pink out” night and wearing pink all in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.

The Waukon Indians will be playing Decorah the evening of September 28. The freshman volleyball team will take the court at 5 p.m., the JV at 6 p.m. and varsity volleyball will begin at approximately 7:15 p.m. in the Waukon High School gym.

Veterans Memorial Hospital will be on site with displays and free information on breast cancer awareness, detection and mammography.

Veterans Memorial Hospital is still experiencing a very limited supply of COVID-19 testing kits and asks that anyone experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms seek one of the following testing options:

More EMTs greatly needed in area

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Business and Community Solutions will be offering an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) course in Waukon through video conferencing broadcast from Calmar. This 138-hour course will begin Tuesday, October 5.

Areas of study include an introduction to emergency medical services systems, roles and responsibilities of EMTs, anatomy and physiology, medical emergencies, trauma, special considerations for working in the pre-hospital setting, and patient transportation.

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

With the new local interest in donating blood, Veterans Memorial Hospital invites the community to attend the next LifeServe Blood Center Blood Drive to be held Monday, October 4, from 12-5 p.m., at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon. Blood drives are held once per month in Waukon. 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.