Health

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, September 16 at 10 a.m. The meeting will be held at Veterans Memorial Hospital in the Large Conference Room, located on the lower level of the hospital. Masks will be required to be worn.

This diabetes class is open to everyone who has diabetes or has a friend or loved one with diabetes.  For more information on the Diabetes Support Group, call  Angie Mettille, RN at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.
 

Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon has rolled out its new patient portal, called My Care Corner. Patient portals allow patients online, easy access to their personal medical record. The hospital emailed out a notification to all patients directing them to register on this new app.

Patients are instructed to click on the register link, then hit “continue” to create a new account or log in with current patient portal credentials, if the patient has already set an account up.

Anyone having difficulty with this new program is advised to create a new account in the My Care Corner application. All previous data will then transfer into this new patient portal.

Those who may need assistance with their account should call Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon at 563-568-3411.
 

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon, together with Elliott Jewelers of Waukon, will be hosting their 16th annual Women’s Health Day wellness event and luncheon Tuesday, September 28 at the Waukon Banquet Center. All ages are invited to attend any part of this educational event, beginning at 11 a.m. with a wellness fair offering a variety of free health tests and information, and a salad luncheon and program held from noon to 1 p.m.

Due to COVID-19, attendees will be asked to wear masks at the event until they sit down for the meal and again when finished eating. Fewer vendors will be on site at this year’s event in order to more safely distance the tables with fewer attendees sitting at each table.

For over 30 years, both Lawrence and Marsha Benda of Waukon have been on duty for ambulance calls every Monday and Tuesday night, plus numerous weekends and most any other time when needed. They both retired last spring and have left big shoes to fill in the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) community. When asked why they began their volunteer EMS careers, they both simply stated they wanted to help their community, being there for people when they really needed them - and that, they did.

Their interest in EMS began back in 1989 when Lawrence, who was Boy Scout Master at the time, had the Scouts on a weekend camping trip, when one scout broke his leg. Neither Lawrence nor the other chaperon had any medical training. Soon after, Lawrence signed up to take the First Responder Course so he would know how to help in the case of another emergency. He then began driving the ambulance for emergency calls and transfers.

“Welcome to Medicare” is a free, two-hour seminar offered by the Veterans Memorial Hospital Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) counselors. This program will be held Monday, September 20 from 5-7 p.m. in the Large Conference Room located on the lower level of Veterans Memorial Hospital.

“Welcome to Medicare” will cover Medicare Part A and Part B benefits, the prescription drug benefit (Part D), Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare supplement insurance.

SHIIP, the Senior Health Insurance Information Program, is a service of the State of Iowa. Local SHIIP counselor Russ Hagen is trained by the State and does not sell or promote any insurance companies, policies or agents. New volunteer Nancy Schoh  is now also available for SHIIP counseling at Veterans Memorial Hospital, which is a local sponsor for SHIIP in Allamakee County.

Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care Allamakee County Public Health Office is receiving numerous phone calls requesting a booster, or third dose, of the COVID-19 vaccine. At this time, only those being treated for cancer or who have a transplant history or an immunosuppressive disorder may be due for a booster. Allamakee County Public Health asks that everyone else hold their phone calls at this time and they will announce when the dose is available and the order in which it will be given.

Last week Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon rolled out the new patient portal, called My Care Corner. Patient portals allow patients online, easy access to their personal medical record. The hospital emailed out a notification to all patients directing them to register on this new app.

Patients are instructed to click on the register link, then hit continue to create a new account or log in with current patient portal credentials, if the patient has already set an account up.

Anyone having difficulty with this new program is advised to create a new account in the My Care Corner application. All previous data will transfer into this new patient portal.

Anyone who may need assistance with their account is encouraged to call Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon at 563-568-3411.

Many Iowans have received their COVID-19 vaccinations outside of the state and are not on the State’s registry as having received that vaccine. This includes snowbirds that may have received their vaccine down south this last winter and anyone else who received their vaccine in larger medical facilities in La Crosse, WI, Rochester, MN, Iowa City, etc., or even in the Veterans Administration medical system.

Allamakee County Public Health officials are asking all those who did not receive their COVID-19 vaccine in Iowa to call them so they can register this vaccination with the State of Iowa. Call Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care Public Health at 563-568-5660 for more information to get out-of-state COVID vaccinations registered with Iowa’s Immunization Registry Information System (IRIS).
 

Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care Allamakee County Public Health Office is receiving numerous phone calls requesting a booster, or third dose, of the COVID-19 vaccine. Public Health is requesting everyone hold their calls since it is not yet available here locally.

This third booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is still subject to authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and recommendation by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The FDA is conducting an independent evaluation to determine the safety and effectiveness of a booster dose of the COVID vaccine. The ACIP will decide whether to issue a booster dose recommendation based on a thorough review of the evidence.

Since Veterans Memorial Hospital is a health care facility, the CDC does require that masks are still required to be worn by every patient and visitor to the hospital. Pictured above is a number of hospital staff who can still be found wearing masks around the facilities. Masks are extremely effective against the COVID-19 virus and should be worn by everyone not vaccinated at all other locations that are non-health care related. Call Allamakee County Public Health at 563-568-5660 to schedule a vaccination. Submitted photo.