Health

The “Get Your Walk On In Waukon” annual family fun walk and 5K was held Saturday, August 21 in conjunction with the Waukon Corn Days celebration. The event offered not only a 5K route but also a shorter walking route of 1.5 miles. The near 75 participants took advantage of both of these options.

Again this year, the event sported a costume contest that was open to all adults and youth entering the event. Some of these creative costumes are pictured below. Prizes were given to all costume participants.  All participants received complimentary hospital goodies bags. Free diabetes/blood sugar tests were also offered.

Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon was made aware last week that a few people in the community had received a phone call, from a hospital phone number, stating they are selling emergency devices for the hospital.

The hospital would like to alert the public that they are in no way involved with any type of sales such as this. This is a scam. All calls made from Veterans Memorial Hospital actually show as “Unknown” on a caller ID system.

For any questions on any phone calls that have been suspiciously received from the hospital, feel free to call Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411 for more information.

The members of the Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital are actively recruiting new and returning members to join them during their annual membership drive.

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital is devoted to providing the hospital and its patients and visitors with many services. The Auxiliary also holds annual fundraisers, such as the Women’s Health Day Luncheon each fall, the Pillow-Perk and the Masquerade sales each October and their annual membership drive each July. All the money the Auxiliary receives goes back to the hospital for equipment.

Does anyone 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 patients can use between two and 25 units.
• Liver Transplant patients can use up to 100 units.
• Auto/Trauma Accident patients can use between five and 100 units.
• Premature infants can use up between one and four units.
• Burn victims case use up to 20 units of platelets.
• Heart surgery patients can use up to between three and eight units of red cells and between one and 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, September 2 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. The blood drive will be held at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon.

Veterans Memorial Hospital will hold a Prepared Childbirth Education class (formerly called Lamaze) Saturday, September 25 from 8-11 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. These Prepared Childbirth Education classes are available for a small fee per session and are offered every three months at Veterans Memorial Hospital. Following this September 25 class, the next class is scheduled for December 18.

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 in Waukon at 563-568-3411.

The members of the Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital are actively recruiting new and returning members to join them during their annual membership drive.

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital is devoted to providing the hospital and its patients and visitors with many services. The Auxiliary also holds annual fundraisers, such as the Women’s Health Day Luncheon each fall, the Pillow-Perk in early November, the Masquerade sales and their annual membership drive each July. All the money the Auxiliary receives goes back to the hospital for equipment.

The number of requests for COVID testing is again on the rise locally. The state of Iowa closed the Test Iowa drive-up locations earlier this summer and replaced it with the Test Iowa self-administered kits which are available for pick-up at Veterans Memorial Hospital or may be sent to a home at no cost. Each test kit includes step-by-step instructions including how to activate the test kit, collect the test sample, return the sample to the State Hygienic Lab and when to expect the results.  Kits are available at the main entrance of the hospital, from the receptionist desk, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekends and holidays.     

Gundersen’s Waukon Clinic will offer free blood pressure checks at Fareway Grocery in Waukon from 10 a.m. to noon August 30.

Patients and non-patients will receive immediate results. Gundersen nurses will recommend a visit to a doctor if results show elevated levels.

“Checking your blood pressure can prevent heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease, which will improve your quality of life and increase your life span,” said Raquel Ristau, PA-C, who sees patients in Waukon and Lansing.
 

Simple blood donation steps save lives

You can make a difference by making a life-saving blood donation at the next Waukon Community Blood Drive.  The next blood drive will take place Thursday, September 2, from Noon to 5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon.

Donating blood is safe, simple and it saves lives.  Blood donors have a unique opportunity to contribute to their community by making a life-saving blood donation.

Everyone who registers to donate blood goes through four simple steps during the donation process:  registration, donor history and mini-physical, blood donation and snacks.

New blood donors who are not familiar with the blood donation process are encouraged to ask questions before, during and after their blood donation.  Below are a few tips for ensuring a successful donation:

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently published a new analysis, showing the cumulative risk of miscarriage after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine was 13%, which is the normal risk for miscarriage in any pregnancy. The CDC states, “These preliminary findings are reassuring and can help inform discussions about COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy between pregnant people and their healthcare providers.”

Dr. Nicole Barbee of the Gundersen Health Clinic in Waukon who delivers babies at Veterans Memorial Hospital, confirms, “The risk of miscarriage is no higher in the vaccine group and is the exact same as baseline miscarriage risk.”