Health

The Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation’s 28th annual Three Person Best-Shot Golf Tournament will be held Monday, June 21. The tournament will be held at the Waukon Golf and Country Club beginning with a shotgun start at 9:30 a.m.

Thanks to Wade Bucknell and Andy Moore, agents of Farm Bureau Financial Services, Waukon, the first person hitting a hole-in-one during the first round at the tournament will be awarded a new Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

Also, thanks to Waukon Implement, anyone hitting a hole-in-one during the second round at the tournament will be awarded a new John Deere riding lawn mower.  As always, many other gifts and prizes will be awarded to all the golfers participating.

Teams of three will play 18 holes of golf. Breakfast rolls, lunch and dinner and prizes for everyone are all provided for the donation of just $75. All those interested are asked to pre-register their team by calling the Waukon Golf and Country Club at 563-568-9939.

Since Veterans Memorial Hospital is a health care facility, masks are still required to be worn by every patient and visitor to the hospital. Masks  are effective against the COVID-19 virus and should be worn by everyone not vaccinated at all other locations that are non-health care related. At this time, the Centers for Disease Control does mandate that even those vaccinated must wear masks at all health care facilities.

According to the CDC, once an individual is fully vaccinated for COVID-19, they can resume activities they did prior to the pandemic. Fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by law or regulations, such as a health care setting.

Those who haven’t been vaccinated yet are urged to find a vaccine. Being fully vaccinated begins two weeks following a second or final COVID-19 vaccination. Keep using all personal protective tools until that two-week wait time has expired.

There are a few spots still available for any six- to 14-year-old children who would like to attend the Veterans Memorial Hospital Safety Day Camp. This camp will be held Thursday, June 10, at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds in Waukon from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The day camp is designed to increase children’s awareness of a wide variety of safety hazards, as well as provide them with hands-on, first aid training to help themselves or someone else survive an accident should one occur.
Individual topics covered at this year’s safety camp will include the following:

• ATV & Motorcycle Safety
• Farm Equipment Safety
• Electrical Safety
• Lawnmower/Weed Eater/Chainsaws
• Pinch Point Safety
• Bicycle Rodeo
• Grain Bin Safety
• Internet Safety
• Firearm Safety
• First Aid
• Water Safety
• Drone Safety
• Snake Awareness

Another generous donation of $5,000 to the Veterans Memorial Hospital Waukon Clinic was recently received from Brad and Judy Herman of Waukon. Pictured above, left to right, are Veterans Memorial Hospital CEO Michael Coyle, along with Judy and Brad. Judy is also a member of the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation. “We believe it is extremely important to support our local health care for the overall growth and stability of our community,” states Brad and Judy. “We are very fortunate to have the outstanding facilities that we currently have. We encourage everyone to consider a donation to the new clinic to meet current and future demand and to maintain continued access to quality health care in our area.”

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) in Waukon will be hosting a free weight loss support group the first Tuesday of each month at VMH. The focus of this support group will be learning how to stop emotional eating and over-eating, creating new habits that support each one’s journey to weight loss and discovering the importance of mindfulness in eating and lifestyle.

Those interested in attending may register online by going to the hospital’s website at www.veteransmemorialhospital.com. This support group will be offered two different times the first Tuesday of each month, at Noon and again at 5 p.m., so those attending can choose the time that is most convenient for them.  Face masks will be required to attend.

For more information or assistance in registering, call Jill Fleming, Registered Dietitian, at 563-568-3411 ext. 567.
 

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, June 17 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 who 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.

The local Grief Support Group will be holding its monthly meeting at Veterans Memorial Hospital Tuesday, June 8 at 5 p.m. in the Meditation Chapel Room, located just inside the main entrance of the hospital. Masks will be required.

This informal meeting is open to anyone suffering from any type of loss, whether it be death, divorce, illness or some other grief.

Those attending should feel free to attend and bring a friend, and be sure to wear a mask. All attendees will be able to physically distance during the meeting. This grief support meets the second Tuesday of each month at Veterans Memorial Hospital.

Veterans Memorial Hospital will hold a Prepared Childbirth Education class (formerly called Lamaze) Saturday, June 26 from 8 - 11 a.m. in the Large Conference Room.

The Prepared Childbirth Education classes at Veterans Memorial Hospital are now 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 will be offered every three months at Veterans Memorial Hospital. Following the June 26 class, the next class is scheduled for September 25.

Pre-registration 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 hosting their bi-annual Safety Day Camp for children ages 6 to 14 Thursday, June 10, at the Allamakee Fairgrounds from 8:15 a.m. to 2 p.m. The camp is open to all children in the area.  It is a afety camp that instructs many areas of safety in every child’s life.

Each year, many children are killed or injured on America’s farms and at home. This summer, safety day camps, such as the one being hosted by Veterans Memorial Hospital, are being held to teach children how to prevent injuries and reduce the risk of accidents. During the camps, children participate in interactive activities that reinforce the importance of taking responsibility for their own safety, respecting parents’ safety rules and sharing safety tips with their family and friends.

Individual topics covered at this year’s safety camp will include the following:

Donations continue to be received for the Veterans Memorial Hospital Waukon Medical Clinic. Recently, a donation of $5,000 was received from Kerndt Brothers Bank. Pictured above, left to right, at the new outdoor sign at the entrance to the clinic parking lot, are Dr. Dave Schwartz, Clinic Physician; Patrick Dinan, Market President for Kerndt Brothers Bank; Laura Baxter, Clinic Director; Halie Ruff, Nurse Practitioner; Cathy Buhl, Kerndt Brothers Bank Waukon Branch Manager and Sue McMillan, Nurse Practitioner. Needed renovations to the clinic building are complete and the clinic has been open since May 3. Donations are still being accepted by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation. All gifts to the Foundation are tax deductible. Anyone with any questions about the campaign or Foundation is invited to call the hospital at 563-568-3411. Submitted photo.