Health

Parents can do more to ensure that accidents don’t become a part of their children’s childhood memories. One way to start is by having your 6 to 14 year old children attend the Veterans Memorial Hospital Safety Day Camp. This camp will be held Thursday, June 13, at the Allamakee Fairgrounds from 8:15 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The day camp is designed to increase children’s awareness of a wide variety of safety and farm hazards, as well as providing 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 and Motorcycle Safety
• First Aid
• Electrical Safety
• Farm Equipment Safety
• Grain Bin Safety
•Lawnmowers/Chainsaws/Weed Eater/Pinch Point Safety
• Bicycle Safety/Rodeo
• Drone Safety
• Fire Arm Safety
• Water Safety
• Snake Safety

Each year, Veterans Memorial Hospital hosts the area Kindergarten classes for a field trip to the hospital. During these tours, the students become familiar with many hospital services. The tours include the Emergency Rooms, viewing films in the X-ray rooms, viewing the newborn babies in the Maternity Services Nursery, visiting the Rehabilitation Department and taking a tour of the ambulance, all to help them feel comfortable with these services. New this year, hospital staff members of the Customer Engagement Committee instructed all the Kindergarteners on how to do Hands Only CPR, pictured above, compressing the chest to the beat of the popular youth song “Baby Shark.” Submitted photo.
 

May 23, is National Stop the Bleed Day. Uncontrolled bleeding is the number one cause of preventable death in trauma accidents. Veterans Memorial Hospital staff has been trained in the National Stop the Bleed educational program and are available to bring this educational program to area groups and organizations. To help learn what to do to save a life, contact Diane Butikofer, RN, Emergency Services at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411 to set up a class.

Veterans Memorial Hospital staff recently offered this hands-on training at their annual wellness fair, pictured above. It will also be offered at local events this summer such as Monona Hay Days, the Allamakee County Fair, and Waukon Corn Days.  Knowing what simple things can be done before responders arrive could mean the difference between life and death for an injured person with uncontrolled bleeding. Submitted photo.
 

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Monday, June 3, from 12-5 p.m., at the First Baptist Church located in south Waukon. Blood drives are held once a month in Waukon, to allow for more donors to give. The LifeServe Blood Center supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital with their blood and blood products. The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital will be hosting this blood drive.

Blood centers across the United States see a decrease in blood donations during the busy summer months.  During the summer, people become more active, have busier schedules, spend more time outdoors and take vacations.

While donations decline, hospitals see an increase in the need for blood. More driving can mean more automobile accidents. A person who has suffered severe injuries from an automobile accident can need up to 50 units of blood.

The Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation annual Three Person Best-Shot Golf Tournament is set for June 17 at the Waukon Golf and Country Club.

Teams of three will begin the day with a shot gun start at 9:30 a.m. and play 18 holes of golf. Breakfast rolls, lunch and dinner and prizes for everyone will all be provided for the donation of $75.
New this year, a putting contest will be offered prior to the start of the tournament.

All those interested in joining the event are asked to pre-register their team by calling the Waukon Golf and Country Club at 563-568-9939. For more information about the golf tournament, call Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.
 

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Les Delaney by Randy and Karen Loeb, Dave and Laurie Martin, Jim and Ele Klenske, Don and Mary Meyer, Brian and Denise Wullner, Dave and Sandy Lyons, Mary Fink, Chuck and Lois Votsmier, Kay Carter, Mary Ann Hager, Kate Wooden and family and friends of Les Delaney.

Memorials were also received in memory of Phyllis Dahlke by Dave and Laure Martin and Patsy Kerndt.

Memorials and donations are greatly appreciated by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation. The Foundation is a 501C3 organization. All donations to the Foundation are tax deductible. Memorials and donations can be sent to 40 First Street SE, Waukon, IA  52172.
 

The 22nd annual “Family Wellness Fair” was held Wednesday, May 8 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Over 220 individuals attended the wellness fair despite the very wet and cold evening. Those in attendance had the opportunity to enjoy the information and activities provided by over 45 agencies and businesses that serve Allamakee and northern Clayton counties.

Entertainment for the evening included special appearances by “Klyde Thinger” the Clown, plus the “Hidden in Plain Sight” drug exhibit from Clayton County which emulates a teenager’s bedroom with over 50 different drug indicators, indicating drug use or support of drug use.

Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon will be hosting the annual Safety Day Camp for children ages six to 14 Thursday, June 13 at the Allamakee Fairgrounds in Waukon from 8:15 a.m. to 2 p.m. The camp is open to all children in the area. It is a true safety camp that instructs many areas of safety that are involved in every child’s life.

Children often see the outdoors as an exciting playground - providing endless hours of fun and adventure. But the great outdoors can set the stage for tragedy. That is why this Safety Camp was established by Veterans Memorial Hospital and  Allamakee Count ISU Extension 19 years ago.

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital will be holding its monthly Euchre Marathon for all individuals of the community interested Thursday, May 16. Men and women are welcome to attend, even if they are not an Auxiliary member. The Euchre marathons are held the third Thursday of each month at the Senior Citizens Room at the Waukon Wellness Center.

The Auxiliary’s Euchre Marathons begin at 11:30 a.m. with dinner, if chosen. Call Northland Agency on Aging at 877-838-8077 if choosing to eat dinner. Card playing will follow at 12:30 p.m. until approximately 2:30 p.m. Anyone wishing to stay and play cards following the Senior Citizens meal is more than welcome to do so. All proceeds go towards the Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital. Prizes will be awarded. Anyone interested in attending but preferring to play Bridge is also welcome to join. It is asked that they come with their own table of four players, however.

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

“Due to the great turnout in April, we have decided to offer another free seminar to the community right away in May,” says Russ Hagen, SHIIP volunteer. “Medicare is such an important program and understanding what it offers helps assure that anyone eligible gets the health benefits they deserve.”

“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.