Health

Veterans Memorial Hospital is now offering Blood Type testing as part of the Community Wellness testing program offered by the Lab. This program offers common lab tests at a reduced, up-front cost to avoid the high deductibles of some insurance companies. Other common Community Wellness tests include hemoglobin, cholesterol, vitamin D, potassium, blood glucose, etc. Blood typing is now offered along with this long list as another walk-in laboratory wellness test at Veterans Memorial Hospital with quick results.

Many individuals do not know what blood type they are. Hospitals and clinics may have your blood typed for several different reasons, but the most common reasons are the expectation of a blood transfusion due to anemia, leukemia or traumatic blood loss, or with a regular prenatal examination. Newborns also have their blood typed, but generally only when the mother is a negative blood type.

Every three years, Veterans Memorial Hospital is required to survey the residents of Allamakee County and the surrounding area served by the hospital to collect a list of the health needs the residents feel are most important. Community Health Needs Assessments gather information to help guide and direct health planning activities. The hospital is now conducting that survey once again and is seeking input from all the area communities.

Information from this survey is compiled and used to update and improve the health plan for this entire service area of the hospital.

Veterans Memorial Hospital is conducting this survey from now through June 30. The hospital encourages everyone to take a few minutes to complete this important survey so the results can be used to develop a plan to address the outlined health needs.

The Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation’s 29th Annual Benefit Golf Tournament will be held Monday, June 20, at the Waukon Golf and Country Club beginning with a shotgun start at 9:30 a.m.

Teams of three will play 18 holes of golf. Breakfast rolls, lunch, dinner and prizes for everyone will all be provided for the donation of $75.

This is the 29th annual golf tournament the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation has sponsored. All those interested are asked to pre-register their team by calling the Waukon Golf and Country Club at 563-568-9939. The Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation is a volunteer board who raise funds to help promote health care in the area communities served by Veterans Memorial Hospital.

“Welcome to Medicare” is a free, two-hour seminar offered by the Veterans Memorial Hospital Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) counselors for those nearing Medicare age. This program will be held Tuesday, June 21, 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 counselors Russ Hagen and Nancy Schoh are trained by the State and do not sell or promote any insurance companies, policies or agents.   Veterans Memorial Hospital is a local sponsor for SHIIP in Allamakee County.

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Monday, June 6, from 12 p.m. to 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 its blood and blood products.

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.

National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week is May 15-21. National EMS Week honors the lifesaving care EMS providers offer nationwide, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The area ambulance services that commonly arrive with patients at Veterans Memorial Hospital (listed in alphabetic order) include the Caledonia Ambulance, Harpers Ferry Rescue Squad, Lansing Ambulance Service, Monona Ambulance Service, New Albin Fire, Postville Ambulance Service, Waterville Rescue Squad, all in addition to the Waukon Veterans Memorial Hospital service.

The ‘annual’ Veterans Memorial Hospital “Family Wellness Fair” returned this year following a three-year hold due to COVID-19 regulations. This annually-scheduled event was finally held again May 11 in both the hospital and new Veterans Memorial Hospital Medical Clinic-Waukon locations. A good number of attendees enjoyed the information and activities provided by nearly 40 agencies and businesses that serve Allamakee and northern Clayton counties.

Entertainment for the evening included special appearances by “Klyde Thinger” the Clown, and balloon artist Mike Chapman.  In addition, a Waukon Fire Department fire truck and hospital ambulance were on site in the front entrance to the clinic for children to view. Face painting was offered as well.

Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon will begin managing the current Postville Medical Clinic June 6 of this year with plans to reopen the clinic July 5 after some minor renovations are completed.

“We are very excited to offer complete family medicine including family practice, Obstetrics and behavioral health to the Postville area,” states Michael Coyle, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Veterans Memorial Hospital.

The new Veterans Memorial Hospital Postville Medical Clinic will offer clinic hours from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday each week. The clinic will remain open over the lunch hour for patient convenience, then close from 1-2 p.m. each afternoon. Dr. Thomas McMullan, current clinic owner and medical provider, will continue to see patients at the Postville Clinic two days per week.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, May 19, 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.

The Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation annual Three Person Best-Shot Golf Tournament is set this year for June 20 at the Waukon Golf and Country Club.

Teams of three will begin the day with a shotgun start at 9:30 a.m. and play 18 holes of golf. Breakfast rolls, lunch and dinner and prizes for everyone will be provided for a $75 donation.

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.