Health

The 2021 Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation’s Christmas Fantasy was held November 18-22 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion. This was the 30th annual Fantasy celebration and was held as an outdoor drive-through event with online silent auction in order to keep the event Covid-safe for the second year in a row.

Nearly 100 silent auction items were donated and available for viewing in the Fairgrounds Pavilion. All bidding was completed on-line for the first time ever, thanks to Sweeney Auction Service.

Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care/Allamakee County Public Health continues to hold Friday afternoon vaccine clinics for COVID-19 booster immunizations  from 2-4 p.m. in the main entrance of the hospital.  This booster dose is now available for anyone who wishes to receive it, as long as it has been at least six months since their last dose of the COVID vaccine.

Make an appointment for these Friday afternoon clinics by calling 563-568-5660.  Vaccine is also available at the Waukon Gundersen Clinic, Hartig Drug, Nightingale Pharmacy and the Veterans Memorial Hospital Medical Clinic.

Wednesday, December 1, from 3-7 p.m. (or until supply runs out) a walk-in clinic for Pfizer vaccine for ages 5-11 only will be held at the ICN entrance of Veterans Memorial Hospital. Flu vaccine will also be available.  These immunization clinics will be held in the lower level of the hospital (along the golf course side). Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Everyone will need to wear a mask and bring their insurance cards. The Pfizer vaccine series for ages 5-11 is a two-part series. First and second doses of Pfizer vaccine need to be separated by at least 21 days.

COVID-19 immunization clinics for all stages of the vaccine will continue to be held Friday afternoons at Veterans Memorial Hospital. For these Friday clinics, an appointment is necessary by calling 563-568-5660.

The next LifeServe Blood Center Blood Drive will be held Monday, December 6, from 12-5 p.m., at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon. Blood drives are held every month in Waukon to allow for more donors to give. The LifeServe Blood Center supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital with its blood and blood products.

The Blood Center is seeking donors to ensure a safe and plentiful blood supply in Iowa. Because there is no substitute for human blood, the need for donors is continuous and is especially important over the holidays.

Over half of the United States population is eligible to donate blood, yet less than four percent donate on a regular basis. A single donation of blood can be used to save up to three lives and help in treatment of cancer patients, accident victims, hemophiliacs and surgery patients. The LifeServe Blood Center is committed to serving the needs of Iowans by saving lives through volunteer blood donation.

Veterans Memorial Hospital will hold a Prepared Childbirth Education class (formerly called Lamaze) Saturday, December 18, from 8 a.m. to 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. There is a small fee per session for the Prepared Childbirth Education classes that are offered every three months at Veterans Memorial Hospital.

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 at 563-568-3411.
 

Veterans Memorial Hospital will be offering the next recertification course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for health care providers (those working in health related fields such as physicians, nurses, EMS, etc.) Thursday, December 2, beginning at 5 p.m. This “Health Care Professional” CPR class will be held in the Large Conference Room located on the lower level of the hospital.

There is a small fee to attend this class and all registrants should bring along their own pocket mask, if they have one. Upon successful completion of the class, the participant will receive an electronic card certifying them as a BLS Healthcare Provider for a two-year period.

Pre-registration plus a minimum of three participants is required for the class to be held. All participants will be screened at the entrance, required to physically distance during the class and wear a mask.

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Marilyn Mahoney by Dan and Traci Byrnes, Mary Fink, Dr. David and Suzanne Hahn, Les and Ada Marie Kerndt, Patsy Kerndt, Jim and Jill Kiesau, Dave and Sandy Lyons, Dave and  Laurie Martin, and Diane Regan.

Memorials were also received in memory of Kathryn Stortz by Tom and Karen Regan, Chuck and Lois Votsmier and Mary Fink; in memory of Ione Rema by Chuck and Lois Votsmier; in memory of Emma Jane Schoh by Dr. Linda Carstens and Randy Petersburg, Chuck and Lois Votsmier, Delores Fish, Ethan Jacobson, Steven and Joan Malm, Greg Mohwinkle and Les and Ada Marie Kerndt.

In addition, memorials were received in memory of Gilbert Lensing by Jane Dietrich, Gil and Sharon Hunstad, Terry and Laurie Welch, Brad and Erin Berns and Craig and Barb Lensing.

A donation to the Foundation was also received in honor of Norbert Palmer’s 90th Birthday by Marvin and Marjorie Strike.

by Brittney Snitker, Pharm.D., BCPS, CDE, Pharmacist and Certified Diabetic Educator, Veterans Memorial Hospital

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. If you have diabetes, you are twice as likely to have heart disease or a stroke than someone who does not have diabetes.  There are many things you can do to lower your risk of heart disease. Diet and exercise are most important but when these are not enough, there are a few other medications that can help lower cardiovascular risk.

Veterans Memorial Hospital will be offering the next recertification course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for health care providers (those working in health related fields such as physicians, nurses, EMS, etc.) Thursday, December 2, beginning at 5 p.m. This “Health Care Professional” CPR class will be held in the Large Conference Room located on the lower level of the hospital.

There is a small fee to attend this class and all registrants should bring along their own pocket mask, if they have one. Upon successful completion of the class, the participant will receive an electronic card certifying them as a BLS Healthcare Provider for a two-year period.

Pre-registration plus a minimum of three participants is required for the class to be held. All participants will be screened at the entrance, required to physically distance during the class and wear a mask.

Veterans Memorial Hospital has offered Babysitting classes for area youth for years and will now begin to offer Grandparenting classes as well.

Corinne Cook, RN, Babysitting Class instructor, is going to begin to offer Grandparenting Classes Saturday, December 4 at 9:30 a.m. In these classes, new or soon-to-be grandparents will learn all the new protocols to use when caring for their new grandchild. Some topics covered will include basic baby care, car seat safety, Tylenol/Ibuprofen dosing charts, home safety, poison control information, infant/child CPR, choking and other emergency medical information, as well as tips to support parents such as handling the baby blues and postpartum depression.  Free-will donations will be accepted to cover the costs of the class.