Health

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Monday, February 1 from 12-5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon. Blood drives are held every month in Waukon. The LifeServe Blood Center of Iowa supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital with its blood and blood products. Many Iowans are encouraged to make donating blood on a regular basis their New Year’s resolution this year.

The LifeServe Blood Center reported a record number of new donors in Waukon since the start of the pandemic, with 14 total new donors during the month of January, making it a very successful blood drive with a total of 59 units collected.

The need for blood does has not stopped during COVID-19 and is in even higher demand so the local blood drives continue to be held. Life Serve team members only report to work if they are healthy and only healthy donors are eligible to give blood.

Exercising is important to do all year round. One should not feel that they need to stay indoors to exercise during cold weather. A good workout outdoors in the winter can be very exhilarating. Just follow the steps below for keeping it a safe outdoor winter workout:

• Warm up longer than usual before heading outdoors in cold weather.
• Keep skin dry. This in turn will keep the exerciser warmer.
• Dress accordingly using many layers. Be sure that the outer layer will break the wind. Add a fluffy layer, like fleece or wool, to trap heat in. And long underwear is good to keep the skin dry.
• Always wear a hat to prevent heat loss through the top of the head.
• Wear mittens instead of gloves to allow air to circulate better between the fingers, keeping the hands warmer.

Always be sure to exercise in a safe, well-lit area. Stay clear of any icy spots and proceed with care in snow. One never knows what may lie under those snow-covered spots.

The local Grief Support Group will again begin holding monthly meetings at Veterans Memorial Hospital Tuesday, February 9 at 5 p.m. in the Meditation Chapel Room, located just inside the main entrance of the hospital.

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

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 group meets the second Tuesday of each month at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon.
 

Memorials were received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Orville Bratrud by Dave and Laurie Martin, Chuck and Lois Votsmier, Les and Ada Marie Kerndt, and Jerry and Linda Siegrist.

Memorials were also given in memory of Sandra Hove by Les and Ada Marie Kerndt, Beth Ann Shafer, Jack and Sally Hagensick, Dave and Laurie Martin, Linda Flatland, Tammy Knudtson, Cyril and Shirley Larkin, Jerry and Linda Siegrist and Carl and Julie Johnson.

In addition, memorials were received in memory of Tom Collins by Carl and Julie Johnson, in memory of Daniel “DM” Ryan by Carl and Julie Johnson, and in memory of Kermit Martin by Chuck and Lois Votsmier, Bill and Gloria Hennessy and Jerry and Linda Siegrist.

The Caregiver Support Group meetings that were held monthly at Veterans Memorial Hospital, continue to be held through conference calls during COVID-19. Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging (NEI3A) is offering weekly Caregiver Support Group conference calls every Monday from 10-11 a.m.

To join a call, just dial 1-800-264-8432. Then enter the participant code 961847# to be connected to the support group conference call, joining other caregivers.

COVID-19 Phase 1-A
Iowa is currently still in Phase 1-A of administering the COVID-19 vaccine and intends to finish this group within the next week. This includes healthcare workers and long-term care residents and staff. If you are included in this tier group and have not yet received your vaccination, contact Allamakee County Public Health at 563-568-5660 to schedule an appointment.

COVID-19 Phase 1-B
The Iowa Department of Public Health recently shared the following guidelines for COVID-19 vaccine priority populations for Phase 1-B, based on the recommendations put forward by the Iowa Disease Advisory Council (IDAC).

Due to the current and short-term projections for vaccine allocation for Iowa, IDAC recommends the following, more narrowly defined, eligible populations for Phase 1-B:

Veterans Memorial Hospital was made aware last week that a few people in the community had received a phone call, from a hospital phone number, stating they were calling from Amazon on an order and needed to verify the account.

The hospital would like to alert the public that they are in no way involved with any type of Amazon account or making any such calls. 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 you may have suspiciously received from the hospital, feel free to call Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411 for more information.
 

Empty Nest Winery of Waukon recently donated $500 to the Veterans Memorial Hospital Radiology Department for the Mammography Fund. This donation came from the proceeds of the “Radiant Strength” pink moscato wine sales last October at Empty Nest Winery. That wine is a favorite at Empty Nest and was sold by them as a limited edition wine in an effort to support breast cancer prevention. Pictured above, left to right, in the hospital’s mammography room is Veterans Memorial Hospital X-ray technicians Siobhan Kurth, Keisha Coon and Kelly Baxter, Pam Kruger of Empty Nest Winery, and Veterans Memorial Hospital X-ray technicians Rachel Wagner and Renee Stokman. Submitted photo.
 

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Jack Marsden by Chuck and Lois Votsmier, Frank and Patty Goltz, Jerry and Linda Siegrist, Patsy Kerndt, Dave and Laurie Martin, Les and Ada Marie Kerndt, Brad and Erin Berns and Mary Ann Hager.

Memorials were also received in memory of Dan Hansmeier by Dave and Laurie Martin, Tom and Karen Regan, and Jerry and Linda Siegrist; in memory of Lois Hermeier by James and Mary Winters, and in memory of Mavis Mitchell by David and Suzanne Hahn, DVM, Betty White and Ernest and Donnalee Osland.

Memorials were also given in memory of Doris Berns by Scott and Karen Ness, Maury Mooney, Chuck and Lois Votsmier, Ken and Rose Beardmore, Marlys Leiran and Jane Dietrich.

Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon recently received a large donation of hand-made baby blankets from Cindy Hertrampf of rural Monona. Many of the blankets are pictured above with Cindy and will be given to young patients in maternity services, the emergencey room, surgery and in-patient areas of the hospital. Many will also be offered for sale in the hospital gift case, which is managed by the Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital. Submitted photo.