Health

Wed
29
Jan

Stroke Support Group to meet Thursday, February 6 at VMH

Veterans Memorial Hospital Speech-Language Pathologist Steven Mazzafield offers a Stroke Support Group for individuals who have experienced a stroke, as well as caregivers and family members affected by stroke.

Monthly meetings are held the first Thursday of every month at 2 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH). The next Stroke Support Group meeting will be held Thursday, February 6, at 2 p.m.

The Stroke Support Group provides opportunities to share tips, tricks, or trials among participants, offer support for caregivers, and provide an opportunity for socialization.

While strokes can happen at any age, risk of stroke is greatest as people get older with the majority of strokes occurring after the age of 70. Risk factors for stroke include obesity, sedentary lifestyle, binge drinking, diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

Wed
29
Jan

Memorials received by Veterans Memorial Healthcare Foundation

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Marlin Cooper by Bev Krambeer and Joel and Teresa Sommer; in memory of Muriel Cooper by Fran and Jean Ann Weymiller; in memory of Dennis Curtin by Gary and Jean Gilbertson; in memory of Richard Delphey by Pam Delphey; in memory of Duane and Noah Dietrich by Jane Dietrich; in memory of Bert Fellows by Richard and Joan Leiran; in memory of Sawyer Fink by Greg Fink; in memory of Duane Franks by Linda Siegrist; in memory of Brian Garin by Maureen Garin; and in memory of Arlene Campbell Roney by Don and DiAnne Haler, Randy and Lori Hover, Diane Regan and Chuck and Lois Votsmier.

Memorials were also received in memory of Ella Mae Dvorak by Cindy Barness, Marlys Leiran and Ernest and LaVonne Palas; and in memory of Rodney Fink by Kevin and Teri Welsh, Chuck and Lois Votsmier and Mary Fink.

Wed
22
Jan

National Nurse Anesthetist Week being observed January 19-25


Celebrating National Nurse Anesthetist Week ... January 19-25 is National Nurse Anesthetist Week. Pictured are the two Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists at Veterans Memorial Hospital including William “Skip” Loebig, in photo above, and Mark Bishop, in photo below. These two full-time CRNAs cover all the hospital patients’ anesthesia needs, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with each of them remaining on-call for one month at a time. Submitted photos.

January 19-25 is National Nurse Anesthetists Week.  Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon has two nurse anesthetists who work full-time at the hospital, including William “Skip” Loebig, CRNA, and Mark Bishop, CRNA.

Whenever anesthesia is delivered by a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), the patient is in the care of a health care professional who is in charge of providing a thorough and safe anesthetic from pre-operation through post-operation. For more than a century, CRNA’s have been staying with patients throughout their procedures, monitoring their vital signs and adjusting their anesthetics to ensure the safest, most comfortable anesthesia experience possible.

Wed
22
Jan

The importance of Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that helps your body absorb calcium, which is needed for building strong bones. It also helps your muscles move, nerves carry messages from your brain to your body, and strengthens your immune system.

The best food sources of Vitamin D come from milk or other fortified “milk” drinks, such as soy, almond, oat, along with fatty fish, such as trout, salmon, tuna and mackerel. Beef liver, egg yolks, cheese, and mushrooms also provide a little. Your body can also make Vitamin D from the sun when your bare skin is exposed, but factors such as clouds, smog, sunscreen, old age, and having dark-colored skin can reduce the amount it makes.

Wed
22
Jan

February is Heart Month - Give blood

Consider a different way to give back to the heart of the community by donating blood during February-Heart Month. Blood donations play a vital role in heart surgeries, emergency treatment and other medical needs that impact lives.  Donating blood is a loving gesture that supports those who rely on the generosity of others.

Wed
22
Jan

Memorials received by Veterans Memorial Healthcare Foundation

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Sandra Allen by Margo Sweeney; in memory of Joyce Anderson by Greg and Rosie Piggott; in memory of Dan and Dwight Bacon by Beverly Bacon; in memory of Linda Bacon by Ralph Bacon; in memory of Nancy Barry by James Barry; in memory of Marian Bauercamper by Chuck and Lois Votsmier and John Bauercamper; in memory of Tanya Benda Schnuelle by Gail and Dean Lansing; in memory of Eugene “Gene” Joseph Berns by Nancy Berns; in memory of Lorna Bjerke by Marlys Leiran; in memory of Neil Bresnahan by Sandra Bresnahan; in memory of William “Bill” Bresnahan by Mary Ann Hager and Chuck and Lois Votsmier; in memory of Randy Brainard by Scott and Kim Bollman; in memory of Suzanne Bresnahan by Diane Regan; in memory of Dorie Bulman by Tim Bulman; in memory of Delbert, Eloise and Tom Bulman by Randy and Lori Hover; in memory of Raymond Burke by Mary Ann Burke; in memory of Leo Carter by Kay Carter; in memory o

Wed
15
Jan

Veterans Memorial Hospital earns 5 Star Rating for Patient Care Transitions

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) in Waukon was recently notified of its 5-Star Rating for Patient Care Transitions, making them one of the 189 top hospitals for Care Transitions in the United States. This is awarded according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) results from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS). HCAHPS is a national, standardized survey used by most hospitals, including Veterans Memorial Hospital, for hospital patients to rate their experiences during a recent inpatient hospital stay.

The primary CMS measurement for Care Transitions in hospitals assesses how well patients feel prepared for discharge from the hospital. This includes these three key areas: whether patient and family’s preferences were accounted for in the care plan, whether patients understood their role in self-management after discharge, and whether appropriate medication education was provided.

Wed
15
Jan

January is Radon Awareness Month

January is Radon Awareness Month in Iowa. Radon is an odorless, colorless, tasteless gas that causes no immediate health symptoms, but long-term exposures can cause lung cancer.  It comes from the breakdown of uranium in soil. Simple test kits can reveal the amount of radon in any building.

All of Iowa is considered to have unsafe levels of radon, however, Allamakee County is prone to have even higher numbers due to the fractured bedrock and karst topography under our feet. Fractures in the bedrock create small cracks and fissures that allow radon to move easier through the stone and soils and make entry into homes.  

Wed
15
Jan

Understanding pediatric asthma: winter triggers and symptoms

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately six million children in the United States have asthma, making it one of the most common chronic conditions in childhood. During the winter, parents are reminded to be vigilant about asthma management in children.
Eric Schauberger, DO, pediatric allergy specialist at Emplify Health by Gundersen, highlights the importance of recognizing asthma triggers during the colder months.

Wed
15
Jan

Diabetes Support Group to meet

The Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, January 16, 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 in Waukon.

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, Certified Diabetes Educator at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - Health