Health

The staff of Elliott Jewelers in Waukon chose to support the Waukon Clinic project by making a $400 contribution. Each employee has the option to wear jeans one Monday per month and pay $5 on that day, the sum of which is later donated to a community need. Money from the ring cleaning donations the business receives was also used to make this donation from the staff.

Pictured above, left to right, is the entire Elliott Jewelers full-time staff. Left to right - Front row: John Elliott, Maranda Elliott, Mara Dickens, Chelsea Rodas and Shelly Elliott; Back row: Pat Hart, Kari Gibbs and Ashley Scherf. Donations are still being accepted for the clinic by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation. All gifts to the Foundation are tax deductible. To make an appointment at the new Waukon Medical Clinic, call 563-568-5530. Submitted photo.
 

“Welcome to Medicare” is a free, two-hour seminar offered by the Veterans Memorial Hospital Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) counselors. This program will be held Monday, July 12 from 5-7 p.m. in the Large Conference Room located on the lower level of Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon.

“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. Veterans Memorial Hospital is a local sponsor for SHIIP in Allamakee County.

Every two seconds someone needs blood. The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Thursday, July 8 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 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.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, July 15 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  in Waukon at 568-3411.
 

The local Grief Support Group will be holding its monthly meeting at Veterans Memorial Hospital Tuesday, July 13 at 5 p.m. in the Meditation Chapel Room, located just inside the main entrance of the hospital. Masks will be required.

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

The 28th annual Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation Golf Tournament was held Monday, June 21 at the Waukon Golf and Country Club. Twenty-nine teams of three participated in this tournament. Each team enjoyed 18 holes of golf plus lunch and dinner prepared by Rich Schulte, Marge, Bud and Rich Strike, Jim and Linda Ryan, and the Foundation Directors.

The Foundation gives credit for the success of this tournament to the many local businesses that provide great prizes so everyone participating wins. Plus many businesses serving this area contribute as hole sponsors to the tournament making it an enjoyable, community-wide event.

The new Veterans Memorial Hospital Waukon Clinic recently received another park bench donation for outside the clinic building for patients and family members who choose to wait outdoors. This bench is donated by the Tom Baxter family, in his memory. Tom passed away a year ago and believed in the need for Rural Healthcare. Beth Baxter, Tom’s wife, states, “He understood the importance of specialized care but firmly believed in the importance of rural healthcare at every level, whether it was routine care or in an emergency situation. Tom loved and enjoyed the Waukon community and always had time to sit and have a visit.

The COVID-19 virus is still on the move through unvaccinated individuals in the county, but those who are vaccinated can continue normal lifestyles without wearing masks, according to health officials offering guidance on the matter.

In May, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) declared that anyone vaccinated for COVID-19 can gather indoors without masks with others who are fully vaccinated, and limit social distancing, and that still remains true. For those not yet vaccinated, Allamakee County Public Health does have a good supply of vaccine and is highly encouraging everyone to receive it.

Vaccine clinics are readily available every Friday afternoon for both prime and boost doses for Moderna. Currently, Johnson and Johnson one-dose vaccine is also available. These are held at the main entrance to Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Call 563-568-5660 to schedule.

The Test Iowa location in Decorah, facilitated by Winneshiek Medical Center, will close Thursday, July 15.  This closure aligns with the State of Iowa’s announcement that it is discontinuing the service.

Last fall, Test Iowa, a statewide initiative to expand the availability of COVID-19 testing, collaborated with Winneshiek Medical Center to open a testing site for northeast Iowa. The site opened October 12, 2020. Since the onset of the local service, Test Iowa, staffed by Winneshiek Medical Center employees, has provided 6,272 COVID-19 tests to people of the region.

“Welcome to Medicare” is a free, two-hour seminar offered by the Veterans Memorial Hospital Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) counselors.  This program will be held Monday, July 12 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 counselor Russ Hagen is trained by the State and does not sell or promote any insurance companies, policies or agents. Veterans Memorial Hospital is a local sponsor for SHIIP in Allamakee County.