Health

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) and Elliott Jewelers Women’s Health Day will be celebrating their 20th annual event this year with a new Women’s Wellness Night Out. This year, the event is being sponsored by not only Veterans Memorial Hospital and Elliott Jewelers, but also the Waukon Chamber of Commerce, Thursday, September 11, from 4-7 p.m. at the Allamakee Fairgrounds Pavilion. 

A total of seven different speakers on a variety of popular health and wellness topics will outline the night with over 40 health, wellness and family agencies/vendors on site ready to visit about the services they offer. Goodie bags will be shared with the first 200 ladies who come through the doors. Hors d’oeuvres will be served throughout the evening and a cash bar will be available.

Veterans Memorial Hospital and Clinics Administrator (Chief Executive Officer), Michael Coyle, announced plans for a new Postville Medical Clinic, at the Postville City Council meeting Monday night, August 11. Reasons for the need for a new clinic were many, but focused on the lack of space for the growing number of patients at the clinic each day.

“Our Postville Medical Clinic has been growing so well, going from 2 patients a day up to 16 per day. We average 9-10 patients a day and can no longer advertise walk-in appointments,” stated Laura Baxter, Waukon and Postville Clinic Director. “Our provider appointment slots are full most every day and we have so much more demand in both family health care and behavioral health care. Fortunately we do have new providers recruited to begin in Postville, but we have nowhere to put them. So we are very anxious to get this project underway.”

Consider a different way to give back to the heart of the community by donating blood. The next local drive will be held in Waukon Monday, September 8, at the First Baptist Church located in south Waukon. 

Cancer treatment is tough on anyone, but especially hard on children. 
• More than 15,000 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer every year in the U.S.
• Pediatric patients use 652,000 units of blood annually.
• Patients battling cancer use 25-percent of the U.S. blood supply.
• A child undergoing chemotherapy may use up to eight platelet units per week.
• Individuals with cancer may need blood due to anemia and/or thrombocytopenia caused by cancer, or as a result of treatments like chemo, radiation or blood loss during surgery.

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Community and Home Care – Allamakee Public Health is looking ahead to the month of September which is National Preparedness Month, to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could happen at any time.

“We want to encourage everyone in the area to remember to have a preparedness plan because disasters do happen.” states Sheryl Darling-Mooney, RN, Allamakee Public Health Supervisor. “We feel the month of September is a good time to remind the public to have a plan. We can have very volatile weather in the Midwest and we encourage everyone to follow these suggestions from Ready.gov, to make a plan and be ready, just in case.”

Memorials were received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Don Buhl by Jane Dietrich, Wendy and Paul Ebner, Donald and DiAnne Haler, Kathryn Wooden and Brad and Erin Berns.

Memorials were also received in memory of Beverly Johnson by Ron and Nancy Adam, Patsy Kerndt, Nola Palmer, Chuck and Lois Votsmier and an anonymous donation.

In addition, memorials were also received in memory of Richard “Dick” Berns by Chuck and Lois Votsmier, in memory of Dave Duncklee by Don and Mary Jane McGraw, in memory of Michael Johnson by Don and MaryJane McGraw, in memory of Karen Milton by Clarke and Sheila Simmonds, in memory of Marc Teff by Joan Bieber and in memory of Duwayne Snitker by Chuck and Lois Votsmier.

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) and Elliott Jewelers Women’s Health Day will be celebrating their 20th annual event this year and bringing in some big changes. This year, the event is being sponsored by not only Veterans Memorial Hospital and Elliott Jewelers, but also the Waukon Chamber of Commerce, and has been transitioned to a “Women’s Wellness Night Out,” being held Thursday, September 11, from 4-7 p.m. at the Allamakee Fairgrounds Pavilion. A total of seven different speakers on a variety of health and wellness topics will outline the night. Over 40 health, wellness and family agencies/vendors will be on site ready to visit about the services they offer. Goodie bags will be shared with the first 200 ladies who come through the doors. Hors d’oeuvres will be served throughout the evening and a cash bar will be available.

There is still time to get vital immunizations before school starts. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), vaccines help the body learn how to defend itself from disease without the dangers of a full-blown infection. The immune response to a vaccine might cause tiredness and discomfort for a day or two, but the resulting protection can last a lifetime.

Infections are unpredictable and can have long-term consequences. Even mild or symptom-less infections can be deadly. For example, most people infected with the human papillomavirus (HPV) never show any sign of infection. But for some, the sign appears years later as an aggressive, life-threatening cancer. By then, it’s too late to get vaccinated.

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Monday, September 8, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the First Baptist Church located in south Waukon.  Blood drives are held the first Monday of each month in Waukon. The LifeServe Blood Center supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) with their 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 (VMH) Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, August 21 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.

This month’s topic will be food safety. Brandy Strub, VMH registered dietician, will teach how to handle food safely to prevent food borne illnesses, which are something that can make people very ill. It will also help those attending to feel more confident about holding social gatherings ensuring good health for all in attendance after they go home. All are invited since this topic applies to everyone, even those who may not do the cooking in the household.

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

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Donald Max Jay by Ada Marie Kerndt, in memory of Nancy Fellow Larson by Ann Rademaker, in memory of George and Lois Picket by Marlys Anderson, in memory of Doug Sharp by Chuck and Lois Votsmier, in memory of Arlyn Pladsen by Tess Pladsen, in memory of Duwayne Snitker by Frank and Patricia Goltz, in memory of Judy Byrnes by Don and Mary Jane McGraw, in memory of Jean Gander by Chuck and Lois Votsmier, in memory of Mary Lou Garin by Betty Troendle, in memory of Bob Hager by Don and Mary Jane McGraw and in memory of Mary Wachter by Pat and Deb McGeough.

Memorials were also received in memory of Dorothy Winke by Wendy Bucheit, Mary Ann Hager, Patsy Kerndt, Danny and Sue Schlitter, Beth and Bill Shafer and Linda Siegrist.