Health

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, March 19 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 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 at 563-568-3411.
 

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital will be holding its monthly Euchre Marathon for all individuals of the community interested Thursday, March 19. Men and women are welcome to attend, even if they are not an Auxiliary member. The Euchre marathons are held the third Thursday of each month at the Senior Citizens Room at the Waukon Wellness Center.

The Auxiliary’s Euchre Marathons begin at 11:30 a.m. with dinner, if chosen. Call Northland Agency on Aging at 877-838-8077 if choosing to eat dinner.  Card playing will follow at 12:30 p.m. until approximately 2:30 p.m. Anyone wishing to stay and play cards following the Senior Citizens meal is more than welcome to do so. All proceeds go towards the Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital. Prizes will be awarded.

Anyone interested in attending but preferring to play Bridge is also welcome to join in. It is asked that they come with their own table of four players, however.

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Norma Barr by Betty White, Jean Huffey and Ruby Schoh.

Memorial donations were also made in memory of Tony Vick by Jim and Jill Kiesau, in memory of  Lillian Winters by Nyles ad Ruby Herman, in memory of Lee White by Jim and Jill Kiesau and in memory of Dennis and Dorothy Mitchell by LaVonne Lodor.

In addition, memorials were received in memory of Paul Durhman by Dan and Traci Byrnes, Jim Byrnes and Loretta (Byrnes) Tressel.

Memorials and donations are greatly appreciated by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation.  The Foundation is a 501C3 organization.  All donations to the Foundation are tax deductible.  Memorials and donations can be sent to 40 First Street SE, Waukon, IA  52172.
 

Veterans Memorial Hospital has now begun offering telemedicine services thanks to the help of Gundersen Healthcare in La Crosse, WI.  Now emergency stroke and neonate patients will benefit from these new telemedicine services right in the local Emergency Room.

Gundersen specialists traveled to Waukon February 12 to install the live interactive video technology and train staff on its use.  Now all Veterans Memorial Hospital providers and staff can connect with specialists through this high-tech system whenever needed in the case of a stroke or critical infant.  Specialists at Gundersen will provide needed support and clinical care from a distance in the first crucial minutes.

by Diane Butikofer, RN, ER Supervisor at VMH

Individuals who experience any type of chest pain need to take that pain very seriously and seek medical assistance. There is always the possibility that pain may be caused by a heart attack or some other form of heart disease and must not be ignored. Immediate medical attention is the only way to stop or decrease the damage to the heart.

The common signs and symptoms of a heart attack include the following:

1. Any type of chest pain. It may be a crushing pain, a feeling of heaviness such as an elephant standing on one’s chest, or even a squeezing of the chest.
2. Pain that radiates down the arm, or other areas of the body such as the neck, jaw or shoulders.
3. Weakness or shortness of breath, nausea, light headedness and/or possible sweating.

“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, March 2 from 5-7 p.m. in the Large Conference Room located on the lower level of Veterans Memorial Hospital.

“Due to the great turn-out we continually have for these meetings, we have decided to offer another free seminar to the community this spring,” says Russ Hagen, SHIIP volunteer. “I am happy they are so well attended. Medicare is such an important program and understanding what it offers helps assure that anyone eligible gets the health benefits they deserve.”

“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.

Make a difference by making a life-saving blood donation at the next Waukon Community Blood Drive. The next blood drive will take place Thursday, March 5 from Noon to 5 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Waukon. 

Donating blood is safe, simple and it saves lives.  Blood donors have a unique opportunity to contribute to their community by making a life-saving blood donation.  Everyone who registers to donate blood goes through four simple steps during the donation process: registration, donor history and mini-physical, blood donation and snacks.

New blood donors who are not familiar with the blood donation process are encouraged to ask questions before, during and after their blood donation. Below are a few tips for ensuring a successful donation:

Veterans Memorial Hospital Urgent Care is available seven days a week and designed for treating injuries or illnesses requiring immediate care, but not serious enough to require an emergency department visit.

Examples of what a patient may seek Urgent Care for could include back pain; bladder or urinary tract infection; cough; cuts, scrapes and bruises; diarrhea; fever, colds and flu; ear pain, swimmer’s ear, ear infection or wax removal; insect or tick bite; joint pain; minor burn; nausea/vomiting; pink eye; rash; seasonal allergies; sinus and upper respiratory infection; sore or strep throat; strains/sprains; sudden back or neck pain; urinary problems or vaginal irritation/discharge.  Most insurance does cover urgent care visits. Patients can usually expect to pay a copay or deductible for visits to Urgent Care treatment centers.

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of LaVonne Kruger by James L. Moritz, Al and Fern Rissman, Norb and Nola Palmer, Mary Ann Hager, Marilyn Anderson, Cyril and Shirley Larkin, Scott and Karen Ness, Jerry and Linda Siegrist, Russ and Mary Jo Meyer, Orrin and Nan Grangaard, Kevin and Ann Quillin, Marlys Leiran, Kay Zimmerman, Dave and Sandy Lyons, Bob and Marilyn Bulman, Donna Wood, Betty White, Audrey Angel, Lois Evans, Lollie Hirth, Don and Joyce Bakke, Nyles and Ruby Herman, Maury and Kay Mooney, Dave and Barb Hanson, and Pat and Kathy McMillan.

Memorials were also received in memory of Joan Berns by Scott and Kim Bollman, in memory of Ronda Thorstenson by Curtis and Cheryl Roe and Jane Dietrich, in memory of Kathleen Schulte by Mary L. Schulte, and in memory of Joan Dietrich by Fred and Geralyn Smith.

Chest pain is a common complaint presented in any emergency room, including the emergency room at Veterans Memorial Hospital. There is always the possibility of heart disease in every complaint of chest pain or upper abdominal pain and it must be taken very seriously.

The common signs and symptoms of an acute myocardial infarction, commonly called a heart attack, are:

1. Chest pain (crushing, squeezing or heaviness).
2. Sudden onset of weakness, nausea, fainting and sweating without an obvious cause.
3. Pain that radiates to the shoulders, neck or arms.

These symptoms occur when the blood flow to a part of the heart is blocked, often by a blood clot. This happens because coronary arteries that supply the heart with blood slowly become clogged from a build-up of cells, fat and cholesterol called plaque.