Health

Veterans Memorial Hospital will begin the next Prepared Childbirth Education classes (formerly called Lamaze) Monday, January 13, and those classes will continue for two more consecutive Monday evenings, beginning at 6 p.m. in the Large Conference Room.

The Prepared Childbirth Education classes at Veterans Memorial Hospital are offered in three sessions that allow the expectant parents to choose which topics they wish to learn more on. They may choose to attend one, two or all three sessions.  Session 1 covers labor, delivery and the postpartum period following delivery; Session 2 includes relaxation, breathing and pain management; and Session 3 covers infant care.

These Prepared Childbirth Education classes are free to any expectant parents delivering at Veterans Memorial Hospital, and for a small fee per session for those delivering at another facility. These classes will be offered every three months at Veterans Memorial Hospital.

The local Grief Support Group will not be meeting at Veterans Memorial Hospital until after the first of the year, 2020. When the January date is set, notice of the next meeting will be published.

The Grief Support Group is open to anyone suffering from any type of loss, whether it be death, divorce, illness or some other grief.

Watch for the announcement for the date of the next Grief Support Group or call Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411 with questions.
 

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital will not be holding its monthly Euchre Marathon in December, due to the busy holiday season. The Euchre marathons are held the third Thursday of each month at the Senior Citizens Room at the Waukon Wellness Center and will resume in January.

For more information on the monthly Euchre marathons, call Auxiliary President Nona Sawyer at 563-568-3105.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will not hold a regular meeting during the month of December. The group will begin holding its regular monthly meetings again in January.

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 Terry Johnson by Sheila and Bruce Snitker, Vicky, Tim and Vanessa Phipps, Elaine Knuppe, Matthew, Ciara and Dax Snitker, Audrey Angel and Jane Grotegut, Ron and Nancy Adam, Carrie and Shane Sievers, and Deb Johnson.

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.

The number of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) in this area has dwindled over the years as licensed EMTs have retired but a similar number of new EMTs have not emerged. Allamakee and northern Clayton counties are fortunate to have many emergency response services, but nearly all of them are in need of more EMTs on their service to share the call time, ensuring local emergency services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) will be offering a face-to-face EMT Class in Waukon beginning in January. This class is not offered locally each year, so the fact it will be held in Waukon is a convenience for those wishing to take the course with little travel time.

Enthusiastic, willing volunteers wanting to truly help people are needed to fill this class. Call NICC at 800-728-2256 to register for this January EMT Class in Waukon or for more information, call the Emergency Department at Veterans Memorial Hospital.
 

The next Caregiver Support Group meeting will be held Monday, December 16 at 1:30 p.m. in the Meditation Room in the front entrance of Veterans Memorial Hospital. When a person is diagnosed with a chronic illness, a lot of focus and attention is put on how to keep that person as independent and as healthy as possible. When a person loses some of their abilities to care for themselves the burden of care is often assumed by the spouse, a child (or children), or sometimes friends and neighbors. While everyone who becomes a caregiver handles the added responsibility with different skill sets, attitudes and understanding levels, there is no question that there is a very real strain associated with care giving.

Recent studies have estimated that the stress caused just by becoming the caregiver of an adult with a chronic illness or disability will take seven years off of a persons’ life. With more and more Iowans aging, this is a concern in the local community.

Dr. Dave Schwartz began offering two options for pain control locally at Veterans Memorial Hospital over a year ago, to help people with chronic joint pain or soft tissue/musculoskeletal pain. These new procedures provide patients with another option for pain control instead of only traditional means, such as surgery or pain pills. Both procedures involve injections, and have been successful in reducing or relieving pain, making it possible for many patients to enjoy benefits like being able to resume their normal activities or delay surgery. However, because insurance companies view these procedures as new and “experimental,” they are an out-of-pocket expense, and will not be turned into insurance.

The number of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) in this area has dwindled over the years as licensed EMTs have retired but a similar number of new EMTs have not emerged. Allamakee and northern Clayton counties are fortunate to have many emergency response services, but nearly all of them are in need of more EMTs on their service to share the call time, ensuring local emergency services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) will be offering a face-to-face EMT Class in Waukon beginning in January. This class is not offered locally each year, so the fact it will be held in Waukon is a convenience for those wishing to take the course with little travel time.

Enthusiastic, willing volunteers wanting to truly help people are needed to fill this class. Call NICC at 800-728-2256 to register for this January EMT Class in Waukon or for more information, call the Emergency Department at Veterans Memorial Hospital.
 

Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon began offering Urgent Care Monday, November 18, and that service is now available seven days a week. Emergency services remain available at Veterans Memorial Hospital seven days a week as well, 24 hours a day.

Urgent Care is designed for treating injuries or illnesses requiring immediate care, but not serious enough to require an emergency department visit. Urgent Care is now offered every Monday through Friday evening from 5-9 p.m. and Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Patients may enter through the main entrance of the hospital and ask for urgent care. A registered nurse will assess each patient and decide if urgent care or ER is the level of care they need.