Health

Did you know one in seven people entering the hospital will need blood?

Attend the next LifeServe Blood Center Blood Drive to be held Monday, October 7,  from 12-5 p.m., at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon. Blood drives are held once per month in Waukon, the first Monday of the month. The LifeServe Blood Center supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital with its blood and blood products.

The LifeServe Blood Center is seeking donors to ensure a safe and plentiful blood supply in Iowa. Because there is no substitute for human blood, the need for donors is continuous.

Tickets are on sale now for the Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) and Elliott Jewelers of Waukon 19th annual Women’s Health Day wellness event Tuesday, September 24, at the Waukon Event Center. All ages are invited to attend any part of this educational event, beginning at 11 a.m. with a wellness fair offering a variety of free health tests and information, and a luncheon and program held from Noon to 1 p.m.

September is Newborn Screening Awareness and Baby Safety Month. Being sure to schedule  newborn well-child visits following the baby’s birth is very important, according to Nurse Midwife and Nurse Practitioner Katy Maker at Veterans Memorial Hospital Clinics.

“Well-child exams create an environment where the parents can develop a relationship with a primary care provider who will be there for them and their child throughout their child’s growth and development,” states Maker. “It’s important to feel that you can trust the medical advice that you get from your child’s healthcare provider because these days we get bombarded with a lot of information through the Internet and it is hard to filter.”

Well-baby check-ups are encouraged at the following visits: 1-month, 2-month, 4-month, 6-month, 9-month, 12-month, 15-month, 18-month, 2-year, 30-month and at three years.

by Brandy Strub, RD/LD,  Dietitian, Veterans Memorial Hospital

September is National Cholesterol Education Month. Per the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), it is recommended that cholesterol be checked for kids once between ages 9-11 and again between ages 17-21. Children with obesity or diabetes may need to be screened more often.

For healthy adults, it is recommended that they be checked every four to six years. Those with heart disease, diabetes, or a family history of high cholesterol should be checked more frequently.

Risk factors for high cholesterol include: family history, diet high in saturated and trans fats, low physical activity, smoking, age, sex, type II diabetes, and obesity.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, September 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 month the topic will be “The Blood Sugar Roller-Coaster”. Lyvia Hosch, Pharmacist at Veterans Memorial Hospital who cares for inpatients as well as outpatients through infusion therapy, coagulation and chemotherapy, will be leading the discussion. She will review the countless factors that affect blood sugars throughout the day, and teach even more factors that may affect it that they may not have known. They will also be discussing healthy grilling and sharing easy chicken marinades with low sodium and carbohydrates.

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) together with Elliott Jewelers of Waukon are excited to announce they will soon be hosting their 19th Annual Women’s Health Day wellness event Tuesday, September 24, at the Waukon Event Center. All ages are invited to attend any part of this educational event, beginning at 11 a.m. with a wellness fair offering a variety of free health tests and information, and a luncheon and program held from Noon to 1 p.m. This year the menu will consist of a full salad buffet, sandwiches, beverages and dessert.

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) welcomes Dr. Chris Winters, Gundersen General Surgeon, to its surgery team. Dr. Winters joins Dr. Phillip Yee in providing general surgery at VMH.

VMH is happy to announce that with this addition, general surgery is now performed at the hospital three days per week, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, and is excited to offer this additional day of services to the community.

Dr. Winters will consult with patients at Veterans Memorial Hospital several days prior to the surgery or procedure. The surgery or procedure is then planned for a future date to be performed in the hospital’s surgical suite. Dr. Winters joins Dr. Yee in providing all general surgeries, including hernia repairs, including laparoscopic if necessary; gall bladder removal; C-sections; vasectomies; endoscopies, including colonoscopies and EGDs, as well as routine anorectal cases such as fistulas, hemorrhoids and fissures.

This is National Hospital Environmental Services Week. Environmental services (EVS) staff, often called housekeepers, have a much more important role that just janitorial. They are professionals who are on the very important front lines of cleaning and sanitizing to prevent the spread of infections for the safety of all patients, families, visitors and fellow staff members.

EVS staff clean and disinfect all areas of the hospital following the strict protocols for cleanliness and sanitation, removing hazardous waste, and even improve the patient experience by providing a clean environment and positive interactions with patients.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, September 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 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.
 

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) together with Elliott Jewelers of Waukon are excited to announce they will soon be hosting their 19th Annual Women’s Health Day wellness event Tuesday, September 24, at the Waukon Event Center. All ages are invited to attend any part of this educational event, beginning at 11 a.m. with a wellness fair offering a variety of free health tests and information, and a luncheon and program held from Noon to 1 p.m.   This year the menu will consist of a full salad buffet, sandwiches, beverages and dessert.