Health

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) will be offering Grandparenting classes again this spring. Corinne Cook, RN, Babysitting Class instructor, will teach the next Grandparenting Class Saturday, April 11 from 9:30 a.m. until Noon. The class will be held in the hospital’s Large Conference Room. 

In these classes, new or soon-to-be grandparents will learn all the new protocols to use when caring for their new grandchild. Some topics covered will include basic baby care, car seat safety, Tylenol/Ibuprofen dosing charts, home safety, poison control information, infant/child CPR, choking and other emergency medical information as well as tips to support parents such as handling the baby blues and postpartum depression. Free-will donations will be accepted to cover the costs of the class.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) 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, feel free to call  Angie Mettille, RN, Certified Diabetes Educator at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.

Free sport physicals will be offered at the Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Clinic-Postville for all junior high and high school students who need the physical for participating in school sporting events. These will be held at the Postville Clinic on the following dates and times:

• Tuesday, March 10   5-6:30 p.m.
• Thursday, March 19  5-6:30 p.m.

Students are asked to please sign-up for these physicals at the Postville High School Secretary’s office and pick-up a physical form. These forms must be signed by parents prior to the event and brought along to the physical.

Physicals will be performed by Postville Medical Clinic providers. For more information, feel free to contact the Veterans Memorial Hospital Postville Medical Clinic at 563-864-7221.

by Beth Shafer, Growth and Development Coordinator, Veterans Memorial Hospital and Clinics

Over the past eight months, the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation has been touched by the generosity of the Quandahl family, through gifts given in memory of Ozzie and Phyllis Quandahl and the Osmund Quandahl Charitable Unitrust. Phyllis passed away July 1, 2025, followed by Ozzie December 7, 2025. The outpouring of support from friends, neighbors, and even those living far away was truly overwhelming.

When Phyllis passed, Ozzie matched the memorial gifts already received in her honor and even treated hospital staff to a pizza party to show his gratitude for the exceptional care he and Phyllis had received. Ozzie didn’t just send the pizza - he, his daughter, Julie and granddaughter, Jill, joined the staff in the lunchroom, sharing stories, smiles, and a genuine sense of community.

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) will sponsor the next Babysitting Seminar Friday, April 3, from 9 a.m. to Noon. Corinne Cook, RN, will be leading this class which will be held in the Large Conference Room located on the lower level of Veterans Memorial Hospital.    

Intended participants are individuals 10 years of age and older who are responsible for their own care after school until their parents come home from work, and individuals who care for other children in or outside of their own home. Girls and boys are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Topics to be covered include fire and personal safety, accident prevention and emergency actions, nutritious snacks and basic care of children.

by Caty Bruening, VMH Laboratory Manager
 
Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that helps your body absorb calcium, which is needed for building strong bones. It also helps your muscles move, nerves carry messages from your brain to your body, and strengthens your immune system.

The best food sources of Vitamin D come from milk or other fortified “milk” drinks, such as soy, almond, oat, along with fatty fish, such as trout, salmon, tuna, mackerel. Beef liver, egg yolks, cheese, and mushrooms also provide a little. Your body can also make Vitamin D from the sun when your bare skin is exposed, but factors such as clouds, smog, sunscreen, old age, and having dark-colored skin can reduce the amount it makes.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) 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, feel free to call Angie Mettille, RN, Certified Diabetes Educator at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.

Free sport physicals will be offered at the Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Clinic-Postville for all junior high and high school students who need the physical for participating in school sporting events.  These will be held at the Postville Clinic on the following dates and times:
• Tuesday, March 10   5-6:30 p.m.
• Thursday, March 19  5-6:30 p.m.
 
Students are asked to please sign-up for these physicals at the Postville High School Secretary’s office and pick-up a physical form. These forms must be signed by parents prior to the event and brought along to the physical.

Physicals will be performed by Postville Medical Clinic providers. For more information, feel free to contact the Veterans Memorial Hospital Postville Medical Clinic at 563-864-7221.

Each March, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics National Nutrition Month® (NNM®) campaign brings people together to celebrate how informed food choices and healthy habits can fuel better living. The 2026 theme, “Discover the Power of Nutrition,” highlights the everyday impact nutrition has on helping individuals and communities thrive.

Week 1 Focus: Power Your Day with Good Nutrition!

What you eat fuels how you think, feel, and perform. This month, take time to discover how smart food choices can help power your day.
• Choose more whole foods and less highly processed foods
• Start with a balanced breakfast to jump-start energy
• Build meals with lean protein, whole grains, and a variety of colorful fruits and veggies
• Choose healthy fats
• Choose foods and beverages with less sugar and salt
• Eat more fiber and be sure to get plenty of water as well
Small choices add up to big benefits.

The local Grief Support Group will again be holding their monthly meeting at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Thursday, March 5, from 5-6 p.m. in the Meditation Healing Center, located just inside the main entrance of the hospital. Nancy Haberichter will be facilitating the meeting.

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. This grief support will continue meeting the first Thursday of each month at Veterans Memorial Hospital.