Health

Veterans Memorial Hospital will be offering a variety of free health tests and education at the 2018 Allamakee County Fair. Testing and educational materials will change daily and will include the following schedule:

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Monona Clinic has announced that Lori Vlazny, ARNP, Nurse Practitioner, is now full-time at the clinic. Vlazny has been working just one day a week at the new clinic since last winter, but will now be available full-time for appointments and walk-ins.

Vlazny received her RN degree from St. Luke’s and has 28 years of combined RN/OR manager experience. She joined her daughter, Krista Begalski, ARNP, the other nurse practitioner at the Monona Clinic, and went back to school to obtain her nurse practitioner degree a couple years ago, and they now work together at the Monona Clinic.

River Valley Panthers 4-H Club members made and donated a number of hand-tied fleece blankets for the young patients at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. The two that coordinated this project are pictured above, left to right, Natalie Byrnes and Memphis Miller.

Byrnes remembers receiving a fleece blanket herself when she was younger and had come into the hospital for care and decided years later that she wished to give back so other children could have that same help and comfort. They received a $100 donation for fabric from the Waukon Lions Club to help fund this project. Their 4-H Club, the River Valley Panthers, then helped them cut and tie the fringes for the blankets over the course of a couple meetings.

These numerous blankets were donated to Veterans Memorial Hospital as well as the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Department. Submitted photo.
 

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital will be holding its monthly Euchre Marathon for all individuals of the community interested Thursday, July 19. Men and women are welcome to attend, even if 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. The cost is $3 per person with all proceeds going toward the Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital. Prizes will be awarded.

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Lois Wiedenmann by Pat and Donna Bresnahan, Jim and Jill Kiesau, Jean Huffey, Wayne and Mary Lou Leidahl, Nyles and Ruby Herman, Dean “Beanzy” Schellhammer, Patsy Kerndt, Harold and Shirley Marti, Gayle Larkin, Lois Evans and Dave and Laurie Martin.

Memorials were also received in memory of Joel Kuhse by Delora and Monte Dundee and Dennis and Nancy Turner, and in memory of Daniel Donovan by Joe and Patti Wild Strobel.

Memorials are 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 Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation, 40 First Street SE, Waukon, IA  52172.
 

The local Caregiver Support Group meets monthly at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. The meetings take place the third Monday of each month at 1:30 p.m. The next meeting will be held Monday, July 16 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. in the Large Conference Room, located on the lower level of Veterans Memorial Hospital.

This informal meeting is open to anyone who provides care and support for a family member or friend. Feel free to attend and bring a friend.  This new Caregiver Support Group will continue to meet the third Monday of each month at VMH.
 

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will not hold a regular meeting in July. The group will begin holding its regular monthly meetings again in August. For more information on the Diabetes Support Group, call Angie Mettille, RN, Diabetes Educator at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.

It’s summer and we’re in skin protection season. The vast majority of skin cancers are preventable by routinely shielding your skin from the sun’s damaging ultraviolet rays and Americans aren’t doing enough to protect themselves.

The American Cancer Society suggests we bring our sun-protection habits up to date. Dermatologists recommend doing a skin check monthly, so you’ll be more likely to notice small changes or even find a skin cancer when it’s still small. The best time to examine the skin is after a shower or bath and with good lighting. Look for changes in size, texture, shape and color of birthmarks, moles and blemishes.

“Slip! Slop! Slap! And Wrap!”  is a catch phrase for kids used by the American Cancer Society that works well for adults, too. It reminds people to slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, slap on a hat and wrap on sunglasses to protect the eyes and sensitive skin around them from ultraviolet light.

You can 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, July 5 from 12-5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south 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:

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Milton Turner by Jim and Bev Larson-Needham, Delora and Monte Dundee, Darren and Rebecca West and Roger and Janet Kuhse.

Memorials were also received in memory John Herman by Steve and Maureen Thode, and in memory of Gene Knox by Robert J. and Irene Stock, Marilyn Bulman and family and friends of Gene Knox.

In addition, a memorial was given to the Foundation in memory of Dorthea Horsfall by Rodney and Evonne Bloxham.

Memorials and donations are 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.