Health

by Beth Shafer, Growth and Development Coordinator, Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation

If you have seen your investments grow over the years, you may have a powerful way to make a meaningful impact in your community: donating appreciated securities. By donating stocks or mutual funds that have grown in value and have been held for more than one year, you can support Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation and enjoy valuable tax benefits.

It works because when you donate appreciated securities, you transfer the full market value to the Foundation without paying any capital gains tax. You may also qualify for a tax deduction on the full value of your gift if you itemize your deductions.

It is very easy to give.  Simply contact your broker to transfer your appreciated securities directly to the Foundation and claim your deduction. The Foundation will coordinate with your brokerage account and their brokerage account to ensure a smooth process.

For anyone who ever wanted to make a huge difference in the community, becoming an Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT’s) helps fill a huge void and makes a huge impact in all area communities.

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) will be offering an EMT Class in Waukon, beginning in January. This 138-hour course, which will conclude in May.  Registration for this class must be completed soon.

The number of EMTs in this area has dwindled over the years as licensed EMTs have retired. Allamakee and northern Clayton Counties are fortunate to have many emergency response services, but nearly all are in need of more EMTs on their service to share call time, ensuring local emergency services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Need a last minute gift idea? Veterans Memorial Hospital offers gift certificates for a full wellness package blood test at a low, up-front cost, which can make a very fitting gift for the holidays.

Gift certificates are available for purchase at the main entrance to the hospital. The following blood tests are included in this gift certificate: Cholesterol, Blood Sugar/Diabetes, Thyroid, Kidney Function, Uric Acid, Hemoglobin, Calcium, Liver Function, Vitamin D, Prostate Health, Potassium and Sodium.

The hospital offers this wellness testing to help accommodate individuals that may forgo these important tests due to the cost of high health insurance premiums and deductibles. Anyone can call the Laboratory at 568-3411 to set up an appointment. A physician’s order is not required for these tests. Results are then mailed to the individual within five business days.

Both the Waukon and the Postville Medical Clinics will be closing at Noon on Christmas Eve and will be closed for Christmas Day and New Years Day. The Waukon Clinic will also close at 5 p.m. New Year’s Eve and will not hold the extended clinic hours that night. Both clinics will hold regular hours all other days during the holidays.

Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care will be closing early Wednesday, December 24. They will close at 1 p.m. that day and no immunization clinics will be held that afternoon.

The Life Serve 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, and especially over the holidays.

The next LifeServe Blood Center Blood Drive will be held Monday, January 5, from 12-5 p.m., at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon. Blood drives are held every month in Waukon to allow for more donors to give. The LifeServe Blood Center supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital with its blood and blood products.

Over half of the United States population is eligible to donate blood, yet less than four percent donate on a regular basis. A single donation of blood can be used to save up to three lives and help in treatment of cancer patients, accident victims, hemophiliacs and surgery patients.  The LifeServe Blood Center is committed to serving the needs of Iowans by saving lives through volunteer blood donation.

Memorials were received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Marlene Dahlstrom by Kelly Bollman, Wendy Bucheit, Helen Johnson, Dave and Gail Prestemon, James and Linda Seibert, Trish and Corey Shelton, Donna Wood, Brian and Denise Wullner and Brad and Erin Berns.

Memorials were also received in memory of Theresa Anderson by Frank and Patty Goltz; in memory of Duane and Noah Dietrich by Jane Dietrich; in memory of Gary Gilbertson by Jean Gilbertson; in memory of Frank Jones by Mary Ann Otting; in memory of Jean O’Malley by family and friends; and in memory of Virginia Murphy by Dennis and Carn Murphy and Kevin and Marilyn Steffens. A donation was also made in honor of Dr. Thomas McMullan’s retirement by Brian and Denise Wullner.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) have announced that last week was Influenza Vaccination Week. The event was designed to highlight the importance of receiving an annual flu vaccination. While Iowa has had no confirmed cases of influenza yet this season, several of our neighboring states have, so it is anticipated that flu will be in Iowa soon. Annual vaccination is the most effective way of preventing influenza and its complications. 

The number of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) in this area has dwindled over the years as licensed EMTs have retired.   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.  This 138-hour course will conclude in May. Registration for this class must be completed soon.

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) offers gift certificates for a full wellness package blood test at a low, up-front cost, which can make a very fitting gift for the holidays. Gift certificates are available for purchase at the main entrance to the hospital for just $50.

The following blood tests are included in this gift certificate:  cholesterol, blood sugar/diabetes, thyroid, kidney function, uric acid, hemoglobin, calcium, liver function, vitamin D, prostate health, potassium and sodium. 

The hospital offers this wellness testing to help accommodate individuals that may forgo these important tests due to the cost of high health insurance premiums and deductibles. 

Anyone can call the VMH Laboratory at 563-568-3411 to set up an appointment. A Physician’s order is not required for these tests. Results are then mailed to the individual within five business days.

by Beth Shafer, Growth and Development Coordinator, Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation

Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) are becoming a popular, flexible way to support local charities. With a DAF, you donate cash or assets - such as appreciated stocks or mutual funds - to a sponsoring organization and receive an immediate tax deduction. You can then recommend grants to your favorite charities, such as Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation (VMHCF), over time, while your remaining balance grows tax-free.

How it works:
• Choose a sponsoring organization (like Fidelity Charitable or Edward Jones).
• Contribute cash or assets.
• Let the funds grow tax-free.
• Recommend grants (donations to charities) whenever you’re ready.