Health

January is Radon Awareness Month in Iowa. Radon is an odorless, colorless, tasteless gas that causes no immediate health symptoms, but long-term exposures can cause lung cancer. It comes from the breakdown of uranium in soil. Simple test kits can reveal the amount of radon in any building.

All of Iowa is considered to have unsafe levels of radon, however, Allamakee County is prone to have even higher numbers due to the fractured bedrock and karst topography under our feet. Fractures in the bedrock create small cracks and fissures that allow radon to move easier through the stone and soils and make entry into homes.  

January is Blood Donor Month. Blood donations are needed everywhere, even right here in Iowa. The following are interesting blood facts on blood from LifeServe Blood Center who supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) with their blood products:
• Every 3 seconds someone needs blood.
• Blood makes up about 8 percent of a person’s body weight.
• Blood is needed every minute of every day; summer, winter, spring and fall.
• Scheduled surgeries are often cancelled around the county due to a lack of blood.
• Donating blood includes a health check for the donor (checking blood pressure, pulse, temperature and hemoglobin) prior to donating.
• There is absolutely no way you can contract any disease from giving blood.
• Blood can be split into different components (red cells, platelets, plasma, and cryoprecipitate) and used to help different types of patients.

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

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Postville Clinic upgrade project continues to move forward thanks to a combination of grant funding and strong community support.

The project has received two grants that will help advance improvements to both the facility and medical equipment, strengthening health care access for the Postville community and surrounding area.

The first grant was from the McElroy Trust for $20,000 to support bricks-and-mortar upgrades to the clinic. These funds will be used for physical upgrades and modernizing the space to ensure it can continue to meet the growing health care needs of patients and providers.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, January 15, 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, call  Angie Mettille, RN, Certified Diabetes Educator at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.
 

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Joyce Regan by Gladwin and Darlene Anderson, Ann Fossum, Frank and Patty Goltz, Don and DiAnne Haler, Bill and Gloria Hennessy, Brad and Judy Herman, Hills Bank, Michael Huber, Patsy Kerndt, James and Jill Kiesau, Jim Kling and Dave Kletcher, Bev Krambeer, Greg and Cathy Mohwinkle, Mary Nagel, Don and Connie Nagel, Stephanie Palmer, Diane Regan, Bill and Karen Regan, Mary Rindels, James and Linda Ryan, Dan and Jean Scott, Kevin and Judy Selberg, Beth and Bill Shafer, Fred and Claudia Tessmer, Chuck and Lois Votsmier, Dave and Penny Wheeler, Deb Zuercher and Brad and Erin Berns.

Memorials were also received in memory of Jeanne Roggensack by Frank and Patty Goltz; in memory of Clark Snitker by Alan Snitker, and in memory of DuWayne Snitker by Jane Dietrich.
In addition, a donation was made by Roger and Kathy Linderbaum in honor of Dr. Thomas McMullan.

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) physicians and staff will be awaiting the arrival of the first baby born at the hospital in the New Year 2026. This fortunate child and his or her family will receive a large number of generous gifts compliments of area merchants.

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Monday, January 5, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon. Blood drives are held every month in Waukon. The LifeServe Blood Center of Iowa supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) with their blood and blood products.

Make a New Year’s resolution to give blood this year. The LifeServe Blood Center of Iowa 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. Many Iowans are encouraged to make donating blood on a regular basis their New Year’s resolution this year.

Three anonymous donations have been received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation for the new Postville Medical Clinic, bringing the total raised now up to $165,000.

Three different donors from the area have each gifted a $5,000 donation for an additional $15,000 total dollars raised. These donations bring the Foundation closer to that overall goal of $200,000 and closer to the reality of a new Postville Medical Clinic.

“We have three more donors who have each contributed $5,000 towards this project, but have chosen to remain anonymous,” states Beth Shafer, Growth and Development Coordinator for Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH). “These gifts represent a strong show of community support and play an important role in moving the clinic expansion closer to its fundraising goal, ensuring continued access to quality medical care for local families.”

Both the Waukon and the Postville Medical Clinics as well as Community and Home Care-Allamakee Public Health will be closed 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 and Public Health will resume regular hours Friday, January 2.

All patients of all ages are welcome to be seen at the Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Medical Clinic in Waukon or Postville. The regular hours for both clinics include the following:
 
VMH Medical Clinic - Waukon hours
Monday: 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
Tuesday: 8 a.m.-7 p.m.
Wednesday: 8 a.m.-7 p.m.
Thursday: 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m.
Friday: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
 
VMH Medical Clinic - Postville hours
Monday-Friday: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Farm Credit Services has generously donated $5,000 to the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation to help purchase a new LIFEPAK 35 monitor. The Foundation, a nonprofit supporting local healthcare needs, is raising funds to replace an older defibrillator that lacks technological advances incorporated into modern devices. This upgrade will ensure EMS crews have reliable, advanced equipment during cardiac emergencies.

This enhanced technology will allow responders to provide better on-scene care, improve resuscitation efforts, and strengthen emergency services for the entire community. With the support of Farm Credit Services and other community partners, the Foundation aims to ensure that every patient has timely access to lifesaving technology and that local EMS teams remain equipped to deliver the highest level of care.