Health

Wed
13
Dec

Veterans Memorial Hospital receives 2017 Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award for Outstanding Performance in Inpatient Services


Guardian of Excellence Award ... Pictured above is the 2017 Guardian of Excellence Award® that was presented to Veterans Memorial Hospital recognizing top-performing health care organizations that have consistently achieved the 95th percentile or above of performance in patient experience and inpatient services. Submitted photo.

VMH recognized with Guardian of Excellence Award ... Veterans Memorial Hospital has again received national recognition at the annual National Press Ganey Conference for achieving the Guardian of Excellence Award for Outstanding Performance in Inpatient Services. Pictured above, left to right, are members of the hospital staff who accepted this award on behalf of the hospital: Suzette Mahoney, RN, Surgery Supervisor; Bailey Estebo, RN, Quality Assurance Coordinator; with Patrick Ryan, Press Ganey, CEO; Amy Bowden, RN, Maternity Services Supervisor; and Mike Myers, Veterans Memorial Hospital CEO. The Guardian of Excellence Award recognizes top-performing facilities that consistently achieved the 95th percentile, or top five percent of hospitals nationwide, of performance in Inpatient Services. This is the seventh time Veterans Memorial Hospital has been awarded this honor in the last 10 years. Submitted photo.

Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon is pleased to announce it has been named a 2017 Guardian of Excellence Award® winner by Press Ganey. The Guardian of Excellence Award recognizes top-performing health care organizations that have consistently achieved the 95th percentile or above of performance in Patient Experience/Inpatient Services.

The Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award is a nationally-recognized symbol of achievement in health care. Presented annually, the award honors clients who consistently sustained performance in the top five percent of all Press Ganey clients for each reporting period during the course of one year.

Wed
13
Dec

Ness family makes contribution to new 3D mammography machine at Veterans Memorial Hospital thanks to Breast Cancer Awareness Walk in October


VMH receives donation for 3D mammography machine ... Ness Pumping and Porta Potty Rentals hosted a Breast Cancer Awareness Walk Saturday, October 7 in the Waukon City Park to raise funds for breast cancer awareness and detection. Saturday, November 25, the Ness Family awarded $1,200 in proceeds raised from that walk to Veterans Memorial Hospital to be used towards the purchase of the new 3D mammography machine that was recently installed. Pictured in the front row in the hospital’s mammography room, left to right, are Leslie Ness, breast cancer survivor Barb Ness (seated) holding Liam Ness, with Chad and Diana Ness presenting the donation to hospital X-ray Technologist Siobhan Kurth. In the back row, left to right, are Carter Ness, Wyatt Kiley, Sigurd Ness, Evan Ness, Colin Ness and Kayla Ness. Submitted photo.

Ness Pumping and Porta Potty Rentals of Waukon hosted a Breast Cancer Awareness Walk Saturday, October 7 in the Waukon City Park to raise funds for breast cancer awareness and detection. Despite the cool rainy weather that day, a large number turned out for the event. Breast Cancer survivors were asked to sign a pink porta potty sporting the breast cancer ribbon, t-shirts were distributed and refreshments served.

Saturday, November 25, the Ness family awarded the proceeds raised from that walk to the hospital to be used towards the purchase of the new 3D mammography machine recently installed at the hospital. The $1,200 donation will help Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon finance the newly-installed 3D mammography machine at its facility.

Wed
13
Dec

Healthy Lifestyles Weight Loss Class offered at VMH

Veterans Memorial Hospital dietitians will be offering a new eight-week weight loss class beginning in January that will teach the healthy lifestyle choices needed to lose the weight for good.  The key to permanent weight loss is to adopt new daily choices that, with consistent repetition, become habits. That is why the hospital offers the Healthy Lifestyles Weight Loss Class, which is open to anyone in the area communities of any age. The class will be offered Mondays from 5:30-6:45 p.m. starting January 15 running through March 5.

A free, introductory class will be held Monday, January 8 starting at 5:30 p.m. Anyone can hear more about the program and see if they wish to sign up for the eight-week program, beginning the following Monday.

Wed
13
Dec

VMH Prepared Childbirth Education Class to be held

Veterans Memorial Hospital will begin the next Prepared Childbirth Education classes (formerly called Lamaze) Monday, January 8. The classes will continue for two more consecutive Monday evenings, beginning at 6 p.m. in the Large Conference Room.

The Prepared Childbirth Education classes at Veterans Memorial Hospital are offered in three sessions that allow the expectant parents to choose which topics they wish to learn more about. They may choose to attend one, two or all three sessions.  Session 1 covers labor, delivery and the postpartum period following delivery; Session 2 includes relaxation, breathing and pain management; and Session 3 covers infant care. Tours of the OB Department are available with each session as well.

Wed
13
Dec

Memorials received by Health Care Foundation

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Diana Ward by Dave and Laurie Martin, Jerry and Linda Siegrist, Scott and Jill Manning, Chuck and Lois Votsmier, Penny Wheeler, Steve and Becky Welper, Karen Kerndt, Bernard Welsh, Mike and Linda Ferring, Ken and Diane Butikofer, Ken and Shirley O’Hara, Brad and Erin Berns, Dan and Sharon Cunningham, Russ and Mary Jo Meyer, Mary Kay Anderson and Mae Jean Bakke.

Memorials were also received in memory of Deloris Topel by Gladwin and Darlene Anderson and Dave and Laurie Martin, in memory of Cindy Ward Skags by Dr. Bill and Libby Withers, in memory of Clark Snitker by Jim and Bev Larson-Needham and Robert and Kristi Campbell, and in memory of Lisa Schreiber by Mary Anne Otting.

Wed
06
Dec

Veterans Memorial Hospital Monona Clinic introduces new medical provider Krista Begalske, ARNP


Krista Begalske, ARNP

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Monona Clinic opened its doors in mid September with Dr. Andrea Venteicher as the sole medical provider. The Monona Clinic has now announced that Krista Begalske, ARNP, Nurse Practitioner, has joined the practice and has begun seeing patients at the clinic as well.

Krista is originally from the St. Olaf area and attended Central Community High School in Elkader. She went on to study nursing at Allen College in Waterloo. She continued on and achieved her nurse practitioner degree and license and has been working at Covenant Medical Center in Waterloo for the last few years. Krista, her husband, Eric, and their young son recently moved back to northeast Iowa so Krista could begin practicing family medicine at the Monona Clinic.

Wed
06
Dec

Dealing with grief during the holidays

The holidays, usually a time of celebration with family and friends, can be an especially difficult time after the loss of a loved one. “If you’ve lost someone close to you, recognize that the holidays can intensify your feelings of grief and loss,” says Erica Krause-Wagner, FNP, nurse practitioner at the Gundersen Lansing Clinic. “Grief is a natural process, but don’t let it isolate you, especially during the holidays. Instead of avoiding celebrations, surround yourself with family and friends, and continue holiday traditions or begin new traditions.”

Grief is different for everyone and for every situation. According to Krause-Wagner, “There is no set timeline for grief or set stages. It is more like a roller coaster of emotions including shock, disbelief, denial, anger, sadness and guilt.”

Wed
06
Dec

Prepared Childbirth Education Class to be held at Veterans Memorial Hospital

Veterans Memorial Hospital will begin the next Prepared Childbirth Education classes (formerly called Lamaze) Monday, January 8, continuing for two more consecutive Monday evenings beginning at 6 p.m. in the Large Conference Room.

The Prepared Childbirth Education classes at Veterans Memorial Hospital are offered in three sessions that allow the expectant parents to choose which topics they wish to learn more on. They may choose to attend one, two or all three sessions.  Session 1 covers labor, delivery and the postpartum period following delivery; Session 2 includes relaxation, breathing and pain management; and Session 3 covers infant care.  Tours of the OB Department are available with each session as well.

Wed
06
Dec

EMT class starts January 4, EMTs in great need locally

Veterans Memorial Hospital, in cooperation with Northeast Iowa Community College Business and Community Solutions, will be offering an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) course in Waukon through video conferencing being broadcast from Calmar. This 138-hour course will begin Thursday, January 4 at the NICC Waukon Center, located at 1220 Third Avenue NW.

Areas of study include an introduction to emergency medical services systems, roles and responsibilities of EMTs, anatomy and physiology, medical emergencies, trauma, special considerations for working in the pre-hospital setting, and providing patient transportation.

Wed
06
Dec

Keep the holidays healthy: Annual flu vaccination protects yourself and loved ones

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) reminds Iowans that an annual flu vaccination is the best way to protect them and their loved ones from the flu. As people gather together for holiday meals and parties, they’re more likely to spread illness around. Receiving the flu vaccine will help everyone stay healthy to enjoy all the festivities.

This is especially important during family gatherings that infants, those with chronic diseases, or elderly individuals might attend. Infants younger than six months of age are not old enough to receive the influenza vaccine, so they are at a higher risk of catching the flu from someone else and they have the highest chance of being hospitalized if they get ill. Anyone with flu-like symptoms during the holidays must stay home and away from others.

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