Health

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital will be holding its monthly Euchre Marathon for all individuals of the community interested Thursday, July 20. 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. Contact 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 towards the Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital. Prizes will be awarded.

Anyone interested in attending, but preferring to play Bridge, is also welcome to join in. It is asked that they come with their own table of four players, however.

The local Grief Support Group will hold its monthly meeting at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon Wednesday, July 12 at 2 p.m.

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 group meets the second Wednesday of each month at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon.
 

Veterans Memorial Hospital will be offering a course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for health care providers (those working in health related fields such as physicians, nurses, EMTs, etc.) Monday, July 10, beginning at 5:30 p.m. This “Health Care Professional” CPR class will be held in the Large Conference Room located on the lower level of the hospital.

The cost of the class, for certification or recertification, is the same and all registrants should bring along their own pocket mask. The card received with the course does certify attendants in CPR for two years.

Pre-registration plus a minimum of three participants is required. For more information and to register for the “Health Care Provider” CPR Course, call Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.
 

The 24th annual Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation Golf Tournament was held Monday, June 19 at the Waukon Golf and Country Club. Twenty-nine teams of three participated in this tournament. Each team enjoyed 18 holes of golf plus lunch and dinner prepared by Rich Schulte, Marge and Bud Strike, and the Foundation Directors.

The Foundation gives credit for the success of this tournament to the many local businesses that provide great prizes so everyone participating wins. Plus, many businesses serving this area contribute as hole sponsors to the tournament making it an enjoyable, community-wide event.

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Thursday, July 6 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church located in south Waukon. Blood drives are held once a month in Waukon, to allow for more donors to give. The LifeServe Blood Center supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital with its blood products.

Blood centers across the United States see a decrease in blood donations during the busy summer months. During the summer, people become more active, have busier schedules, spend more time outdoors and take vacations. While donations decline, hospitals see an increase in the need for blood. More driving can mean more automobile accidents. A person who has suffered severe injuries from an automobile accident can need up to 50 units of blood.

Veterans Memorial Hospital will begin the next Prepared Childbirth Education classes (formerly called Lamaze) Monday, July 10, and will continue those classes 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.

Veterans Memorial Hospital will be offering a course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for health care providers (those working in health related fields such as physicians, nurses, EMTs, etc.) Monday, July 10, beginning at 5:30 p.m. This “Health Care Professional” CPR class will be held in the Large Conference Room located on the lower level of the hospital.

The cost of the class, for certification or recertification, is the same and all registrants should bring along their own pocket mask. The card received with the course does certify attendants in CPR for two years.

Pre-registration plus a minimum of three participants is required. For more information and to register for the “Health Care Provider” CPR Course, call Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.
 

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Calvin Shindoll by Al and Jeanne Stein, Tom and Karen Regan, Dale and Virginia Kurth, Leotia Flage, Patsy Kerndt, Mary Fink, Mary Ann Hager, Dr. Bill and Libby Withers, Nona Hansmeier, Rick and Cathy Larson, Connie Hansmeier, Jerry and Linda Siegrist, Charlotte Reeder, Jim and Eli Klenske, and Brad and Erin Berns.

Memorials were also received in memory of Fred Miller by Dianne Rissman, Marcella Selberg, Larry and Jane Lamborn, Larry and Nancy Straate, Gayle Larkin, and Dan and Traci Byrnes.
Memorials and donations are greatly 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.

In lieu of exchanging gifts at Christmas time this past holiday, the students at St. Patrick School all chose to donate an item for a new family in honor of Jesus’ birthday. Many packages of diapers, infant clothing, toys and supplies were all collected and divided into the family baby bundles pictured above. The school then donated these goods to Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon for families who may have quickly arrived at the hospital without everything they need or other families who could benefit from these items. Pictured above, left to right, is Amy Bowden, RN, Maternity Services Supervisor, with the St. Patrick School students who delivered the special, generous gift, including Claire Schulte, Eva Whalen and Garner Lange. Submitted photo.
 

For those who may not know how much blood is needed by certain patients, here are some facts from the LifeServe Blood Center:

• Cancer patients can use up to eight units of blood a month.
• Bone Marrow Transplant patients can use up to two units a day.
• Cardiovascular Surgery patient can use between two and 25 units.
• Liver Transplant patients can use up to 100 units.
• Auto/Trauma Accident patients can use from five to 100 units.
• Premature infants can use from one to four units.
• Burn victims can use up to 20 units of platelets.
• Heart surgery patients can use up to four to eight units of red cells and one to 10 units of platelets.
• Organ transplant patients can use 10-30 units of blood.

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Thursday, July 6 from 12:30-5 p.m. The blood drive will be held at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon.