Health

Over 110 people participated in the “Get Your Walk On In Waukon” annual family fun walk and 5K Saturday, August 19, in conjunction with the Waukon Corn Days celebration. The event was sponsored in part by the Healthiest State Initiative who strongly encourages everyone to walk at least 30 minutes per day. That is the reason the hospital offered a 1.5 mile walk and the optional 5K this year as well.  Many participants took advantage of both of the routes.

Jeremy Peake of Waukon was the first to cross the finish line. Trisha Wilkins of Waukon was the first female to cross the finish line. All those participating in Saturday’s event received complimentary hospital tote bags and screen cleaners as well as information on the Walk NE IA area program and community walking routes.  Free diabetes/blood sugar tests, hemoglobin tests and massages were also offered to all participants.

Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon purchased the former dental clinic building in Monona last spring. Now, the new Veterans Memorial Hospital Monona Clinic is set to open the middle of September.

“We have been overwhelmed by the friendly welcome we have received from the entire Monona area since we announced our plans to open a medical clinic in town,” states Mike Myers, Veterans Memorial Hospital administrator. “Everyone who has assisted in the remodeling of the facility has bent over backwards to work us into their busy schedules, to be sure everything was done in time for our September opening and we are so grateful.”

The Monona Clinic will host four full exam rooms, allowing each provider to room patients in two rooms each. Dr. Andrea Venteicher, formerly of the Waukon Gundersen Clinic, will be the lead physician in this new Monona Clinic. One nurse practitioner will also be employed full-time at the clinic as well.

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Thursday, September 7 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 and 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.

The local Grief Support Group will hold its monthly meeting at Veterans Memorial Hospital Wednesday, September 13 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, September 11, 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.
 

Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging (NEI3A) is offering Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevention classes starting in September. Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese exercise program that promotes strength, flexibility and balance. This is a low-impact, relaxing form of exercise that is ideal for older individuals.

Tai Chi focuses on the mental and spiritual aspects of Chinese martial arts integrated into movement. Individuals will learn warm-up, cool down and 12 introductory forms. Modifications can be made for those who need to remain seated for all or most of the class.

Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevention will be held from September 11 through December 18 at the Waukon Wellness Center in the Senior Center Room. The Waukon Wellness Center is located at 1220 Third Avenue NW in Waukon. Classes will be held each Monday from 1-2 p.m.

August is National Child Support Awareness Month. A child needs love, care and financial support from both parents. Iowa’s Child Support Program offers services to ensure parents can meet the financial and health needs of their children. Studies show that when both parents are actively involved in raising kids, the children are better off.

The Child Support Recovery Unit (CSRU) helps parents establish paternity and support orders and enforces orders for support. Child support collections help families with children become self-sufficient.

Anyone can apply for child support services and pay an application fee. In State Fiscal Year 2017, the CSRU provided services to nearly 168,000 cases. Collections totaled almost $322.3 million.

by Jen Palmer, Certified Dietary Manager/Certified Food Protection
Professional at Veterans Memorial Hospital
 
Bisphenol-A, or BPA, is a synthetic estrogen used in making many plastic products. It is also part of the epoxy resin that lines many metal cans, like those used for canned soups, vegetables, fruits and meats.

by Karen Collins, MS, RD, CDN - American Institute for Cancer Research

Q: Recipes and nutrition articles everywhere are promoting kale, a vegetable I never even heard of until recently. Is it really that great?

A: Kale is a member of the cruciferous vegetable family, along with broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and more. It has become more popular as people try it in restaurants and hear about its nutritional qualities from the media. Just like other healthful vegetables, it’s simply a great way to add variety to a healthy eating pattern.

Like spinach, Swiss chard, collard greens and broccoli, kale’s dark green color signals that it’s very high in beta-carotene (which forms vitamin A and seems to offer cancer protective benefits of its own) and lutein and zeaxanthin (two other carotenoids, linked with eye health). It’s loaded with vitamin C and the calcium it contains is well absorbed.

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, September 11, 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.