Health

The flu vaccine is plentiful, widely available, and is recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older. Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Community and Home Care-Allamakee Public Health offers flu shots every Wednesday afternoon. Appointments can be made by calling them at 563-568-5660. The Community and Home Care Immunization Clinic is now located at 12 East Main Street in downtown Waukon.  

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. 

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Jean Hagen by Ron and Nancy Adam, Chuck and Maxine Bloxham, Cheryl Bollman, Allen and Ella Mae Goeke, Gil and Sharon Hunstad, Helen Johnson, James and Jane Johnson, Lyle and Cindy Leikvold, Marlys Leiran, Dave and Laurie Martin, Janet May, Diane Nolting, Linda Nolting, JoAnn Peake, Pat Pettingill, Ann Rademaker, Danny and Sue Schlitter, Linda Siegrist, Lynn and Dean Sorenson, Bud and Marge Strike, Thursday Club, Chuck and Lois Votsmier, Frank and Jean Ann Weymiller and Bonnie and Bruce Williams.

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. 

The flu vaccine is plentiful, widely available, and is recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older. Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Community and Home Care-Allamakee Public Health offers flu shots every Wednesday afternoon.   Appointments can be made by calling them at 563-568-5660. The Community and Home Care Immunization Clinic is now located at 12 E. Main Street, Waukon. This move allows them to continue providing high-quality, compassionate care in a space that better meets the needs of the numerous clients and staff.  

The First Presbyterian Church ladies quilting group again donated a large number of quilts, pictured above, for patients at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH). These ladies work on quilting and other service projects at their homes, then come together monthly to complete their work and plan for the deliveries of these service projects. Veterans Memorial Hospital was once again chosen as a recipient of this quality work. Sue Schlitter, one of the program coordinators, is pictured in the middle of the above photo, surrounded by many of the hospital’s patient care staff who will distribute the quilts as needed. Patients of all ages at Veterans Memorial Hospital will enjoy the blankets as well as all other facilities fortunate to receive these generous donations by the First Presbyterian Church quilting group. Submitted photo.
 

The year 2025 will soon be coming to a close. At this time of year, many are looking for tax savings through donations. The Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation accepts many types of gifts that offer the donor considerable tax savings. This is the first of a three-part series explaining some additional ways of giving that also offer additional taxation benefits. 

While cash gifts are the most common and always appreciated by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation, there are three different types of donations that may offer added tax benefits. These options include: Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD), also known as IRA Charitable rollovers; Donor Advised Funds (DAF); and gifts of stock, mutual funds, or other securities. This article will outline the QCD option with the other two options following in the next two consecutive weeks.

The new, local Grief Support Group will begin holding monthly meetings at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Thursday, December 4, from 5-6 p.m. in the Meditation Healing Center, located just inside the main entrance of the hospital. Nancy Haberichter will be facilitating the meeting.

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 will continue meeting the first Thursday of each month at Veterans Memorial Hospital.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Diabetes Support Group will not hold a regular meeting during the month of December. They will again hold their regular monthly meetings beginning in January with that next meeting scheduled for Thursday, January 15.

For more information on the Diabetes Support Group, call Angie Mettille, RN, Diabetes Educator at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Ellen Mellick by Edith Bloxham, Roger and Jeanette Ruegnitz and Chuck and Lois Votsmier; in memory of Terry “Hoot” Meyer by Randy Burke; in memory of Dianne Moose by Lyle Moose; in memory of Lee and Barbara Palmer by Roberta and Steve Cunningham; in memory of Marvin Petersen by Anita Petersen; in memory of Wayne Schmieden by Lil Schmieden and in memory of Jeanne Roggensack by Linda Siegrist and Chuck and Lois Votsmier. 

The 2025 Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation’s Christmas Fantasy drew huge numbers at all the scheduled events, with all those attending enjoying the fun, upbeat “Christmas Vacation” Christmas Fantasy theme. The holiday Fantasy was held last weekend, November 14-17 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion, and was a huge success thanks to all of the overwhelming community involvement.

A huge number of auction items donated to this year’s Fantasy by area businesses and individuals, numbering 126 in total, all went to the highest bidder Monday night at 6 p.m.

Trees on display during this 34th annual Foundation Fantasy highlighted 52 Christmas trees and displays all decorated by individuals, businesses and many groups around the area. Many, many individuals worked, served, and donated to this community celebration.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Foundation recently received a generous $25,000 gift from the Merrill Gruber Trust to support the Postville Clinic upgrade and expansion project. Merrill operated a 300-head dairy farm and crop farmed many acres across several counties. Charles Kelly, Merrill Gruber’s attorney and friend said, “Merrill was known throughout northeast Iowa as a hardworking, progressive, and determined farmer. Those who knew him remember a man who was loyal, fair, and deeply dedicated to his work. He treated people with respect and expected the same in return.” Merrill also enjoyed lively discussions - especially with his attorney. Charles commented, “We would often debate, challenge each other’s ideas, and ultimately find practical solutions together.”