Health

Thursday, July 16, at 3:30 pm staff from both Veterans Memorial Hospital and Clinic and Regional Health Services of Howard County area hospitals will present “Mental Health and Aging.” The program will take place in Decorah Public Library’s lower level meeting room.  

Our physical health is often the first thing we think of as we age, but mental and emotional health play critical roles in our wellbeing. Join Mackenzie Adams, Kayla Baxter, and Katie Osmonson to learn from trained providers about what mental health means as we age. Attendees will learn to recognize common challenges in older adulthood, learn to recognize signs of some mental health issues, and learn about local and national resources that can help them. 

Free Sport Physicals will be offered one more time, Wednesday, July 22, from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Hospital Clinic-Waukon for all junior high and high school students who need the physical for participating in the 2026-2027 school sporting events.   

This clinic will include all necessary documentation, including a concussion screening, for participation in all school activities.  Physicals are scheduled in 1-hour segments. The clinic staff will not be administering vaccines during this time.  If those are needed for students, call the clinic at 563-568-5530 to schedule an appointment.

Students in area schools were emailed a google doc (2026 Athletic Physicals) to sign-up for a time slot for this free clinic. Parent emails will not work for sign-up so students will need to sign-up for a time slot that works best for them or the family.

For more information, contact your middle school or high school secretaries for assistance.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, July 16, 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 month’s topic will focus on getting back to the basics with straightforward diabetes information and reviewing carbohydrates and carb counting. “This is one of the most important foundations of blood sugar control because we all eat,” explains Angie Mettille, Diabetes Educator and facilitator of the these Diabetes Support Group meetings. “If we do a good job with monitoring our carb intake most of the time, blood sugars will benefit.”

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, Diabetes Educator, at VMH at 563-568-3411.

The new family practice physician, Dr. Olaitan Akinboboye, will begin seeing patients next week at the Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Postville Clinic.  He will begin caring for patients Tuesday, July 14. 

Dr. Akinboboye will join nurse practitioners Minji Ransom, NP; Katie Maker, NP/Nurse Midwife; Hannah Kelly, NP; Mason Kerian NP; and Alex Berns, NP, who all provide family medicine one to two days a week at the Postville Clinic as well as at the Waukon Clinic. Dr. Akinboboye will again add a physician choice to the Postville Clinic, following the retirement of Dr. Thomas McMullan last November. 

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) will be offering free blood pressure checks, blood sugar tests and hemoglobin testing each day, Thursday through Saturday, at the Allamakee County Fair Pavilion with educational materials provided for each.

Thousands of people in the United States have diabetes and are unaware they do. Random testing such as this opportunity at the county fair helps to find the individuals who have high, undiagnosed diabetes and direct them to the professionals who can help them successfully manage the disease. 

The symptoms of diabetes include a lack of energy, increased hunger, frequent urination and excessive thirst, blurred vision, loss of feelings in hands and toes, frequent, slow-healing infections and weight loss.

Free sports physicals will be offered at the Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH)Clinic-Waukon in July for all junior high and high school students who need the physical for participating in school sporting events.  These physical exams will be held at the Veterans Memorial Hospital Waukon Clinic on the following dates and times:

• Wednesday, July 8 5:30-8:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, July 22 5:30-8:30 p.m. 

These clinics will include all necessary documentation, including a concussion screening, for participation in all school activities.  Physicals are scheduled in 1-hour segments. The clinic staff will not be administering vaccines during this time.  If those are needed for students, feel free to call the clinic at 563-568-5530 to schedule an appointment.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, July 16, 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.

A free SPOTSs testing clinic will be held at the Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Postville Clinic Thursday, July 9, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. No appointment is necessary.

This free clinic will screen for HIV, Hepatitis C, and Syphilis. Screenings last just 20 minutes and preliminary results are offered immediately  following the tests.

The free SPOTSs testing clinic will be held at the Veterans Memorial Hospital Postville Clinic Thursday, July 9, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  No appointment is necessary.

This free clinic will screen for HIV, Hepatitis C, and Syphilis. Screenings last just 20 minutes and preliminary results are offered immediately  following the tests.

These free screenings are hosted by Unity Point. Call or text 563-542-5421, if you cannot attend this free clinic, to set an appointment for a different day.

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory Merrill Jacobs by Kay Carter, Melvin and Idella Folkerts, William and Linda Halvorson, Jane and James Johnson, Patsy Kerndt, Brad and Erin Berns, Dave and Gail Prestemon, Adam and Julie Quandahl, Loretta Roese, Dean “Beanzy” Schellhammer, Byron and Donna Schutz, Linda Seigrest, Joe and Judy Sweeney, Thea and Don Thies, Chuck and Lois Votsmier, James and Mary Winters and Davide and Cynthia Wuebker.  

Memorials were also received in memory of Sandy Hesse by Dave and Laurie Martin and in memory of Pat Tierney by Lyle and Barbara Wilkes.

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.

The 33rd Annual Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation Golf Tournament was held Monday, June 22, at the Waukon Golf and Country Club. A full tournament of 34 teams of three participated, each enjoying 18 holes of golf plus lunch and dinner prepared by Rich Schulte, Kris Cote’,  and the Foundation Directors. The meals were sponsored this year by Lutz Financial.

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.