Health

More than 30 students completed the recent Veterans Memorial Hospital Babysitting classes Saturday, April 9. The classes were instructed by Corinne Cook, RN, and consisted of teaching the qualities of being a good babysitter including basic child care, accident prevention, fire prevention, and first aid.

These new babysitters also learned CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) and the Heimlach Maneuver in the case of a choking child.

by Tami Gebel, Occupational Therapist, Veterans Memorial Hospital

At Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon, the Occupational Therapy Department is celebrating national awareness of its profession throughout the month of April. As occupational therapists, our role is to help people regain function following injuries and illnesses. We treat people who have hip or knee replacement surgery, heart attacks, pneumonia, strokes, diabetes, generalized weakness, skin burns and joint contractures, breathing difficulties, and many other diagnoses.

Thanks once again to the efforts of the Christensen family, the second annual Julie Christensen Memorial Blood Drive will be held Friday, April 29 at the Waukon Wellness Center from 1-5:30 p.m. in the Senior Center in cooperation with Life Serve Blood Center.

Julie Christensen was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia November 27, 2019 and was in the hospital until February 14, 2020. She was then able to come home for a short while before she was admitted back into the hospital March 7, 2020 for more chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant from an anonymous donor in Germany. It was a perfect match. Julie’s stem cells grafted well and she became Leukemia free. During this time, Julie received 45 units of blood and 38 units of platelets.

Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care/Allamakee County Public Health will be offering all doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, plus the additional booster dose, at their weekly immunization clinics each Wednesday throughout the month of April. These vaccinations are by appointment only and are held each Wednesday afternoon, with extended hours available the first and third Wednesdays of each month. These vaccinations will be available at the main entrance of the hospital in the Meditation Healing Center. To make an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccination in April and beyond, call Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care at 563-568-5660.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, April 21, 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. Face masks will be required to be worn.

This diabetes class is open to everyone who has diabetes or who has a friend or loved one with diabetes. For more information on the Diabetes Support Group, call  Angie Mettille, RN, at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.
 

Memorials were received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Margaret Ferring by Chuck and Lois Votsmier and Brad and Erin Berns; in memory of Richard “Lee” Hinkel by Corey and Trish Shelton, Chuck and Lois Votsmier and Brad and Erin Berns; and in memory of Philip Dehli by Mr. and Mrs. Arlyn Fossum, Dave and Laurie Martin, Grace Sorenson and Betty Troendle.

Memorials were also received in memory of Jim Sweeney by Margo Sweeney; in memory of Micki Connor by Dave and Laurie Martin; in memory of Donna Gaunitz by Grace Sorenson; in memory of Loren Paus by Dave and Laurie Martin; in memory of Karlton Gresl by Betty Troendle and in memory of Donald Kuennen by Arlen and Karlene Wonderlich.

Special donations were also received in honor of Rhonda Snitker by Jill Cameron and Christi and John Regan.

Veterans Memorial Hospital is announcing that Dr. Jay Strittholt will be a new Orthopedic Surgeon at the hospital beginning in early April. Dr. Strittholt is a Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon that practices all aspects of general orthopedics, including total joint replacement. He joins Dr. Val Lyons as an additional choice for orthopedic services close to home.

Originally from a small town in Ohio, he has worked 20-plus years of his career in Iowa and has a special connection to this state. He feels at home in smaller towns, and enjoys the kinship of the people. This is one of the main reasons that he is very pleased to be practicing in Waukon now.

Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care/Allamakee County Public Health will be offering all doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, plus the additional booster dose, at their weekly immunization clinics each Wednesday throughout the month of April. These vaccinations are by appointment only and are held each Wednesday afternoon, with extended hours available the first and third Wednesdays of each month.

These vaccinations will be available at the main entrance of the hospital in the Meditation Healing Center. To make an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccination, in April and beyond, call Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care at 563-568-5660.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, April 21, 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. Face masks will be required to be worn.

This diabetes class is open to everyone who has diabetes or who has a friend or loved one with diabetes. For more information on the Diabetes Support Group, call  Angie Mettille, RN, at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.
 

The local Grief Support Group will be holding its monthly meeting at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon Tuesday, April 12 at 5 p.m. in the Meditation Healing Center, located just inside the main entrance of the hospital. Face masks will be required.

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, and be sure to wear a mask. All attendees will be able to physically distance during the meeting.  This grief support group meets the second Tuesday of each month at Veterans Memorial Hospital.