Health

The Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation’s 32nd annual Three Person Best-Shot Golf Tournament will be held Monday, June 16. The tournament will be held at the Waukon Golf and Country Club with a shotgun start at 9:30 a.m.

Thanks to Wade Bucknell, Andy Moore and Caitlin Mahoney, agents of Farm Bureau Financial Services, Waukon, the first person hitting a hole in one during the first round at the tournament will be awarded a new Harley Davidson motorcycle.

Also, thanks to Waukon Implement, anyone hitting a hole in one during the second round at the tournament will be awarded a new John Deere riding lawn mower.  As always, many other gifts and prizes will be awarded to all golfers participating.

Teams of three will play 18 holes of golf. Breakfast rolls, lunch and dinner and prizes for everyone are all provided for the donation of just $75. All those interested are asked to pre-register their team by calling the Waukon Golf and Country Club at 563-568-9939.

The local Grief Support Group will be holding their monthly meeting at Veterans Memorial Hospital Tuesday, June 10, at 5 p.m. in the Meditation Healing Center, located just inside the main entrance of the hospital.

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 meets the second Tuesday evening of each month at Veterans Memorial Hospital.

For the last year, Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH)has been going through the very detailed process of converting its entire electronic medical record system to the EPIC system.  That conversion will soon happen Saturday, June 14.   The hospital has had a desire to reach this milestone for many years, but funding and the right partnership to make this happen was not available until this last year.

Memorials were received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Rupert Caballero by Chuck and Lois Votsmier, Brian Rodman, and Frank and Patty Goltz.

Memorials were also received in memory of Ron Brandt by JoAnn Peake, Chuck and Lois Votsmier, Joan Bieber, Frank and Patty Goltz, Carl and Betty Christianson and Marvin and Marjorie Strike.

In addition, memorials were also received in memory of Bev Bakkum by Chuck and Lois Votsmier; in memory of Mary Lou Bublitz by Marilyn Larson; in memory of Jim Christianson by Carl and Betty Christianson; in memory of Lowell Corlett by Sara and Sean Malone; in memory of Gail Dunning by Clarke and Sheila Simmonds; in memory of Gary Gilbertson by Mary Ann Hager; and in memory of Diana Eickelberg by Dean Eickelberg.

The Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation’s 32nd Annual Benefit Golf Tournament will be held Monday, June 16, at the Waukon Golf and Country Club beginning with a shotgun start at 9:30 a.m.

Teams of three will play 18 holes of golf. Breakfast rolls, lunch, dinner and prizes for everyone will all be provided for a specified donation.

This is the 32nd annual golf tournament the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation has sponsored.  All those interested are asked to pre-register their team by calling the Waukon Golf and Country Club at 563-568-9939.

The Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation is a volunteer board who raise funds to help promote health care in the area communities served by Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH).
 

The members of the Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) will be holding their third annual garage sale at FreedomBank in Waukon in conjunction with the Waukon City-Wide Garage Sales.  The Auxiliary garage sale will be open Thursday, June 5, from 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. and again Friday, June 7, from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital is devoted to providing the hospital and its patients and visitors with many services. The Auxiliary also holds annual fundraisers such as the Women’s Health Day Luncheon, the Pillow-Perk in mid-October, the Gift Case at the hospital and their annual membership drive each July.   

by Sue McMillan, Nurse Practitioner, Veterans Memorial Hospital Clinic-Waukon

Osteoporosis, a very common condition, is when bones become weak and brittle such that a fall or minor stress like coughing or bending over can cause a break in the bone. Bones most commonly affected are the hip, wrist and spine.

What causes osteoporosis? Bone is living tissue that is constantly being broken down and replaced.  Osteoporosis happens when replacement of new bone cannot keep up with the loss of bone.

Osteoporosis is most common in postmenopausal women, although men can be affected as well.  Healthy diet, weightbearing exercise, avoidance of smoking and avoidance of excessive alcohol are the mainstay prevention strategies. Sometimes medication can be used to help reverse osteoporosis and slow the rate of bone loss once it occurs.

This May, Allamakee County Public Health and the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS) are proud to recognize Hepatitis Awareness Month, reminding all Iowans that protecting their health starts with knowledge and action. Hepatitis can affect the liver and overall health and well-being of children and adults. Throughout the month, Iowans are encouraged to take proactive steps to help protect themselves and their loved ones through routine testing and safe practices.

“Hepatitis is preventable, treatable and, in many cases, curable - something positive about this potentially life-threatening disease,” said Sheryl Darling-Mooney RN. “Every Iowan deserves the chance to live a healthy life. By learning more about hepatitis - and acting on what we learn - we can help protect ourselves, our families and our communities.”

Consider a different way to give back to the heart of the community by donating blood. The next local drive will be held in Waukon Monday, June 2 from Noon-5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon.

People who give blood have an 88% lower risk of having a heart attack so giving blood is a win-win situation for both the donor and the recipient. Blood pressure, pulse and hemoglobin are all checked at every blood donation so donors know if it’s high or low and can see patterns that may cause concern, helping keep them healthy and reducing heart attack risk.

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative shared the following statements in an effort to stop the silence and start talking about mental illness by sharing what to say and what not to say to create a supportive environment.
What to say…
• Thanks for opening up to me.
• Do you want to talk about it?
• Is there anything I can do to help you?
• I’m here for you.
• Tell me more.
• Are you getting the care and support you need?
• Can I drive you to an appointment?
• How are you feeling today?
Do not say …
• It could be worse.
• Just deal with it.
• Everyone feels that way sometimes.
• You may have brought this on yourself.
• You’ve got to pull yourself together.
• Maybe try thinking happier thoughts.