Health

by Beth Shafer, Growth and Development Coordinator
 
Have you ever wondered what happens to your memorial donations after the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation receives them? Here’s an overview of how those gifts are managed and used to support local healthcare.

To begin with, each donation is entered into Little Green Light, a donor management software program. This allows the Foundation to accurately track donations made by individuals over time and maintain complete donor records.

Memorial funds are also established for individuals who have passed away, enabling the Foundation to provide families with a list of donors and their addresses, when available.

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 local Grief Support Group will again be holding their monthly meeting at Veterans Memorial Hospital on Thursday, July 2, from 5-6 pm 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.

Please feel free to attend and bring a friend.  This grief support will continue meeting the first Thursday of each month at Veterans Memorial Hospital.

This July, celebrate freedom by giving someone more time - every 2 seconds, someone in the US needs blood or platelets. The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Monday, July 6, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the First Baptist Church located in south Waukon. The need for blood doesn’t take a summer vacation. Donations often become harder to maintain when regular routines shift during busy travel months.  This July, keep hospital shelves celebration-ready.

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 Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Postville Clinic is pleased to announce their new physician, Dr. Olaitan Akinboboye will begin seeing patients in the clinic July 14.  Dr. Akinboboye will again add a physician choice to the clinic, following the retirement of Dr. Thomas McMullan last November.  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 offer family medicine solely at the Postville Clinic and will be available to see patients of all ages.  

The Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Senior Life Solutions (SLS) Department suggests making small home updates to help reduce stress in life. Sometimes small changes can make a big difference. Simple home updates like better lighting, decluttering favorite spaces, or adding comfortable seating can help create a calmer, less stressful environment.  A peaceful home can support emotional well-being at every age.

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 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 next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Monday, July 6, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon.  Fewer than 4% of eligible blood donors actually take the time to donate blood. The LifeServe Blood Center supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital with blood and blood products.  

Numerous memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Stan Straate by Matt Armentrout, Dr. Wilfred H.

The Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation’s 33rd Annual Benefit Golf Tournament will be held Monday, June 22, 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 the donation of $100 per person or $300 per team. Only a few spots remain for teams to sign-up.