Health

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, March 20, 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 about the Diabetes Support Group, call Angie Mettille, RN, Certified Diabetes Educator at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Gary Schulte by Bernard and Eileen Berns, Bill and Ellie Collins, Larry and Bonnie Kipper and Richard and Sue Schulte; in memory of Roger Stock by Ron and Nancy Adam, Ken and Rose Beardmore, Mary Ann Hager and Larry Snitker; and in memory of Francis Stortz by Mary Fink and an anonymous donor.

Memorials were also received in memory of  Bernice Thies by Chuck and Lois Votsmier, Gladwin and Darlene Anderson, Jim and Jill Kiesau, Sigurd and Barb Ness, Dave and Gail Prestemon and Diane Regan; in memory of Dale Tieskoetter by James Morritz and Barbara Tieskoetter; in memory of Mike Tierney by Tom Tierney; in memory of Otto and Eleanor Thorstenson by Sandy and Dennis Deal; in memory of Joe and Alberta Troendle by Jerry and Marilyn Troendle; in memory of Tom and Tony Urell by Kate Urell; and in memory of Thomas “Tommy” Thomson by Steve and Chris Weymiller and Marilyn Clark.

This month, Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Community and Home Care - Allamakee County Public Health is joining forces with the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS) to raise awareness about the risks of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and encourage Iowans to talk with their healthcare providers about vaccines available to protect against serious illness. Each year, RSV leads to thousands of emergency department visits and hospitalizations, particularly among infants, young children, older adults and individuals with weakened immune systems.

“RSV can cause severe complications, but vaccines offer a critical opportunity to reduce illness and save lives,” said Sheryl Darling-Mooney, Public Health Supervisor. “By talking to your healthcare provider, you can ask questions and learn which vaccines are recommended for you and your family, helping everyone stay healthy and safe.”

Over 950,000 Americans die each year from cardiovascular disease. Since February is National Heart Month, Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) provides the following facts and tips on heart health:
• 250,000 people die within one hour of onset of a heart attack.
• 60-70% of those individuals are male.
• Heart disease is the #1 killer of American women and men.
• 75-80% of cardiac arrests happen in the home.
• Bystander CPR does improve the outcome once someone has arrested.
• Traditional CPR courses are not reaching those who live with high-risk populations.
• Rapid defibrillation is the most important treatment for victims.
• For every minute delay in defibrillation there is a 10% loss for chance of survival.
• In the case of heart attack, “Time is Muscle.”
• In the case of stroke, “Time is Brain Tissue.”

Shared by Brandy Strub, Dietitian, Veterans Memorial Hospital

Monday, February 24 through Sunday, March 2 is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. Eating disorders are definitely something to be concerned about. There are many health complications associated with an eating disorder such as heart attacks, kidney failure, electrolyte imbalances, osteoporosis and premature death, including suicide.

The sooner an eating disorder can be detected and treated, the better. The following information is shared from the “Report: Economic Costs of Eating Disorders”, conducted by Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders (STRIPED), in collaboration with the Academy for Eating Disorders (AED) and Deloitte Access Economics.  Those agencies state approximately 9% of the U.S. population, or 28.8 million Americans, and 9% (277,830) of Iowans will have an eating disorder in their lifetime.

The local Grief Support Group will be holding its monthly meeting at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) in Waukon Tuesday, March 11, at 4 p.m. in the Meditation Healing Center, located just inside the main entrance of the hospital.

Make note of the 4 p.m. start time, with Grief Support Group meetings returning to the 5 p.m. start time in the spring. 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 of each month at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon.
 

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Speech - Language Pathologist Steven Mazzafield offers a Stroke Support Group for individuals who have experienced a stroke, as well as caregivers and family members affected by stroke. Monthly meetings are held the first Thursday of every month at 2 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Hospital. The next Stroke Support Group meeting will be held Thursday, March 6 at 2 p.m.

The Stroke Support Group provides opportunities to share tips, tricks, or trials among participants, offer support for caregivers, and provide an opportunity for socialization.

While strokes can happen at any age, risk of stroke is greatest as we get older with the majority of strokes occurring after the age of 70. Risk factors for stroke include obesity, sedentary lifestyle, binge drinking, diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

February is Heart Month and an opportunity to consider giving back to the heart of the community by making an appointment to give blood. The next local blood drive is scheduled to be held Monday, March 3, from 12-5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon.

Blood donations play a vital role in heart surgeries, emergency treatment and other medical needs that impact lives. Donating blood is a loving gesture that supports those who rely on the generosity of others.

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Ina and Amos Pederson by Scott and Diane Pederson; in memory of Richard Plein by Gary and Jean Gilbertson; in memory of Patricia “Pat” Powell by Scott and Kim Bollman; in memory of Jim and Alta Prestemon by Pamela Setera; in memory of Paul Quandahl by Quentin and Mary Quandahl; in memory of Mike Quillin by Gary and Jean Gilbertson and Mary Beth Regan; in memory of Jacob Regan by Diane Regan; in memory of James ‘Jim” Reicks by Shari Reicks; in memory of Mary Reierson by Chuck and Lois Votsmier and Randy and Lori Hesse; in memory of the Ronan Family by Rod and Sandy Ronan; in memory of Chester Schlake by Chuck and Lois Votsmier; and in memory of Clem Schulte by Elizabeth Shew.

National Phlebotomist Recognition Week was February 10-14. Phlebotomists are “Drawn to Help Others” through their skillful abilities in drawing blood from patients for clinical or medical testing, transfusions, donations, or research. Administrative duties include accurately preparing, coding, and organizing blood samples for analysis. Phlebotomists are certified professionals who must pass an exam and have the required education and experience to receive professional certification.

Karli Rains, pictured in the submitted photo below, is the Phlebotomist at Veterans Memorial Hospital. She works full-time in the Laboratory drawing blood from patients along with many administrative duties. Riley Palmer, pictured in the submitted photo above, is the Phlebotomist in the hospital’s Waukon Clinic who also works full-time, drawing blood from patients, then running the samples over to the hospital’s Laboratory for testing and quickly receiving results.