Health

Chest pain is a commonly presented complaint in any emergency room, including the emergency room at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH). There is always the possibility of heart disease in every complaint of chest pain or upper abdominal pain and it must be taken very seriously.

The common signs and symptoms of an acute myocardial infarction, commonly called a heart attack, are;
1. Chest pain (crushing, squeezing or heaviness).
2. Sudden onset of weakness, nausea, fainting and sweating without an obvious cause.
3. Pain that radiates to the shoulders, neck or arms.

These symptoms occur when the blood flow to a part of the heart is blocked, often by a blood clot. This happens because coronary arteries that supply the heart with blood slowly become clogged from a buildup of cells, fat and cholesterol called plaque.

Monica Enyart of PaperPie recently donated another box of books, puzzles and activity workbooks to Veterans Memorial Hospital for the patient floor and waiting room. Enyart is a PaperPie representative and is pictured here with all of the items she recently donated. PaperPie allows a 50% match; all the donations are then donated back to the community by Enyart. She has given thousands of dollars of books to organizations in northeast Iowa and beyond through this grant matching program. For anyone who would like to give books back to the community, Enyart would be a great resource to help. Submitted photo.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, February 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 month’s topic is exercise, specifically the importance of gaining muscle mass. Amy Robinson, VMH Physical Therapist, will share her wealth of knowledge of ways to build muscle. The more muscle in the body, the better the body’s ability to burn sugar and the better everyone’s blood sugars are.

Also, metabolism speeds up when the body has more muscle mass.

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Monday, March 3, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon.

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Carol Moe by Diane Abell, Jim and Charlene Baxter, Nancy Bechtel, Dean and Sue Engelhardt, Randy and Nancy Herman, Jim and Jill Kiesau, Darren Koozer, Marlys Leiran, Marla Lenocker, Robert and Pamela Maloney, Sharon Massie, Colinda Roderick, Dave and Gail Prestemon, Chuck and Lois Votsmier, Dave and Wynn Wagner, Neal and Nancy Daley, Ann King, Jeff Moe and an anonymous donor.

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) began its own Cardiac Rehabilitation unit over three decades ago to help fulfill a need in the community - a need that has been and continues to be well utilized.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Half a million people die each year due to this disease. Many people develop symptoms of heart disease when they are in their 40s or 50s, interrupting a most productive time of life. Cardiac Rehabilitation is an important tool in the fight against heart disease. Rehabilitation involves monitored exercise, nutritional counseling, emotional support and education about lifestyle changes to reduce risks of heart problems.

by Brandy Strub, Dietitian, Veterans Memorial Hospital

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

Memorials were received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Melvin Haskovec by Audrey Angel, Mary Cunningham, Gregg and Diana Durlam, Robert and Karen Fossum, Susan and Charles LeMaster, Mike and Sue McMillan, Jeff Moe, Wayne and Nona Sawyer, Ed and Karen Stamper, Betty Troendle, Chuck and Lois Votsmier, Kate Wooden and Edna Haskovec.

Memorials were also received in memory of Kermit Klees by Ron and Nancy Adam, Dan and Traci Byrnes, Robert and Karen Fossum, Mary Ann Hager, Phillip and Linda Heeler, Mary Kruse-Emerson, Bob and Angie Mettille, Sam and Shelby Schwartz, Chuck and Lois Votsmier, Ron Winters and Ann Klees.

National Patient Recognition Week is held nationally during the first seven days of February and concentrates on promoting and emphasizing patient satisfaction. The week serves as a reminder and an opportunity for health care professionals to focus on the care they give their patients, to reflect on even better ways to provide their care and recommit to the pledge of superior healthcare service delivery.

The mission of Veterans Memorial Hospital includes providing an exceptional health care experience to each and every patient; however, they rely heavily on the return of the patient surveys to see how well they are doing in order to make needed improvements.