Health

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Community and Home Care/Allamakee County Public Health’s annual flu shot clinics are underway. The new COVID-19 vaccine booster for the variant strains is also being offered, as well as the primary (first and second doses) of COVID vaccine.  

These walk-in clinics will continue to be held the next two Wednesdays through November 9, from 9-11:30 a.m. in the ICN room located on the west side of the hospital, next to the Gundersen Clinic. Parking is available right outside that entrance, marked with orange cones.

The Allamakee County Public Health Staff has been traveling the county offering vaccination clinics at numerous locations all around Allamakee County in addition to the walk-in clinics at the hospital. One clinic remains Monday, November 7 from 1-4 p.m. at the Postville Northeast Iowa Wellness Center.

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) staff and board members continue to visit each Allamakee County community to present and discuss the need to convert from a city-owned hospital to a county-owned hospital.  These sessions last less than an hour and will answer questions anyone may have about the proposed conversion of VMH from a city-owned to a county-owned hospital.  

The schedule for the remaining county meetings, by date, is as follows:
• Waukon - Tuesday, October 25 at 6 p.m. in the Freedom Bank Community Room
• Postville - Tuesday, November 1 at 6 p.m. in the NEIA Wellness Center Meeting Room.

Anyone is welcome to attend these presentations and question and answer sessions will follow each one. Questions such as the following will be covered at these informational meetings:

Ness Pumping and Porta Potty Rentals, along with Monroe Auction, will host their annual Breast Cancer Awareness Walk Saturday, October 29 in the Waukon City Park to raise funds for breast cancer awareness and detection.  

The event will begin at 10 a.m. and go until Noon and will be COVID friendly. Participants may come and go as they please that morning and can choose to walk with friends, family or on their own. Walk-ins are welcome.

Breast Cancer survivors will be asked to sign a pink porta potty sporting the breast cancer ribbon. Event t-shirts will be available for sale and light refreshments will also be offered for a free-will donation. Sweatshirts will also be available for sale at the event.

October is National Physical Therapy Month. The Rehabilitation staff at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) works with people of all ages, helping them to reduce pain and regain strength, independence and health. Individual Physical Therapy services provided include athletic training, home health, work hardening/conditioning, wellness programs, headache management, lymphodema therapy and wound care.

Dona Peck of Postville tells her success story after working with the Physical Therapy Department at Veterans Memorial Hospital.

The Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation Christmas Fantasy returns this year in its entirety. Reservations are being taken now for the Foundation’s 31st annual Christmas Fantasy which will be held Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, November 11, 12, 13 and 14, at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion. The theme will be “Making the Future Bright” which refers to everyone’s future following COVID-19 and the future of Veterans Memorial Hospital, which is hoping to become a county hospital and remain viable for many years to come.

All events are returning to this community-wide celebration for the first time in three years. Reservations are now being taken for the popular Saturday and Monday Noon luncheons and the Saturday evening Wine, Cheese and Dessert Event.

From the American Cancer Society and Veterans Memorial Hospital

Breast cancer is the leading cancer diagnosed in women in America. This year, more than 250,000 women will learn for the first time that they have this disease and more than 40,000 women will lose their lives. However, when breast cancer is detected early and treated promptly, suffering and ultimately the loss of life can be significantly reduced.

Women are encouraged to ask their doctors and other health care providers about mammography screening. Mammography (an x-ray picture of the breast) is the single most effective method to detect breast changes that may be cancer, long before physical symptoms can be seen or felt. Early detection, followed by up-to-date treatment, provides women with better chances for long-term freedom from the disease. But mammography screening must be done routinely.

Does anyone know just how much blood is needed by certain patients? Here are some facts from the LifeServe Blood Center:
• Cancer patients can use up to eight units of blood a month.
• Bone Marrow Transplant patients can use up to two units a day.
• Cardiovascular Surgery patient can use between two to 25 units.
• Liver Transplant patients can use up to 100 units.
• Auto/Trauma Accident patients can use up to five and 100 units.
• Premature infants can use up to one to four units.
• Burn victims case use up to 20 units of platelets.
• Heart surgery patients can use up to three to eight units of red cells and one to 10 units of platelets.
• Organ transplant patients can use 10-30 units of blood.

Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care/Allamakee County Public Health’s annual flu shot clinics are underway.  The new COVID-19 vaccine booster for variant strains is also being offered, as well as the primary (first and second doses) of the COVID-19 vaccine. These walk-in clinics are currently being held every Wednesday through November 9, from 9-11:30 a.m. in the ICN room located on the west side of the hospital, next to the Gundersen Clinic. Parking will be available right outside that entrance, marked with orange cones.

October is National Physical Therapy Month. The Veterans Memorial Hospital Rehabilitation staff works with people of all ages, helping them to reduce pain and regain strength, independence and health, assisting patients within the hospital, patients on a skilled level of care, as well as outpatients and in the patient homes.

Jim Waters of rural New Albin had a knee replacement a couple of months ago and chose to come to Veterans Memorial Hospital for his therapy following his surgery. In his own words, he explains his experiences and trust in the hospital services and staff.

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) will be holding its annual Pillow Perk this year Monday, October 24 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. located on the Lower Level of Veterans Memorial Hospital. Kraft Pillow Service will be on site to make old pillows look like new.

Everyone is encouraged to bring in their feather pillows to the Pillow Perk to be cleaned, sanitized and given new ticking. Foam and Dacron pillows may also be renovated by this process. People are also encouraged to bring in their feather beds and have them made into new pillows.

Everyone is instructed to enter the hospital through the lower level loading dock entrance and to have their pillows in plastic bags marked with their name when they drop them off.   Directional signage will be located on the street right outside that door.