Health

The number of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) in this area has dwindled over the years as licensed EMTs have retired. Allamakee and northern Clayton Counties are fortunate to have many emergency response services, but nearly all of them are in need of more EMTs on their service to share the call time, ensuring local emergency services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) will be offering a face-to-face EMT Class in Waukon beginning January 13. Enthusiastic, willing volunteers wanting to truly help people are needed to fill this class. The class will meet two nights per week, Mondays and Wednesdays, from 6-10 p.m. and clinicals will be held in person.  Students who successfully complete this class and the certification examination will be able to volunteer on their own community’s ambulance service or rescue squad, as well as be prepared for careers in emergency services.

The local Grief Support Group will be holding their monthly meeting at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Tuesday, January 14, at 4 p.m. in the Meditation Healing Center, located just inside the main entrance of the hospital.  (Note the 4 p.m. start time. This will continue for the January and February Grief Support Group meetings, then will return to 5 p.m. 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 4 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Hospital.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, January 16, 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 on the Diabetes Support Group, feel free to call  Angie Mettille, RN, Certified Diabetes Educator at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.

After completing roughly 40 hours of coursework and exams, Amy Robinson, MS, PT, CWCP, has become a Certified Wound Care Professional. Having treated wounds for several years, Robinson felt it was time to advance her degree and go the extra mile to receive the certification.

“I started this process in June and soon realized the material was very in-depth and took much longer than expected to get through all of it,” states Robinson. “In November, I had a free weekend and spent the final hours pouring through the material and taking exams.”  Robinson successfully completed the wound care certification process and now feels confident in her ability to treat most wounds.

Spots are still available for the face-to-face Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Class in Waukon beginning in January. This class is not offered locally each year, so the fact it will be held in Waukon is an advantage and convenience. This 138-hour course will conclude in May. Registration for the class must be completed prior to the orientation night on January 13.

The number of EMTs in this area has dwindled over the years as licensed EMTs have retired. Allamakee and northern Clayton Counties are fortunate to have many emergency response services, but nearly all of them are in need of more EMTs on their service to share the call time, ensuring local emergency services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Monday, January 6, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon. Blood drives are held every month in Waukon. The LifeServe Blood Center of Iowa supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital with their blood and blood products.

Make a New Year’s Resolution to give blood this year. The LifeServe Blood Center of Iowa is seeking donors to ensure a safe and plentiful blood supply in Iowa. Because there is no substitute for human blood, the need for donors is continuous. Many Iowans are encouraged to make donating blood on a regular basis their New Year’s resolution this year.

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) physicians and staff will be awaiting the arrival of the first baby born at the hospital in the New Year 2025. This fortunate child and his or her family will receive a large number of generous gifts compliments of area merchants.

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, January 2, 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.

The number of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) in this area has dwindled over the years as licensed EMTs have retired. Allamakee and northern Clayton Counties are fortunate to have many emergency response services, but nearly all of them are in need of more EMTs on their service to share the call time, ensuring local emergency services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) will be offering a face-to-face EMT Class in Waukon beginning in January. This class is not offered locally each year, so the fact it will be held in Waukon is a convenience for those wishing to take the course with little travel time. This is a 138-hour course which will conclude in May. Registration for the class must be completed prior to the orientation night January 13.

Veterans Memorial Hospital offers gift certificates for a full wellness package blood test at a low, up-front cost, which can make a very fitting gift for the holidays. Gift certificates are available for purchase at the main entrance to the hospital.

The following blood tests are included in this gift certificate: Cholesterol, Blood Sugar/Diabetes, Thyroid, Kidney Function, Uric Acid, Hemoglobin, Calcium, Liver Function, Vitamin D, Prostate Health, Potassium and Sodium.

The hospital offers this wellness testing to help accommodate individuals that may forgo these important tests due to the cost of high health insurance premiums and deductibles.  Gift certificates are available all year long, and not just during the holiday season, to give as a thoughtful, healthy gift.