Health

The next LifeServe Blood Center Blood Drive will be held Thursday, January 2, from 12-5 p.m., at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon. Blood drives are held every month in Waukon to allow for more donors to give.  The LifeServe Blood Center supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital with its blood and blood products.

The Blood Center 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, especially over the holidays.

Over half of the United States population is eligible to donate blood, yet less than four percent donate on a regular basis. A single donation of blood can be used to save up to three lives and help in treatment of cancer patients, accident victims, hemophiliacs and surgery patients.  The LifeServe Blood Center is committed to serving the needs of Iowans by saving lives through volunteer blood donation.

Veterans Memorial Hospital will begin the next Prepared Childbirth Education classes (formerly called Lamaze) Monday, January 13, and they will continue for two more consecutive Monday evenings beginning at 6 p.m. in the Large Conference Room. The Prepared Childbirth Education classes at Veterans Memorial Hospital are offered in three sessions that allow the expectant parents to choose which topics they wish to learn more on.

These Prepared Childbirth Education classes are free to any expectant parents delivering at Veterans Memorial Hospital, and available for a small fee per session for those delivering at another facility. Preregistration is necessary. Contact Machelle Bulman, RN at 563-568-3411, or register at www.veteransmemorialhospital.com.
 

Memorials were received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Ardis Klepper by Chuck and Lois Votsmier, Dave and Rita Newton, Fred and Geralyn Smith, Rick and Cathy Larson and Dennis and Sandy Deal.

Memorials were also received in memory of James Howes by Angie Schulte, Mary Beth Regan, Chuck and Lois Votsmier, J.C. and Natalie Kelly, Don and DiAnne Haler, Stephanie and Eric Palmer, Diane Regan, Dave and Rita Newton, Jim and Jill Kiesau and Dave and Sandy Lyons.

In addition, memorials were received in memory of Lois Langland by John and Charlene Loven, in memory of Bob Rush by Jack and Sally Hagensick, in memory of Eugene Mork by Joan Bieber, in memory of Jim Pickett by Jim and Sue Bieber and in memory of Bob McCoy by Brian and Denise Wullner.

The staff of Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) pledged over $16,000 this last year to the VMH Health Care Foundation’s annual appeal campaign. The total raised in personal staff contributions was used to purchase equipment and furnishings identified by the staff that is needed in the hospital to better serve the community.

“I am once again overwhelmed by our staff’s generosity this past year,” states Mike Myers, hospital administrator. “Our staff members on the Culture Committee took a leadership role in identifying hospital-wide needs, setting a financial goal, and organizing this employee campaign which was extremely successful. This process is an indication of the great dedication the hospital staff has to the service of our patients.”

This fund drive is held each fall for all staff at Veterans Memorial Hospital and consistently raises over $14,000 each year for upgrades in equipment and furnishings recommended by the staff.

Veterans Memorial Hospital offers Urgent Care in addition to 24 hour a day Emergency Room (ER) services over the holidays. Each and every day, 24 hours a day, the hospital’s ER is staffed with an emergency provider to see the ER patients with little waiting. Urgent Care is offered every day as well including every week night, on the weekends and holidays when the local clinic is closed. Urgent Care is designed for treating injuries or illnesses requiring immediate care, but not serious enough to require an emergency department visit.

Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon will begin the next Prepared Childbirth Education classes (formerly called Lamaze) Monday, January 13, and those classes will continue for two more consecutive Monday evenings, all beginning at 6 p.m. in the Large Conference Room.

The Prepared Childbirth Education classes at Veterans Memorial Hospital are offered in three sessions that allow the expectant parents to choose which topics they wish to learn more on. They may choose to attend one, two or all three sessions.  Session 1 covers labor, delivery and the postpartum period following delivery; Session 2 includes relaxation, breathing and pain management; and Session 3 covers infant care.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will not hold a regular meeting during the month of December. The group will begin holding its regular monthly meetings again in January.

For more information on the Diabetes Support Group, call Angie Mettille, RN, Diabetes Educator at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.
 

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Eddie Knuppe by Sheila Snitker Family, Elaine Knuppe, Vicky Phipps Family, Carrie and Shane Sievers Family and Deb and Terry Johnson.

Memorials were also received in memory of Bernadine Jones by Chuck and Lois Votsmier, Sigard and Barb Ness, JC and Natalie Kelly, Patsy Kerndt, Dorothy and Dave Sandry, and Brian and Denise Wullner.

In addition, the following memorials were received in memory of Jim Nordheim:  Chuck and Lois Votsmier, Bob and Karen Fossum, Mary Jo Nordheim, Janet Ellingson, Wayne and Nona Sawyer, John and Lorna Kerndt, Ed and Ann Roed, Brian and Denise Wullner and Sheila Clair.

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital will not be holding its monthly Euchre Marathon in December, due to the busy holiday season. The Euchre marathons are held the third Thursday of each month at the Senior Citizens Room at the Waukon Wellness Center and will resume in January.

For more information on the monthly Euchre marathons, call Auxiliary President Nona Sawyer at 563-568-3105.
 

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Laboratory has the ability to draw and locally run many of the lab tests regularly ordered by physicians. If a test is ordered that can’t be run at the local hospital, the lab can draw the blood and send the sample for more advanced testing, saving the patient valuable time and money.

Veterans Memorial Hospital Laboratory in Waukon is open in the very early morning for those fasting labs. Lab technicians are on site for a blood draw before a patient goes to work.