Health

With the new school year just around the corner, Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Community and Home Care/Allamakee Public Health and the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS) are reminding all parents to ensure their children are up to date on all immunizations. It is important to schedule an appointment with their healthcare provider or public health agency as soon as possible.

“Back to school is one of the busiest times of the year for families, which is why we urge everyone with school-age children to schedule appointments now to get the necessary vaccines,” said Sheryl Darling-Mooney, RN. “Diseases such as measles and whooping cough still exist. Keeping kids up to date on vaccines helps them stay safe from potentially life-threatening illnesses.”

It’s summer and we’re in skin protection season. The vast majority of skin cancers are preventable by routinely shielding your skin from the sun’s damaging ultraviolet rays and Americans aren’t doing enough to protect themselves.

The American Cancer Society suggests we bring our sun-protection habits up to date. Dermatologists recommend doing a skin check monthly, so you’ll be more likely to notice small changes or even find a skin cancer when it’s still small.  The best time to examine the skin is after a shower or bath and with good lighting. Look for changes in size, texture, shape and color of birthmarks, moles and blemishes.

“Slip! Slop! Slap! and Wrap!” is a catch phrase for kids used by the American Cancer Society that works well for adults, too. It reminds people to slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, slap on a hat and wrap on sunglasses to protect the eyes and sensitive skin around them from ultraviolet light.

Crossing Rivers Health Clinic in Prairie du Chien, WI has announced the addition of two new providers to its primary care clinic team in October of 2024.

“We are so excited to welcome Steven Perkins, Board-Certified Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, and Physician Assistant, Certified, Sara Winters, to our team,” said Maria Mathis, Clinic Director. “They are both highly regarded providers, coming from the Waukon and Lansing area.”

Sara Winters, PA-C, earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Wartburg College and her Masters of Physician Assistant Studies from Des Moines University. She provides care for people of all ages, and her services include family practice, preventive medicine, acute and chronic disease management, and women’s health.

The Postville Lions Club consists of 14 members who participate in various local events to raise funds to improve the community. The group recently made a generous donation to the Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Education Program.

“Diabetes is one of the causes we support along with vision, pediatric cancers, world hunger, and the environment,” states Postville Lions Club President Art Heitland.

The local Grief Support Group will be holding its monthly meeting at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon Tuesday, August 13, at 5 p.m. in the Meditation Healing Center, located just inside the main entrance of the hospital. 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 meeting is held the second Tuesday of each month at 5 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Hospital.
 

The Schaller family of Waukon recently donated a painting entitled “The Doctor” to Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon, according to the wishes of the late artist, Les PurDue, formerly of Waukon.

PurDue painted this replica in 1970 when he lived in Waukon, working at Northern Engraving. His wife, Kay, was an RN at Veterans Memorial Hospital. When the PurDues moved away from Waukon a few years later, he gave this original painting to his friends, Chuck and Meg Schaller, to enjoy and eventually give to Veterans Memorial Hospital one day.

The Schaller family enjoyed this replica of the very renowned painting for many years. They recently had it reframed and donated it to Veterans Memorial Hospital, as PurDue had requested many years earlier.

The annual Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) membership drive is now on. The members of the Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital are actively recruiting new and returning members to join them during this annual membership drive.

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital is devoted to providing the hospital, its patients and visitors with many services. In addition to their annual membership drive, they host the following events each year: the Women’s Health Day which will be held Tuesday, September 24; the feather pillow Pillow Perk, as well as their spring garage sale, all in addition to the gift case items located just inside the main entrance to the hospital.

by Sheryl Darling-Mooney, RN, Public Health Supervisor at Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care

One of the tasks each year parents experience is getting their children’s immunizations up to date. Common questions include: What is my child’s immunization status? Are they caught up? What do they need?  What is that one for?

If you do not have a current immunization record for your child there are a few different ways you can get one. You can obtain a copy from the facility where your child received their immunizations, you can contact your local public health department, or contact your school if your child is school age.

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Monday, August 5, from 12-5 p.m., at the First Baptist Church located in south Waukon. Blood drives are held the first Monday of each month in Waukon, to allow for more donors to give. The LifeServe Blood Center supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital with its blood and blood products.

Blood centers across the United States see a decrease in blood donations during the busy summer months. During the summer, people become more active, have busier schedules, spend more time outdoors and take vacations.

While donations decline, hospitals see an increase in the need for blood. More driving can mean more automobile accidents. A person who has suffered severe injuries from an automobile accident can need up to 50 units of blood.

Those who think mosquitoes are peskier this summer than they have been the past couple of years are probably not alone. But that doesn’t mean outdoor adventures have to end with a dozen itchy red bumps on a person’s body.

With the frequent rain events already this summer, mosquito activity is high, according to Gundersen Health System wellness education specialist Katie Jensen. That’s because mosquitoes find their best breeding grounds in standing water such as flowerpots, buckets filled with rainwater and kiddie pools. Making sure pots and buckets are emptied and pools are covered are the best ways to keep mosquito activity at bay.

“Mosquitoes are pretty weak fliers, so with the moving water, it doesn’t really give them that good of a chance to get near the water and lay their eggs and have a calm environment to hatch,” Jensen says.