Health

Skilled care is readily available for most Medicare patients if they require rehabilitation services and have a qualifying acute care stay in the hospital of three days or more. The “swing” in care from acute to a skilled level of care allows them to remain in the hospital until they are feeling more able to take care of themselves at home.

Joan Bieber of Waukon was experiencing a terrible pain in her side last July and came into the emergency room (ER) at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH).  She had a CT scan right away which showed colon cancer. Having used the hospital’s swing bed program once before, she knew she would request to spend time on swing bed skilled care at Veterans Memorial Hospital following her surgery.

The Radiology Department at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) has upgraded its High-Definition 4D Ultrasound with a new machine. The first 4D ultrasound machine at VMH was adopted in 2016, but with technology and software updates continuously changing, a newer machine was purchased to help obtain even clearer and more precise images for the Radiologists to view.

Also, ergonomics are huge in Ultrasound to prevent musculoskeletal injuries. The new machine allows for much more adjustability and comfort while scanning patients.  The newer version of the Ultrasound also makes it easier to travel into different patient rooms, since sometimes patient conditions and room conditions don’t allow for optimal body mechanics and mobility. In addition, different machine functions help decrease exam times to get results to the physician in a timely fashion.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Medical Clinic in Waukon began offering extended hours every Monday through Thursday evening until 7 p.m. in early January.  This has been a popular option after work and school, allowing families to seek medical attention at a convenient time.

Patients are welcome to walk-in to the clinic between the hours of 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. any Monday through Thursday evening, without an appointment, for acute, non-emergent needs such as the following: broken bones (other than hips or femurs), cough/cold, diarrhea, ear aches, fever, flu, minor burns, minor cuts, muscle strain, pink eye, rash/hives, removal of foreign body, sinus infection, skin infection, sore throat, urinary tract infection and vomiting.

Since this is a walk-in clinic without any scheduled appointments and some nights are busier than others, the wait time to see the provider may be longer.

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

The local Grief Support Group will be holding its monthly meeting at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Tuesday, February 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 group meets the second Tuesday of each month at Veterans Memorial Hospital.
 

Veterans Memorial Hospital 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 in Waukon. The next Stroke Support Group meeting will be held Thursday, February 1 at 2 p.m. in the Large Conference Room.

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 individuals 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.

Cutting down on stress just might cut down a person’s allergy and asthma symptoms. “Studies show stress can cause a number of negative health effects, including causing more symptoms for allergy and asthma sufferers,” says Gundersen Health System allergist Jared Darveaux, MD. “It makes sense that if you want to make your life more fun and less challenging, you might focus on ways to bring peace and wellness to your household.” Dr. Darveaux has four tips to help people stay calm, and thus reduce symptoms this winter season.
 
Exercise  
Exercise helps maintain an emotional balance but with caution. Exercising in cold weather may make asthma symptoms worse. If symptoms like coughing, wheezing, tightness in the chest or shortness of breath occur when exercising in cold weather, they may indicate undiagnosed asthma. Darveaux suggests seeing an allergist for a potential asthma diagnosis in an effort to work to help control symptoms.

Ness Pumping and Porta Potty Rentals hosted its seventh annual Breast Cancer Awareness Walk Saturday, October 21 in the Waukon City Park to raise funds for breast cancer awareness and detection. Breast Cancer survivors were asked to sign a pink porta potty displaying the breast cancer ribbon, sweatshirts were distributed and refreshments served.

The family awarded the proceeds raised from that walk to Veterans Memorial Hospital to be used towards the new 3D mammography machine at the hospital that was just installed a year ago in October. The $3,310 donation helps Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) finance this 3D mammography machine. This machine is clinically proven to significantly increase the detection of breast cancers, while simultaneously decreasing the number of women asked to return for additional testing.

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Waukon and Postville Clinics welcome Nurse Practitioner Minji Na, who joined the practice January 8. Minji is now seeing patients in both the Waukon and Postville Clinics spending a couple of days each week at each location.  Postville provider Michelle Crary is now also spending a couple of days each week seeing patients in both clinics as well.

Minji had been practicing as a family nurse practitioner for Mayo Clinic Health Systems in Albert Lea and Austin, MN, in family medicine and urgent care the last two years.

“I am excited to become a part of the VMH family here in Waukon and Postville and I  look forward to meeting patients and building a comfortable patient/provider relationship,” states Minji. “Taking the time to listen and understand their concerns will help us work together as a team to make meaningful changes to improve their health and overall well-being.”

There’s still time to receive the flu and COVID vaccines. A flu vaccine is the best way to help protect yourself and your loved ones against flu and its potentially serious outcomes.  A flu shot can safely help prevent the flu and lessen flu symptoms if you do get sick. A flu shot also can help protect your baby from flu for several months after birth.

Every year flu puts thousands of children in the hospital. Getting your child a flu vaccine can lessen flu’s more serious symptoms - reducing the risk of serious illness and flu-related hospitalization if they do get sick.

The flu and COVID vaccines continue to be offered each Wednesday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care/Allamakee Public Health. Flu shots are recommended for all those who have not yet received the vaccine, and they will be effective throughout the rest of the flu season.