News Center newsletter

The Occupational Therapy Department at Veterans Memorial Hospital has had a bladder and bowel incontinence treatment program for over eight years. Staff member Melissa Clarke, Occupational Therapist, has been providing this treatment and has seen very positive results. 

More people than one may think are impacted by bladder and bowel dysfunction. An average of 25-30% of adults 25-55 years old have experienced bowel or bladder problems. An average of 35-40% of individuals over 65 who live in the community have bladder and bowel problems, and 10-15% of children 8-16 years old have nighttime wetting. The good news is 61% of people using the Beyond Kegels program were dry in 3 ½ weeks.

Veterans Memorial Hospital continues to be appreciative of the outpouring of community support and interest in making and donating face masks for patients and staff during the COVID-19 challenge. The Hospital is encouraging those that have been sewing for the hospital to please continue to do so.

The hospital staff remains concerned and committed to the community and has devised a plan whereby the continued donations of face masks can be used to keep the elderly and immune-compromised public safe also.

The hospital has asked the Waukon Economic Development Corporation, Lansing City Clerk’s Office, Postville City clerk’s Office and Monona Chamber of Commerce to help coordinate the project of supplying additional homemade masks to some of the grocery stores that remain open in their communities. Then these masks will be handed out to each qualifying customer to have, to keep laundering and wearing anytime they have to enter public places.

by Jill Fleming, MS, RD/LD

The newest strain of the Coronavirus has created a huge wave of panic amongst our community. Everyone is worried about loved ones getting sick. It may seem like negative thoughts are running through your head on endless repeat over the past few weeks. You might feel like you’re spiraling out of control, going crazy or about to burn out under the weight of all this anxiety. This is not good, as excess anxiety or worrying can weaken your immune system.

The good news is that there are steps you can take right now to interrupt all those anxious thoughts and give yourself a time out from your worrying. So, step away from the news and (in your mind) set down your big bag of worries. Pick one of the following ways to reconnect with your body and “get out of your head” for a few minutes today.

Veterans Memorial Hospital and the Iowa Department of Public Health wishes to remind the community of these facts and ways the public can help during this COVID-19 challenge.

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Norma Svendson by George Pickett, Dennis and Julie Herman, Dave and Laurie Martin, Ron and Kim Winters, Joan Moody, Gary and Toni Kolsrud, Jerry and Linda Siegrist and Diane Regan.

Memorial donations were also made in memory of Betty Steiber by Jean Huffey, Patsy Kerndt and Harold and Shirley Marti; in memory of Ivy Althoff by Marv and Marge Strike and Dave and Laurie Martin; in memory of Roger and Janet Kuhse by Darrell and Alice Baumgartner; in memory of James “Tony” Urell by Dan and Sue Schlitter, Jane Dietrich, John and Lorna Kerndt, Rick and Cathy  Larson, Ernie and Donnalee Osland and the Urell family.

In addition, a donation was received in honor of Ernie Lubahn’s 90th birthday from Nyles and Ruby Herman, and a donation was also received from George Pickett.

Marjorie Kruger is celebrating her 96th birthday April 11. Her family is honoring her with a card shower. Birthday greetings may be sent to her online at: https://www.good-sam.com/resources/send-a-note or by postal mail at Marjorie Kruger, 400 Hardin Drive, Postville, Iowa 52162.
 

Ethan Jermy and Katherine Price of Harpers Ferry announce the birth of their daughter, Charlotte Louise Jermy, born March 25, 2020 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. She weighed 7 lbs. 8 ozs. and measured 22 inches in length at the time of her birth.

Grandparents are Jon and Tracey Engle of Harpers Ferry.
 

Yehudis and Yeruhan Weiss of Postville announce the birth of their son, Efroim Weiss, born March 31, 2020 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. He weighed 7 lbs. 12 ozs. and measured 19 inches in length at the time of his birth. He joins a sister, Leah (4).

To the Editor:

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. It is a time to raise awareness of a serious issue affecting the children and families in our communities and a chance to realize we all can play a role in preventing child abuse and neglect.

The Iowa Child Advocacy Board (ICAB), which operates both the Court Appointed Special Advocacy (CASA) program and the Iowa Citizen Foster Care Review Board (FCRB) program, exists to advocate for the protection of Iowa’s children and improvement of the child welfare system.

To the Editor:

Pollinators need our help! Bees, butterflies, moths, other insects and hummingbirds all pollinate the plants which produce so many of the flowers, fruits and vegetables we need and enjoy. These crucial parts of our natural ecosystem are disappearing. Last summer our pole beans produced hundreds of blossoms before finally growing beans. Not enough pollinators was all we could figure out.

Many insects have evolved to emerge when the plants they feed on are flowering. Many of these are native plants. As we plant more exotic trees, shrubs and flowers that crowd out native species, we make it harder for many of our pollinators to survive. Global climate change, along with deforestation, increased pavement and buildings, chemicalized and manicured lawns and over-use of pesticides and herbicides, all contribute to declining populations of many animal and plant species.