Health

Veterans Memorial Hospital will hold a Prepared Childbirth Education class (formerly called Lamaze) Saturday, June 26, from 8 - 11 a.m. in the Large Conference Room.

The Prepared Childbirth Education classes at Veterans Memorial Hospital are now offered in one half-day session. Tours of the OB Department are available with these sessions as well.  These Prepared Childbirth Education classes are available for a small fee per session and will be offered every three months at Veterans Memorial Hospital. Following the June 26 class, the next class is scheduled for September 25.

Preregistration is necessary, as seats are limited. To register, email childbirth@vmhospital.com or contact Jayne McCormick, RN, Nursing and OB Manager at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.

The COVID-19 virus is still on the move through unvaccinated individuals in the county. Allamakee County Public Health does have a good supply of vaccine and is highly encouraging everyone to receive it. Vaccine clinics are readily available every Friday afternoon for both prime and booster doses for Moderna. Currently, Johnson and Johnson one dose vaccine is also available. These are held at the main entrance to Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH). Call 563-568-5660 to schedule.

The COVID Vaccination Booster/Second Dose Schedule at Veterans Memorial Hospital is as follows:

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) will be hosting the Safety Day Camp for children ages 6 to 14 Thursday, June 10, at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds from 8:15 a.m. to 2 p.m. The camp is open to all children in the area and it instructs many areas of safety in every child’s life.
Children often see the outdoors as an exciting playground that provides endless hours of fun and adventure. But the great outdoors can set the stage for tragedy. That is why this Safety Day Camp was established by Veterans Memorial Hospital and the Iowa State University (ISU) Extension Allamakee County Office 21 years ago.

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) made a very generous $10,000 contribution to the new Medical Clinic last week, bringing the total raised to over $450,000. Members of the Auxiliary of VMH are pictured above, left to right, front row, Donnalee Osland, Auxiliary Treasurer; Lillian Larson, Helen Knuppe, Jane Butler, and Meg Schaller and back row, is Bev Larson-Needham, Auxiliary President, presenting the check to Liz Hoins, Executive Assistant, and Laura Baxter, RN, Clinic Director. Also pictured is Sue Blagsvedt and Nona Sawyer, both Auxiliary and Foundation Directors, and Ann Roed, Auxiliary Secretary. The new clinic opened last week with all appointments completely full for the entire week. The clinic schedulers do reserve a few spots each day for those with an acute illness or issue that needs medical attention the same day, but also take appointments for months in advance as well.

The LifeServe Blood Center reported a huge number of donors at the special memorial blood drive, held April 21, for Julie Christensen at the Waukon Wellness Center. 72 units of blood were collected with 28 of them being first time donors. This is nearly twice the size of the regular monthly blood drive in Waukon. These donors are now encouraged to continue with regular blood donation as the need for blood is always there.

The next blood drive will be held Monday, June 7, 2021, from Noon to 5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon. The LifeServe Blood Center is always welcoming new blood donors to donate. Donating blood is safe, simple and it saves lives. Blood donors have a unique opportunity to contribute to their community by making a life-saving blood donation.

Here are some interesting blood facts from the Blood Center of Iowa:

The Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation annual Three Person Best-Shot Golf Tournament will return this year and is set for June 21 at the Waukon Golf and Country Club.

Teams of three will begin the day with a shot gun start at 9:30 a.m. and play 18 holes of golf. Breakfast rolls, lunch and dinner and prizes for everyone will all be provided for the donation of $75.

All those interested in joining the event are asked to pre-register their team by calling the Waukon Golf and Country Club at 563-568-9939. For more information about the golf tournament, call Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.

Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon will hold a Prepared Childbirth Education class (formerly called Lamaze) Saturday, June 26 from 8 - 11 a.m. in the Large Conference Room at the hospital.  

The Prepared Childbirth Education classes at Veterans Memorial Hospital are now offered in one half-day session. Tours of the OB Department are available with these sessions as well.  These Prepared Childbirth Education classes are available for a small fee per session and will be offered every three months at Veterans Memorial Hospital. Following the June 26 class, the next class is scheduled for September 25.

Preregistration is necessary, as seats are limited. To register, email childbirth@vmhospital.com or contact Jayne McCormick, RN, Nursing and OB Manger at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.

The Senior Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program provides coupons (or checks) to older individuals for use at farmer’s markets, roadside stands and community-supported agriculture programs for fresh, nutritious, unprepared, locally grown fruits, vegetables, herbs and honey.

Due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, the checks will be distributed through the mail again this year. Those who have received Farmers Market Checks from Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging (NEI3A) in the past will be receiving the required forms in the mail within the next few weeks. Once NEI3A receives the completed forms, the checks will be mailed starting June 1.

Those who have not received Farmers Market Checks in the past and are interested in receiving them should call NEI3A at 1-800-779-8707 and choose option #1.

Eligible participants in the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program must:

Veterans Memorial Hospital is in its 70th year of serving the community.  While the building itself has made many changes, the hospital staff still strives to provide exceptional, compassionate care.

How it All Began… a hospital timeline.
May 22, 1938:  The need for a hospital began with an emergency including seven persons who were seriously injured in a head-on crash near Waukon. The medical office of Drs. Rominger and Jeffries, located above what was Klenske Drug Store and is now Gemini Salon, was immediately furnished with beds so the seven victims could be “hospitalized.”  The medical office continued to serve as the hospital.

1947: The City of Waukon purchased the land for the erection of the first hospital.

Maternity Services patients at Veterans Memorial Hospital will now be allowed to have two visitors at one time visiting a post-partum mother. In addition, any other children in the family will now also be allowed to come in to visit their mom and meet their new brother or sister.

During COVID-19, only the father was allowed to visit the hospital. Now fathers of babies will also be able to come and go from the facility until their child is released from the hospital.

All visitors are still required to screen their temperature when they arrive to the facility and wear a mask.  Anyone with any exposure to or signs or symptoms of COVID-19 will not be allowed to enter the building.  All visitors should enter through the main entrance of the hospital.