Health

Iowans encouraged to walk more and also connect more

The Healthiest State Initiative’s seventh annual statewide walk, presented by Delta Dental of Iowa, takes place Wednesday, October 4 and the Healthiest State Initiative is asking Iowans to #GetYourWalkOn in Waukon and walk for 30 minutes, not just October 4 but every day. The goal of this year’s walk is to have walks organized and registered in all 99 counties of Iowa.

“We all know that walking is one of the best ways to stay healthy but it’s also one of the best ways to connect with others,” said Jami Haberl, executive director for the Healthiest State Initiative. “Through walking with your friends, family or co-workers, you get to catch up, move your body and refresh your mind while building strong social connections.”

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital, together with Elliott Jewelers of Waukon, will be hosting its 13th annual Women’s Health Day wellness event and luncheon Tuesday, September 26 at the Waukon Banquet Center. All ages are invited to attend this educational event, beginning at 11 a.m. with a wellness fair offering a variety of free health tests and information, and a salad luncheon and program held from Noon to 1 p.m.

Tickets are available at Veterans Memorial Hospital and Elliott Jewelers. Tickets will also be available at the door, until the event is sold out. The proceeds from this event will be used to help purchase the new digital 3D mammography machine at Veterans Memorial Hospital, which will be the first one of its kind in northeast Iowa.

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Monday, October 9, from 12-5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon. The LifeServe Blood Center supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital with its blood and blood products.

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

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, September 21 at 10 a.m. The meeting will be held at Veterans Memorial Hospital in the Large Conference Room, located on the lower level of the hospital.

This diabetes class is open to everyone who has diabetes or has a friend or loved one with diabetes. For more information on the Diabetes Support Group, call Teresa Myers, RN, C.D.E., Diabetes Educator, or Angie Mettille, RN, at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.
 

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital will be holding its monthly Euchre Marathon for all individuals of the community interested Thursday, September 21. Men and women are welcome to attend, even if they are not members of the Auxiliary. The Auxiliary’s Euchre marathons are held the third Thursday of each month at the Senior Citizens Room at the Waukon Wellness Center.

The Auxiliary’s Euchre Marathons begin at 11:30 a.m. with dinner if chosen.  Call Northland Agency on Aging at 877-838-8077 if choosing to eat dinner. Card playing will follow at 12:30 p.m. until approximately 2:30 p.m. Anyone wishing to stay and play cards following the Senior Citizens meal is more than welcome to do so. The cost is $3.00 per person with all proceeds going towards the Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital.  Prizes will be awarded.

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of LaVon Kaeser by Gordon and Darlene Kaeser, Jr.; in memory of Bernice Schafer by Claude Schafer; in memory of Nicklas Denny (Dr. Wiley’s grandson) by Mary Axmear; in memory of Robert Halverson by Craig and Barb Lensing; and in memory of Idella Bresnahan by Lyle and Marilyn Larson and Jim and Jill Kiesau.

Memorials were also received in memory of Jean Pufahl by Dave and Suzanne Hahn, Joan Bieber, Bob and Linda Thompson, Kay Carter, Gayle Larkin, Ray and Lorraine Mitchell and Ron and Nancy Adams.
In addition, memorials were received in memory of Earl Waters by Robert and Judy Iseli, Patsy Kerndt and Iris Waters.

Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon will be opening its new Monona Clinic this week, Tuesday, September 12. Dr. Andrea Venteicher will be the sole provider at the clinic until the nurse practitioner arrives in November. Then both providers will work providing family medical care at the clinic, which will be open five days per week.

“I am so excited to have this opportunity to serve the Monona area, in addition to my long-term patients from the Waukon area,” states Dr. Andrea Venteicher. “The positive energy and welcoming spirit I have already experienced from this community reinforced my belief that this clinic is needed and wanted by the area, and will be a huge success!”

The Monona Clinic will host four full exam rooms, allowing each provider to room patients in two rooms each. Tentatively, mornings will be reserved for acute patients with afternoons reserved for regular check-ups.  

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital, together with Elliott Jewelers of Waukon, will be hosting the 13th annual Women’s Health Day wellness event and salad luncheon Tuesday, September 26 at the Waukon Reception and Banquet Center. All ages are invited to attend this educational event, beginning at 11 a.m. with a wellness fair offering a variety of free health tests and information, and a salad luncheon and program held from Noon to 1 p.m.

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital will be holding its monthly Euchre Marathon for all individuals of the community interested Thursday, September 21. Men and women are welcome to attend, even if not an Auxiliary member. The Euchre marathons are held the third Thursday of each month at the Senior Citizens Room at the Waukon Wellness Center.

The Auxiliary’s Euchre Marathons begin at 11:30 a.m. with dinner if chosen.  Call Northland Agency on Aging at 877-838-8077 if choosing to eat dinner. Card playing will follow at 12:30 p.m. until approximately 2:30 p.m. Anyone wishing to stay and play cards following the Senior Citizens meal is more than welcome to do so. The cost is $3.00 per person with all proceeds going towards the Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital.  Prizes will be awarded.

Anyone interested in attending, but preferring to play Bridge is also welcome to join in. It is asked that they come with their own table of four players, however.

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Betty DeBuhr by JoAnn Peake, Marv and Marge Strike, Roger and Jeanette Ruegnitz, Jim and Margo Sweeney, Jim and Linda Ryan, Dave and Laurie Martin, Carl and Betty Christianson, Richard and Joan Leiran, Timothy and Camille Helgeson, Jane Butler, Marlys Leiran, Gayle and Carol Decker, Dale and Ann Rademaker, Dave and Gail Prestemon, Bill and Beth Shafer, Jerry and Linda Siegrist, Kay Zimmerman, Bill and Shirley Schneeberger, Tom and Karen Regan, JoAnne Larson, Marian Smedsrud, Lois Evans, Russ and Mary Jo Meyer, Dean and Lynn Sorenson, Bob and Julia Rotach, Mary Anne Otting, Bernice Thies, Dr. Bill and Libby Withers, Jane Dietrich, Lucille Hanson, Jan Helgeson, RC Trucking-Bob and Carol Christianson, Dennis and Nancy Sweeney, Rick and Joni Voshart, Ed and Chris Laurerman, Jr., Roger and Lynn Ellefson, Dr.