Health

Flu and Covid Shots are beginning October 7 at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Community and Home Care/Allamakee Public Health. Flu shots are recommended for all those who have not yet received the vaccine and will be effective throughout the rest of the flu season.

Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care will be offering flu and Covid shot clinics all Wednesdays in October, including October 7, 14, 21, and 28. These walk-in clinics will be held from 9-11:30 a.m. at the main entrance of Veterans Memorial Hospital.

Appointments can also be made for afternoon immunizations these same days by calling 563-568-5660. These afternoon by-appointment vaccines will be administered at the Community and Home Care office located at 12 E. Main Street in downtown Waukon.

by Dr. Kristina Thompson, Podiatrist, Veterans Memorial Hospital

Foot pain can commonly be caused by injury, overuse, incorrect footwear or underlying inflammation. Many individuals also suffer from painful neuropathy.

Neuropathy in feet is caused by nerve damage. It often presents with symptoms of burning and tingling pain as well as numbness.  Treatment involves identifying the underlying cause, medication management and lifestyle changes.

Foot pain can often be improved with rest, supportive shoes and stretching/strengthening routines.

For supportive shoes, Dr. Thompson recommends shoes with good arch support and a wide toe box.

Northeast Iowa Mental Health Center (Northeast Iowa Behavioral Health) began providing mental health services in northeast Iowa in May of 1956. In December of 1972 services expanded to include a substance use disorder treatment program. Throughout its history the focus of the agency has been the mission of promoting recovery and quality of life for the residence of northeast Iowa.

Join NEIBH in celebrating 70 years October 15, for their annual meeting and open house honoring employees and their commitment to our mission. The Annual Meeting begins at 12:30 p.m. at the main office, 905 Montgomery Street, Decorah.

The Open House is from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Feel free to join NEIBH in recognizing the dedication and hard work of their employees over the last 70 years.

Northeast Iowa Behavioral Health is a private non-profit organization licensed and accredited by the State of Iowa and CARF. NEIBH is a safety net provider for all individuals seeking assistance.

September is Suicide Prevention Month. Veterans Memorial Hospital’s (VMH) Senior Life Solutions (SLS) program recommends having a safety plan to serve as a personalized, written guide for responding when distress increases. It is usually developed with a counselor or health care professional.

A safety plan should include coping strategies, people or places that provide support or distraction, a list of trusted people who can help, contact information for clinicians, crisis services and emergency care as well as steps for creating a safer home environment.

The plan should reflect the individual’s circumstances and preferences. It can be kept in an accessible place, such as near the phone, in a wallet or with other important health information. With the older adult’s permission, a family member or caregiver can learn the plan and help carry out the agreed-upon steps.

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital will be holding a Pillow Perk Monday, October 19, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Lower Level of Veterans Memorial Hospital. Kraft Pillow Service will be on site to make old pillows look like new.

Everyone is encouraged to bring in their feather pillows to the Pillow Perk to be cleaned, sanitized and given new ticking. Foam and Dacron pillows may also be renovated by this process. People can also bring in their feather beds and have them made into new pillows.

The pillows are cleaned and renovated the same day and ready for pick up by 3 p.m. 

For more information, feel free to call Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.

September is Newborn Screening Awareness and Baby Safety Month. Being sure to schedule  newborn well-child visits following the baby’s birth is very important, according to Nurse Midwife and Nurse Practitioner, Katy Maker, at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Clinics.

“Well-child exams create an environment where the parents can develop a relationship with a primary care provider who will be there for them and their child throughout their child’s growth and development,” states Maker. “It’s important to feel that you can trust the medical advice that you get from your child’s healthcare provider because these days we get bombarded with a lot of information through the Internet and it is hard to filter.”

Well-baby check-ups are encouraged at the following visits: 1-month, 2-month, 4-month, 6-month, 9-month, 12-month, 15-month, 18-month, 2-year, 30-month and at three years. 

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

The local Grief Support Group will again be holding their monthly meeting at Veterans Memorial Hospital Thursday, October 1, from 5-6 p.m. in the Meditation Healing Center, located just inside the main entrance of the hospital. Nancy Haberichter will be facilitating the meeting.

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 will continue meeting the first Thursday of each month at Veterans Memorial Hospital.
 

An open house will be hosted Thursday, September 24, for all area communities to attend at the new Postville Medical Clinic. The clinic will then open for patients the following Monday, September 28. Postville Clinic staff will host the open house from 4:30-6:30 p.m.  The new Postville Clinic is located in the former Upper Explorerland building at 134 West Greene Street, right next door to the current clinic location.   

Postville Clinic Trivia and giveaways will be offered throughout the night, along with complimentary blood pressure checks, blood sugar/diabetes tests and hemoglobin tests, all with immediate results. In addition, flu shots will also be offered for all adults attending the open house which is planned during the final Postville Farmer’s Market event for the season.

Tours of the new facility will be given by the clinic staff including Medical Assistants Selena Perez and Sandy Lopez, and Alisha Henderson, RN. 

September is Pain Awareness Month. Many individuals suffer from ongoing pain, thinking it will eventually go away, or that there are no options other than surgery.

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) began offering a Pain Management Clinic to the area communities nearly two years ago, which continues to be a successful option in treating ongoing pain.

Shawn Blake, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, originally of Dorchester, began offering his services to provide relief for patients with chronic pain, in October 2024, just one day per month. That demand quickly grew to two days per month and now will be offered three days per month.