Health

Colon cancer can be easily prevented, yet it remains the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Colon cancer screening tests identify suspicious or pre-cancerous polyps, which can be removed before they develop into a serious health problem.  

There are four main testing options for detecting colon cancer: fecal occult blood test, flexible sigmoidoscopy, barium enema and colonoscopy. Colonoscopies, a very thorough colon cancer test, are performed routinely in the Veterans Memorial Hospital surgical suite with this equipment, and typically take just three hours from start to finish.

Both men and women are at risk for colon cancer.  Personal risk varies, so a patient’s local medical practitioner can help them make informed decisions about when to begin testing and the most appropriate testing method for them.

Pulsara is the new communication system being used by the Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Ambulance staff for fast, quality patient condition updates.   Pulsara allows the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) staff to alert the hospital staff as to the cares needed by the emergency patient so they can best prepare for their arrival at the hospital.

The Pulsara system is a secure, two-way form of communication that can share real-time updates through video, sound recordings, messaging and pictures. The system calls staff in more quickly for the tests they may need at night, such as X-ray, Anesthesia, Lab, etc., all through the use of a cell phone or iPad.  Pulsara is a free, HIPAA-compliant communication platform that bypasses the user’s internal phone memory to ensure the security of all data transferred through the app-based program.

by Jill Fleming, RD/LD, and Brandy Strub, RD/LD, VMH Dietitians

Each year, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics celebrates the month of March as National Nutrition Month. The focus of this campaign is to help you make informed food choices and encourage healthy lifestyle habits. Ideally, you will be reducing your risk of chronic disease and enjoying optimal health.

Since there are so many different diets being talked about in the media, knowing which one is the best can be confusing. Should you avoid all carbohydrates?  Do you need to count calories?  Should you eat six small meals daily or eat only once per day?

How much blood is needed by certain patients? Here are some facts from the LifeServe Blood Center.

• Cancer patients can use up to 8 units of blood a month.
• Bone Marrow Transplant patients can use up to 2 units a day.
• Cardiovascular Surgery patients can use between 2-25 units.
• Liver Transplant patients can use up to 100 units.
• Auto/Trauma Accident patients can use up 5-100 units.
• Premature infants can use up to 1-4 units.
• Burn victims can use up to 20 units of platelets.
• Heart surgery patients can use up to 3-8 units of red cells and 1-10 units of platelets.
• Organ transplant patients can use 10-30 units of blood.

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Monday, April 3 from 12-5 p.m. The blood drive will be held at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon.

March 19-25 is National Poison Prevention Week. Allamakee County Public Health shares the following Poison Prevention Tips compliments of the Iowa Poison Control Center, in observance of National Poison Prevention Week.

Veterans Memorial Hospital Speech-Language Pathologist Steven Mazzafield is now offering a Stroke Support Group for individuals who have experienced a stroke, as well as caregivers and family members affected by stroke.

The stroke support group will be held downstairs in the ICN conference room at Veterans Memorial Hospital the first Thursday of each month at 2 p.m., beginning April 6.

The purpose of the stroke support group is to provide 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 we 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.

Veterans Memorial Hospital will sponsor its next Babysitting Seminars Friday, April 7.  This class will be broken down into two different sessions with a morning session held from 9 a.m. to Noon and an afternoon session from 1-4 p.m.  The same information will be taught at both sessions, so students can sign-up for one session or the other. A total of 20 students will be taken in each session.

Both classes will be held in the Large Conference Room located on the lower level of Veterans Memorial Hospital.

Intended participants are individuals 10 years of age and older who are responsible for their own care after school until their parents come home from work, and individuals who care for other children in or outside of their own home. Girls and boys are welcome and encouraged to attend. Topics covered include fire and personal safety, accident prevention and emergency actions, nutritious snacks and basic care of children.

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) is offering Grandparenting Classes this spring. Corinne Cook, RN, Babysitting Class instructor, will teach the next Grandparenting Class Saturday, April 15 from 9:30 a.m. until Noon. The class will be held in the hospital’s Large Conference Room.

In these classes, new or soon-to-be grandparents will learn all the new protocols to use when caring for their new grandchild. To register, log on to www.veteransmemorialhospital.com or registration can be completed by calling the hospital at 563-568-3411.
 

March is National Athletic Training Month.  Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) has three athletic trainers on staff including Brad Krambeer, ATC, LAT; Austin Troendle, D-PT, ATC, who is also a physical therapist; and Shelly Valley, PT-A, ATC, who is also a physical therapy assistant. These trainers use their variety of skills to rehabilitate athletes, often communicating with physicians to help coordinate the best recovery.

Athletic trainers help treat and prevent injuries for people of all ages from athletes to laborers.  They specialize in the assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of physical injuries to the muscle, ligament and bone, as well as rehabilitation following surgery. Athletic trainers are also key in teaching injury prevention by explaining flexibility exercises, proper use of equipment and applying prevention devices such as tape, bandages and braces.

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) in Waukon, in conjunction with Steven Mazzafield, Speech-Language Pathologist, is pleased to offer a Stroke Support Group for individuals who have experienced a stroke, as well as caregivers and family members affected by stroke. The stroke support group will be held downstairs in the ICN conference room at Veterans Memorial Hospital the first Thursday of each month at 2 p.m., beginning April 6.

The purpose of the stroke support group is to provide 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 we 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.