Health

The Schaller family of Waukon recently donated a painting entitled “The Doctor” to Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon, according to the wishes of the late artist, Les PurDue, formerly of Waukon.

PurDue painted this replica in 1970 when he lived in Waukon, working at Northern Engraving. His wife, Kay, was an RN at Veterans Memorial Hospital. When the PurDues moved away from Waukon a few years later, he gave this original painting to his friends, Chuck and Meg Schaller, to enjoy and eventually give to Veterans Memorial Hospital one day.

The Schaller family enjoyed this replica of the very renowned painting for many years. They recently had it reframed and donated it to Veterans Memorial Hospital, as PurDue had requested many years earlier.

The annual Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) membership drive is now on. The members of the Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital are actively recruiting new and returning members to join them during this annual membership drive.

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital is devoted to providing the hospital, its patients and visitors with many services. In addition to their annual membership drive, they host the following events each year: the Women’s Health Day which will be held Tuesday, September 24; the feather pillow Pillow Perk, as well as their spring garage sale, all in addition to the gift case items located just inside the main entrance to the hospital.

by Sheryl Darling-Mooney, RN, Public Health Supervisor at Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care

One of the tasks each year parents experience is getting their children’s immunizations up to date. Common questions include: What is my child’s immunization status? Are they caught up? What do they need?  What is that one for?

If you do not have a current immunization record for your child there are a few different ways you can get one. You can obtain a copy from the facility where your child received their immunizations, you can contact your local public health department, or contact your school if your child is school age.

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Monday, August 5, from 12-5 p.m., at the First Baptist Church located in south Waukon. Blood drives are held the first Monday of each month in Waukon, to allow for more donors to give. The LifeServe Blood Center supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital with its blood and blood products.

Blood centers across the United States see a decrease in blood donations during the busy summer months. During the summer, people become more active, have busier schedules, spend more time outdoors and take vacations.

While donations decline, hospitals see an increase in the need for blood. More driving can mean more automobile accidents. A person who has suffered severe injuries from an automobile accident can need up to 50 units of blood.

Those who think mosquitoes are peskier this summer than they have been the past couple of years are probably not alone. But that doesn’t mean outdoor adventures have to end with a dozen itchy red bumps on a person’s body.

With the frequent rain events already this summer, mosquito activity is high, according to Gundersen Health System wellness education specialist Katie Jensen. That’s because mosquitoes find their best breeding grounds in standing water such as flowerpots, buckets filled with rainwater and kiddie pools. Making sure pots and buckets are emptied and pools are covered are the best ways to keep mosquito activity at bay.

“Mosquitoes are pretty weak fliers, so with the moving water, it doesn’t really give them that good of a chance to get near the water and lay their eggs and have a calm environment to hatch,” Jensen says.

Visitors to the Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Fair Booth this year will be invited to play Allamakee County Trivia, being asked about the wide variety of resources that are now all offered through the new Allamakee County Public Health Resource Guide.  Prizes will be awarded, provided by Veterans Memorial Hospital and the Mental Health Today-Matt Howe Foundation, that will promote the future use of this guide. The game is open to all ages.

Free sports physicals will be offered one more time, Wednesday, July 24, at the Veterans Memorial Hospital Clinic-Waukon for all junior high and high school students who need the physical for participating in the 2024-2025 school sporting events.  

This clinic will include all necessary documentation, including a concussion screening, for participation in all school activities.  Physicals are scheduled in one-hour segments. The clinic staff will not be administering vaccines during this time.  If those are needed for students, call the clinic at 563-568-5530 to schedule an appointment.

Students in area schools were emailed a Google document (2024 Athletic Physicals) to sign-up for a time slot for this free clinic. Parent emails will not work for sign-up so students will need to sign-up for a time slot that works best for them or the family.

For more information, contact the local middle school or high school secretaries for assistance.

Patient-centered care is the priority at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) and Clinics. VMH invites patients and community members to join the new Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC). The PFAC offers a direct pathway for patients and caregivers to contribute to the healthcare services that Veterans Memorial Hospital offers and drive meaningful change in the healthcare facilities.

What is a PFAC? A PFAC brings together patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals to collaborate on improving healthcare services. Members are asked to provide insights on quality improvement, patient safety, new programing, and education.

“We feel this council will provide us with very high quality feedback to help us continually improve our quality of care and strengthen the lines of communication between patients, families, healthcare providers, and staff,” states Miranda Bieber, RN, Quality Coordinator and Co-Chair of the Patient Family Advisory Council.

from Allamakee Public Health and the Public Health Collaborative

As temperatures increase this summer, stay informed and prepared for extreme heat conditions. Heat-related illnesses occur when a person’s body temperature rises faster than it can cool itself down. Many factors can increase body temperature including dehydration, living and working in spaces without air conditioning and intense physical activity.  Knowing what actions to take if experiencing heat-related illness is essential during extreme heat.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will not hold a regular meeting in July, but will resume its monthly meetings in August.

For more information on the Diabetes Support Group, call Angie Mettille, RN, Diabetes Educator, at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.