Health

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Monday, December 4, from 12-5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon.

The Flu and COVID vaccines continue to be offered each Wednesday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Hospital 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.

According to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, flu vaccines are proven to help prevent millions of illnesses and have been shown to reduce the risk of having to go to the doctor by 40-60%. COVID-19 vaccines help protect by creating an antibody response without having to experience potentially severe illness or post-COVID conditions. Although it is still possible to get sick after being vaccinated, flu and COVID immunizations are proven to help prevent severe illness, which can be lifesaving.

The month of November is National Home Care Month. Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care (Allamakee County Public Health) travels the entire Allamakee County area and beyond offering adults the assistance they need to remain living in their homes, as long as possible.

Registered nurses and trained home care aides offer a variety of services including nursing visits, medication set-up and administration, dressing cares, IVs, catheter and colostomy cares, overseeing rehabilitation in-home programs and assistance with personal cares.  RN staff is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The number of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) in this area has dwindled over the years as licensed EMTs have retired. Allamakee and northern Clayton Counties are fortunate to have many emergency response services, but nearly all of them are in need of more EMTs on their service to share the call time, ensuring local emergency services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Jamie Melcher of Harpers Ferry is an EMT and states, “I became an EMT to assist our great crew in helping our community when they need it most. I continue to be an EMT because it feels good seeing the relief and reassurance on people’s faces when we arrive.”

The 2023 Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation’s Christmas Fantasy drew many Grinch fans to the events and viewing of the large numbers of Christmas trees and silent auction items on display. The event was held last weekend, November 10-13, at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon, and was a huge success thanks to all of the overwhelming community involvement.

A near record number of auction items were donated to this year’s Fantasy by area businesses and individuals. The 115 auction items were displayed and auctioned on a silent auction bid to the highest bidder Monday night at 7 p.m.

Trees on display during this 32nd annual Foundation Fantasy highlighted nearly 50 full-size Christmas Trees decorated by individuals, businesses and many groups around the area. Many individuals worked, served and donated to this community celebration.

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH), together with Helping Services of Northeast Iowa, will be offering the ‘Baby and Me - The Basics’ class Tuesday evening, January 2, from 4-8:30 p.m. in the hospital’s Large Conference Room.

Helping Services’ Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians, Barb Fjelstul and Rachel Weber, will teach the basics about how to correctly secure children in their car seat and getting the seat secured in the vehicle. Barb Fjelstul, also a breast-feeding educator, will guide participants through the challenges and rewards of breast-feeding and provide techniques to ensure baby is getting the most benefit from nursing.

The next LifeServe Blood Center Blood Drive will be held Monday, December 4, from 12-5 p.m., at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon. Blood drives are held every month in Waukon to allow for more donors to give. The LifeServe Blood Center supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) with its blood and blood products.

The Blood Center is seeking donors to ensure a safe and plentiful blood supply in Iowa. Because there is no substitute for human blood, the need for donors is continuous, and is especially important over the holidays.

Over half of the United States population is eligible to donate blood, yet less than four percent donate on a regular basis. A single donation of blood can be used to save up to three lives and help in treatment of cancer patients, accident victims, hemophiliacs and surgery patients. The LifeServe Blood Center is committed to serving the needs of Iowans by saving lives through volunteer blood donation.

Helping Services for Youth & Families will be hosting a “Learning About Vaping” training session Tuesday, November 28 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in Decorah. The training session will be facilitated by Kathy Schwartzhoff of Helping Services and can be attended in person at the Helping Services office at 805 East Main Street in Decorah, or virtually at www.bit.ly/vaping-training23.

Pre-registration for the session can also be completed at that online link. Everyone is invited to attend this training.

Those attending the training session will learn about the following:
• Local rates of youth use
• Popular vaping devices
• Concerns about using these products
• Warning signs of use
• Prevention efforts in the area
• Resources
• Hear from special guest Jen Rose, Advanced Certified Prevention Specialist.

The number of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) in this area has dwindled over the years as licensed EMTs have retired. Allamakee and northern Clayton counties are fortunate to have many emergency response services, but nearly all of them are in need of more EMTs on their service to share the call time, ensuring local emergency services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Brittany Darling, EMT, is the training officer for Lansing Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and will soon be the director of that service. She explains why she became an EMT and why there is a need for more in the area.

“I have been an EMT now for nine years,” Brittany shared. “I became interested in the health care field when I was very young, so I became a nurse and an EMT. I don’t remember seeing EMS recruiting for more help like we have been the past couple years, but I was asked by New Albin Fire Department to join their service as my husband was a firefighter with NAFD.

An additional walk-in clinic for the flu and COVID vaccines will be offered Wednesday, November 15 at Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care/Allamakee Public Health. Anyone is welcome to walk-in without an appointment to receive either or both of these vaccines.  This clinic will be held from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at the main entrance of the hospital.