Health

During the winter months, blood donations are especially needed to help prevent a critical blood shortage. Local hospital patients rely on life-saving blood donations from volunteer blood donors. Help is needed to guarantee an adequate blood supply is available at all times.
The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Thursday, March 3 from 12:30-5:30 p.m. The blood drive will be held at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon.
Blood drives are held the first Thursday of every month in Waukon to allow for more donors to give. The LifeServe Blood Center supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital with its blood and blood products. Here are some interesting blood facts from the LifeServe Blood Center:
• Every three seconds someone needs blood.
• Blood makes up about eight percent of a person’s body weight.

Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon began its own Cardiac Rehabilitation unit nearly two decades ago to help fulfill a need in the community - a need that has been and continues to be well utilized.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Half a million people die each year due to this disease. Many people develop symptoms of heart disease when they are in their 40s or 50s, interrupting a most productive time of life. Cardiac Rehabilitation is an important tool in the fight against heart disease. Rehabilitation involves monitored exercise, nutritional counseling, emotional support and education about lifestyle changes to reduce risks of heart problems.

Answers to questions about Medicare can be found by meeting with the Senior Health Insurance  Information Program (SHIIP) volunteers, Russ Hagen and Stan and Mary Straate at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon.
Volunteer Hagen is available many Monday afternoons and Stan and Mary Straate Thursday afternoons at Veterans Memorial Hospital to meet individually with anyone having Medicare questions or concerns. Appointments are required. To make an appointment, call Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.

The flu has hit Iowa, but there is still time for immunization. Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care continues to offer flu shots every Wednesday afternoon during their regular immunization clinics. The next flu shot clinics will be held Wednesday, February 24 from 1-4 p.m. and then again Wednesday, March 2 from 1-6 p.m. and each Wednesday afternoon thereafter. The Community and Home Care Immunization Clinic is located on the upper level of Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon.
Immunization clinics are held from 1-6 p.m. the first and third Wednesdays of the month, and from 1-4 p.m. all other Wednesdays. Flu vaccine, pneumonia vaccine, and a combination of flu and pneumonia vaccine will all be available. Tetanus shots are always offered as well.

The recent Zika Virus outbreak remains a threat to the United States. The local Public Health Office at Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care is staying up to date with the progression of the virus and offers the following advice to anyone traveling to a warmer climate.
“While we may not be at high risk right now in northeast Iowa with our cold climate, many people escape to a warm weather getaway to destinations such as the Caribbean where this disease is becoming more prevalent,” states Sheryl Darling-Mooney, RN and Public Health Supervisor at Veterans Memorial Hospital. “Being knowledgeable about your destination will help you be better prepared to enjoy your trip safely. Utilize reputable websites such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Iowa Department of Public Health, as well as your healthcare provider in providing information to remain safe.”

by Diane Butikofer, RN, ER Supervisor at Veterans Memorial Hospital

The influenza season is in full swing in Iowa, with cases now confirmed in Allamakee County. It’s not too late to get a flu shot. Vaccination now can still provide protection for the remainder of the flu season, which can last as late as May. In addition, simple steps like frequent hand washing and not coughing or sneezing on people can help prevent the spread of influenza. Most importantly, those who are ill should stay home from work or school.
Flu vaccines are developed each year to protect against the three most common flu viruses expected during the influenza season. No vaccine covers all strains or is guaranteed to match 100 percent of the viruses.

February is Heart Month.  Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon is encouraging the public to learn the American Heart Association’s “Hands-Only CPR.” This simple way of performing CPR has proven to be very easy to do and effective for the victim.
According to the American Heart Association, sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death with nearly 400,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occurring annually in the United States.  An average of 89% of people who suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest die because they don’t receive immediate CPR from someone on the scene.
The American Heart Association has found Hands-Only CPR to be as effective as conventional CPR for sudden cardiac arrest at home, at work, or in the public - doubling or even tripling a victim’s chance of survival.

Do you know why school kids get sick so often? In the early school years, your child’s immune system is put to the test. Young children in large groups tend to easily spread organisms that cause illness.
“Many childhood illnesses are caused by viruses,” says Elizabeth Leschensky, family nurse practitioner at Mayo Clinic Health System - Franciscan Healthcare in Waukon. “All it takes is a single child to bring a virus to school for the spread to begin.”
What’s the best way to keep your child healthy in school? Frequent hand washing is the simplest and most effective way to stay healthy. Remind your child to wash his or her hands before eating and after going to the bathroom, blowing his or her nose, or playing outside. Kids should soap up for as long as it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice.
Leschensky suggests these other tips for keeping kids healthy in school:

submitted by the Physical Therapy Department at
Veterans Memorial Hospital