Health

The 19th annual “Family Wellness Fair” was held Wednesday, May 11 at Veterans Memorial Hospital.  Over 350 individuals attended the wellness fair despite the rainy weather and enjoyed all the information and activities provided by over 45 agencies and businesses that serve Allamakee and northern Clayton counties. 

Veterans Memorial Hospital sponsored a health fair at the event and offered many free health tests, assessments and information throughout the evening.  Both the Mayo Waukon Clinic and Gundersen Waukon Clinic were in attendance as well.  Nutritious snacks were offered compliments of the hospital’s Nutrition Services department.

Veterans Memorial Hospital will sponsor a Babysitting Seminar on Saturday, June 4, from 8:30 - Noon.  The class 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 are not the sole baby-sitters in this society. Boys are also welcome and encouraged to attend.

For most women, taking nine months off to rest while pregnant is not a possibility. Women often plan to work right up to their due date in order to get the most time possible with their baby during maternity leave. But working during pregnancy isn’t always easy.

“In order to stay healthy and productive on the job, it’s helpful to understand how to alleviate common pregnancy discomforts,” says Benjamin Nesseim, M.D., family physician at Mayo Clinic Health System – Franciscan Healthcare in Waukon.

Feeling nauseous at work is a common pregnancy discomfort. To keep the nausea at bay, avoid things that trigger that sick feeling in your stomach and snack often. Keep a stash of crackers or other bland food at your desk.

Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon generates 193 jobs that add $10,699,598 to the Allamakee and northern Clayton county economy, according to the latest study by the Iowa Hospital Association (IHA).  In addition, Veterans Memorial Hospital employees by themselves spend $1,905,146 on retail sales and contribute $114,309 in state sales tax revenue.

“We take seriously our responsibility of being a part of the local economy,” states Mike Myers, Chief Executive Officer of Veterans Memorial Hospital. “Our decision making process is centered around remaining viable while continuing to provide quality care close to home.”

by Karen Collins, MS, RDN, CDN, FAND

Q: I just read how much fiber is recommended. How can I get enough without taking supplements?

A: It’s not always easy to do, but you can start with focusing on fiber-rich, low-calorie plant foods like vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Make a goal to include these at every meal and the fiber begins to add up. Aim to eat five servings (2 1/2 - 3 cups) of vegetables and fruits plus three servings of whole grains and you’ll be on your way to the recommended amount of fiber – close to 21 grams. Depending on overall calorie needs, most adults should be aiming for 25 to 35 grams of fiber per day.

You can make a difference by making a life-saving blood donation at the next Waukon Community Blood Drive.  The next blood drive will take place on Thursday, May 5, from Noon to 5:00 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon.

Donating blood is safe, simple and it saves lives.  Blood donors have a unique opportunity to contribute to their community by making a life-saving blood donation.  Everyone who registers to donate blood goes through four simple steps during the donation process:  registration, donor history and mini-physical, blood donation and snacks.

New blood donors who are not familiar with the blood donation process are encouraged to ask questions before, during and after their blood donation.  Below are a few tips for ensuring a successful donation:

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, May 19, at 10 a.m.  The meeting will be held at Veterans Memorial Hospital in the Large Conference Room, located on the lower level of the hospital.

This diabetes class is open to everyone who has diabetes or has a friend or loved one with diabetes.  For more information on the Diabetes Support Group, call Teresa Myers, RN, C.D.E., Diabetes Educator, at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 568-3411.
 

The local Grief Support Group will hold its monthly meeting at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon Wednesday, May 11 at 2 p.m. in the ICN Conference Room of the hospital, which is located on the lower level. This informal meeting is open to anyone suffering from any type of loss, whether it be death, divorce, illness or some other grief.

Those attending should feel free to bring a friend. This grief support group meets the second Wednesday of each month at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon.
 

by Tami Gebel, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist at
Veterans Memorial Hospital

Springtime has finally arrived, and many people are anxious to be out in the yard planting their gardens.  Gardening can be a very rewarding hobby or past-time, even therapeutic to the mind and soul. However, when the physical tasks become too painful or difficult, many people find that having a garden is more of a chore.

Occupational therapists work daily with people to ensure that no matter the physical limitations, disabilities, disease or injury that those people have, they can still participate in the activities that they love and enjoy. One of the roles of an occupational therapist is to develop strategies, compensations or modifications so that people are not hindered by their aches, pains or physical limitations in order to participate in their favorite activities. Here are some tips to help make gardening less of a chore:

This is National Laboratory Week. The Veterans Memorial Hospital Laboratory staff has announced that beginning May 9, the week of National Hospital Week, they will begin offering wellness testing to the community.  Veterans Memorial Hospital has begun offering this service to help accommodate those individuals with rising health insurance premiums and deductibles that would forgo these important tests due to the cost.

Individuals now have the option from a menu of wellness tests during select hours.  While these tests do not take the place of regular medical care, they are a tool for patients to monitor their own health and wellness.

Anyone in the community will now be able to walk into the lab between the hours of 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. and request any of a number of tests, all without a physician’s order.  Results are then mailed to the individual within five business days.