Health

The Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation’s Christmas Fantasy 2016 will be held Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, November 11, 12, 13 and 14 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon. The theme will be “25 Years of Caring and Sharing” in honor of the 25th anniversary of the event.

In addition to the nearly 60 decorated Christmas trees on display, this year’s event will again offer many, many shopping opportunities on the silent auction.
Reservations are now being taken for the popular Saturday evening Wine, Cheese and Dessert Event, and the Noon luncheons. 

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, November 10 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, or Angie Mettille, RN, at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon at 563-568-3411.

The local Grief Support Group will hold its monthly meeting at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon Wednesday, November 9 at 2 p.m. in the Medication Room of the hospital, which is located on the main level. This informal meeting is open to anyone suffering from any type of loss, whether it be death, divorce, illness or some other grief. Feel free to attend and bring a friend. This grief support group meets the second Wednesday of each month at Veterans Memorial Hospital.

Reservations are being taken now for the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation’s 25th  Annual Christmas Fantasy held Friday through Monday, November 11-14 at the Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon. The theme will be “25 Years of Caring and Sharing” in honor of the 25th anniversary of this community-wide event.

Reservations are now being taken for the Saturday and Monday Noon luncheons and the Saturday evening Wine, Cheese and Dessert Event. The luncheons are sponsored by the Allamakee County Cattlemen’s Association, and will be held Saturday, November 12 at Noon and again Monday, November 14 at Noon. A full meal will be served plus entertainment will be provided at both events. All guests will have ample time to view all of the displays. Reservations can be made by calling 563-568-6262.

Veterans Memorial Hospital, in cooperation with Northeast Iowa Community College Business and Community Solutions, will be offering an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) course in Waukon through video conferencing being broadcast from Calmar. This 138-hour course will begin Monday, January 9, 2017, at the NICC Waukon Center.

Areas of study include an introduction to emergency medical services systems, roles and responsibilities of EMTs, anatomy and physiology, medical emergencies, trauma, special considerations for working in the pre-hospital setting, and providing patient transportation.

Veterans Memorial Hospital will be offering a course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for health care providers (those working in health related fields such as physicians, nurses, EMTs, etc.) Monday, November 14, beginning at 5:30 p.m. (Note the change in date, moved from November 7.) This “Health Care Professional” CPR class will be held in the Large Conference Room located on the lower level of the hospital.

All registrants should bring along their own pocket mask. The card received with the course does certify attendants in CPR for two years.

Pre-registration and a minimum of three participants is required. For more information and to register for the “Health Care Provider” CPR Course, call Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411 by November 10.
 

It can cost you money not to review your Medicare Part D coverage. In one hour a SHIIP counselor can complete a review, let you know if you can save money and make sure you have access to the drugs you need in 2017.  SHIIP counselors in Iowa have been saving people money for 25 years. In fact, last year they helped Iowans on Medicare save close to $15 million on Part D drug costs.

Every year Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage plans announce their changes for the next year and Iowans on Medicare can decide if they want to change plans from October 15 to December 7.

Kris Gross from the state of Iowa’s Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) says, “We’re asking everyone to remind family, friends and neighbors about these important dates.

We don’t want anyone to miss the opportunity to make their choice of plans for 2017.”  Plans can change their coverage and costs from year to year, so comparing plans during the open enrollment is critical.

October is National Physical Therapy Month. The Rehabilitation staff at Veterans Memorial Hospital works with people of all ages, helping them to reduce pain and regain strength, independence and health. The Healthy Lifestyles Rehabilitation Center at Veterans Memorial Hospital is fully equipped for all rehabilitation patients with 17 weight machine stations, tread mills, exercise bikes, NuStep and eliptical machines. The five private treatment rooms allow one-on-one evaluation and treatment with the therapists.

Individual Physical Therapy services provided include athletic training, home health, work hardening/conditioning, wellness programs, headache management, lymphodema therapy, and wound care. Now five physical therapists currently serve Veterans Memorial Hospital and the surrounding community, including Amy Robinson, P.T., Rehabilitation Director; Laurel

By Sheryl Darling-Mooney, RN, Public Health Supervisor, VMH 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 you can contact your school if your child is school age.

October is the month to start a Medicare Part D check-up for 2017. Those eligible are reminded to watch their mailbox for news about Medicare drug plans and changes coming next year.     They will be able to enroll in or change their Part D plan for 2017 from October 15 through December 7, 2016.

Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon has Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) counselors available throughout the entire enrollment period.   SHIIP is a free, confidential service of the State of Iowa.  These SHIIP volunteers will be available to meet individually with anyone in the community who wishes to compare the Medicare Part D plans available for 2017.

Appointments are required. Call Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411 to schedule an appointment. Those utilizing the service will need to bring their Medicare card, current Part D plan card and a list of their medications from their pharmacy.