Health

Veterans Memorial Hospital’s Diabetes Self-Management Education Program will again be offering a free educational program on “Diabetes Prevention.”  The hospital’s diabetes staff will be hosting a program in Monona Monday, September 29 at the Monona Community Center from 6-7:30 p.m.  Teresa Myers, RN, Certified Diabetes Educator, and Shelby Byrnes, RD/LD, Dietitian, will be teaching all those attending how to reduce the risk of getting Type 2 diabetes.
Pre-Diabetes is a condition that comes before Type-2 diabetes when blood glucose (sugar) levels are higher than normal but aren’t high enough to be called diabetes. It is a silent disease, meaning someone can have it without even knowing it. Cutting back on calories and fat, being physically active and losing weight can reverse pre-diabetes and therefore delay or prevent Type-2 diabetes.

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital  and Elliott Jewelers of Waukon will be hosting the tenth annual Women’s Health Day wellness event and luncheon  Tuesday, September 30 at the Waukon Banquet Center. Women of all ages are invited to attend any part of this educational event, which begins at 11 a.m. with a wellness fair offering a variety of free health tests and information, and a salad luncheon and program held from Noon to 1 p.m. Those able to take a longer lunch break may enjoy the free health testing and vendors available from 11 a.m. to 12 noon and again following the luncheon program.  To honor one-hour lunch breaks, participants are also invited to attend just the program and luncheon, which will be held to one hour.

Christmas Fantasy decorators are needed to decorate trees, miniature trees, doors, gift baskets, centerpieces and tables at the 2014 Christmas Fantasy to be held  Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, November 14, 15, 16 and 17 at the Allamakee Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon. This year’s theme is “Let It Be Christmas.”
Christmas tree decorators are needed to decorate artificial trees for display during the Fantasy. These tree decorators may set up prior to the event and will then take all of their decorations and display home again following the event.
Miniature tree, door, gift basket and centerpiece decorators are also needed who are willing to decorate an item that will be donated and sold by silent auction during the Fantasy. Quilters and crafters are also asked to display their talents in any variety of quilted or crafted items that can be offered for sale at the event.

Veterans Memorial Hospital, in cooperation with Northeast Iowa Community College, will be offering an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) course in Waukon. This 160-hour course will begin in mid-October at Veterans Memorial Hospital.
The class will meet at Veterans Memorial Hospital in the Large Conference Room two nights per week, Mondays and Thursdays, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. each night. Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to volunteer on their own community’s ambulance service or rescue squad, as well as respond to their own emergency situations and provide quality emergency care.

Veterans Memorial Hospital will be sponsoring the 21st annual 5K Cardiac Classic Run/Walk in conjunction with Waukon’s Corn Day Celebration again this year. The event will be held in Waukon Saturday, August 16 at 8 a.m. with registration beginning at 7 a.m. at the south east entrance to Veterans Memorial Hospital. “Walk ins” are welcome to attend the event that day, even if they have not pre-registered.
The event will be broken down into two categories, a run and a walk. The distance of both events is 5K (3.1 miles) and will begin at the southeast entrance to Veterans Memorial Hospital, tour the northeast and southeast side of Waukon and return to the hospital  (refer to route map at right),

 The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital has announced that it will be offering two full scholarships for individuals from the community to attend the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) course to beheld this fall at Veterans Memorial Hospital.
There is a need for more EMTs in the area so the hospital Auxiliary, in an effort to help recruit, will pay the Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) college credit fee for two individuals this upcoming school year. The course will be taught in Waukon at Veterans Memorial Hospital two evenings per week. Some classes are held at NICC, plus, as part of the training, some hours are required at other medical facilities outside of Veterans Memorial Hospital. The course will begin in mid-September and conclude in April. A written and practical exam are then required, with licenses being awarded to all those with passing grades in both categories.

Veterans Memorial Hospital will be offering free blood sugar testing with immediate results during the Waukon Corn Days celebration Friday, August 15. The tests will be performed in the hospital’s first aid tent located in the Waukon State Bank parking lot from 4:30-7:30 p.m.
Veterans Memorial Hospital Massage Therapist, Edna Wyninger, will also be on site to offer free chair massages during that time.

The hospital will be holding a 5K Run/Walk at 8 a.m. the next morning as well.  Registration begins at 7 a.m.
For more information on these activities, call Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.

by Diane Allison, R.N., Certified Lactation Consultant, Maternity Services Supervisor

Veterans Memorial Hospital will be sponsoring the 21st annual 5K Cardiac Classic Run/Walk Saturday, August 16 in conjunction with the Waukon Corn Days celebration. The event welcomes walkers and runners of all ages. It will begin at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon at 8 a.m. with registration beginning at 7 a.m.
The event will be broken down into two categories - a run and a walk. The distance of both events is 5K (3.1 miles) and will begin just outside the south east entrance to the hospital.

Veterans Memorial Hospital will be offering a variety of free health tests and education at the 2014 Allamakee County Fair. Testing and educational materials will change daily and will include the following schedule:
• Wednesday, July 16, 6-10 p.m. - Free cholesterol testing by Machelle Bulman, R.N., Education Coordinator.
• Thursday, July 17, 4-7 p.m. - Massages by certified massage therapist Edna Wyninger.
• Friday, July 18, 4-8 p.m. - Free blood sugar and diabetes testing by Teresa Myers, R.N., Certified Diabetes Educator.
• Saturday, July 19, 4-8 p.m. - Free blood sugar and diabetes testing.
• Sunday, July 20, 12 noon -4 p.m. - Free blood pressure checks by the Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care Nurses.
Veterans Memorial Hospital will also be offering a hand washing challenge to all adults and children attending the fair. Participation prizes will be awarded.