Health

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, March 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.

Speakers presenting to the groups this month will include Melanie Bauch, Director of the Northeast Iowa Wellness and Recreation Center in Postville. She will be sharing information about a falls prevention program starting soon in her facility. Falls are the leading cause of injury and injury-related death among adults age 65 and older in Iowa, so this program is very worthwhile in keeping this population in the local area independent and healthy.

The second speaker will be Amanda Pettit, RN and friends of Senior Life Solutions (SLS). This is a new program located right within VMH that promotes mental health and offers counseling for those in need. It is another program designed for those over 65.

Memorials were received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory Mike Foley by Frank and Jean Weymiller; in memory of Julie Halverson by the family of Julie Halverson; in memory of Toni Kolsrud by Gary Kolsrud; in memory of Judy Lonning by Chuck and Lois Votsmier; in memory of Dan Mathis by Rita Mathis, Arlen and Karlene Wonderlich, and Brian and Denise Wullner; and in memory of William “Bill” Moody by Chuck and Lois Votsmier.

Memorials were also received in memory of Walter Kurth, Jr. by Ron and Nancy Adam, Anonymous, Tom and Joan Fritz, Steve and Judy Kurth, Larry and Sharon Snitker, and Chuck and Lois Vostmier.

A donation to the Foundation was also given in honor of Hannah Kelly, NP, by John and Sheryl Prestemon.  

Pulmonary Rehabilitation Week is this week, March 8-14. Local Pulmonary Rehabilitation is a program offered at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) that teaches a person to live and breathe better with chronic lung disease. Conditions such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis, asthma, restrictive lung disease and cystic fibrosis can make doing everyday activities difficult due to shortness of breath and low activity tolerance. Participation in a pulmonary rehab program can help increase strength, manage shortness of breath, decrease anxiety and depression and implement a consistent at-home exercise program.

Senior Life Solutions is a new department opening at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) March 26. They will be providing outpatient services designed to meet the unique needs of individuals, typically 65 and older, experiencing depression and/or anxiety related to life changes often associated with aging. Services include group and individual therapy, medication management and after-care planning.

Services available with Senior Life Solutions are confidential and include comprehensive assessment, group therapy, individual therapy, and family therapy, as well as medication education, medication management in collaboration with our patients primary care provider, and after-care planning.

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) will sponsor the next Babysitting Seminar Friday, April 3, from 9 a.m. to Noon. Corinne Cook, RN, will be leading this class which 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 and boys are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Topics to be covered include fire and personal safety, accident prevention and emergency actions, nutritious snacks and basic care of children.

Each March, the Academy’s National Nutrition Month® (NNM®) campaign brings people together to celebrate how informed food choices and healthy habits can fuel better living. The 2026 theme, “Discover the Power of Nutrition,” highlights the everyday impact nutrition has on helping individuals and communities thrive.

Week 2 Focus : Find Advice Backed by Science
With so much nutrition information online, it’s important to rely on trusted, evidence-based guidance. Choosing science-based advice helps you make safe, effective decisions for your health.
• Look for recommendations from qualified health professionals, such as Registered Dietitian Nutritionists.
• Be cautious of quick fixes or “miracle” claims
• Focus on balanced eating patterns, not fad diets
• Use credible sources when learning about nutrition

Knowledge is power — and when it comes from science, it helps you build habits that truly support lifelong health.

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) will be offering Grandparenting classes again this spring. Corinne Cook, RN, Babysitting Class instructor, will teach the next Grandparenting Class Saturday, April 11 from 9:30 a.m. until Noon. The class will be held in the hospital’s Large Conference Room. 

In these classes, new or soon-to-be grandparents will learn all the new protocols to use when caring for their new grandchild. Some topics covered will include basic baby care, car seat safety, Tylenol/Ibuprofen dosing charts, home safety, poison control information, infant/child CPR, choking and other emergency medical information as well as tips to support parents such as handling the baby blues and postpartum depression. Free-will donations will be accepted to cover the costs of the class.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, March 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, feel free to call  Angie Mettille, RN, Certified Diabetes Educator at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.

Free sport physicals will be offered at the Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Clinic-Postville for all junior high and high school students who need the physical for participating in school sporting events. These will be held at the Postville Clinic on the following dates and times:

• Tuesday, March 10   5-6:30 p.m.
• Thursday, March 19  5-6:30 p.m.

Students are asked to please sign-up for these physicals at the Postville High School Secretary’s office and pick-up a physical form. These forms must be signed by parents prior to the event and brought along to the physical.

Physicals will be performed by Postville Medical Clinic providers. For more information, feel free to contact the Veterans Memorial Hospital Postville Medical Clinic at 563-864-7221.

by Beth Shafer, Growth and Development Coordinator, Veterans Memorial Hospital and Clinics

Over the past eight months, the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation has been touched by the generosity of the Quandahl family, through gifts given in memory of Ozzie and Phyllis Quandahl and the Osmund Quandahl Charitable Unitrust. Phyllis passed away July 1, 2025, followed by Ozzie December 7, 2025. The outpouring of support from friends, neighbors, and even those living far away was truly overwhelming.

When Phyllis passed, Ozzie matched the memorial gifts already received in her honor and even treated hospital staff to a pizza party to show his gratitude for the exceptional care he and Phyllis had received. Ozzie didn’t just send the pizza - he, his daughter, Julie and granddaughter, Jill, joined the staff in the lunchroom, sharing stories, smiles, and a genuine sense of community.