Health

Veterans Memorial Hospital and Clinics invite any members of the public to attend one of two scheduled public meetings, beginning this week, to discuss the plans for the renovation of the new Postville Medical Clinic. Meetings will be held this Wednesday, October 1, and again Thursday, October 9, both at 5:30 p.m. at the Northeast Iowa Wellness and Recreation Center in Postville. 

The current Postville Medical Clinic is located at 124 W. Greene Street. The proposed new location is right next door, to the west, at the former Upper Explorerland Building. The new project will have an additional three exam rooms for a total of five, plus a new procedure room and lab area. There will also be a new behavioral health clinic area for private consultations in a more comfortable, confidential atmosphere.

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) welcomes Hannah (Gesing) Kelly, Nurse Practitioner, to their health care team serving clinic patients in both the Waukon and Postville Clinic locations. Kelly will be seeing patients in the Waukon Clinic Wednesdays and Thursdays and will care for patients at the Postville Clinic Mondays and Tuesdays.

Kelly grew up on a family livestock and crop farm south of Waukon. After her college graduation, she began her nursing career at St. Mary’s Hospital (Mayo) in Rochester on a progressive care unit, caring for vascular surgery and cardiac medical patients. After 6 years, she changed roles to a procedural sedation nurse in Interventional Radiology at Mayo. The past two years, she has been closer to home, working in the OR as a surgical nurse at WinnMed in Decorah, while finishing her family nurse practitioner master’s program.

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) will be holding a Pillow Perk Monday, October 13, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Lower Level of Veterans Memorial Hospital. Kraft Pillow Service will be on site to make old pillows look like new.

Everyone is encouraged to bring in their feather pillows to the Pillow Perk to be cleaned, sanitized and given new ticking. Foam and Dacron pillows may also be renovated by this process. People are also encouraged to bring in their feather beds and have them made into new pillows.

For more information, call Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.

It has often been said that babies should come with an instruction book or maybe an app! There are a lot of unknowns when baby comes into the world, but it’s very reassuring that there are excellent tests that can identify problems that are not apparent on a basic physical exam. These tests can reveal conditions that need intervention for baby to achieve their optimum health and enjoy all the opportunities in this life. They are performed within the first few days of life as a group of three different tests with excellent follow-up and care if a problem is identified.

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Monday, October 6, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon. The LifeServe Blood Center supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) with their blood and blood products.
Here are some interesting blood facts from the Blood Center of Iowa:

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) and Clinics invite any members of the public to attend one of two scheduled public meetings to discuss the plans for the renovation of the new Postville Medical Clinic. Meetings will be held Wednesday, October 1, and again Thursday, October 9, both at 5:30 p.m. at the Northeast Iowa Wellness and Recreation Center in Postville.

There are many reasons to establish a new clinic, but the most pressing is the lack of space to accommodate the growing number of patients seeking care each day. Patient load has grown from two up to 16 patients per day and the clinic can longer advertise walk-in patients.

Flu Shots are beginning October 1 at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Community and Home Care/Allamakee Public Health.  Flu shots are recommended for all those who have not yet received the vaccine and will be effective throughout the rest of the flu season.

Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care will be offering flu shot clinics all Wednesdays in October, including October 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29. Walk-in clinics will be held from 9-11:30 a.m. and appointments can be made for immunizations those afternoons by calling 563-568-5660.

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial (VMH) Hospital will be holding a Pillow Perk Monday, October 13, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Lower Level of Veterans Memorial Hospital. Kraft Pillow Service will be on site to make old pillows look like new.

Everyone is encouraged to bring in their feather pillows to the Pillow Perk to be cleaned, sanitized and given new ticking. Foam and Dacron pillows may also be renovated by this process. People can also bring in their feather beds and have them made into new pillows.

For more information, call Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.

The Waukon Lions Club has once again shown its commitment to community health by donating funds to the Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Diabetes Education program.

The contribution will help expand resources for patients living with diabetes, offering them greater access to educational materials, continuous glucose monitoring supplies, support classes, and one-on-one guidance from certified diabetes educators.

“Managing diabetes takes knowledge and support, and this donation will help us provide both,” said Angie Mettille, Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES), who expressed gratitude for the Lions Club’s generosity. “We are proud to partner with community organizations that care so deeply about improving the health of our neighbors.”

As warm weather brings more of us outdoors, encounters with bees become more common, leading to an increase in bee sting incidents. While most bee stings cause only minor discomfort, understanding how to respond effectively is crucial, especially for children and individuals with allergies.

Bee stings occur when a bee injects venom through its stinger into the skin, causing pain, redness and swelling. For most people, these symptoms are temporary and manageable at home. However, some individuals may experience severe allergic reactions requiring immediate medical attention.

Samantha Knox, MD, a pediatric allergist with Emplify Health by Gundersen, says awareness and preparedness are important.

“Bee stings can be more than just a painful nuisance, especially for those with known allergies. Recognizing the signs of a severe reaction and knowing how to respond can be lifesaving.”