Health

Did you know one in seven people entering the hospital will need blood?

Attend the next LifeServe Blood Center Blood Drive to be held Monday, December 5 from 12-5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon. Blood drives are held once per month. The LifeServe Blood Center supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital with its blood and blood products.

The LifeServe Blood Center is seeking donors to ensure a safe and plentiful blood supply in Iowa. Because there is no substitute for human blood, the need for donors is continuous.

Over half of the United States population is eligible to donate blood, yet less than four percent donate on a regular basis. A single donation of blood can be used to save up to three lives and help in treatment of cancer patients, accident victims, hemophiliacs and surgery patients. The LifeServe Blood Center is committed to serving the needs of Iowans by saving lives through volunteer blood donation.

As the elderly population continues to grow and individuals desire to remain independent in their own homes for as long as possible, home health care will continue to be a driving force in health care delivery in the next century.

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Community and Home Care is a locally-based home health care agency serving Allamakee and the surrounding counties. Registered nurses and certified home care aides travel the Allamakee County area and beyond to offer assistance to individuals who wish to remain in their homes for as long as possible, or need some assistance while they are recovering from an illness or recent surgery, oftentimes after being hospitalized.

Cheri White of Waukon has been receiving home health services since 2013 following a significant health event.

by Angie Mettille, RN, BSN, CDCES

November is Diabetes Awareness Month. Diabetes is a disease that affects millions of people in the United States. It is a result of insulin resistance and/or deficiency, causing blood sugars to be too high. You likely know someone that has diabetes, or maybe have been diagnosed with diabetes yourself. Even if you have never been told that you have diabetes, it is important to be aware of symptoms of elevated blood sugars, also called hyperglycemia.

During the winter months, blood donations are especially needed to help prevent a critical blood shortage. Local hospital patients rely on life-saving blood donations from volunteer blood donors. Help is needed to guarantee an adequate blood supply is available at all times.

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Monday, December 5, from 12-5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon. Blood drives are held monthly in Waukon to allow for more donors to give. The LifeServe Blood Center supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital with its blood and blood products. Here are some interesting blood facts from the LifeServe Blood Center:

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) recently upgraded its current 3D mammography machine with a new state-of-the-art machine, making it the most updated machine available in the tri-state region. It features an all-new, comfort-focused paddle that is curved to conform to the shape of the patient’s breast and has rounded corners for the most comfortable compression possible.

“Our old 3D mammo machine was in need of replacement and we are happy to have this upgraded 3D machine,” states Amanda Leiran, Radiology Supervisor at Veterans Memorial Hospital. “The majority of patients that have experienced this new machine have agreed that there is a noticeable difference compared to previous exams, making the experience much more pleasant.”

The month of November is National Home Care Month. Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care (formerly called Allamakee County Public Health) travels the entire Allamakee County area offering adults the assistance they need to remain living in their homes, as long as possible.

Registered nurses and trained home care aides offer a variety of services including nursing visits, medication set-up and administration, dressing cares, IVs, catheter and colostomy cares, overseeing rehabilitation in-home programs, personal cares, housework, laundry, meal preparation and errands. RN staff is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Home Care Aide services are available seven days a week as need determines.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, November 18, at 10 a.m. The meeting will be held at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon in the Large Conference Room, which is located on the lower level of the hospital.

This diabetes class is open to everyone who has diabetes or who has a friend or loved one with diabetes.  For more information on the Diabetes Support Group, call  Angie Mettille, RN, at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.

Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care/Allamakee County Public Health has added one additional walk-in flu and COVID vaccine booster clinic November 16. Flu shots are offered as well as the new COVID vaccine booster for the variant strains, along with the primary (first and second doses) of the COVID vaccine.  

This final walk-in clinic will be held Wednesday, November 16, from 9-11:30 a.m. in the ICN room located on the west side of the hospital, next to the Gundersen Clinic. Parking is available right outside that entrance, marked with orange cones.

Appointments can still be made in the Community and Home Care agency on the third floor of the hospital on all Wednesday afternoons.  Again, these vaccination clinics are by appointment only and can be made by calling 563-568-5660.

The Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation’s Christmas Fantasy 2022 will return this year for the first time in three years, bringing back all of the events. The event 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 “Making the Future Bright.”

2022 Fantasy Schedule of Events:

“Tingle ‘N Mingle” Happy Hour
This event is a special opportunity to meet socially with friends and co-workers. Many tables of hearty hors d’oeuvres, desserts, candies, breads and spirits will be served among the trees from 5-8 p.m. Friday night, November 11. Tickets include the food and two drink tickets. Tickets are available at Veterans Memorial Hospital and all local banks. This year, the event will be catered by “Smokin’ Monkey BBQ” (Jeff Monk), Rhonda Stock and Jan Baumler of Tastefully Simple, as well as many Health Care Foundation members.

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Community and Home Care/Allamakee County Public Health has added one additional walk-in flu and COVID vaccine booster clinic now scheduled for Wednesday, November 16. Flu shots are offered as well as the new COVID vaccine booster for the variant strains, along with the primary (first and second doses) of the COVID vaccine.

The final walk-in clinics will be held the next two Wednesdays through November 16, from 9-11:30 a.m. in the ICN room located on the west side of the hospital, next to the Gundersen Clinic. Parking is available right outside that entrance, marked with orange cones.

In addition, appointments can be made in the Community and Home Care agency on the third floor of the hospital Wednesday afternoons.  Again, these vaccination clinics on the third floor are by appointment only.