Health

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Monday, December 1, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon. 

A new, local Grief Support Group will begin holding monthly meetings at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Thursday, December 4, from 5-6 p.m. in the Meditation Healing Center, located just inside the main entrance of the hospital. Nancy Haberichter will be facilitating the meeting.

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 will continue meeting the first Thursday of each month at Veterans Memorial Hospital.

Memorials were received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory Dwight and Sam Bacon by Beverly Bacon; in memory of Marian Bauercamper by John Bauercamper; in memory of Rebecca Berns by Ronald Berns; in memory of Richard Bloxham by Rhonda Seibert; in memory of Neil Bresnahan by Sandra Brenahan; in memory of Dorie Bulman by Tim Bulman; in memory of Debra Burke by Randy Burke; in memory of Judy Byrnes by Dennis Byrnes; in memory of Betty Engrav by Gary and Dawn Farley; in memory of Jean Hagen by Revelyn Lonning and in memory of Charles Hall by Susan Hall.

Memorials were also received in memory of Julie Halverson by Betty Decker and Chuck and Lois Votsmier; in memory of Richard Hermeier by Chuck and Lois Votsmier; in memory of Ernie Lubahn by Patricia Pettingill, Ann Stone, Marvin and Marjorie Strike and Chuck and Lois Votsmier; and in memory of Arlene Martin by Gary and Dawn Farley, Patricia Pettingill, Margo Sweeney and Chuck and Lois Votsmier.

Dr. Thomas McMullan had his last scheduled day at the Postville Medical Clinic which he began 42 years ago when he moved to Postville. Veterans Memorial Hospital began managing that clinic over three years ago and on Thursday, November 13, Dr. McMullan handed over his patients to these current family care practitioners pictured here.  From left to right are Hannah Kelly, Nurse Practitioner; Minji Ransom, Nurse Practitioner; Katy Maker, Nurse Midwife/Nurse Practitioner; Dr. McMullan and his wife, Gloria Blanco; and Alex Berns, Nurse Practitioner.  These practitioners will all continue to practice family medicine at the VMH Postville Clinic providing care for the Postville community with the addition of a nurse practitioner in January and a physician this summer. Submitted photo.
 

from the Iowa Insurance Division-Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP)
 
Every fall, Medicare beneficiaries can review and change their Prescription Drug Plan or Medicare Advantage Plan during the Open Enrollment Period (OEP) from October 15 to December 7. With this year’s OEP underway, thousands of Iowans are turning to Medicare and SHIIP-SMP for help navigating options with major plan changes expected in 2026.

Medicare Prescription Drug Plan and Medicare Advantage Plan costs, benefits, covered prescriptions and provider networks can change each year. Following the 2025 cap on prescription drug copayments and new price negotiations on 10 high-cost sole-source drugs starting in 2026, many plans are adjusting their benefits and coverage options.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting on Thursday, November 20 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 month’s guest speaker will be Mason (Hermeier) Kerian, NP.  Mason will be joining the VMH Waukon and Postville Medical clinics in December or January as a nurse practitioner. The topic for the month is going to be hyperglycemia (high blood sugars) and ways to get them back to normal range.

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, Diabetes Educator, at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.

The LifeServe Blood Center is asking people to join them in the spirit of giving. While entering the holiday season, starting with Thanksgiving, they are asking everyone to give thanks and give blood, giving patients a chance to spend more holidays with their loved ones.

The next LifeServe Blood Center Blood Drive will be held Monday, December 1, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon. Blood drives are held every month in Waukon to allow for more donors to give. The LifeServe Blood Center supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital with their blood and blood products.

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Dick Berns by Diane Regan; in memory of Ed Blake by Patsy Kerndt, James and Jill Kiesau and Diane Regan; in memory of Ron Brandt by Meg Schaller; in memory of Jim Byrnes by John Byrnes; in memory of Dr. Bertran Joseph Dillon by Thomas and Vickie Sullivan; in memory of Betty Engrav by David and Rhonda Barr, Patsy Kerndt, Dean “Beanzy” Schellhammer and Lois Selin; in memory of Sandra Fish by an anonymous donor; in memory of Nancy Fellow Larson by Richard and Joan Leiran; and in memory of Arlene Martin by Carl and Betty Christianson, Randy and Karen Loeb and Brian and Denise Wullner.

The Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation’s Christmas Fantasy 2025 will be held Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, November 14, 15, 16, and 17, at the Allamakee Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon. The fun-filled theme will be, “A Christmas Vacation!”

The Fantasy offers many opportunities to enjoy the event at various times all four days, plus do some Christmas shopping. Over 100 Silent Auction items will be available for bidding, with the highest bidder winning the item at 6 p.m. Monday night, November 17. 

New this year, a Live Auction will take place during the Tingle ‘N Mingle event at 7 p.m. Friday night. A limited number of specialty items and fun experiences will be offered at this live auction. These live auction items and many of the silent auction items will be published on the Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Facebook page and website prior to the event; however, all bidding will have to be done at the event itself.

Individuals served by TASC recently delivered numerous children’s books to both Veterans Memorial Hospital clinics in Waukon and Postville. Pictured alongside members of the Waukon Clinic Team are four representatives from TASC, presenting the books they collected. Other agencies that have benefited from this generosity include the Robey Memorial Library, Waukon Head Start, and the Allamakee County Relief Office. These individuals recognized the need for more children’s books in clinic waiting rooms and organized a drive to purchase and collect them. Their thoughtful effort will help make visits to the clinic more enjoyable for young patients and their families. Submitted photo.