Health

The local Grief Support Group will be holding its monthly meeting at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) in Waukon Tuesday, November 12, at 4 p.m. in the Meditation Healing Center, located just inside the main entrance of the hospital. Be sure to make note of the 4 p.m. start time. This start time will continue for the November, December, January and February Grief Support Group meetings and will return to 5 p.m. in the spring.

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 group meets the second Tuesday of each month at Veterans Memorial Hospital.
 

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Speech-Language Pathologist Steven Mazzafield offers a Stroke Support Group for individuals who have experienced a stroke, as well as caregivers and family members affected by stroke.

Monthly meetings are held the first Thursday of every month at 2 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. The next Stroke Support Group meeting will be held Thursday, November 7, at 2 p.m. in the Large Conference Room.  

The Stoke Support Group provides opportunities to share tips, tricks, or trials among participants, offer support for caregivers, and provide an opportunity for socialization.

While strokes can happen at any age, risk of stroke is greatest as people get older with the majority of strokes occurring after the age of 70. Risk factors for stroke include obesity, sedentary lifestyle, binge drinking, diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

October 7, 2024, a “Faces of the Future” health care career day was held at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) thanks to the coordination of Corinne Cook, RN, and Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC). The hospital’s Large Conference Room was completely filled with thirty-three high school students from the area school systems who quickly signed-up to attend this filled to capacity event.

These students spent the school day at the hospital learning about a wide variety of health care careers including nursing, nursing assistant, health information management/medical records, medical assistant, phlebotomy, clinical, respiratory therapy, laboratory, x-ray, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, sports medicine, pharmacy, nutrition, dietetics, behavioral health, home care, dental assistant, chiropractic, surgery, paramedic and emergency medical technician.

Flu Shots continue to be offered throughout the county by Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care/Allamakee Public Health.  The walk-in schedule for flu shots at Veterans Memorial Hospital will continue all Wednesdays in October, including October 16, 23 and 30, as well as the first two Wednesdays of November, including November 6 and 13.  Walk-in clinics are held from 9-11:30 a.m. plus appointments can be made any Wednesday afternoons by calling 563-568-5660.

Flu shot clinics have also been held all around Allamakee County this month. One still remains in Harpers Ferry, Wednesday, October 16 from 9-11 a.m. at the Harpers Ferry Community Center.

Medicare does cover the cost of vaccines. Billing for vaccinations will be completed by the Community and Home Care staff, but participants will need to bring their Medicare number or private insurance card with them. If insurance does not cover these immunizations, they can be purchased instead.

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) will be holding a Pillow Perk Monday, October 21, 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.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Mammograms are a common test for breast cancer. A regular, annual mammogram is encouraged for all women over the age of 40 to help detect the cancer early for the best outcome.

Kathy Hager of Waukon became a Mammographer in 2016 and in 2024, is now a breast cancer survivor. She believes that preventative screenings, in all areas of health, is the key to longevity.

“This was only my second mammogram since turning 40 years old. When I received the results on my ‘My Chart’ report, I was shocked. I knew the facts that approximately 80% of breast cancer patients have no family history, like me, but you never think it will happen to you” explains Kathy.  

Every fall, Medicare beneficiaries are provided an opportunity to review and change their Prescription Drug Plan or Medicare Advantage Plan during the Open Enrollment Period (OEP) from October 15 to December 7. It’s important for Medicare beneficiaries to remember that Prescription Drug Plan and Medicare Advantage Plan costs, benefits, and providers can change each year, so evaluating your options could help you find better coverage, and even save money.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, October 17 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 the topic with be focusing on Medicare open enrollment which is October 15 - December 7.

“I feel it is so important for everyone with a diagnosis of diabetes to stay informed about the importance of making sure you are enrolled in the best possible insurance plans for 2025 that will cover your needs,” states Angie Mettille, RN, Diabetes Educator. “You will all probably receive spam phone calls from insurance companies trying to get your business over the next month or two.  Please only enroll in an insurance plan with someone you trust… never over the phone to a stranger,” she advises.

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital will be holding a Pillow Perk Monday, October 21, 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. Feather beds may also be brought in to have them made into new pillows.

All items can be dropped off at the hospital’s loading dock entrance, located on the east side of the hospital, along the golf course. All items will be completed and ready for pick-up the same day. For more information, call Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.

Veterans Memorial Hospital’s (VMH) Pain Management Clinic began October 8, offering new pain management options to the area communities through provider Shawn Blake, CRNA. Patients with chronic pain who have attempted therapies such as massage, chiropractic care, physical and/or occupational therapy without long-term relief can be referred to the Pain Management Clinic to schedule an appointment. Patients should ask their primary care provider, physical therapist, or chiropractor to send a referral to Veterans Memorial Hospital. Once the referral is received, the hospital’s Pain Management Coordinator will reach out to schedule the appointment.