Health

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) in Waukon will be offering the Grandparenting Classes again this spring. Corinne Cook, RN, Babysitting Class instructor, will be instructing the next Grandparenting Class Saturday, April 2 from 9:30 a.m. until Noon. The class will be held in the hospital’s ICN Conference Room on the east side of the hospital, next to Gundersen Clinic.  Signs will be posted.

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.

Veterans Memorial Hospital recently upgraded its phone system to allow for the Veterans Memorial Hospital name to appear on a landline phone caller ID whenever someone from the hospital is calling a patient or family member. Up until this point, the hospital’s calls would only register as “unavailable” on caller ID with very few calls actually being answered for fear of a telemarketer. This would cause a great delay in delivering patient results, scheduling appointments and other follow-up.

For cell phones, the hospital’s main number, 563-568-3411, will show on the screen. The hospital encourages the public to enter that number into their cell phones as Veterans Memorial Hospital, or VMH, so the name will show correctly whenever a call from the hospital is coming through.

Memorials were received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of  Margaret Ferring by Chuck and Lois Votsmier and Brad and Erin Berns; in memory of Richard “Lee” Hinkel by Corey and Trish Shelton, Chuck and Lois Votsmier and Brad and Erin Berns; in memory of Rhonda Snitker by Jill Cameron and Christi and John Regan; and in memory of Philip Dehli by Mr. and Mrs. Arlyn Fossum, Dave and Laurie Martin, Grace Sorenson and Betty Troendle.

Memorials were also received in memory of Jim Sweeney by Margo Sweeney; in memory of Micki Connor by Dave and Laurie Martin; in memory of Donna Gaunitz by Grace Sorenson; in memory of Loren Paus by Dave and Laurie Martin; in memory of Karlton Gresl by Betty Troendle and in memory of Donald Kuennen by Arlen and Karlene Wonderlich.

In addition, a donation was received in honor of Father Ed Lechtenberg by Audrey Angel.
 

EMTs are greatly needed in every community.  Northeast Iowa Community College Business and Community Solutions will be offering an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) course in Waukon beginning March 28. This 138-hour course will conclude the end of July.

This will be an in-person class held right here locally in Waukon, which is a huge advantage to students attending versus taking an online class. NICC has received a grant to cover 70 percent of the tuition for this course so generous tuition assistance is available, keeping the class costs under $400, which is another huge advantage.

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Monday, April 4 from 12-5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon.  The LifeServe Blood Center supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital with its blood and blood products.

Here are some interesting blood facts from the Blood Center of Iowa:

Veterans Memorial Hospital will sponsor a Babysitting Seminar Saturday, April 9. This class will be broken down into two different sessions to allow for better spacing of the students. The morning session will be held from 9 a.m. to Noon and the afternoon session from 1-4 p.m. The same information will be taught at both sessions, so students can sign-up for one or the other. A total of 20 students will be allowed in each session.

Both classes will be held in the Large Conference Room located on the lower level of Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. The entrance for the class will be the hospital shipping/receiving entrance located on the east side of the building near the MRI truck, across from the golf course. Signs will be posted.

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) will be offering the Grandparenting Classes again this Spring. Corinne Cook, RN, Babysitting Class instructor, will be instructing the next Grandparenting Class Saturday, April 2 from 9:30 a.m. until Noon. The class will be held in the hospital’s ICN Conference Room on the east side of the hospital, next to Gundersen Clinic.  Signs will be posted.

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.

Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care/Allamakee County Public Health will offer one more walk-in clinic for all doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, Friday, March 25, from 1:30-3:45 p.m. in the ICN Conference Room located on the southeast side of the hospital. Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be available.

Parking is available by the orange cones along the golf course for easy access to the vaccine location. Flu shots will also be available and can be safely administered at the same time as the COVID-19 vaccine.   Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Be sure to wear a mask and bring your insurance card and vaccination card if you are coming for your second or booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Vaccination clinics will continue in April, by appointment only. To make an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccination, in April and beyond, call Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care at 563-568-5660.

by Jill Fleming, MS, RD
Veterans Memorial Hospital

Do you have a sweet-tooth? Most of us do. How you choose to satisfy your sweet tooth can either be a healthy choice or an unhealthy choice. When your body is craving sugar, it is because glucose is the fuel your body uses to function. Your body will convert all nutrients into glucose to be used for energy.

When you crave sugar, it feels like your body desires table sugar or candy.  When you give into this simple-sugar craving, your body quickly uses the sugar and then wants more. This is a cycle that sends your blood sugar level higher, then your insulin (a fat-storage hormone) level surges.  You then end up with a low blood-sugar level.

EMTs are greatly needed in every community.  Northeast Iowa Community College Business and Community Solutions will be offering an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) course in Waukon beginning March 28. This 138-hour course will conclude the end of July.

This will be an in-person class held right here locally in Waukon, which is a huge advantage to students attending versus taking an online class. NICC has received a grant to cover 70% of the tuition for this course so generous tuition assistance is available, keeping the class costs under $400, which is another huge advantage.

Darcy Mathis is an active EMT on both the Waterville and Harpers Ferry rescue crews where she has been helping those communities for a number of years.