Health

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 the Large Conference Room, located on the lower level of the hospital. Masks will be required to be worn.

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, call  Angie Mettille, RN, at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.
 

Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care/Allamakee County Public Health will continue offering COVID-19 immunizations each Wednesday and Friday afternoon at the main entrance of the hospital. All clinics will offer the primary dose, second dose and booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, so anyone in any stage of their vaccination series can be served.

A third booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccination is now available for all those who meet the following criteria:
• 65 years and older
• Age 18+ who live in long-term care settings
• Age 18+ who have underlying medical conditions
• Age 18+ who work or live in high-risk settings.

It must also be at least six months from their last dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.  Hartig Drug and The Prescription Shoppe also have vaccine on hand.

Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon has been offering Babysitting classes for area youth for years and will now begin to offer Grandparenting classes as well.

Corinne Cook, RN, Babysitting Class instructor, is going to begin to offer Grandparenting Classes as well Saturday, December 4 a 9:30 a.m.  In these classes, new or soon-to-be grandparents will learn all the new protocols to use when caring for their new grandchild.  Free-will donations will be accepted to cover the costs of the class.

“The rules are always changing when it comes to child care,” states Corinne Cook, RN, class instructor.  “I want to help new grandparents learn the changes that have been made for safety and well-being of infants and children, explaining all the things that have changed since they raised their children.”

Veterans Memorial Hospital will be offering the next recertification course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for health care providers (those working in health related fields such as physicians, nurses, EMS, etc.) Thursday, December 2, beginning at 5 p.m. This “Health Care Professional” CPR class will be held in the Large Conference Room located on the lower level of the hospital.

There is a small fee to attend this class and all registrants should bring along their own pocket mask, if they have one. Upon successful completion of the class, the participant will receive an electronic card certifying them as a BLS Healthcare Provider for a two-year period.

Pre-registration plus a minimum of three participants is required for the class to be held. All participants will be required to physically distance during the class and wear a mask. They will also be screened at the hospital main entrance when they enter the building.

Memorials were received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Gloria Jacobson by Nancy Schoh, Mitch and Maureen Duncklee, Kappy Bristol, Jane Dietrich, Jack and Evelyn Kelly, Marlys Leiran, Wayne and Joan Burk, Herb and Ann Dehli, Chuck and Marci Fritz, Teri Hanner, Debbie Henry, Ethan Jacobson, Glenna and Pamela McCombs, Stephen Osborn, Ernie and Donnalee Osland, and Pat and Craig Willard.

Memorials were also received in memory of Robert Bulman by Dean and Lynn Sorensen, Patsy Kerndt, Jean Huffey, Leotia Flage, Kay Carter, Ken and Rose Beardmore, Jane Dietrich, Jerry and Linda Siegrist, Les and Ada Marie Kerndt, Dave and Laurie Martin, and Dolores Fish.

In addition, memorials were received in memory of Paul Thompson by the Harpers Ferry American Legion Auxiliary and Shirley Rose; in memory of Alice Thompson by Patsy Kerndt; in memory of Dave Hartley by Dave and Sandy Lyons; and in memory of Curtis Kraus by Ardie Kuhse and Diane Kraus.

Reservations are being taken now for the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation’s  Christmas Fantasy to be held Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, November 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22, at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon.

This year the theme for Christmas Fantasy will be “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” which is fitting for an outdoor Fantasy. A drive-through of lighted displays will be out in front of the Fairgrounds Pavilion for anyone wanting to drive through or walk through evenings during the event. The grounds will be open from 5-9 p.m. Thursday through Sunday nights and from 4-7 p.m. Monday night. The format of the event was changed again this year to keep the event COVID-safe.

Reservations are now being taken for drive-through meals which will be offered Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. All meals must be reserved with a reservation five days prior to the event. Reservations can be made by calling 563-568-6262.

A third booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccination is now available for all those who meet the following criteria:

• 65 years and older
• Age 18+ who live in long-term care settings
• Age 18+ who have underlying medical conditions
• Age 18+ who work or live in high-risk settings
• It must also be at least six months from your last dose of the COVID vaccine.

Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care/Allamakee County  Public Health will be offering two walk-in clinics on campus in the near future. The first walk-in clinic will be Friday, November 5 from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Those needing the Pfizer booster dose will go to the main entrance of the hospital and those needing the Moderna vaccination will go to the ICN entrance on the southeast side of the hospital.

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.

There are also millions of people in the United States that have diabetes but have not been diagnosed. How do you know that you may have high blood sugars? Whether you have been diagnosed with diabetes or not, it is important to listen to your body and be proactive if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms. These symptoms could be related to dangerously high blood sugars:

For those who don’t know just how much blood is needed by certain patients, here are some facts from the LifeServe Blood Center:

• Cancer patients can use up to eight units of blood a month.
• Bone Marrow Transplant patients can use up to two units a day.
• Cardiovascular Surgery patient can use between two and 25 units.
• Liver Transplant patients can use up to 100 units.
• Auto/Trauma Accident patients can use from five to 100 units.
• Premature infants can use up to one to four units.
• Burn victims can use up to 20 units of platelets.
• Heart surgery patients can use up to three to eight units of red cells and one to 10 units of platelets.
• Organ transplant patients can use 10-30 units of blood.

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Thursday, November 4 from 12-5 p.m.  The blood drive will be held at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon.

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in Waukon in memory of Janet Palmer by Ann Roed, Wayne and Nona Sawyer, Chuck and Lois Votsmier, Jens and Jane Kallevang, and Bruce Palmer.

Memorials were also received in memory of Norma Bloxham by Mary Ann Hager, Jerry and Linda Siegrist and Chuck and Lois Votsmier; in memory of Arlene Ritter by Patsy Kerndt and Joyce Kuhse; in memory of Pat and Keith Sander by Kate Wooden and Jerry and Linda Siegrist; and in memory of Nancy Wirkler by  Robert Wirkler.

In addition, memorials were received in memory of Nobert Kraus by Dr. Susan Bozeman, in memory of John Duvel by Tom and Karen Regan, in memory of Elinor Weymiller by Joan Bieber and Dorothy Sandry, in memory of David Schutte by Craig and Barb Lensing and Patsy Kerndt, and in memory of Daniel Howe by Mary Ann Hager, Jerry and Linda Siegrist, and Marlys Leiran.