Health

Wed
30
Dec

Update from Allamakee County Public Health on COVID-19 vaccine

Allamakee County Public Health would like to acknowledge that there is a lot of information and uncertainty regarding COVID-19 vaccine availability. We have received numerous phone calls with questions concerning who is eligible to receive this vaccination and when.

Our office is preparing to receive and administer the vaccine, but we are asking for the public’s patience throughout this process. We are aware that the demand significantly outweighs the supply we will initially be provided with. We are required to follow a vaccine prioritization schedule set by the CDC and IDPH that currently includes frontline healthcare workers and residents of long-term care facilities.

Note there are no waiting lists available to get on at our facility or other medical clinics in our area. When it is time for others in the community to be vaccinated, we will notify the public. Continue to monitor our website, social media pages, local radio and newspaper for updates.

Wed
30
Dec

Memorials received by Health Care Foundation

Memorials were received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Jim Klocke by Merlyn and Alyce Klocke, Ruth Ann Teff, Joan and Romandus Gisleson, Cyril and Shirley Larkin, Joan Bieber, Ronald and Nancy Adam, Curtis and Betty Gilbertson, George and Lorna Miller and Jan Ellingson.

Memorials were also given in memory of Doris E. Saboe by Jane Dietrich, Beverly Krambeer, Delora and Monte Dundee; in memory of Barb Leppert by Patsy Kerndt; and in memory of Delores Paus by Dave and Laurie Martin, Fred and Geralyn Smith and Dorothy Sandry.
In addition, memorials were received in memory of Bernard Welsh by Dave and Laurie Martin, Mary Ann Hager, Mary Schulte, Arlen and Karlene Wonderlich, Diane Regan and Patsy Kerndt.

Wed
23
Dec

Urgent Care available over the holidays


Urgent Care available at VMH during the holidays ... Those needing to utilize Urgent Care services are asked to use the front entrance of Veterans Memborial Hospital in Waukon, as pictured above. Urgent Care holiday hours are available from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday and Friday, December 24 and 25, as well as Friday, January 1. Submitted photo.

Veterans Memorial Hospital’s Urgent Care is open every Monday-Friday from 5-7 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and also holidays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. This holiday season, Urgent Care will be offered at the following times during the holidays:            

• Thursday, December 24  9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
• Friday, December 25  9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
• Friday, January 1  9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

The hospital offers Urgent Care in addition to 24 hour a day Emergency Room (ER) services each and every day. Every hour of every day, the hospital’s ER is staffed with an emergency provider to see ER patients with little waiting.  Urgent Care is offered every day as well including every weeknight, weekend and holiday when the local clinic is closed. Urgent Care is designed for treating injuries or illnesses requiring immediate medical care, but not serious enough to require an emergency department visit.

Wed
23
Dec

COVID-19 vaccinations: How vaccinations will be given locally

Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care/Allamakee County Public Health will be the recipients of the COVID-19 vaccinations as soon as they arrive.

There is a lot of information in the news regarding the new COVID-19 vaccine.  The process of administering the vaccinations locally is explained below by Allamakee County Public Health:

• COVID-19 vaccines will be distributed in phases and Public Health will adhere to guidelines and plans as provided by Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH).
• The first allotment -  Phase 1A - will be prioritized for long-term care facilities and healthcare workers.
• The vaccine is not yet available to the general public and healthcare providers are not able to give it to their patients at this time.

Allamakee County Public Health asks for the community to have patience as they navigate this process.  They will keep the public updated with vaccine information via newspaper, radio and social media.

Wed
23
Dec

Campaign will soon be underway for Medical Clinic improvements

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Health Care Foundation delayed its annual fall direct mailing appeal in 2020, until January of 2021 to focus on raising funds for the improvements in the hospital’s new Medical Clinic, which is slated to open in the spring of 2021.

The Foundation has received many calls from annual donors who wish to make an end-of-year contribution to the Foundation but have missed the annual mailing. The Foundation has stated that any donors who wish to make a donation by the end of the year are welcome to do so by marking in the memo line that the donation is to be designated for the new medical clinic.

Donations may be sent to: Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation, 40 First Street SE, Waukon, IA  52172.

Wed
23
Dec

COVID-19 holiday safety tips from the Iowa Department of Public Health

These holiday safety tips from the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) can help protect families, friends and the community from COVID-19.

Travel Considerations:
• Consider the mode of transportation. Driving one’s own vehicle will reduce exposure. If using commercial transportation, try to avoid the busiest travel times.
• Carry a small personal sanitizing kit that contains hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes and extra masks.
• Reconsider traveling during the holiday season and consider holding special remote gatherings or small gatherings at home.

Wed
23
Dec

Make a New Year’s resolution to give blood; Convalescent plasma donors now accepted

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Thursday, January 7, from 12-5 p.m., at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon. Blood drives are held every month in Waukon. The LifeServe Blood Center of Iowa supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital with blood and blood products. Many Iowans are encouraged to make donating blood on a regular basis their New Year’s resolution this year.

The need for blood has not stopped during COVID-19 and is in even greater demand so the local blood drives continue to be held.  Life Serve team members only report to work if they are healthy and only healthy donors are eligible to give blood. Blood drives are essential medical services and not considered mass gatherings. The number of donors is limited to ensure donor separation and staff has strict cleaning and disinfection schedules. Other measures are also in place to ensure the safety of the blood supply so these lifesaving donations can continue during COVID-19.

Wed
23
Dec

Memorials received by Health Care Foundation

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Sharon Brown by Chuck and Lois Votsmier, Fred and Geralyn Smith, Russ and Mary Jo Meyer, Jane Butler and Mary Ann Hager.

Memorials were also received in memory of Fran Fahey by Bernice Thies, Dave and Karen Mathis, Carl and Julie Johnson, Evelyn Burke, Allamakee County Farm Bureau, Karen and Clete Mathis, Chuck and Lois Votsmier, Tom and Lynn Thomson, Cyril and Shirley Larkin, Ruth Ann Schulte, Dennis and Sherri Lyons, Gary and Joan David, Diane Regan, Mary Axmear,  Lorraine Drew, Jerry and Linda Siegrist, Robert and Peggy Woodbeck, Dan and Traci Byrnes, Jerry and Machelle Bulman, Donald and Dianne Hager, Susan Clark, Mary Ann Hager, and Mary Schulte.

Wed
16
Dec

Help stop the spread of COVID-19 to save local healthcare facilities from becoming overwhelmed


Veterans Memorial Hospital requests that the community follow Iowa Department of Public Health guidelines ... Staff members at Veterans Memorial Hospital are very busy with COVID-19 patients and taking care of those with other health issues, such as chest pain and other emergencies. Several staff members are pictured above and below with their proper personal protective equipment (PPE) worn with all patients to keep everyone safe. Veterans Memorial Hospital asks the community to follow the Iowa Department of Public Health guidelines to wear a mask anytime they are around others, wash hands very well and very frequently, and be sure to stay home and quarantine whenever they are exposed or suffer from any COVID symptoms. Submitted photos.

Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon continues to offer most all services during the COVID-19 pandemic, but does monitor its available COVID beds daily, reporting availabilities to the State of Iowa. This continuous communication allows all area hospitals to know where beds are open in the case they need to admit a patient at a different hospital.

Wed
16
Dec

Flu shots still available by appointment only at VMH Community and Home Care

Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care is still offering flu shots on an appointment-only basis. The Hi Dose flu vaccine is also still available.  Appointments can be made by calling 563-568-5660.  When the appointment is made, instructions are given for the private location the immunizations will be administered.

Those with an appointment to receive their flu shot should remain in their vehicle until the nurse comes to get them and should bring along their insurance or Medicare card.

Influenza, also called “the flu”, can cause fever, chills, headache, cough, sore throat, and muscle aches to people of any age, and can lead to pneumonia and even death. Most deaths caused by influenza occur in the elderly, the very young or people who have a compromised immune system.

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