The Waukon girls basketball season played to a 14-9 season record during its 2022-2023 campaign that included a 6-4 record in Northeast Iowa Conference (NEIC) play that placed the Lady Indians in third place in this season’s final team standings. Within that above-average team result this season, a number of best-ever accomplishments were compiled in single-game, single-season and career statistics.
“Our greatest accomplishment was the growth of the team,” Waukon girls basketball coach Ben Rausch said. “We also had numerous personal bests for many of our players.”
Debra S. Burke, 68, of Waukon passed away Saturday, April 8, 2023 surrounded by her loving family at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, MN. A celebration of her life will be held Saturday, April 15 at 11:30 a.m. at Zion United Church of Christ (UCC) in Waukon with Rev. Cathy Jurgens officiating. Friends may greet the family from 9:30 a.m. until the time of services Saturday at the church. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling arrangements.
Debra Sue Burke was born March 2, 1955 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon, the daughter of Clinton Dale and Lorna Jean (Hermeier) Winters. She was baptized and confirmed at Zion United Church of Christ in Waukon and grew up on her family’s farm in Waterville. She attended Waterville Elementary School, graduated from Waukon High School in 1973, and received her degree from Western Technical College in La Crosse, WI.
National Public Health Week observed at VMH ... This is National Public Health Week. Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care, in its role as Allamakee County Public Health, holds the responsibility of preventing epidemics and the spread of disease, protecting against environmental hazards, promoting healthy behaviors and teaching everyone how to prepare for, respond to and recover from public health emergencies. Pictured above, left to right, are the Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care Public Health Supervisors Sheryl Darling-Mooney, RN; Lisa Moose, RN; and Cindy Johnson, RN. Submitted photo.
by Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care and the Iowa Department of Public Health
Public health plays an important role in Iowa’s high standard of living. The goal of public health is helping to create an environment where people can live in good health. Public health helps make good health happen in Iowa’s homes, neighborhoods, schools and workplace.
Public health is more than just state and local government agencies. The public health community works together to fight disease and promote healthy lifestyles through the use of nutrition education, physical activity, immunization clinics, disease surveillance and home nursing and home care aide visits.
April is Donate Life Month and serves as a reminder to the public to register to be an organ and tissue donor. According to the Iowa Donor Network, organ and tissue donation is a gift that saves and heals hundreds of thousands of lives each year. For transplant recipients and patients on the transplant waiting list, the gift of donation offers a second chance at life; a chance to move forward and fulfill the legacy left behind by the gracious donor.
Over 106,000 men and women in the United States are waiting for a life-saving transplant. That includes over 600 Iowans. One donor can save the lives of up to eight people through organ donation and heal and enhance the lives of more than 300 through tissue and eye donation. Every nine minutes another name is added to the national transplant list and 17 people die each day waiting.
Occupational Therapy at VMH ... April is National Occupational Therapy Month. Pictured above, at left, is Occupational Therapist Tami Gebel treating Dacia Regan’s broken wrist. After having surgery in La Crosse, WI, Dacia asked if her therapy could be provided at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon, just a few miles from her home instead of an hour drive back to La Crosse every day. This is another example of how patients must advocate for themselves in asking their providers to use their local health care services. Submitted photo.
Dacia Regan of rural Waukon fell and broke her wrist in December, needing surgery in La Crosse, WI to repair broken bones and for a carpal tunnel release due to bone fragments being pushed into the wrist. Two weeks following surgery, she began coming to Occupational Therapy at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH)seeing Tami Gebel. Dacia was progressing well, however after her one month follow-up with her surgeon, she was instructed by her surgeon to see the occupational therapy department in La Crosse instead.
VMH Babysitting Seminars to take place April 7 ... Babysitting Seminars at Veterans Memorial Hospital are scheduled for Friday, April 7. Students will learn the qualities of being a good babysitter including the basics of child care, accident prevention and first aid, as well as hands-only CPR as pictured here, led by class instructor Corinne Cook, RN. Submitted photo.
Veterans Memorial Hospital will sponsor the next Babysitting Seminars Friday, April 7. This class will be broken down into two different sessions with a morning session held from 9 a.m. to Noon and an afternoon session from 1-4 p.m. The same information will be taught at both sessions, so students can sign up for one session or the other. A total of 20 students will be taken in each session.
Both classes will be held in the Large Conference Room located on the lower level of Veterans Memorial Hospital.
Intended participants are individuals 10 years of age and older who are responsible for their own care after school until their parents come home from work, and individuals who care for other children in or outside of their own home. Girls and boys are welcome and encouraged to attend. Topics covered include fire and personal safety, accident prevention and emergency actions, nutritious snacks and basic care of children.
Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) will be offering Grandparenting Classes again this spring. Corinne Cook, RN, Babysitting Class instructor, will teach the next Grandparenting Class Saturday, April 15 from 9:30 a.m. until Noon. The class will be held in the hospital’s Large Conference Room.
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 (VMH) Speech-Language Pathologist Steven Mazzafield is now offering a Stroke Support Group for individuals who have experienced a stroke, as well as caregivers and family members affected by stroke. The next Stroke Support Group meeting will be held Thursday, April 6 at 2 p.m. in the ICN Conference Room. Future meetings will be held the first Thursday of every month at 2 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Hospital.
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.
The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, April 20 at 10 a.m. The meeting will be held at Veterans Memorial Hospital in the Large Conference Room on the lower level of the hospital.
This diabetes class is open to everyone who has diabetes or who has a friend or loved one with diabetes. For more information on the Diabetes Support Group, call Angie Mettille, RN, at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon at 563-568-3411.
The local Grief Support Group will be holding its monthly meeting at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Tuesday, April 11 at 5 p.m. in the Meditation Healing Center, located just inside the main entrance of the hospital.
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.
