“In-Step with VMH” Begins Next Week!
Join As a Family!
Posted
9
March
2010
Veterans Memorial
Hospital’s 18th Annual “In Step with VMH” community wellness program
begins next Wednesday, March 17. Teams are now registering to
participate in this eight-week program. Again this year the
entire program is available on-line at www.veteransmemorialhospital.com
or team packets are also available at the hospital’s main entrance
receptionist desk or the Waukon Wellness Center’s reception desk.
Again this year, families may join the program together and keep track
of their progress with a “Family Log Sheet.” The
family log sheet places each wellness category in four different boxes
for each of the four family team members to track their progress each
week. Then that form is simply used to report the total points at
the end of each week. The new form can easily be kept
on the refrigerator or on the dining room table, and keeps each family
member up to date on one another’s progress.
“In Step with VMH” offers five options in promoting a “healthy
lifestyle.” Teams of four will count not only the number of times they
exercised each week of the eight week program, but points will also be
tallied for eating at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per
day, flossing teeth, drinking recommended amounts of water, eating
breakfast, and buckling-up whenever in a vehicle. Teams no longer
are required to have 2 members from the same
employer. Instead, teams of four will list a group
they are associated with, such as a church group, a wellness center, a
class or classmates, a business, or a family, etc. That is why
this new family log sheet has been developed.
Exercising is a commitment that everyone needs to make for his or her
own health. By joining this wellness program as a family, the
motivation to keep going is right there for the whole team in their own
home. Once people get into the habit of good exercise, they tend to
stay with it, and by starting young with children, these wellness
categories will hopefully become life-long healthy habits for
them.
“In Step with VMH” is a complimentary wellness program that Veterans
Memorial Hospital provides to its entire service area. For more
information and to view the new family log sheet, please visit www.veteransmemorialhospital.com.
From Sap to Syrup: Interest in Making Maple
Syrup Grows in Iowa
Posted
1
March
2010
More and more Iowans
are seeking what literally has been an untapped resource — the sap in
the state’s maple trees, says Jesse Randall, a forester with Iowa State
University Extension. They want to make maple syrup, and Randall and
Iowa State’s Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management are
showing them how, just in time for the 2010 syrup season.
February Heart Month: The Seriousness of
Chest Pain
Posted
23
February
2010
Chest pain is a
common presenting complaint in any emergency room, including the
emergency room at Veterans Memorial Hospital. There is always the
possibility of heart disease in every complaint of chest pain or upper
abdominal pain and must be taken very seriously.
The common signs and symptoms of an acute myocardial infarction,
commonly called a heart attack, are;
- Chest pain (crushing,
squeezing or heaviness).
- Sudden onset of
weakness, nausea, fainting and sweating without an obvious cause.
- Pain that radiates to
the shoulders, neck or arms.
These symptoms occur
when the blood flow to a part of the heart is blocked, often by a blood
clot. This happens because coronary arteries that supply the heart with
blood slowly become clogged from a buildup of cells, fat and
cholesterol called plaque.
Blood that tries to flow through these clogged arteries can form a
clot. If this clot cuts off the blood flow completely, the part of the
heart muscle supplies by that artery begins to die.
Time is muscle! This is very important to remember in the case of a
heart attack. If someone is experiencing the signs and symptoms of a
heart attack, call 911 immediately. This will allow an ambulance with
trained personnel to come assist that person to the hospital.
Once at the hospital, a variety of treatments can be rendered. For
example, at Veterans Memorial Hospital, each nurse on staff is trained
in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and knows how to use the
necessary equipment and specialized medicines used to reduce heart
damage. The quicker this begins, the less heart muscle is damaged.
Veterans Memorial Hospital medical and nursing staff has the ability to
give the medicines commonly referred to as the “clot busting
drug.” The purpose of these drugs is to attack the clot cutting
off the blood flow in the coronary artery. Once this clot is broken
down, the blood returns to this area, decreasing the damage to the
patient’s heart muscle. The quicker this is administered, the better.
Again, time is muscle. If you or someone you know ever experiences the
signs and symptoms of a heart attack listed above, please do the right
thing and call for help right away.
For more information, please call Diane Butikfoer, RN, Emergency
Department Supervisor at Veterans Memorial Hospital at (563)568-3411.
PHOTO CAPTION: February is Heart Month. Pictured is the
Emergency Entrance at Veterans Memorial Hospital. In the
case of a heart attack, time is muscle. Anyone experiencing any
signs or symptoms of a heart attack should immediately go to the
Emergency Entrance or call 911 for medical transport.
St. John's Sunday School Students Visit
Veterans Memorial Hospital
Posted
19
February
2010
Pictured above is the
St. John's Sunday School students, grades kindergarten through 6,
holding the hospital kits they recently put together as their service
project for local children in the hospital. The lesson Feeding of the
5000, was taught by Mary Jackson over a three week period and was part
of the unit Faith Challenges. The students decided themselves to put
their “faith in action” and create these activity kits to give out to
children admitted into the hospital. Veterans Memorial Hospital
nursing staff is currently handing out these kits to any young
inpatients at the hospital.
SleepSacks™ to Help Reduce Risk of SIDS are
Available in Auxiliary Gift Case at Veterans Memorial Hospital
Posted
15
February
2010
Thanks to the
generosity of the family of Ethan Livingston, Veterans Memorial
Hospital has been using the HALO® SleepSacks™ the family donated
for each baby born at the hospital. The HALO® SleepSack™ is
manufactured by the HALO company and greatly reduces the risk of SIDS
death in infants. The Livingston’s donated these sleepsacks to
Veterans Memorial Hospital in memory of Scott and Cheryl’s son, Ethan
Troy Livingston, who passed away as a result of SIDS in September,
2007. The Livingston’s are now proud parents of twin girls and
hope that this donation will help teach others about the risk of SIDS
and the importance of practicing safe sleep habits for infants.
The HALO® SleepSack™ is a wearable blanket and is used on all
babies now born at Veterans Memorial Hospital. In fact, the
hospital is also donating one SleepSack™ to every family that delivers
at the hospital to help promote safe sleep habits after the infant
leaves the hospital.
These HALO® SleepSacks™ are also available for purchase as gifts in
the Auxiliary Gift Case located inside the main entrance to Veterans
Memorial Hospital. Three sizes are available from newborn up to
24 pounds and come in a variety of colors and designs.
Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome (SIDS) is any sudden, unexplained death of a seemingly healthy
infant up to an age of one year. In the United States each year, SIDS
is the cause of approximately 60 deaths per 100,000 births, or 2,500
children, making it the leading cause of death in otherwise healthy
babies after one month of age. There are several theories about the
potential causes of SIDS. However, several known risk factors are
associated with increased probability of the syndrome, including the
baby’s sleeping environment.
According to the Iowa SIDS Foundation, when considering which infants
could be at risk for SIDS, medical researchers have concluded that no
single risk factor is likely to be sufficient to cause a SIDS death.
Rather, several risk factors combined may contribute to an infant's
SIDS death. The Iowa SIDS Foundation presently does not know which
infants are vulnerable or exactly when an infant is going through a
critical period of development. Because of this uncertainty, they must
apply risk reduction measures listed below, to all infants during their
first year of life.
Modifiable risk factors for SIDS include:
- Sleeping on tummy for
naps and night time
- Soft or loose
bedding (including crib bumpers)
- Inappropriate sleep
environments
- Bed sharing
- Overheating
- Environmental tobacco
smoke exposure
- Maternal alcohol and
illegal drug use
Other, non-modifiable
risk factors for SIDS include:
- Male gender
- Age distribution: 2-6
months
- Low birth weight
- Prematurity
- Maternal smoking
during pregnancy
- Young maternal age
especially mothers younger than 18 years of age
- Late or no prenatal
care
- Fall/winter season
The HALO®
SleepSack™ wearable blanket is the nation’s best-selling wearable
blanket for babies. It is designed to help to reduce the risk of SIDS
(Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) by replacing loose blankets in the crib
that can potentially cover a baby's face and interfere with
breathing. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests the
use of wearable blankets as a way to reduce the risk for SIDS.
These HALO® SleepSack™ wearable blankets are available for purchase
at the main entrance to Veterans Memorial Hospital. For more
information, please visit the hospital reception desk any day of the
week between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., or call (563) 568-3411 to speak to the
receptionist.
Photo Caption: Pictured is Zade Randall Brock, newborn son of
Nadine Kruse and Kyle Brock of Postville. Zade is wearing his
complimentary HALO® SleepSack™ that is given to each family who
delivers a baby at Veterans Memorial Hospital. The HALO®
SleepSack™ is designed to help to reduce the risk of SIDS (Sudden
Infant Death Syndrome) by replacing loose blankets in the crib that can
potentially cover a baby's face and interfere with
breathing. These SleepSacks™ are also available for
purchase in a variety of colors from the Auxiliary Gift Case, located
just inside the main entrance of Veterans Memorial Hospital, and are
now available in sizes up to 24 pounds.
February is Heart Month: The Facts on Heart
Health From the American Heart Association
Posted
8
February
2010
According to the
American Heart Association, Coronary heart disease is America's number
one killer. Stroke is number three and a leading cause of serious
disability. That's why it's so important to reduce your risk factors,
know the warning signs, and know how to respond quickly and properly if
warning signs occur.
Heart Attack Warning Signs:
Some heart attacks are sudden and intense, but most heart attacks start
slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren't sure
what's wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are signs from
the American Heart Association that can mean a heart attack is
happening:
- Chest discomfort.
Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that
lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can
feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or
pain.
- Discomfort in other
areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one
or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
- Shortness of breath
with or without chest discomfort.
- Other signs may
include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or
lightheadedness
- As with men, women's
most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women
are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other
common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and
back or jaw pain.
Learn the signs, but
remember this: Even if you're not sure it's a heart attack, have it
checked out. Minutes matter! Fast action can save lives — maybe your
own. Don’t wait more than five minutes to call 9-1-1. Calling
9-1-1 is almost always the fastest way to get lifesaving treatment.
Emergency medical services staff can begin treatment when they arrive —
up to an hour sooner than if someone gets to the hospital by car. The
staff is also trained to revive someone whose heart has stopped.
If you can't access the emergency medical services (EMS), have someone
drive you to the hospital right away. If you're the one having
symptoms, don't drive yourself, unless you have absolutely no other
option.
Stroke Warning Signs
The American Stroke Association says these are the warning signs of
stroke:
- Sudden numbness or
weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the
body
- Sudden confusion,
trouble speaking or understanding
- Sudden trouble seeing
in one or both eyes
- Sudden trouble
walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
- Sudden, severe
headache with no known cause
- If you or someone
with you has one or more of these signs, don't delay! Immediately call
9-1-1 so an ambulance can be sent for you. Also, check the time so
you'll know when the first symptoms appeared. It's very important to
take immediate action. If given within three hours of the start of
symptoms, a clot-busting drug can reduce long-term disability for the
most common type of stroke. These clot-busting drugs are
available in the Veterans Memorial Hospital ER department.
For more information
on heart health, please locate the American Heart
Association website at or call Veterans Memorial Hospital at
568-3411.
Caption: Pictured above is Veterans Memorial Hospital’s
ER-1. February is National Heart Month. According to
the American Heart Association, coronary heart disease is America's
number one killer, which is why they encourage everyone to know the
warning signs of a heart attack outlined in this article and respond
quickly and properly if any of these warning signs occur.
Even if you're not sure it's a heart attack, have it checked out.
Minutes matter and fast action saves lives. Dial 9-1-1 and go to
your closest emergency medical department as soon as the warning signs
appear.
Iowa DOT Asks Iowans to Put Safety First
Posted
4
February
2010
A series of winter
storms this year has caused many Iowans to become stranded or their
vehicles to run off the road. No one can predict when he or she might
become the next victim of bad weather, but we can all be prepared just
in case.
It can happen to you. The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) has
developed a short video that identifies the basic necessities that you
should carry in your vehicle, and describes what you should do if you
become stranded.
To survive, stay inside your vehicle and use the resources in your
survival kit. Do not attempt to walk for help or try to remove your
vehicle from the snow.
Don’t put if off any longer. Now is the time to assemble your survival
kit. Learn what to carry and tips to survive by watching this new video
at http://www.iowadot.gov/ or http://www.youtube.com/iowadot
Upper Iowa Accepting Applications for UIBD
Grant
Posted
3
February
2010
Upper Iowa University
is accepting applications for its Upper Iowa Business Development
(UIBD) grant until March 1. This year’s UIBD grant will make available
a total incentive package of up to $100,000 for an entrepreneur
interested in starting-up, managing, and operating a restaurant and
sports lounge in Fayette.
The two-story restaurant and sports lounge will be housed in a newly
constructed, University-owned property on Fayette’s Main Street. In
addition to a $40,000 cash award from the UIBD grant, the successful
applicant will also be eligible for financial assistance in the form of
rent abatement.
“University faculty, staff and students have identified a greater
variety of dining and entertainment establishments as a critical need
in Fayette,” said Andrew Wenthe, vice president for external affairs.
“As a result, we decided to add a few incentives to specifically
solicit proposals from entrepreneurs committed to establishing a
destination restaurant and sports lounge in the community.”
The new two-story building is approx. 7,900-square-feet. Half of the
first floor will be taken up by Upper Iowa’s merchandise retail store
and a coffee shop. The plan is to have the other 4,500 to 6,000 square
feet be the restaurant/sports lounge.
Upper Iowa is in the midst of a sustained growth period. Enrollment at
the Fayette campus is up 40 percent over five years, and an enrollment
goal of 1,100 has been set for fall of 2010. The University recently
embarked on a $75 million construction plan on the Fayette campus, with
the first phase started in summer 2009 that includes construction of a
new Student Center, Liberal Arts building, suite-style Student
Residence Hall, and the University-owned downtown facility.
Construction projects scheduled to continue over the next four to six
years include a technology center, science building, and additional
student housing. Wenthe stated, “It is the ideal time for an ambitious
and dedicated entrepreneur to start a business in Fayette.”
Applicants should also include in their business plan proposals that
demonstrate how their establishment will become a destination spot for
the approximately 32,000 residents living within a 20-mile radius of
Fayette. For a complete list of requirements or questions, please
contact Wenthe at 563-425-5348 or wenthea@uiu.edu.
Download
the
RFP.
Entrepreneurs interested in submitting a UIBD grant application for a
non-restaurant business idea are still encouraged to contact Wenthe.
Photo Caption: Architectural
rendering of Upper Iowa-owned property on Fayette’s Main Street.
Source: Samuels Group.
Mentoring Day on the Hill in Des Moines
Posted
1
February
2010
Thursday, January
28th was celebrated as Mentoring Day on the Hill in Des Moines.
Three Helping Services Mentoring Coordinators, Kathy Schwartzhoff, Rosa
Grant, and Jill Hollowell met with Senator Mary Jo Wilhelm and
Representative John Beard to discuss the importance of mentoring.
Photo Caption: Left to Right: Kathy Schwartzhoff, Senator
Mary Jo Wilhelm, Jill Hollowell, and Rosa Grant.
|
