Free Health Tests and Allamakee County Trivia at Allamakee County Fair!

Visitors to the Veterans Memorial Hospital Fair Booth this year will be invited to play Allamakee Trivia, being asked about the wide variety of resources that are now all offered through the new Allamakee County Public Health Resource Guide. Prizes will be awarded, provided by Veterans Memorial Hospital and Mental Health Today-Matt Howe Foundation, that will promote the future use of this guide. The game is open to all ages.

Also, the hospital will again be offering “Be the Match” stem cell sampling for everyone ages 18-40 at the fair. The “Be the Match” stem cell sampling is quick, easy, painless, and can truly save a life. This is the same program that Robyn Roberts from Good Morning America endorses following her own successful bone marrow transplant match 10 years ago. A blood stem cell donation can be a cure for blood cancer, sickle cell, and other deadly diseases. Many patients and their families are counting on drives like this to find their match. The process is simple and painless and will be available for all visitors to the fair.

Veterans Memorial Hospital will also be offering free blood pressure checks, blood sugar tests, and hemoglobin testing each day at the Allamakee County Fair with educational materials provided for each.

Thousands of people in the United States have diabetes and are unaware they do. Random testing such as this opportunity at the county fair helps to find the individuals who have high, undiagnosed diabetes and direct them to the professionals who can help them successfully manage the disease.

For more information on diabetes and diabetes management, please call Angie Mettille, BSN/RN/CDCES, Diabetes Educator, at Veterans Memorial Hospital at (563) 568-3411.

New this year, Hemoglobin testing will also be offered, to check for the amount of iron in the blood. Iron is a mineral that helps with growth and development.  The body uses it to make hemoglobin and myoglobin, which carry oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body and muscles. Some hormones are also made with iron.

Normal ranges for males is 14-18 g/dL and for females is 12-16 g/dL. Any results less than 6 g/dL is considered critical and needs immediate attention by a medical provider.

There are two sources of iron: heme iron and nonheme iron. Heme iron is found in meat, seafood, and poultry and is absorbed better by the body. Nonheme iron is found in plant foods, such as fortified bread and grains, white beans, lentils, spinach, kidney beans, peas, nuts, and some dried fruits, such as raisins. These foods are absorbed better when combined with meat, seafood, poultry, or foods rich in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, strawberries, sweet peppers, tomatoes, and broccoli. Handouts will be available at the fair booth for more information.

As always, Veterans Memorial Hospital will have a medical kit available for any first aid emergencies on the Fairgrounds. The hospital booth will be located inside the Fairgrounds Pavilion building on the stage area on Thursday and Friday, July 18 and 19, from 11 am-8 pm, and on Saturday, July 20, from 9 am-3 pm.