Health and Fitness

Congratulations to Virginia Gay Hospital's Sam Jirak, ARNP for receiving a 2020 All Star Award! The All Star Award is in conjunction with the ICR Iowa Sector Board Partnerships and Kirkwood Community College working to raise awareness of career opportunities and workforce development in the ICR seven-county region (Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn and Washington counties).

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning that taking higher than recommended doses of the common over-the-counter (OTC) allergy medicine diphenhydramine (Benadryl) can lead to serious heart problems, seizures, coma, or even death. We are aware of news reports of teenagers ending up in emergency rooms or dying after participating in the “Benadryl Challenge” encouraged in videos posted on the social media application TikTok.

Attached you will find your edition of the October 2020 Words on Wellness newsletter.Click to View.This edition features:· Home Food Preservation: Apples and Tomatoes· Recipe for Apple Cinnamon Bread· Take a Hike· Lunch and Learn! Stay well,For resources to use during the COVID-19 outbreak, please visit our Finding Answers Now page.

The Virginia Gay Hospital Health Care Foundation (VGHHCF) is partnering with Vinton’s Fareway Meat and Grocery Store from September 14-19 to raise funds in support of women’s health in Benton County. The “Round Up for Hope” campaign will collect the change when customers choose to round their transactions up to the nearest dollar amount.

Generation Rx—a free and educational initiative to promote safe medication practices in an effort to prevent the misuse of prescription drugs, is being offered to any group in Benton County that is interested in participating. The educational program includes a short presentation on safe medication practices followed by an interactive trivia game, all in an effort to prevent prescription drug misuse.

The next Vinton Community Red Cross Blood Drive will be held on Wednesday, September 30, at the Vinton Skate Center, 1703 C Avenue, from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. Due to Covid-19, please wear your mask and make an appointment at redcrossblood.org

As Iowans gather with their families this Labor Day to celebrate the accomplishments of American workers, and mark the unofficial end of summer vacation, IDPH reminds all Iowans that COVID-19 is still circulating in Iowa. All Iowans should continue to take precautions to protect the health of themselves and their families.

As Iowans prepare to celebrate the accomplishments of American workers and mark the unofficial end of summer vacation this Labor Day weekend, Benton County Public Health urges residents to be informed about how COVID-19 spreads and steps they can take to reduce the spread of the virus. “The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to the virus in the first place,” said County Public Health Director Katie Cox.