Community Involvement

Our volunteers contribute countless hours of service each year to Vernon Memorial Healthcare. More than 180 students (ages 14 years and older) and adults volunteer in virtually every department or service area.

Prospect volunteers are required to first complete an application, health history & TB screening, COVID-19 vaccination record submission, criminal background check interview, general orientation and specific training prior to volunteering. They are also offered and encouraged to shadow current volunteers in one or more areas before accepting a position.

Volunteers:

• Receive recognition for their services and are invited to participate in social events and educational programs.
• Are individuals from all walks of life … retirees, homemakers, business professionals, college and high school students.
• Are placed in areas where their abilities, passions and creative talents shine.

Please complete our online volunteer application below and our Volunteer Coordinator will connect with you on available opportunities!

Questions? Contact our Volunteer Coordinator at 608-637-4374 or download the application.

Online Volunteer Application

The Friends of VMH plays a vital role in embracing and sharing the mission and vision of Vernon Memorial Healthcare, with more than 70 active and engaged members recognized yearly for their volunteer service.

The group raises and donates thousands of dollars each year for new equipment and services that benefit Vernon Memorial Healthcare and the community, also funding an annual healthcare scholarship program.

The Friends’ funding comes from ongoing support from VMH staff and the community through purchases made in the VMH Gift Shop, Lovelight donations and support of craft shows, bake sales, the chili cook-off, salad luncheons, brat sales, candygrams and the annual geranium sale.

The Friends of VMH also participates in district and state activities sponsored by the Partners of WHA (Wisconsin Hospital Association).

To learn more or join The Friends of VMH, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator at 608-637-4410 or JCisneros@vmh.org.

A donation to Vernon Memorial Healthcare Foundation is a meaningful way to celebrate one of life’s joys, share your gratitude or remember someone you love while providing benefit to your community.

Vernon Memorial Healthcare Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to enhancing accessibility to quality healthcare for people in the communities served by VMH. Contributions to Vernon Memorial Healthcare Foundation are tax deductible as provided by law. To learn more, visit our website.

Your gift may be sent to:
Vernon Memorial Healthcare Foundation, Inc.
507 S. Main St.
Viroqua, WI 54665

Or click here to donate your gift securely online.

For more information please call 608-637-4374 or email NLoeffelholz@vmh.org.

Make the decision to Donate Life by becoming an organ, eye and tissue donor. The need for these types of donors remains high.

A legal document of consent, such as a driver’s license, is required upon your death, so make sure to sign and date the back of your license and also inform your family that you would like to be a donor.

New Wisconsin laws may affect the consent process in the future. Your Power of Attorney (POA) or legal next-of-kin will be asked to participate in an interview involving your past medical and social lifestyle history in order to ensure the safety of the gifts you are giving. Your gifts will be shared with recipients who need life-saving or life-enhancing surgical procedures.

We partner with Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin for the majority of our blood needs and regularly recruit volunteer donors by hosting blood drives in our community rooms.

Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin provides life-saving blood products to 54 community hospitals throughout the state, plus all blood for VMH patients and area hospitals. Nearly 800 daily donors are needed to maintain the supply to local hospitals it serves, which is why VMH hosts several blood drives throughout the year.

VMH also offers a special program in which qualified patients donate their own blood ahead of time for planned surgical procedures, called autologous donation.

Vernon Memorial Healthcare Foundation and the Friends of VMH offer health career scholarships to individuals pursuing or furthering their education in the healthcare or wellness field. Click here for the application!

Eligibility Requirements:

• Be a college student currently enrolled (and accepted) in a degree program at an accredited college, university or technical school pursuing a degree in a medical, nursing, or other healthcare-related field.
• Have completed at least two years of study in a bachelor's degree program, or, be entering their final academic year of a technical, certificate or associate degree program.
• Have achieved a grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4-point scale (or equivalent) for the academic year immediately prior to application.
• Satisfy all application requirements, with the scholarship application received by the indicated due date.

Applications will be accepted August 1^st – November 1^st. Please contact Janelle Cisneros at JCisneros@vmh.org with any questions.

Applicants should fill out the single application on this page, and they will be considered for all scholarship opportunities listed below.

Jens Fuhr Scholarship Fund
Jens Fuhr, a former Vernon County resident, wanted to show his appreciation for the outstanding care he received while he was a patient at VMH. A trust fund was originally created to provide scholarships for children and grandchildren of his friends. Today, these scholarship funds, under the care of the Vernon Memorial Healthcare Foundation, are to be used exclusively for students obtaining an education in the medical field.

Palmer Hovde Scholarship Fund
Palmer I. Hovde, a former Westby area farmer, wished to assist students in securing an education in the healthcare field by giving VMH a generous bequest through his estate. The interest on these invested funds has been and will continue to be used for scholarships, with funds under the care of the Vernon Memorial Healthcare Foundation.

Friends of VMH Health Career Scholarship Fund
Friends of VMH, through its Gift Shop and many fundraising activities, provides scholarships to students pursuing nursing careers. The scholarship program was created in 1951 to encourage young people to enter the health care profession.

Vernon Memorial Healthcare Nurse’s Club Scholarship
This scholarship, established in 1991, was initiated at the request of Thor Thorson and Bill Reed as a means of using memorial contributions in memory of their respective mothers, Inga Thorson and Jesse Reed. Other memorial contributions have been added to these funds, and this scholarship may be awarded to one individual or divided and given to several recipients.

Previous scholarship award recipients and applicants are eligible to reapply. Preference will be given to candidates from our service area with goals of choosing careers supported by Vernon Memorial Healthcare or rural healthcare.

No applicant will be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, arrest record, conviction record or membership in the national guard, state defense force or any reserve component of the military forces of the United States, this state or any other category protected by law.

Our Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA)
Vernon Memorial Healthcare partners with Great Rivers United Way, area health care organizations and county health departments in a five-county region to conduct a CHNA every three years.

The finished report, entitled Compass Now, presents the results of data collected through community surveys, focus groups, an extensive review of socio-economic indicators and an inventory of community resources. The report summaries highlight the key findings of the assessments every three years.

In the latest CHNA, completed in 2024, the following key health issues were identified for Vernon County:

• Mental Health
• Social & Economic Issues
• Healthcare Access
• Aging & Disability

View the full reports:
These reports are completed every three years by our communities and for our communities.

Compass Now 2024

Compass Now 2021

Compass Now 2018

Compass Now 2015

View the full implementation plan:
Implementation plans are created every three years to identify how key stakeholders will address the identified issues brought forward from the CHNA. We are currently drafting the implementation plan for the 2021 CHNA. 

2024 VMH Community Assessment Implementation Plan

2021 VMH Community Assessment Implementation Plan

2018 VMH Community Assessment Implementation Plan

2016 VMH Community Assessment Implementation Plan

VMH happily supports the communities we serve through monetary and in-kind donations.  If your group holds a 501(c)3 status, you may be eligible to fit within our Giving Back qualifications.  Each application will be considered if the use of the funds or items will benefit our community and the key areas that VMH is focusing on for the year.    

Please email us at info@vmh.org for more information and to request an application or download a copy here