HANCOCK – A new service at Portage Health will make life easier for patients who use Coumadin/warfarin therapy.
These Patients need frequent blood tests to determine the proper dose of the drug.
“Waiting for blood test results can be stressful, but now the results are available immediately,” said Dana Bethancourt, RN. “Getting results sooner makes management of the therapy easier and safer.”
Nurses are able to use a finger stick test instead of traditional methods to make things faster and less painful.
”If patients need a change in their dose of Coumadin/warfarin, they find out at their appointment,” Bethancourt said. “Patients receive in-depth education, including nutritional and safety information to prepare for proper care at home.”
Bethancourt is apart of a team of two nurses and a pharmacist from Portage Health who are certified to administer the finger stick blood tests as part of the new Anticoagulation Management Service.
The service is available Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 5 p.m. Currently the AMS program is accepting patients from Portage Health family practice providers, call 483-1249 with questions.