Providence St. Peter Hospital Anticoagulation Clinic

Providence St. Peter Hospital
Anticoagulation Clinic
(located in the Emilie Gamelin Pavilion)
410 Providence Lane
Olympia, WA 98506
360.493.5369

Driving Directions
Campus Map

Clinic Hours
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

The Anticoagulation Clinic is a full-time, outpatient clinic staffed by doctors of pharmacy and advanced registered nurse practitioners. These health care providers are specially trained and certified to monitor and care for patients on anticoagulation therapy.

Why Monitoring is Important
Anticoagulant medications affect your blood's ability to clot. Maintaining the right dose of medication and staying within the INR range (International Normalization Ratio) prescribed by your doctor will help you avoid complications.

Pre-operative Appointments
If you are an orthopedic patient scheduled for joint replacement surgery, you can expect to be seen by an Anticoagulation Clinic provider before your surgery. We will:

• Give you a prescription for anticoagulants to be used after surgery.
• Review your current medication list to screen for interactions.
• Review your health history to determine your risk for forming a clot.
• Explain the procedure for monitoring your medication after surgery.
• Answer any questions you have related to post-op anticoagulation therapy.

After surgery, you can expect your clinic appintments to last 10-15 minutes.

Maintenance Warfarin Patients - Your First Appointment

• Please arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment to fill out the necessary paperwork. You can expect to be at the clinic for up to an hour for this initial visit.
• A health care provider will ask you about medications you are currently taking, including vitamins, supplements and over-the-counter drugs. This will help us screen for potentially harmful interactions.
• We will check your INR -- the time it takes your blood to clot. A very small blood sample will be taken by a "finger stick." Test results are immediate and will tell us if the dose of your medication should be changed.
• You will receive education about the effects diet and lifestyle may have on your anticoagulation therapy.

Follow-up Appointments

• You can expect to spend 10-15 minutes in our clinic for follow-up appointments.
• Patients who are stable will need to be seen in the clinic every 4 weeks.
• Patients who are inititating Warfarin for the first time or after a procedure can expect more frequent clinic visits until they are stable.

We Work with Your Physician
Throughout your therapy, our staff will remain in close contact with your doctor so s/he can easily track your dosage adjustments and other information related to your care at our clinic.

Physician Referrals & Insurance
You will need a referral from a physician or specialist to be seen at our clinic. If you are currently taking anticoagulants and do not have a physician, you may contact the Thurston/Mason Medical Association at 360.352.1417 for assistance locating a physician near you.

Many health plans cover our services. Some may require a patient co-payment. To learn more about your coverage, call your health plan provider or contact Elizabeth in the financial counseling office at St. Peter Hospital, 360.486.6223.