Anticoagulation Clinic          Wound Care Clinic

Anticoagulation Clinic

Dearborn County Hospital's Anticoagulation Clinic is available to help monitor the clotting time and medication levels of individuals who are taking blood thinners.  Currently, the clinic accepts patients who are taking warfarin, better known as Coumadin®.  Plans call for the clinic to be expanded in the coming months to cover additional blood thinning medications.

The clinic is staffed by DCH Pharmacists Shirley Heyob, Pharm.D., and Debra Rolfes, R.Ph., who work in cooperation with the patient’s personal physician.  Board Certified Cardiologist Dr. Ashok Penmetsa is the clinic’s Medical Director.

At the clinic, a ‘finger stick’ blood sampling is done to determine the patient’s prothrombin time or clotting time as it compares to the International Normalized Ratio.  The INR was established by the World Health Organization and the International Committee on Thrombosis and Haemostasis for creating a baseline of clotting times for patients taking warfarin.

The clinic includes an on-site laboratory which runs the blood test.  If the prothrombin time is off, the Pharmacist can adjust the dosage of the prescription.  Clinic Pharmacists are authorized by the patient’s doctor to change the dosage if needed.  They then notify the physician of the change in dosage.

During a visit to the clinic, a patient’s drug therapy will be reviewed for potential drug interactions.  Pharmacists are also available to provide education and counseling regarding anticoagulation therapy.  After each visit to the clinic, the patient’s personal physician will be sent the lab results and a progress report.

Patients starting anticoagulation therapy may need to visit the clinic once or twice a week.  As the patient’s condition stabilizes, the frequency of their visits will decrease.  Stabilized patients will need to visit the clinic only once a month.

Wound Care Clinic

At Dearborn County Hospital’s Wound Care Center patients are provided with advanced care in treating chronic and non-healing wounds.  Many people, especially the elderly and/or individuals with diabetes, have sores, cuts or open areas of skin that will not heal properly. Collectively, these breaks in the skin are called wounds.

Numerous conditions may result in wounds occurring and/or existing wounds not healing properly. These include:

     -Burns
     -Diabetes
     -Lack of Sensation
     -Poor Circulation
     -Trauma

A team of healthcare specialists will work with you during your wound care treatment. This team is comprised of a Physician, Registered Nurse and Dietitian. The team will evaluate you, determine the type of wound, coordinate your individual plan of care and explain ways to promote healing.

Your specialized plan of care and treatment may include:

     -Wound Cleansing (Sharp or Mechanical Debridement)
     -Dressing Changes
     -Compression Therapy
     -Total Contact Casting
     -Wound VAC System
     -Nutrition Assessment
     -Regular Visits to the Wound Care Center

Throughout your treatment the wound care team will communicate with your Physician about your care and explain ways to safely continue and improve your daily activities.  Your Physician at the Wound Care Center may also refer you for additional care, treatment or services including:

     -Physical Therapy
     -Occupational Therapy
     -Orthopaedics
     -Vascular Testing
     -Infectious Disease Specialist
     -Diabetes Education Classes provided by Certified Diabetes Educators

If you have a wound that is not healing properly, getting worse, or causing discomfort or pain, please contact your Primary Care Physician. A Physician’s referral is required before you can be scheduled for an appointment at the Dearborn County Hospital Wound Care Center.

Left without appropriate clinical treatment, wounds can worsen resulting in localized or widespread infection.

For questions regarding the Wound Care Center or to schedule an appointment, please call:  Bev Lang, RN, or Bridget Johnson, RN, BSN, at 812-537-8376 or 800-676-5572, ext. 8376 or Michael McAndrew, M.D., Mark McAndrew, M.D., or Shannon Davis, M.D., at Dearborn County Surgery 812-537-5772.