Lawrence Memorial Hospital plans to offer a new anticoagulation clinic for patients who need to monitor their blood-clotting levels.

Such patients might have congenital heart defects or valve replacements or have had complicated surgeries.

The clinic is scheduled to open April 1 and will be staffed by a nurse practitioner.

It temporarily will be located inside the same-day surgery area on the first floor.

“We were asked by a couple of physician offices if we could provide that service because it was a service that they no longer would be providing in their offices,” said Karen Shumate, vice president of clinical services at LMH.

The hospital didn’t reveal which doctors had contacted them because the doctors still needed to notify their patients.

Shumate said the clinic would provide the small blood test that patients who are on anticoagulation therapy need. One common anticoagulant is Coumadin or Warfarin.

When patients begin therapy, they typically are tested once or twice a week, and then gradually are tested less often.

When the test results are received, the nurse can adjust their medication or refer them to their doctor.

While some doctors offer such tests in their offices, the hospital’s clinic will be unique in that the nurse will be able to consult with nearby pharmacists. The pharmacists can provide expertise on how anticoagulation drugs will interact with current medications.

Patrick Parker, director of pharmacy and IV therapy, said he thinks such an interdisciplinary model is best for patients. He also said such a clinic has been needed in the community.

“I think it is real important for the community to have an anticoagulation clinic available, and we want to make sure those services are available to the community,” he said. “These drugs are relatively dangerous. They have a very low therapeutic threshold, and they have to be carefully monitored and aggressively monitored. The clinics have proven a good way to do that.”

The hospital expects to have about 400 patient visits per month by the end of the year.

Patients can use the clinic as long as they have a doctor’s order. For more information, contact Parker at 505-6362.