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Patients and Caregivers

Who we are and what we do for you

The Community Anticoagulation Therapy (CAT) Clinic helps treat patients on Coumadin/warfarin. We work with your doctors to track and manage your Coumadin/warfarin treatment.

What is Coumadin/warfarin?

Coumadin®/warfarin is a medicine that will keep your blood from clotting. The drug is an anticoagulant. “Anti” means against and “coagulant” means to thicken into a gel or solid. Sometimes this drug is called a blood thinner. Think of syrup being poured from a can: It is sticky and thick and flows slowly. Coumadin®/warfarin helps your blood to flow easier and not clot.

Why should I go to the CAT Clinic?

The clinic is staffed by a Registered Nurse who has been specially trained to help people who are taking Coumadin/warfarin. The CAT Clinic nurse will offer many different services to you as a patient. She will help you in the following ways:

  • Check test results and tell your doctor about any problems that might come up.

  • Keep you up-to-date on your INR results and any changes to the amount of medicine you need to take.

  • Schedule you for any lab tests for your Coumadin/warfarin treatment.

  • Answer any questions you have about your treatment.

Enrollment: Getting Involved with the CAT Clinic

CAT Clinic patients have been referred by their doctors. If you would like to be part of the CAT Clinic:

  • Let your doctor know.

  •  Ask him/her to call the CAT Clinic staff.

Once your doctor contacts us, we will call you to set up a time for you to visit with us. During this visit, we will ask you to sign a Patient Agreement. If you would like to read it ahead of time, you can download a copy here:

Your first visit is very important because it helps the nurse learn more about you and the treatment you've already had. A big part of the first visit will be about the medications you are already taking.

  • When you come to your first visit:

  • Bring a friend or family member with you.

  • You will receive a lot of information during your visit, and we'll want to go over some of it with them, too.

  • Bring a list of all your medicines.

  • Bring all of your medications in their bottlesIf you are taking any over-the-counter drugs or herbs, be sure to bring those, too.

Learning more about Anticoagulant Treatment

At your first visit with the CAT Clinic nurse you will get a notebook called "My Guide to Warfarin Therapy." Your notebook explains how Coumadin/warfarin works, how it affects your body, and how you can stay healthy while taking it. It is important that you read through all the parts of your notebook. Feel free to ask the nurse to explain anything that is unclear or confusing.

Below, you will find links to the notebook and its inserts. Click on the link to see the different parts of the notebook. Be aware that the notebook we gave you was made specifically for you and your needs. The materials below may or may not apply to you. Please talk to your nurse about any questions you may have.

All notebook materials:

Medical Records, Privacy, and Confidentiality

Because we want to give you quality healthcare, we also care about your privacy and confidentiality. If you would like us to give any of your medical records to someone other than yourself, you will need to fill out a Medical Records Release Form. (Click on the link below to see one.) We need your signature before we can give any of your records to someone else. We cannot get your permission over the phone or by e-mail. We will need to receive the paper form.

While you receive care from our facility, we may create or receive information about your medical history, treatment, and payment for your health care. A lot of this information is protected by state and federal law. (Legally, it is called "Protected Health Information"). To learn more about your rights and our responsibilities concerning your PHI, review the Legal Information or download the Notification Practices below.