The Valley Hospital is now open at 4 Valley Health Plaza in Paramus. (You may need to use 650 Winters Avenue for GPS.) All emergency care is now being provided at this location. Emergency care is no longer available at our Ridgewood campus.
Valley Health System’s Anticoagulation Management Service is a monitoring program for patients taking warfarin (Coumadin®). This medication – often prescribed for patients who have atrial fibrillation, pulmonary embolism, stroke, joint replacements and other conditions – is used to prevent unwanted and dangerous blood clots. Our nursing team provides close monitoring to ensure patient safety and drug effectiveness.
Monitoring Services
- Nurse visits: Specially trained advance practice nurses and registered nurses visit patients at home, where they work collaboratively with patients, their family members and physicians.
- Blood testing: A blood test to find out how fast your blood clots is done once a month to determine the correct dose of warfarin. The nurse can perform this test with a simple finger stick and learn the results in just minutes.
- Patient education: The nurse reviews all medications and dietary habits, and discusses signs and symptoms of possible negative effects of warfarin.
- Regular communication: The nurse instructs the patient of any changes in warfarin dosing, based on the management protocol agreed to by the patient’s physician.
Anticoagulation Management Benefits
- Decreased risk of complications
- Increased patient access to education and support
- Face-to-face contact with a specialized healthcare professional
- Improved turnaround time for test results
Getting Started
Your physician must fax a completed authorization form to the Anticoagulation Management Service. You are then responsible for scheduling your appointment by calling Valley Health Community Care at 973-427-7676, #0. Patients are only seen by appointment, so there is little or no wait time. Follow-up visits are scheduled depending on your needs.