There are a number of good reasons to have a comprehensive care clinic at the Hemophilia Center

• The center serves as a consultant to you local health care provider. Your local health care provider is then able to assist you with routine hemophilia care. You or your local health care provider can call us for help with your hemophilia care.
• The staff will provide you with advice for the most appropriate, safe and effective products for the treatment of your bleeding disorder.
• The center provides self-infusion training so you and your family can become more independent in your hemophilia care.
• The center can provide education for your local health care professionals, schools, day care facility, or emergency room. Staff from the center will come to your community to provide the training.
• The center routinely coordinates the management of our patients' bleeding disorders during surgery or some other invasive procedure.
• The center offers its patients the opportunity to take part in a variety of research projects.

Finally a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that people with hemophilia who are seen regularly at a hemophilia center live longer than hemophiliacs who are not seen at a specialized center for their hemophilia care.

Appointment Format

When you come in for your comprehensive clinic visit you will see the following personnel.

Physician - a resident or fellow (a person with a medical degree who is in a supervised learning setting) will do a complete physical examination on you, there will be an emphasis on hemophilia related problems. They will consult with the faculty doctor, your hemophilia doctor, to evaluate your current treatment and make recommendations for the management of your bleeding disorder. Both your hemophilia doctor and the resident/fellow will visit with you to talk about the plan they have developed for your care.

Nursing - The center nurses will talk to you about your home treatment records, your bleeding history, and any other health problems you might be having. If you are ready to do home infusions the nurse will make an appointment to do that training.

Physical Therapy - The physical therapist will do an evaluation of your musculoskeletal system. The physical therapist will measure your range of motion, you muscle strength, and assess your gait. The physical therapist will review any problems and make recommendations for specific exercise and/or rehabilitation programs.

Dentistry - The dental staff do an oral exam to assess the status of your dental care. You will be given recommendations for any treatment that is indicated.

Social Services - A social worker from the HTC will see you to discuss issues that might be affecting the ability to care for yourself of you child. The social worker will also talk to you about insurance, school issues, employment, and other psychosocial issues.

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