Bleeding Disorders

Northern Michigan’s Only Bleeding Disorder Center

Anyone with bleeding or other platelet disorders living in or visiting northern Michigan can receive comprehensive, expert care at the Northern Regional Bleeding Disorder Center in Traverse City, Mich. The center is located at 217 S. Madison Street within Cowell Family Cancer Center on the campus of Munson Medical Center.

The Bleeding Disorder Center serves 26 counties in northern Michigan and provides wrap-around care of treatment, education, and support for about 250 patients. The Bleeding Disorder Center team embraces the latest developments in treatments and medication as bleeding disorder science evolves.

What are Bleeding Disorders?

Bleeding disorders include hemophilia A, hemophilia B, Von Willebrand disease, and other inherited blood disorders. Bleeding disorders are a group of conditions that result when the blood cannot clot properly.

Hemophilia is perhaps the most well-known inherited bleeding disorder, although it is relatively rare. It affects mostly males.

Many more people are affected by Von Willebrand disease, the most common inherited bleeding disorder in America caused by clotting proteins. Von Willebrand disease can affect both males and females.

Platelet disorders are the most common cause of bleeding disorder and are usually acquired rather than inherited.

Part of a National Network of Experts

The Bleeding Disorder Center is northern Michigan’s only federally recognized comprehensive hemophilia treatment center, part of a national network of 135 hemophilia treatment centers. This is an important distinction. A comprehensive center provides a scope of services that has been well described by the National Hemophilia Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the federal Office of Maternal and Child Health. A federally recognized comprehensive center has a hematologist and program staff members dedicated to the care of patients with hemophilia.

We are Here to Help

Having a bleeding disorder means spending a lot of time and energy navigating the healthcare system. At the Bleeding Disorder Center, we will help you manage your bleeding disorder and will also provide the support, education, and other services necessary to address this complex disorder.

A CDC study of 3,000 people with hemophilia showed that those who used a hemophilia treatment center were 40 percent less likely to be hospitalized for bleeding complications.

Virtual Visits Adds Convenient Access to Care

Our use of Virtual Visits connects you to the healthcare specialists you need, no matter where you live. Through Virtual Visits, patients and healthcare providers can speak with each other face-to-face from different locations. A physical exam is done at the patient’s location by a caregiver on site.

Benefits of Virtual Visits

  • Test results are immediately available at the healthcare provider’s location

  • Evaluations and treatment decisions can be made quickly

  • Less travel time for patients and families

  • Less wait time to see specialists and subspecialists

  • Improved patient care

Education for School Staff and Others in Community

Staff from the Bleeding Disorder Center will travel to speak with school staff or others who are responsible for the care and welfare of a child with hemophilia. They will provide all of the information you need to know to keep a child safe, including what to look for and what to do if a child is bleeding.

Planning A Safe Medical Procedure

Anyone with a bleeding disorder or a carrier of hemophilia must take special precautions when having any kind of healthcare procedure, including dental visits. The Bleeding Disorder Center staff can do a work-up based on the patient’s health history and create a care plan to keep the patient safe before, during, and after the procedure.