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Warrensburg, MO – For continuous efforts to improve stroke care and eliminate rural health disparities, Western Missouri Medical Center (WMMC) has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Rural Recognition Silver award.
WMMC previously received the Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Rural Recognition Bronze award in 2023. The advancement to the Silver award in 2024 is a result of applying the most up-to-date evidence-based treatment guidelines to improve patient care and outcomes in the local community.
The American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, recognizes the importance of health care services provided to people living in rural areas by rural hospitals that play a vital role in initiation of timely evidence-based care. For that reason, all rural hospitals participating in Get With The Guidelines – Stroke are eligible to receive award recognition based on a unique methodology focused on early acute stroke performance metrics.
“Coming to the Emergency Room with possible stroke symptoms can be a scary experience,” said Kari Beck, Time Critical Diagnosis Manager at WMMC. “We are constantly striving to improve patient experiences and outcomes, so it’s exciting to receive an award like that showcases the effort and passion that our employees put in to each and every patient encounter.”
“Our team at WMMC takes immense pride in being recognized for our daily efforts to improve the lives of stroke patients in our community, ensuring they have the best opportunity for recovery and survival,” said Darinda Dick, WMMC President/CEO. “Meeting the specific needs of our community is essential to improving health outcomes.”
According to the AHA, People who live in rural communities live an average of three years fewer than urban counterparts and have a 40% higher likelihood of developing heart disease and face a 30% increased risk for stroke mortality — a gap that has grown over the past two decades.
For more information, visit heart.org/ruralrecognition.
About Western Missouri Medical Center
Western Missouri Medical Center (WMMC) is a fully accredited acute care county medical center located in Warrensburg, MO. WMMC prides itself in emergency care, obstetrics, orthopedic and general surgery, family healthcare, internal medicine, outpatient clinics, ambulatory care, rehabilitation services and more. Inpatient services include medical, surgical, intensive, obstetrical, orthopedic, pediatric and skilled nursing care, as well as a wide range of therapeutic and diagnostic outpatient services. This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.