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Chillicothe, Missouri – People who live in rural communities 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. Hedrick Medical Center in Chillicothe and Wright Memorial Hospital in Trenton are committed to changing that.

For efforts to optimize stroke care and eliminate rural health care outcome disparities, both Hedrick and Wright Memorial recently received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Rural Recognition Gold award.

Grief is a natural response to loss, encompassing a range of emotional, physical, and psychological reactions. For older adults, the experience of grief can be particularly complex due to the accumulation of losses and the unique challenges associated with aging.

September is PCOS — polycystic ovarian syndrome — Awareness Month. It’s a hormonal disorder that impacts 10% of women of reproductive age, but according to the World Health Organization, nearly 70% of women with PCOS remain undiagnosed.

Missouri remains one of the most dangerous states in our nation to have children.

The most recent annual report from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services showed that Missouri averages 32.3 deaths per 100,00 live births, compared to the national average of 22.3 per 100,000.

In 2021, Saint Luke’s launched its heart team-led Wound Transition Program, which went on to surpass national goals and cut PAD amputation rates in half. Cardiovascular Business spoke with Kimberly Campbell, RN, a nurse practitioner with Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants, about this game-changing program and its components, including frequent diagnostic testing and a multidisciplinary team of practitioners.

Bill Euwer heard all the warnings about smoking.

During a 2023 checkup at Saint Luke’s Primary Care in Lee’s Summit, Bill’s nurse practitioner suggested he get a low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) lung cancer screening based on his smoking history to rule out the possibility of cancer.

“I was surprised the nurse suggested the scan,” Bill says. “She knew the latest guidelines for lung cancer screening, so I was fortunate for her. I’d say she saved my life.”

At 66, Karen Ferguson was on blood pressure medication, exhausted by the daily toll her weight was taking on her health. But after a life-changing gastric bypass surgery, she’s lost more than 100 pounds—and gained her life back.

“I gained weight after having two children, and I've been to a weight-loss program, tried to do things on my own, but it just didn't seem to work,” she says. “I was having a few health issues, and when I asked my doctor about them, he suggested I talk to a bariatric surgeon.”