Leading the Way in Rural Health Care: Cox Monett Hospital Recognized Nationally for Outstanding Stroke and Cardiac Treatment

Cox Monett Hospital, a certified Level III Stroke and STEMI Center, has been recognized with four national awards from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association for demonstrating a commitment to ensuring stroke and STEMI (cardiac) patients receive the most up-to-date and appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines. 

Cox Monett, a 25-bed critical access hospital, earned the following Get With The Guidelines® achievement awards: 

• Stroke Gold Plus Award 
• STEMI Bronze Award 
• Rural Hospital Silver Stroke Award 
• Rural Hospital Silver STEMI Award 

Hospitals are eligible to be recognized through the Get With The Guidelines awards program for demonstrating commitment and achievement in quality improvement across various measurement criteria, including the diagnosis and treatment of stroke and cardiac patients at a set level for a designated period, patients receiving education on managing their health and getting a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions, before discharge. Ultimately, these efforts lead to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer readmissions to the hospital. 

The specific rural hospital award program recognizes efforts to address the unique health needs of rural areas. Hospitals that participate in the Get With The Guidelines initiative are eligible to receive additional award recognition based on unique methodology focused on early acute performance metrics. 

“People living in rural communities deserve high quality health care, and I am so proud of our team for adhering to the latest evidence and treatment-based guidelines to ensure timely and proper care for our heart attack and stroke patients,” says Dr. Megan Carter, medical director of the Cox Monett ER and the hospital’s Time Critical Diagnosis program. “As a hospital, we have effectively demonstrated that it takes excellence from a cross section of departments working seamlessly together to give patients the best chance for recovery and survival.” 

Along with Cox Monett Hospital, both Cox Medical Center South and Cox Barton County Hospital, as well as Cox Medical Center Branson, have all been honored with Get With The Guidelines awards. 

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