daVinci® Surgical Robot

Research Medical Center has added the da Vinci® robotic surgical system to its comprehensive surgical services. This advanced technology, using four robotic arms takes surgery beyond the limits of the human hand and provides surgeons with greater precision, control and access to hard-to-reach areas, allowing complex operations to be performed through just a few small incisions.


An alternative to open surgery
With less pain and fewer side effects, the da Vinci® can provide smaller incisions, less blood loss, reduced risk of infection,shorter hospital stays and a quicker return to normal activities.


Patient Benefits

• Less pain; fewer side effects
• Shorter hospital stays
• Reduced risk of infection
• Smaller incisions
• Less scarring and less blood loss
• Quicker return to normal activities

Physician Benefits

• Enhanced 3D, high-definition vision of operative field with up to 10x magnification
• New optional dual console allows second surgeon to provide assistance
• Superior visual clarity of tissue and anatomy
• Surgical dexterity and precision far greater than even the human hand
• Updated and simplified user interface to enhance OR efficiency
• New ergonomic settings for greater surgeon comfort

Physicians performing gynecologic and gynecologic/oncology procedures with the da Vinci robotic surgical system at Research Medical Center include: Brad Sullivan, MD, Verda Hunter-Hicks, MD and Rebecca S. Johnson, MD.

Research Medical Center Launches TeleStroke Program

Steven Kosa, MD, neurologist at Research Medical Center

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and the leading cause of adult disability. Time-critical diagnosis of those 795,000 annual U.S. stroke patientsis paramount in helping patients receive the necessary drugs and treatment. Delays in diagnosis contribute to the mortality and disability associated with stroke.


Midwest Stroke Care at Research MedicalCenter recently launched TeleStroke, part of its telemedicine program, which overcomes geographic and transportation barriers with reliable technology. TeleStroke allows immediate access to Research Medical Center’s stroke experts who can provide consultation and quality, leading-edge healthcare with on-site providers in rural and underserved areas to manage acute stroke as needed.


“The beauty of telemedicine services such as TeleStroke is that it brings off-site specialty services directly to the patients and physicians who need them at exactly the time when they need them,” says Iftekhar Ahmed, MD, a leader in Stroke/TIA care and medical director of The Stroke Care Center at Research Medical Center. “Significant research proves that telemedicine can result in a reduction of unnecessary transfers and improved quality of care.


”Telemedicine is a rapidly expanding area of healthcare that uses various telecommunication technologies to exchange medical information from one location to another, enabling physicians and medical institutions to treat and consult with physicians, clinicians and patients in hospitals. Research Medical Center’s TeleStroke Program will support community hospitals by providing 24-hour on-call stroke specialists and Emergency Department acute stroke consultation.


Using real-time video conferencing, Midwest Stroke Care’s TeleStroke program provides a 24-hour on-call neurologist to aid in prompt evaluation and treatment of stroke patients, helping to determine whether or not the patient’s symptoms require the administration of rtPA, an an intravenous clot-busting drug. When administered within three hours of having a stroke, rtPA can help break up blood clots.


Research Medical Center, part of HCA Midwest Health System—Kansas City’s largest healthcare network—has the technology to deliver highly specialized stroke care.The hospital received Get With the Guidelines™ - StrokeGold Plus in 2011. This award recognizes the hospital’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of stroke care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations. Research Medical Center was the first Certified Primary Stroke Center in the region and offers comprehensive stroke care with the latest technologies andmost effective treatments available.


Kevin J. Hicks, chief executive officer of Research Medical Center, says that the physicians and staff are committed to maximizing resources efficiently to deliver the best healthcare. “TeleStroke, part of our telemedicine services,reflects Research’s dedication to quality patient care,” says Hicks.


For information about partnering with Midwest Stroke Care at Research Medical Center, call (816) 276-3946.

Research Medical Center Receives Get With the Guidelines Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award

Research Medical Center has received the Get With the Guidelines (GWTG) Heart Failure Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award from the American Heart Association for its excellence in the treatment of patients with heart failure. The award is only given to hospitals that achieve 85 percent or higher adherence to all GWTG Heart Failure Quality Achievement indicators for two or more consecutive 12-month intervals and have achieved 75 percent or higher compliance with four of nine GWTG Heart Failure Quality Measures to improve quality of patient care and outcomes.

A Message From the Chief Nursing Officer

Let me just say how proud I am to walk in this community and often hear great stories about the care we provide. I am proud of the nursing team we have at Research Medical Center. We have numerous accomplishments and a dedicated team who provides award-winning, quality care to our patients and the community we serve.

For your consideration, I am providing factual data and a list of accomplishments that you all have helped us achieve at Research Medical Center. These accomplishments speak for themselves and prove that we are safe, our patients receive world-class care and we have achieved national recognition for these and other efforts. It has been through our own internal hard work and dedication that Research Medical Center is recognized as a premier medical facility in the Midwest and one of the region’s providers of choice for health issues.

Some of our accomplishments include:

• Missouri Award of Excellence for Patient Safety in 2011 and 2009
• 20% increase in employee engagement throughout the hospital over the past five years
• 117% improvement in turnover rate over five years
• 25% improvement in patient satisfaction over the past five years
• Numerous Joint Commission accreditations and certifications in heart failure, stroke and cancer care
• American Heart Association Triple Gold recognition for heart and stroke

I believe that part of the reason for the success of many of these accomplishments is due to our active Shared Governance nursing councils. These Councils offer leadership to their peers through:

• Nurse Executive and Nurse Practice Councils
• Nursing Quality Peer Review Council
• Nurse Retention and Nurse Research Councils
• Professional Development and Education Council
• Outpatient and Regulatory Readiness Councils

These are high-functioning, peer-led workgroups who are making a difference in the processes and improvements at Research Medical Center.

Research Medical Center has a strong culture of professional, high-quality care that has been provided to our community and the patients we serve for 125 years. I want to thank the nurses and the entire healthcare team for the outstanding care they provide to our patients every day.

Cindy Johnson, RN, BASN, MHA
Chief Nursing Officer
Research Medical Center

Rockhill Greens Groundbreaking Ceremony

The official launch of Rockhill Greens took place last week with the demolition of the 6601 A building. Rockhill Greens will integrate senior housing and commercial businesses on the Research Brookside Campus.

Matt Sogard Named Chief Operating Officer

Research Medical Center recently named Matt Sogard as its chief operating officer effective February 1, 2012. Matt has extensive experience in operations and healthcare administration that will serve as a great asset in his new role at Research Medical Center as he continues to develop and lead our operational excellence.

Since 2005, Matt has been in an administrative role with Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center and Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children, an HCA-HealthONE facility, in Denver, Colorado. Since 2008, he has held the position of chief operating officer. His enterprise-wide responsibilities have included operational, clinical and financial performance for perioperative, imaging, laboratory and other hospital services. He has led numerous capital improvement projects and drove the completion of many operational improvement initiatives including leading the development and construction of the $150M Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children. As the chief administrator of the pediatric hospital within a hospital, he led the strategic planning and medical staff development for pediatric and neonatal services.

Matt has also driven the hospital’s growth teams, led employee engagement and culture refinement efforts such as leadership development teams, a hospital recycling program, 100 Fixes in 100 Days, employee appreciation lunches and formal leadership rounding.

Prior to Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center and Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children, Matt was with the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, Iowa from 2004 to 2005.

Matt obtained a master of health administration and master of business administration from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa. His bachelor of science in biology was obtained from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. Matt is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

He is married with four children, and is an avid sports fan. Please join us in welcoming Matt to our team.

VITAS Innovative Hospice Care of Kansas City Begins Construction at Research Medical Center

Facility Designed to Meet the Community’s Needs for High-Quality Hospice Services for Terminally Ill Patients with Complex Symptoms

VITAS Innovative Hospice Care of Kansas City today announced the ground-breaking of construction this month of its first local inpatient hospice unit (IPU) at Research Medical Center (RMC). Designed to meet the community’s needs for hospice services for terminally ill patients with complex symptoms, the facility is slated to be completed and begin accepting patients in March 2012.

The project, located on the seventh floor of RMC at 2316 East Meyer Boulevard, will create in its first year approximately 25 new jobs at the VITAS IPU. Like all other VITAS IPUs, the 9,000-square-foot, 16-bed facility is being built to ensure maximum comfort for patients and their families, with amenities that are designed to feel like home and include kitchen, dining and sitting areas as well as a “serenity room” for quiet contemplation and meditation.

“We look forward to providing the high-quality, compassionate hospice care service for which VITAS is known and that our patients and their families expect,” said VITAS of Kansas City General Manager Julia Vandervelde, who has worked for VITAS for four years.

“Our community has an unmet need for inpatient hospice beds,” explains Susan Shreeve, chief financial officer at Research Medical Center. “We are very pleased to be able to work with VITAS to provide this service to our community. It is a great benefit to our patients and their families.”