MU Health Care’s Columbia campus has earned the Joint Commission’s prestigious Comprehensive Cardiac Center (CCC) Certification, recognizing the highest level of coordinated, evidence-based cardiovascular care available.

This elite designation is among the most rigorous certifications awarded to cardiac programs nationwide, reserved for health systems that demonstrate excellence across the entire continuum of heart care—from emergency treatment and advanced procedures to long-term recovery and disease management.  

MU Health Care is now one of just 28 Joint Commission Comprehensive Cardiac Centers in the nation and one of five in Missouri, underscoring its leadership in delivering high-quality cardiovascular care.  

“This recognition reflects MU Health Care’s unwavering commitment to delivering the highest level of care to the communities we serve,” said Ric Ransom, CEO of MU Health Care. “Earning Comprehensive Cardiac Center Certification means patients in mid-Missouri can access world-class cardiovascular expertise, advanced technology and coordinated care close to home.”

To achieve certification, MU Health Care demonstrated advanced capabilities across all major cardiac specialties, including interventional cardiology, cardiac surgery, electrophysiology, heart failure management and cardiac rehabilitation. The Comprehensive Cardiac Center designation requires strong performance in complex procedures and the ability to deliver 24/7 coordinated care for cardiac emergencies.

“This certification validates the depth and coordination of care our teams provide every day,” said Dr. Arun Kumar, director of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine. “From emergency intervention to lifelong management, our patients benefit from a fully integrated approach designed to improve outcomes at every stage of heart health.”

MU Health Care’s Columbia campus provides 24/7 emergency heart care as a Level I STEMI center, advanced surgical and interventional procedures using state-of-the-art technology, dedicated heart failure and outpatient disease management programs, structural heart and valve therapies and comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation with long-term recovery support.  

For more information about MU Health Care’s heart and vascular care, visit muhealth.org/conditions-treatments/heart-vascular-care.

Media outlets: Click here for a photo from the Aug. 5, 2026 announcement celebration.

Contact: Eric Maze, mazee@health.missouri.edu, (573) 876-0708