Northeast Regional Medical Center Continues to Expand Heart Care Access

9/24/2026

Kirksville, MO - When your heart needs care, access to advanced technology and treatments can mean all the difference. Northeast Regional Medical Center is bringing new cardiac care options to the community for treatment of heart failure and abnormal or slow heart rhythms.

In late 2025. NRMC launched a heart failure program to help detect and combat disease progression using an implantable pulmonary artery (PA) pressure reader. Results are securely sent from the reader to the patient’s heart failure care team at NRMC. Clinicians communicate to the patient any medication or lifestyle changes needed to help slow heart failure progression if they see PA pressure changes – often before a patient even feels symptoms – to keep them out of the hospital. Five patients have now received the implant from Dr. Larry Handlin, board certified interventional cardiologist at NRMC. Handlin completed training to become FDA certified for implanting the devices.

NRMC is also providing leadless pacemakers, a smaller technology placed using a less invasive procedure. This differs from traditional pacemakers that are implanted under the skin in the chest and attached to leads that travel down the blood vessels into the heart.

“The leadless pacemaker is smaller than a standard AAA battery,” shared Dr. Handlin. “The leadless pacemaker is placed directly inside the heart using a catheter through the femoral vein. This eliminates the need for a large incision and supports a quicker, less complicated recovery."

"The leadless pacemaker can work independently as a single-chamber pacemaker, or two devices can be implanted and synchronized for dual-chamber needs. Dr. Handlin added, “These devices also provide remote monitoring. Data on your heart’s activity is collected and shared with your physician.”

Northeast Regional Medical Center is committed to timely, effective treatment of hearts in a medical emergency. NRMC is the area’s only accredited Chest Pain Center by the American College of Cardiology, as well as holding a Missouri State Level III STEMI Designation. Hospitals receiving these designations must adhere to strict requirements for the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patients experiencing the signs and symptoms of a heart attack. You can take a free online heart health assessment at https://www.nermc.com/cardiac-care.

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