Harrison, AR-March 2026 – Kara Snider, BSN, RN, Emergency Room Nurse Manager at North Arkansas Regional Medical Center, has received the inaugural Stroke Champion Award from the Arkansas Acute Stroke Care Task Force in recognition of her leadership in strengthening stroke systems of care.
Snider was nominated for the award by Chief Nursing Officer Donna Boehm, MSN, RN and was recognized during a recent visit by Jon Weigt, Stroke Quality Improvement Nurse Coordinator with the Arkansas Department of Health.
The award recognizes individuals who demonstrate exceptional leadership and dedication to improving stroke care and patient outcomes.
Snider has played a key role in strengthening NARMC’s stroke program, focusing on early recognition, rapid treatment, and strong collaboration between EMS providers and hospital teams.
Through her work as an emergency room nurse, Snider saw firsthand how critical the moments before a patient arrives at the hospital can be in determining stroke outcomes. Recognizing the importance of the care that happens before patients reach the emergency department, she chose to become a licensed EMT to better understand the full continuum of stroke care.
That experience provided firsthand insight into field stroke recognition and patient transport, strengthening collaboration with EMS partners and helping improve the transition from ambulance arrival to emergency treatment.
The results of that work are measurable. NARMC’s stroke team maintains an average door-to-needle treatment time of 45 minutes, with a best time of 24 minutes, exceeding the American Heart Association guideline recommending treatment within 60 minutes of hospital arrival for eligible stroke patients.
Snider has also helped lead stroke awareness efforts throughout the community, including BE FAST education initiatives, outreach events, and regional stroke drills designed to improve early recognition and response.
The Stroke Champion Award recognizes leaders who are advancing stroke care and improving outcomes for patients. Snider’s work reflects a commitment to strengthening stroke care at NARMC and ensuring patients receive timely treatment when every second counts.