MU Sinclair School of Nursing's

Alumni Achievement Award

Recipient Keeps Health Care

in Rural Missouri

Contact: Pam Roe
S218 School of Nursing
(573) 884-2690

May 3 , 2007

COLUMBIA , Mo. – Marti Cowherd enjoys giving, and in giving she receives fulfillment and energy to give more. During her last semester as a master's student, Cowherd's dream of owning and operating her own clinic began taking shape.

As an advanced practice nurse, she returned to rural Ray County, Mo. Although she now owns the clinic she returned to in 2002, she was aware of the facility's status as the only Medicaid provider within a 50 miles radius. Cowherd is also conscious that many rural areas, including the area she serves, suffer from a lack of physicians.

Cowherd's passion for providing a viable healthcare option for those in rural Missouri was the reason she was presented the MU Sinclair School of Nursing's Alumni Achievement award at the School's annual awards banquet.

“We serve a large Medicaid/Medicare population,” Cowherd says. “And as more of those patients come in, I can see growth in our future. However, it also means that the county's population is getting poorer and that concerns me.”

In 2004, Cowherd was the ninth nurse in Missouri to own and operate a clinic. The past three years have seen tremendous growth in the clinic's patient base. Although people-centered, Cowherd and her staff offer all the amenities of the computer age, such as electronic medical records and faxing prescriptions to local pharmacies.

However, as nurses know, it is hands-on nursing care that makes the biggest difference to patients. That is why this mother of four teenagers includes the local youth detention facility on her calendar every Wednesday morning. Providing these youths primary health care is just one way she gives back to the community.

“Part of being a nurse practitioner is developing that relationship,” Cowherd says. “We are very connected to our community and our patients, and they appreciate that. For example, when a patient loses a spouse, we send a card and try to be at the visitation. That's because as nurses we see the whole person, not just their health-related issues.”

Weeknights and weekends find Cowherd and her husband, Paul, at various sporting events encouraging their kids to reach new heights. And often she is found nurturing the county's future leaders through the Higginsville 4-H group, which seems natural since she lives on an 80-acre farm and helps take care of a Black Angus herd.

However, Cowherd's passion is in caring for individuals. Through her church
she travels abroad annually on mission trips to care for those less fortunate than herself. She is also involved with state politics, pushing those who set policy to recognize and help those living in Missouri .

In just a short time after obtaining a higher degree, the efforts and involvement of one passionate nurse proves that one person can make a huge difference in the lives of many.

Students, faculty, staff and alumni of the school were honored at the 17 th Annual MU Sinclair School of Nursing Banquet held at the Holiday Inn Executive Center in Columbia , Mo. , on April 13. The event was held to recognize those individuals who have elevated the reputation, research, teaching and service at the MU Sinclair School of Nursing.

“The school's annual banquet gives us a chance to honor those who have gone the extra mile and in the process elevated the bar of excellence in the field of nursing,” said Rose Porter, dean of the School of Nursing . “Marti sets the bar high for herself in regards to those items she wants to accomplish both in her personal and professional life. She is truly an inspiration to all of us.”

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