Regional Health Care Collaboration Powered A Successful World Cup In Kansas City

As the final whistle sounded July 11 and Argentina advanced in the World Cup with a 3-1 quarterfinal victory against Switzerland at Kansas City Stadium, another team celebrated a successful outcome: health care providers across the region.

Why it worked

Long before the first fans arrived, regional health care leaders, public agencies and event organizers prepared for one of the largest events in Kansas City's history: the FIFA World Cup 2026™. Their goal was straightforward but significant: to keep fans, visitors and residents safe while the world watched.

The result was a tournament experience where health care needs were quietly met.

“We didn’t want health care to become the headline of this event,” said Brian Beaver, M.D., lead of the KC2026 Host City Health and Medical Committee and a physician dual board-certified in emergency medicine and EMS/disaster medicine. “We’ve really done a great job meeting that goal, and I’m very proud.”

How it worked

Through the KC2026 Host City Health and Medical Committee, health care preparations were made for capacity planning, medical infrastructure, emergency preparedness and communication efforts across the metropolitan area.

Below are some regional products of this planning:

• Multilingual messaging that prepared visitors for heat, severe weather, pharmacy access and appropriate use of emergency and urgent care services
• Care pathways for players, VIPs, visitors and residents
• Monitoring of hospital capacity, emergency department activity and EMS resources throughout the tournament
• Planning around mass casualties and extreme heat conducted
• On-site care operations at World Cup matches and events 

Look back at how hospitals across the city prepared.

Heat mitigation efforts proved especially important during some of the hottest match days of the tournament, when medical teams at Kansas City Stadium responded with cooling stations, hydration support and rapid treatment areas designed to help fans recover quickly and return to the event. Despite stretches of extreme summer heat, most patients at matches were treated on-site without the need for EMS transport or additional care.

This, in combination with the undisrupted care for existing patients, exemplify the difference that more than a year of thoughtful planning can make.

Exceeding expectations

Health care planning also drew praise from FIFA leadership. During a Round of 32 match, when asked whether there was anything they would change about Kansas City’s medical operation, a FIFA medical official said, “Absolutely not. We would not change a thing in KC.”

For planners, the compliment reflected the commitment of hundreds of health care workers and community partners who spent months preparing for the global event. Health and medical leaders agree that collaboration was the driving force behind the success of both the planning efforts and tournament operations.

One example of this regional collaboration in action was the partnership between Missouri State Emergency Management Agency's Missouri Disaster Medical Assistance Team-1 (MO DMAT-1), Missouri Behavioral Health Strike Team and the Children’s Mercy’s Pediatric Medical Specialty team, who provided comprehensive care for adults and children at MO DMAT-1’s fully equipped medical tent sites near Kansas City Stadium, Fan Festival and the Power & Light Entertainment District.

The impact of this collaboration will be felt for years to come, serving as a reminder of what health care organizations can accomplish when they work together toward a common goal. The relationships, coordination and lessons gained through the World Cup will help strengthen future responses to large-scale events and other regional challenges.