Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta

Coordinates: 51°03′55″N 114°08′06″W / 51.0654°N 114.135°W

Atrium on the Health Sciences Campus

The Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta is a partnership between Alberta Health Services and the University of Calgary. Its mandate comprises all cardiovascular research, education and service delivery, with a service area extending from Saskatchewan, Southern Alberta and Eastern British Columbia. The Institute coordinates the activities of 1,500 individuals in Southern Alberta. Of its approximately 150 research and clinician members, over 65 are cardiologists, making it the largest heart or cardiovascular institute in Western Canada by that measure.

Individuals affiliated with the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta have provided significant leadership and input to the Canadian Heart Health Strategy and Action Plan (CHHS-AP). Institute participation included Eldon Smith OC, MD, FRCPC who was appointed as Chair of the Steering Committee by the Federal Canadian Minister of Health in 2006, as well as Norman Campbell MD, FRCPC, also a member of the CHHS-AP Steering Committee.^[1]

Research

Research within the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta extends from basic biomedical and clinical research to health outcomes and care delivery research. Notable successes include:

• A global change in treatment of arrhythmia as a result of trials led by D. George Wyse.^[2]
• APPROACH database and Heart Alert
• Innovative STEMI protocol resulting in mean time to Percutaneous Coronary Intervention of a commendable 62 minutes^[3]
• Stephenson Cardiovascular MR Centre, ranking first internationally among CMR centres as measured by research impact factor points, and ranking first in North America among CMR centres as measured by volume of patient studies - a recent publication documented for the first time, the imaging of salvaged heart muscle as a result of a post-MI Intervention.^[4] To date, a White Paper on myocarditis with lead author Dr. Matthias Friedrich of the Stephenson CMR Centre, is the only White Paper ever published by the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.^[5][6]
• Highest 30-day myocardial infarction survival rate in Canada^[7] according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information

Education

Programs under the jurisdiction of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta include Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery, in addition to contributions to other medical programs as well as graduate studies in the sciences.

The LCIA also offers fellowships and/or advanced training in interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, heart function and cardiac MRI.

Services

The Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta provides the following services:

• Nursing Units and Diagnostics - Cardiovascular patient services at Calgary area hospitals and private practices.
• Interventional Cardiology - Catheter based treatments of structural heart disease.
• The University of Calgary's Department of Cardiac Sciences - Research of the cardiovascular system.
• Stephenson Cardiovascular MR Centre - Diagnostic facility dedicated exclusively to Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR).

Sites

University of Calgary's HRIC building

The Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta is a wide-ranging program of cardiovascular integration which houses a growing list of scientists, clinicians, and researchers from various sites working together to advance the cardiovascular health of Albertans.

• Health Research Innovation Centre (HRIC) ^[8] contains a new hub for the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta's basic scientists. The space, co-located on the same campus as the Foothills Medical Centre, opened in June 2009.^[9] It is interesting to note that elements of different University of Calgary Institutes occupy the various floors / areas in this building, as to encourage research integration.
• HRIC Teaching Research & Wellness Building (TRW), opened in Q3 of 2009, houses scientists focused on translational research. Directly connected to the primary area of HRIC, the spaces have been constructed to encourage interaction between basic and clinical researchers.
• South Health Campus, a $1.5B project completed in 2013, offers a full suite of services relating to cardiovascular health.
• Rockyview General Hospital
• Peter Lougheed Centre
• Alberta Children's Hospital

Notable personalities

• Eldon Smith OC, MD, FRCPC - Officer of the Order of Canada,^[10] penultimate Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, Chair of the steering committee responsible for developing a new Heart Health Strategy to fight heart disease in Canada.^[11][12]
• L. Brent Mitchell MD, FRCPC - Director, LCIA, Professor, University of Calgary
• Jonathan Lytton PHD - Research Director, LCIA, Professor, University of Calgary
• David Lau MD, PHD - Professor, University of Calgary, President of Obesity Canada^[13] and Chair of the Diabetes and Endocrine Research Group
• Norman Campbell MD, FRCPC - Professor, University of Calgary and Canada Research Chair in Hypertension Prevention and Control^[14]
• Merril Knudtson MD, FRCPC - Professor, University of Calgary
• D. George Wyse MD, FRCPC, PHD - Professor Emeritus, University of Calgary
• William Ghali MD, MPH - Professor, University of Calgary, Canada Research Chair in Health Services Research, Buchanan Chair in General Internal Medicine, Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Health Scholar, Research Director for APPROACH.
• Anne M. Gillis MD, FRCPC - Professor, University of Calgary, Director of Cardiac Pacing and Electrophysiology, 2nd Vice-Presicent, Heart Rhythm Society (will become President in 2012, only the 2nd Canadian in the society's history to reach that level)
• Alvin Libin OC AOE LLD- Officer of the Order of Canada,^[15] Member of the Alberta Order of Excellence,^[16] Chair of the Libin Foundation
• Michael Walsh PHD - Professor, University of Calgary, Canada Research Chair in Vascular Smooth Muscle, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada^[17]
• Derek V. Exner MD, MPH, FRCPC, FHRS - Professor, University of Calgary, Canada Tier I Research Chair in Cardiovascular Clinical Trials, Associate Dean of Clinical Trials

Libin/AHFMR Prize in Cardiovascular Research

• 2008 Valentin Fuster^[18]
• 2006 James T. Willerson^[19]
• 2004 Eugene Braunwald

References

1. "Road map to improving heart health". Retrieved 2009-02-26.
2. "Dr. D. George Wyse - antiarrhythmic drugs". Archived from the original on August 23, 2007. Retrieved 2008-08-27.
3. De Villiers JS, Anderson T, McMeekin JD, et al. (2007). "Expedited transfer for primary percutaneous coronary intervention: a program evaluation". CMAJ. 176 (13): 1833–8. doi:10.1503/cmaj.060902. PMC 1891117. PMID 17576980.
4. Friedrich MG, Abdel-Aty H, Taylor A, Schulz-Menger J, Messroghli D, Dietz R, et al. (2008). "The salvaged area at risk in reperfused acute myocardial infarction as visualized by cardiovascular magnetic resonance". JACC. 52 (16): 1581–7. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2008.01.019. PMID 18420102.
5. "Interview of Dr. Matthias Friedrich by Dr. Anthony DeMaria, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology". Retrieved 2008-04-21.
6. "Abstract - Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance in Myocarditis: A JACC White Paper". Retrieved 2008-04-21.
7. "Canadian Institute for Health Information - Health Indicators". Retrieved 2008-07-18.
8. "Health Research Innovation Centre (HRIC)". Archived from the original on 2008-06-18. Retrieved 2008-08-20.
9. "Libin Life newsletter 2009 Issue 2" (PDF). Retrieved 2009-11-24.
10. "Eldon Smith citation - Order of Canada". Retrieved 2008-07-18.
11. "Press Release - appointment of Eldon Smith as Chair, Steering Committee, Government of Canada's Heart Health Strategy". Retrieved 2008-07-18.
12. "Canadian Heart Health Strategy and Action Plan - Government of Canada initiative, being led by ER Smith, Chair, Strategic Advisory Board of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta". Retrieved 2008-07-18.
13. "David Lau on the Canadian Obesity Network". Retrieved 2008-07-18.
14. "Normon Campbell on the Canadian Institutes of Health Research web-site". Archived from the original on May 6, 2009. Retrieved 2008-07-18.
15. "Alvin Libin citation - Order of Canada". Retrieved 2008-07-18.
16. "Alvin Libin citation - Alberta Order of Excellence". Retrieved 2008-07-18.
17. http://libininstitute.wordpress.com/2009/09/16/mike-walsh-elected-to-royal-society-of-canada/ Michael Walsh - Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
18. "World-renowned cardiovascular expert visits U of C". Retrieved 2009-01-14.
19. "Canadian Prize in Cardiovascular Research Awarded to Dr. James Willerson". Archived from the original on August 20, 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-14.

Sources and external links

• Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta - official web-site
• Hearts, Minds & Vision: Roots of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta - official publication (2012 Kingsley Publishing)
• Libin Institute blog
• University of Calgary
• Canadian Heart Health Strategy and Action Plan
• Reach! - fund raising campaign of the Calgary Health Trust and the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Calgary