Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta

The Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta is a partnership between the Calgary Health Region 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.

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. [cite web | url=http://www.calgaryhealthregion.ca/newslink/region_news/2007/2007-08-17_george_wyse.html | title = Dr. D. George Wyse - antiarrhythmic drugs |accessdate=2008-08-27]
* APPROACH database and Heart Alert
* Innovative STEMI protocol resulting in mean time to Percutaneous Coronary Intervention of a commendable 62 minutescite journal | author = De Villiers JS, Anderson T, McMeekin JD, "et al". | title = Expedited transfer for primary percutaneous coronary intervention: a program evaluation | journal = CMAJ | volume = 176 | pages = 1833–8 | year = 2007 | pmid = 17576980]
* Stephenson CMR Centre, ranking first in Canada and top five globally, as measured by number of published peer-reviewed articles - a recent publication documented for the first time, the imaging of salvaged heart muscle as a result of a post-MI Interventioncite journal | author = Friedrich MG, Abdel-Aty H, Taylor A, Schulz-Menger J, Messroghli D, Dietz R, "et al". | title = The salvaged area at risk in reperfused acute myocardial infarction as visualized by cardiovascular magnetic resonance | journal = JACC | volume = 52 | pages = 1581–7 | year = 2008 | pmid = 18420102]
* Highest 30-day myocardial infarction survival rate in Canada [cite web | url=http://www.cihi.ca/cihiweb/dispPage.jsp?cw_page=AR_152_E | title = Canadian Institute for Health Information - Health Indicators |accessdate=2008-07-18] 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:
* [http://www.libin.ucalgary.ca/services/nursing.php Nursing Units and Diagnostics] - Cardiovascular patient services at Calgary area hospitals and private practices.
* [http://www.libin.ucalgary.ca/services/foothills.php Interventional Cardiology] - Catheter based treatments of structural heart disease.
* The University of Calgary's [http://www.cardiacsciences.ucalgary.ca/ Department of Cardiac Sciences] - Research of the cardiovascular system.
* [http://www.libin.ucalgary.ca/services/stephenson.php Stephenson Cardiovascular MR Centre] - Diagnostic facility dedicated exclusively to Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR).

Expansion

To house a growing list of scientists, clinicians, and other members of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta (which already comprises the largest group of cardiologists in the province) several spaces are currently under construction.
* Health Research Innovation Centre (HRIC) [cite web |url=http://www.medicine.ucalgary.ca/research/hric |title=Health Research Innovation Centre (HRIC) |accessdate=2008-08-20] will contain 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, is set to open early in 2009. [cite web |url=http://www.libin.ucalgary.ca/documents/news/Libin-2008-08-14-HRIC_0814.pdf |title=HRIC construction update |accessdate=2008-08-20]
* HRIC Teaching Research & Wellness Building (TRW), also set to open in early 2009, will house scientists focused on translational research.
* South Health Campus [cite web |url=http://www.calgaryhealthregion.ca/capital/shc/vision.htm |title=South Health Campus |accessdate=2008-08-20] , a $1.5B project currently under construction, will offer a full suite of services relating to cardiovascular health.

Notable Personalities

*Eldon Smith OC, MD, FRCPC - Officer of the Order of Canada [cite web |url=http://www.gg.ca/honours/search-recherche/honours-desc.asp?TypeID=orc&id=5594&lang=e |title=Eldon Smith citation - Order of Canada |accessdate=2008-07-18] , 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 [cite web |url=http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/media/nr-rp/2006/2006_09-eng.php |title=Press Release - appointment of Eldon Smith as Chair, Steering Committee, Government of Canada's Heart Health Strategy |accessdate=2008-07-18] [cite web |url=http://www.chhs-scsc.ca/ |title=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 |accessdate=2008-07-18] .
*Alvin Libin OC - Officer of the Order of Canada [cite web |url=http://www.gg.ca/honours/search-recherche/honours-desc.asp?TypeID=orc&id=6580&lang=e |title=Alvin Libin citation - Order of Canada |accessdate=2008-07-18] , Member of the Alberta Order of Excellence [cite web |url=http://www.lieutenantgovernor.ab.ca/aoe/2004_libin.cfm |title=Alvin Libin citation - Alberta Order of Excellence |accessdate=2008-07-18] , Chair of the Libin Foundation
*Jonathan Lytton PHD - Research Director at the LCIA, Professor, University of Calgary
*David Lau MD, PHD - Professor, University of Calgary, President of Obesity Canada [cite web |url=http://www.obesitynetwork.ca/members/view.aspx?id=737&title=David+Lau |title=David Lau on the Canadian Obesity Network |accessdate=2008-07-18] and Chair of the Diabetes and Endocrine Research Group
*Norman Campbell MD, FRCPC - Professor, University of Calgary, Canadian Chair in Hypertension Prevention and Control [cite web |url=http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/31163.html |title=Normon Campbell on the Canadian Institutes of Health Research web-site |accessdate=2008-07-18]
*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. Canada Research Chair in Health Services Research, the Buchanan Chair in General Internal Medicine, and a Health Scholar Award from the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research
*Matthias Friedrich MD, FRCPC - Associate Professor, University of Calgary, Director of the Stephenson CMR Centre

References

Sources & External Links

* [http://www.libininstitute.org/ Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta] - official web-site
* [http://faculty.med.ucalgary.ca/research/cardioinstitute.html University of Calgary]
* [http://www.chhs-scsc.ca/ Canadian Heart Health Strategy and Action Plan]
* [http://www.reachforhealth.ca/ Reach!] - fund raising campaign of the Calgary Health Trust