Twenty years of excellence at the Libin Cardiovascular Institute

On Jan. 27, 2004, a ground-breaking event forever changed the face of cardiac care in Calgary. An official Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Alvin & Mona Libin Foundation, Calgary Health Region and the University of Calgary, establishing the Libin Cardiovascular Institute. The Foundation committed $15 million to establish the Libin Institute, the first health institute at U Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine. 

As we celebrate 20 years of excellence, I want to honour the visionaries who led the way during the formative stages of the Institute’s creation: Dr. Eldon Smith, the former dean of medicine, who was the Institute’s first champion and, in partnership with the Libin family, was the architect of the Institute model; and Dr. Brent Mitchell the Institute’s inaugural director.

Their dedication, along with the generosity of Alvin and Mona Libin, paved the way for numerous advancements in cardiovascular research, patient care and education, impacting heart health in Calgary and beyond. 

This tradition of excellence in Institute leadership has continued with the involvement of a robust Strategic Advisory Board led by Dr. Eldon Smith since the Institute’s inception. Dr. Todd Anderson, now the Dean of Medicine at the Cumming School of Medicine, moved the Institute forward in many ways as the second institute director. 

This excellence in leadership has contributed to the Institute’s success on national and international levels. None of this would have been possible without the dedicated clinicians, researchers, trainees, staff and community supporters who have made the Institute a world-class centre of cardiovascular research, patient care and training over the past 20 years. 

On this milestone, I also want to celebrate the Institute’s present. Today, we have several key initiatives underway.

The Women’s Cardiovascular Health Initiative, spearheaded by Director Dr. Roopinder Sandhu, has embarked on developing a women’s cardiovascular health clinic. The clinic will take a comprehensive approach to women's cardiovascular care across the life cycle. Integrating research, education and community outreach within the clinic will allow us to transform women’s cardiovascular health trajectory. 

Our Precision Medicine Initiative is harmonizing and combining Alberta’s world-renowned data sources into a single, super database, paving the way for our researchers to conduct life-changing cardiovascular research and create powerful predictive, diagnostic and decision-making tools to improve patient care. 

These and several other initiatives are helping us shape the future of cardiovascular health care and bringing us closer to our goal of providing the best possible care for each patient at the right time. 

On the Libin Cardiovascular Institute’s 20th anniversary, please join us as we honour our past, celebrate our present and be part of helping shape our future. 

Read more about the Libin Cardiovascular Institute's Top 20 Achievements of the last 20 years here.