London, Ontario, January 28, 2005 – London Health Sciences Centre opened the doors today to The Ivey Heart Centre, one of Canada’s largest cardiac care facilities, located at the hospital’s University Campus. The $31 million Heart Centre will serve more than 5,250 patients annually and will provide a seamless continuum of care for cardiac patients and those at high risk for cardiac events, encompassing education, ambulatory care, diagnostics, interventional cardiology, surgery and rehabilitation.
“The Ivey Heart Centre will be one of Canada’s premier centres for the treatment of heart disease – a centre that will drive change and make a difference in the lives of heart patients,” said Tony Dagnone, President and CEO of London Health Sciences Centre, at the grand opening celebration today.
Poised to take its place among the world’s leading heart institutes, The Ivey Heart Centre is a comprehensive, integrated regional facility located primarily on the fifth and sixth levels of London Health Sciences Centre’s University Campus. As part of London hospitals’ rebuilding initiative, it is a consolidation of existing advanced cardiac care services, which were previously spread across three hospital sites. Designed as a self-contained unit, The Ivey Heart Centre will house 94 inpatient beds, specialized areas for coronary care, arrhythmia monitoring, cardiac catheterization, pacemaker implementation and electrophysiology procedures.
The Ivey Heart Centre will have the best minds, in the best place, developing remarkable programs that will have tremendous impact at the bedside in our own clinics and those of other hospitals. “This state-of-the-art facility will be more than a London resource; it will also be an international resource,” added Mr. Dagnone.
The Ivey Heart Centre was supported by London’s well-known philanthropists and community leaders Richard M. Ivey and Beryl Ivey and The Richard Ivey Foundation through their gift of $6.5 million. “Thanks to the Iveys’ foresight and generosity, today we mark the realization of their gift and vision for the next era of cardiac care,” expressed Mr. Dagnone.
The Ivey Heart Centre will enable London Health Sciences Centre the opportunity to establish national and international leadership in minimally invasive cardiac surgery and advanced cardiac imaging utilizing leading-edge technology and expertise. Included in The Ivey Heart Centre is a clinical evaluation program, which entails a system capable of confidentially capturing information related to cardiac patients. This information will be available for analysis with the goals of advancing clinical research and developing best patient care practices.
London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) is one of Canada's largest acute-care teaching hospitals and is dedicated to excellence in patient care, teaching and research. LHSC has pioneered many national and international medical breakthroughs. Located in London, Ontario, LHSC has three sites - University Campus, Victoria Campus, and the South Street Site, along with two family medical centres and the London Regional Cancer Program. LHSC is the home of the Children's Hospital of Western Ontario and CSTAR (Canadian Surgical Technologies & Advanced Robotics). The research arm of LHSC is Lawson Health Research Institute, which is also partnered with London's other teaching hospital, St. Joseph's Health Care, London. LHSC is affiliated with The University of Western Ontario. Physicians and staff at LHSC number close to 8,000 and together they provide care for more than 600,000 patients each year.
For more information about London Health Sciences Centre, visit www.lhsc.on.ca.
For more information, please contact:
Elena Aggelopoulos
Director, Communications and Marketing
London Health Sciences Foundation
T: (519) 685-8073 Pager: (519) 685-8500 #13737
Elena.Aggelopoulos@lhsc.on.ca
www.lhsf.ca
