October 16, 2012
Story by Colin Zak
A lot can happen in 80 years, especially at a world-class centre for heart health.
The Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta is releasing a new history book this month, telling the story of the institute’s origins milestones and inspiring stories.
“Libin members have been leaders in training and education. Our programs have produced clinicians and scientists who are major contributors to both research and clinical care the world over,” says Al-Karim Walli, Associate Director of the Libin Institute.
“This book tells how that happened.”
In Hearts, Minds & Vision, co-authors Walli, Barbara Kermode Scott, Dr. George Wyse and Dr. Robert Lampard have carefully collected archival images, memoirs and interviews that chart the history of what has become one of the world’s leading centres for cardiovascular research, health care and education.
“Many of the early pioneers have reached an age where their availability to tell their stories is less and less with each passing month,” says Wyse.
“That’s what made telling the Libin story so important at this time.”
The Libin Institute, which is an entity of both Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the University of Calgary, co-ordinates cardiovascular science research, provides education and training of health care professionals, and offers world-class treatment using the most innovative technologies and approaches to cardiac care.
“This book tells the story of the remarkable men and women who have built and shaped cardiovascular science and clinical care in Calgary. It gives us a glimpse into the inner workings of their medical world and puts a human face on the saga,” says Alvin Libin, founding donor of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute and former chair of the Foothills Hospital Board.
The 430-page hardcover book follows the institute’s history from the 1930s, when Calgary’s first heart specialist, Dr. Earle P. Scarlett, arrived with an electrocardiograph (ECG) machine. At the time, the instrument that was met with scepticism, but within a decade was an invaluable instrument in diagnosing heart attacks. It traces the Institute’s varied history up until present day.
Hearts, Minds & Vision – Roots of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, 1930 – 2010 (Kingsley Publishing, 2012) is now available for purchase at book retailers throughout Alberta and online at alpinebookpeddlers.com and amazon.ca. It retails for $24.95.
