Dear Friend of the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation:
Many of us have been amused by the debate over the beginning of the new millennium – did it start on January 1, 2000, as many partygoers and doomsayers claimed, or was the offcial date actually one year later, on January 1, 2001.
I have my own opinion on that, but it's not exactly an issue that I’m losing any sleep over. However, for the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, 2001 was clearly the frst year of the new century and the new millennium, and a watershed year for this organization and its future.
How can I be so sure about that? I am sure because of a number of signal events in the life of the Foundation that occurred during 2001.
To start with, the Foundation committed itself during 2001 to participate in a capital campaign for the construction of a new heart hospital on the Abbott Northwestern campus. This effort – a $60 million campaign – would create the very first designated cardiovascular hospital on the campus of a major medical center, anywhere in the United States. The patient care model for the new hospital incorporates many patient-centered innovations, including complete integration of complementary medicine as part of the healing process. The Foundation has been actively involved in research on complementary medicine on the Abbott Northwestern campus, and we are partnering with major medical centers around the United States on pioneering research projects. The Foundation’s involvement in this capital campaign insures that clinical research designed to benefit patient care will be an integral component of the new heart hospital. In 2001, the Foundation was fortunate to hire Dr. Tim Henry to be our new Director of Research. While at Hennepin County Medical Center, Dr. Henry established an international reputation as a prominent leader in clinical research on angiogenesis, the technique that uses gene therapy to induce the heart to grow new blood vessels, with the hope of eliminating symptoms caused by inadequate blood flow to the heart. Dr. Henry brought with him five outstanding research nurses, thereby increasing our corps of research coordinators by 30%. His research will keep the Foundation at the forefront of international research, and will allow us to form critical strategic partnerships going forward.
In December of 2001, the Foundation reached an agreement to hire Dr. Rob Schwartz as Director of Pre-clinical research. A distinguished researcher and cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Schwartz will lead the Foundation into a whole new area of research, the development of promising new drugs and devices to help diagnose and treat heart disease. Dr. Schwartz’ outstanding track record and reputation will allow us to work with major companies and prominent academic researchers throughout the world, helping them design and develop the treatments of the future.
In addition to industry partnerships, both Dr. Henry and Dr. Schwartz are committed to providing research and educational opportunities for students at all levels – pre-med students, medical students, graduate students, and fellows. They have already established collaborative efforts with the University of Minnesota, and with academic institutions in Spain and Korea.
Dr. Barry Maron, Director of the Foundation’s Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center, continued his outstanding work during 2001, and has begun development of a truly novel online data base to develop better understanding of – and to quantify – athletic ?field deaths in young competitive athletes.
The Foundation of the new millennium is one that is expanding its field of research; creating acclaimed innovative educational opportunities to help prevent heart disease; partnering with corporations and academic institutions around the world; helping to educate the research and health education leaders of the future; and working with Abbott Northwestern Hospital to create one of the world’s great cardiovascular centers, a comprehensive center that will offer cutting edge research and the very best in state-of-the-art, patient-centered clinical care, truly "high touch" as well as "high tech."
As we begin 2002, our 20th year, the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation can look into the future, knowing that we have started the 21st century as an organization that is new in so many ways, yet one that brings with it the dedicated staff, as well as the programs and traditions, that have made it a great organization for the past 19 years.
All of us here wish you and your families health and happiness throughout 2002.
Sincerely,
Ford Watson Bell, DVM
Please read the following articles:
Mission and Vision
Education Services Division
Development Division
Research Division
Summary of Revenue and Expenses
Past Annual Reports:
Annual Report for 2001
Annual Report for 1999
Annual Report for 1998
Annual Report for 1997
