Health Innovators Breakfast: Building a Provincial Cardiac Strategy

BioAlberta and the University Hospital Foundation invite you to our first Health Innovators Breakfast, a morning event bringing together leaders from across Alberta’s health and life sciences ecosystem.

Designed as an engaging start to your day, this breakfast will feature a panel discussion on health innovation, along with opportunities for conversation and connection.

Agenda:

7:30 - 8:00am - Registration & Networking Breakfast
8:00 - 9:00am - Panel Discussion

__________________________________________

Building a Provincial Cardiac Strategy

Heart disease remains Alberta’s leading cause of death and one of the province’s most pressing healthcare challenges. In response, University Hospital Foundation, Primary Care Alberta, and Acute Care Alberta are coming together to develop a comprehensive strategy that improves coordination across the full continuum of cardiac prevention and care.

The University Hospital Foundation (UHF) is taking a lead role in the creation of Caring for Our Hearts — a comprehensive cardiac strategy being advanced in partnership with Primary Care Alberta and Acute Care Alberta. Spanning prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and recovery, the new initiative will reduce the devastating impact of vascular and metabolic heart disease across the province.

A Steering Coalition of leading experts representing various aspects of health have already met and will have a draft strategy by spring 2026. Some of the coalition members will be represented on the breakfast panel.

It starts with “What if . . .?”

What if we could tackle cardiometabolic conditions like diabetes and obesity — and reduce heart disease at every stage of life?

What if AI could identify people at risk before symptoms even begin?

What if patients could self-monitor their health using technology linked to real-time data?

What if primary, acute, and rehabilitative care were seamlessly connected?

__________________________________________

Speakers

Dr. Kate Storey, PhD, RD
CIHR/PHAC Applied Public Health Chair
Professor, School of Public Health, University of Alberta
Distinguished Researcher, Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation | Member, Women and Children's Health Research Institute | Scientist, Centre for Healthy Communities

Dr. Kate Storey is a Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta, a CIHR/PHAC Applied Public Health Chair, and Distinguished Researcher–Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Women and Children's Health Research Institute. Dr. Storey’s research program SIRCLE focuses on school- and community-based strategies to promote wellbeing, prevent chronic diseases, and reduce health inequities. But more importantly, Kate is a mom to two young children, who share her joy of adventure, travel and being active.

Dr. Tina Korownyk, MD, CFPC
Professor, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry - Family Medicine Dept
Chair, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry - Family Medicine Dept

Dr. Tina Korownyk is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Alberta. She works as a Family Physician in Northeast Edmonton and is the Director of PEER (Patients, Experience, Evidence, Research), a grassroots organization committed to advancing primary care through the use of high-quality evidence. She has published over 100 articles including simplified guidelines and tools for practice and is committed to research that tackles practical questions in primary care. She is married with 4 active kids.

Dr. Robert Welsh
Professor, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry - Medicine Dept
Professor and academic interventional cardiologist, Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute

Robert Welsh is a professor and academic interventional cardiologist at the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute and University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He is medical lead for Cardiovascular Care Alberta, Acute Care Alberta, and Co-chair of Vital Heart Response (STEMI regional reperfusion program). Clinical research interests are focused on the management of the full spectrum of coronary artery disease, acute coronary syndromes and interventional cardiology. Further research interests include diabetes mellitus and cardiac physiology. He has published over 300 peer-reviewed articles, multiple book chapters and over 275 scientific abstracts. In collaboration with colleagues, he has received a Canadian Institute of Health Research-Canadian Medical Association Journal Top Canadian Achievements in Health Research Award

Moderator: Dr. Jodi Abott, C.M., ICD.D
President and CEO, University Hospital Foundation

Dr. Jodi L. Abbott is a leader, a doer, and a woman of vision who believes that by bringing the right people from industry, government, healthcare and academia together – along with our invaluable donors – we can ignite the kind of change that transforms health in Alberta and around the world. Dr. Abbott strives to accelerate the impact of her actions for the benefit of community.

As President and CEO of the University Hospital Foundation, and former Senior Vice President, Quality Performance Improvement with Alberta Health Services, Dr. Abbott understands as well as anyone the ever-changing dynamics of Alberta’s healthcare system. Philanthropy can play a strategic and life changing role in accelerating advancements in disease prevention and patient care through research and innovation, the introduction of leading-edge equipment and technology, and initiating new models of care.

Health Innovators Breakfast

Health Innovators Breakfast

Event Info

Hosted By:

BioAlberta

BioAlberta