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LIBIN LIFE
Imaging centre celebrating 15 years Ken Stephenson’s foundational gift continues to help shape landscape of cardiac care within the Libin Institute By Steve Macfarlane, Cumming School of Medicine
I
t didn’t take long to convince Ken Stephenson that creating a home in Calgary for cardiovascular imaging was a worthwhile undertaking. The instant the shrewd Calgary businessman saw the image of a beating human heart projected on a highresolution screen, he was hooked. And for the 15 years since that fateful meeting at the Calgary Petroleum Club with cardiologist and cardiac magneetic resonance imaging visionary Dr. Neil Filipchuk, MD, fellow philanthropist Bud McCaig, and Eva Friesen of the Calgary Health Trust, Stephenson has been a key piece of the beating heart behind the Stephenson Cardiac Imaging Centre at Foothills Medical Centre in partnership with the Cumming School of Medicine and Alberta Health Services. “I see this beating heart and I just loved it. Even as a layman I could understand what I was seeing. Seeing the heart beating, it just resonated with me,” says Stephenson in his downtown office, where the philanthropist and entrepreneur continues to work passionately at age 86. “I could see on that screen that day
what the possibilities were. And so I decided right then I was going to do it. I was going to raise the money needed.”
critical contribution to the success of the Centre. I am most grateful for the wonderful contributions of our team.”
Generously contributing $1 million of his own funds as a foundational gift to build the Centre back in March of 2005, Stephenson was just as important as a fundraiser — bringing in another $2M from friends and associates and $1M from the Foothills Foundation Lottery on the recommendation of Dr. Chen Fong, MD. Support from the community has exceeded more than $8M since the Centre’s opening, and Stephenson just recently donated another $1M through UCalgary to the Centre bearing his name.
Those working at the Centre are equally appreciative of the support.
“I am proud that, together with the wonderful support of my donors, I have been able to keep the Centre financed with philanthropy over 15 years,” says Stephenson. “The Centre’s great success would not be possible without the outstanding capabilities and dedication of the Centre’s researchers, clinicians and support staff, all under the extremely capable direction of Dr. James White, the Director of the Centre. James makes things happen, a
“I am grateful to Ken Stephenson for redefining my perspectives on giving, and how it can achieve large-scale and sustained impact,” says Dr. White. “Over the years, Ken’s generosity and passion have seeded scientific discoveries, catalyzed innovation and enabled great ideas to grow into global success stories.” The first program of its kind in Canada, the Stephenson Centre as part of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute established Cardiac MRI as a pillar of cardiac care in southern Alberta. Over the last decade and a half, it has grown into one of the most innovative environments for translational clinical research, the training of physicians and researchers and delivering worldclass imaging services in Calgary. “The Stephenson Centre is a shining example of what is possible through partnership between philanthropic
