"We are privileged to benefit from AstraZeneca's generosity, which enables us to present this sum to the Montreal Heart Institute and to support its pursuit of excellence," says Michelle Mercier, Executive Director of the MHI Foundation. "This financial contribution is greatly appreciated, as it will allow us to carry out projects related to prevention, care and the Institute's Web site, for the well-being of our clientele and the enhancement of our reputation as an institution," adds Robert Busilacchi, Executive Director of the MHI.

"AstraZeneca is proud to be partnering with the Montreal Heart Institute, as it continues to deliver world-class health care to patients from Montreal and across Quebec, " said Michael Cloutier, AstraZeneca Canada President and CEO. "These three innovative programs will help heart patients to enjoy a better quality of life, as they receive specialized care that meets their individual needs."

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE THREE PROJECTS

Primary and secondary prevention clinic
Thanks to this financial contribution, the MHI Prevention Clinic will be able to step up the development of its activities and broaden the scope of its services to clients. These funds will greatly facilitate the establishment of the MHI prevention plan and its five components: developing primary and secondary prevention services; expanding the role of the MHI and the ÉPIC Centre in the community; providing sponsorship and development assistance for prevention centres; teaching target groups in the general population as well as pre- and post-graduate students and health professionals; developing prevention research. For the well-being of the population, therefore, the MHI will be able to assume added responsibilities and play a greater leadership role when it comes to prevention.
 
Care continuum
In conjunction with the Prevention Division, the MHI Nursing Care Division will work with a multidisciplinary team to implement a care continuum project involving patients with cardiovascular diseases, particularly those who suffer from angina or acute coronary syndrome or those who have undergone a hemodynamic procedure.

As part of the new care model emphasizing a partnership with the patient, this project will allow the MHI to identify and analyze the needs expressed by the target clientele and adapt its interventions accordingly after the clientele is discharged from the hospital. This project will result in several benefits. Above all, patients will continue to feel supported by an MHI professional once they return home. By managing risk factors and thereby curbing the progress of the disease and its complications, the care continuum project will also help to reduce the number of readmissions to the MHI, not to mention the related health costs.

A research program in nursing care will be developed to assess the results of the care continuum project in a rigorous and structured manner, and then to adapt clinical practice in accordance with data based on scientific facts.

MHI Web site
Thanks to the financial support of AstraZeneca, the MHI now benefits from a new Web site ( www.icm-mhi.org). This renewed online presence is distinguished by its clarity of presentation, its ease of navigation and the rich and pertinent nature of the information presented. All MHI departments were called upon to contribute content for the new Web site, which was designed by multiple-media.com, an all-Web communications and technology company that offers a comprehensive range of services, from Web design to complex programming solutions.

As a public service, the MHI believes in the importance of making pertinent information available to the public, to its clientele and to health professionals, researchers, investors and students. The Institute will be able to modify its Web site independently thanks to MMCM, a content management application developed by multiple-media.com.

The new MHI Web site is centred on excellence and provides various visitor groups with useful information, particularly as it relates to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. The new Web site is also configured to provide direct links to the MHI's Centre for Preventive Medicine and Physical Fitness (ÉPIC Centre), the Montreal Heart Institute Coordinating Centre (MHICC) and, of course, the MHI Foundation.

About the Montreal Heart Institute Foundation
Established in 1977, the Montreal Heart Institute Foundation (MHIF) is among the most active foundations in the Quebec community. Its mission is to collect and manage various sums in an effort to support research and technological development initiatives at the Montreal Heart Institute and thereby promote the advancement of a centre of excellence in cardiology serving all Quebecers. To find out more about the MHIF, please visit the Web site www.fondationicm.org.
 
About the Montreal Heart Institute
Founded in 1954, the Montreal Heart Institute is an ultraspecialized hospital dedicated to care, research, teaching and prevention and to the evaluation of new technologies in cardiology; the MHI is affiliated with the Université de Montréal and enjoys an international reputation for excellence. For more information about the Institute, please visit the Web site www.icm-mhi.org.

About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a leading global pharmaceutical company with an extensive product portfolio spanning six major therapeutic areas: gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, infection, neuroscience, oncology, and respiratory. Ranked as one of the top 50 employers in Canada by The Globe and Mail Report on Business Magazine, AstraZeneca's Canadian headquarters and packaging facilities are located in Mississauga, Ontario. With a state-of-the-art drug discovery centre based in Montreal, Quebec, AstraZeneca has been recognized as having the best oncology pipeline by R&D Directions magazine. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.astrazeneca.ca.

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Information: 

Nancy Radford
Writer/Communications Coordinator
Montreal Heart Institute Foundation
(514) 376-3330, extension 3984
Email: nancy.radford@icm-mhi.org

Doris Prince
Head, Communications and Public Relations
Montreal Heart Institute
(514) 376-3330, extension 3074
Email: doris.prince@icm-mhi.org