For many southern Albertans, a heart attack doesn’t just bring a medical emergency — it brings a race against distance. The critical window for life-saving intervention is 90 minutes, and the drive to Calgary is nearly three hours from Pincher Creek.

The MD of Pincher Creek has committed $15,000 from its tax rate stabilization reserve to a campaign aimed at closing that gap, and the town is considering a similar donation.

“This will come back at our next council agenda and we’ll debate that per-capita dollar figure,” says Mayor Wayne Oliver. “I did some quick math and $5 a person is about a $19,500 donation. So that’s what we’re looking at.”

The Bringing Hearts Home campaign, spearheaded by Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation in Lethbridge, is working to raise $30 million to improve access to cardiac services and build a comprehensive system of care closer to home.

Launched in partnership with Alberta Health Services leadership and the Southern Alberta Cardiac Sciences Advisory Cabinet, the campaign is focused on addressing long-standing gaps in cardiac care across southern Alberta.

Greater risks in the south

“Heart disease is the No. 2 cause of death in Canada, but in southern Alberta, it’s the No. 1 cause,” says Crystal Elliott, CRHF’s chief executive officer.

Southern Albertans face a higher risk of heart-related illness compared to the rest of the province, according to the cardiac services plan submitted by the foundation.

The report shows southern residents have a 15.5 per cent higher risk of heart attack and a 30 per cent higher mortality rate.

Dr. Sayeh Zielke, physician lead for cardiac services with AHS South Zone, says the issue has been evident for more than a decade.

“When I first came here in 2013, I was the first cardiologist in southern Alberta,” says Zielke, who now chairs the Southern Alberta Cardiac Advisory Cabinet.

Although cardiac services have expanded in recent years, she says the region still lacks access to some procedures considered standard elsewhere. One example is coronary angiography, used to identify and treat blocked arteries during a heart attack.

About 1,300 patients from southern Alberta are sent to Calgary each year for cardiac care. Many travel more than three hours to reach specialized treatment at facilities such as Foothills Hospital.

Neither Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge nor Medicine Hat Regional Hospital has advanced cardiac diagnostic or interventional capacity such as catheterization labs, electrophysiology labs or dedicated cardiac imaging suites.

Zielke says this gap directly affects outcomes and points to evidence that more cardiologists and more timely interventions lead to better survival rates.

“In 2024, we established the Cardiac Sciences Advisory Cabinet with several community leaders and patient representatives at the table,” she says.

The cabinet concluded one of the most effective ways to accelerate progress would be a community-based fundraising initiative. The goal was to raise awareness, secure funding and gain greater local control to help advance key projects.

“We approached the Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation to see if they would be interested in taking this on,” she says. “We were fortunate that they were supportive and they partnered with us, and they are leading it.”

$340-million vision

Central to the vision of Bringing Hearts Home is the creation of a cutting-edge Cardiac Centre of Excellence in Lethbridge, along with major enhancements to existing cardiac-care facilities and services across southern Alberta.

The total cost is estimated at $340 million. The province will contribute $310 million, with the campaign raising the remaining $30 million.

“We want more southern Alberta cardiac patients to receive care locally, not in Calgary or further away,” Elliott says.

“We want greatly reduced response times to life-threatening cardiac events. And we want to give education on heart disease, solving many cardiac issues before they happen.”

Virtual care for rural patients

The initiative also includes prevention and virtual care, with programs helping residents better manage risk factors such as blood pressure and cholesterol. Remote monitoring tools will allow patients to receive care without travelling long distances.

Elliott says Holter monitors have already been introduced in the region, allowing patients to undergo continuous heart rhythm monitoring at home, with results reviewed remotely by a cardiologist.

Zielke says expanding virtual care is key to reaching rural communities like Pincher Creek.

“We’ll be able to use technology for remote monitoring and remote care,” she says.

$27.3 million raised

The campaign has seen strong community support, with donations coming from individuals, corporations, agricultural producers, Hutterite colonies, local events, partnerships and initiatives such as lotteries.

The foundation has raised about $27.3 million of its $30-million goal.

“I just want to say, thank you. We’ve gotten to where we are by all sizes of donations and it’s every single person that decides to contribute that matters,” Elliott says.

“Every dollar matters. If they’re contributing an amount that is significant for them, then that is making a difference.”

For Zielke, the campaign represents years of advocacy and a vision to close the health-care gap between southern Alberta and the rest of the province.

“Our goal is to reduce that 30 per cent higher mortality rate and improve outcomes for our population,” she says.

“It would not have happened if the community wouldn’t have gotten behind it and didn’t support it,” Zielke says.

“I am utterly filled with gratitude about our generosity, compassion and the vision of our community, wanting to get this right for our people. It’s been incredible.”