Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute (BCVI) has received a $1 million grant from the Argosy Foundation to establish the BCVI Innovation Research Fund.
The grant will support original clinical research by providing seed money so Institute physicians and staff can pursue the discovery of new treatments, methods and approaches that could transform how cardiovascular care is delivered.
"This is a landmark grant from the Argosy Foundation. At a time when traditional sources for research grant money are tight, it is a privilege to be entrusted with the opportunity to develop ideas into discoveries," said Barry Katzen, M.D., Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute’s founder and medical director. "The grant will support our core mission, which is to discover minimally invasive solutions to complex cardiac and vascular diseases and bring meaningful change to how we care for our patients. The creation of the BCVI Innovation Fund will encourage new ideas and approaches within the Institute, which has a 25-year history of pioneering techniques and technologies,” Katzen said.
The Argosy Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1997 by John Abele, co-founder of Boston Scientific, a medical technology company. Its mission is to support people and programs that use creative and entrepreneurial approaches to improve society.
"The Argosy Foundation’s impressive commitment is a testament to Dr. Katzen and the Institute’s pioneering work," said Stephen Parsons, CEO of Baptist Health South Florida Foundation. "As a philanthropic partner, the Argosy Foundation will help shape the Institute’s future and make new treatments and medical research possible – improving our community and the lives of our patients worldwide."
The $1 million grant comes at a time when scientific and clinical research budgets are shrinking at state and national levels. Seed money from the BCVI Innovation Research Fund will give ideas from physicians and nurses the chance to incubate.
