Residents of Grande Prairie, Alberta, can attend a free, in-person health session on Monday, January 26, 2026, to learn about cardiovascular health and local efforts to improve cardiac services. The University Hospital Foundation (UHF) is hosting the session, titled “Caring for Our Hearts,” which runs from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.; the specific venue and registration link are available through UHF registration (venue to be confirmed).
“Caring for Our Hearts” is aimed at patients and their families and focuses on preventing heart disease and managing risk factors. Experts will discuss lipid and cholesterol management and other strategies to reduce cardiovascular risk, building on local programs such as Heartway™ — the UHF–Alberta Health–Novartis pilot that uses community-based lipid optimization pathways (Grande Prairie is one of four Heartway pilot sites).
Organizers will also address the geographic gap in advanced cardiac care for northern Albertans. Grande Prairie Regional Hospital currently does not have a full cardiac catheterization laboratory (cath lab), so patients who need advanced cardiac interventions — including stenting or cardiac surgery — are often stabilized locally and then transferred to the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute in Edmonton for those procedures.
Local leaders have been advocating to bring more cardiac services closer to home. The City of Grande Prairie Council has directed administration to pursue enhanced cardiac services and added advocacy for a catheterization lab and improved cardiac care at the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital to its advocacy priorities.
The session is free to attend, though UHF typically asks attendees to pre-register to manage capacity; interested residents should check the University Hospital Foundation’s event page for the registration link and venue details. The event is timed just ahead of Heart Month in February, the University Hospital Foundation’s annual fundraising and awareness campaign to support cardiac care at the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute and related programs.
