$5M donation made to AGH cardiac program by Mario Lemieux Foundation, Highmark

The Mario Lemieux Foundation on Wednesday announced a $2.5 million donation to Allegheny General Hospital’s cardiac electrophysiology program.

The donation was matched by Highmark, hospital leaders said during an announcement at the North Side hospital.

The joint $5 million gift will mark the creation of the Mario Lemieux Center for Heart Rhythm Care with Allegheny Health Network.

Treatments in the hospital’s cardiac electrophysiology program include medications, procedures and implanted devices.

The Mario Lemieux Center for Heart Rhythm Care will help improve patient treatments and advance research, said Tom Grealish, president of the Mario Lemieux Foundation’s board of directors.

The goal is to help improve and expand care for patients who, like Lemieux, have atrial fibrillation, which impacts millions of Americans, Grealish said.

Dr. Stephen Bailey, chair of the AHN Cardiovascular Institute, said Allegheny General Hospital has long been at the forefront of cardiovascular medicine.

The donation, Bailey said, will help AHN remain a leader in the field.

Heart rhythm disorders are common, and the new center will be a “game changer” in terms of caring for patients with such health issues, he said.

Doctors, patients and others attended a brief event at the hospital Wednesday morning to celebrate the donation and the launch of the new program.

Lemieux, the former Pittsburgh Penguin, NHL Hall of Famer and founder of the Mario Lemieux Foundation, was presented with a white doctor’s coat during the ceremony.

Lemieux did not speak at the event and was not available for interviews.

In 2019, Lemieux’s foundation provided $1 million — which also was matched by Highmark — to jump-start an innovation and research fund benefiting the health system’s cardiovascular program.

Since then, the hospital has recruited a “world class” research team, launched international research trials, coordinated with experts from around the country to share knowledge and implemented artificial intelligence tools, said Dr. Amit Thosani, director of the AHN Cardiac electrophysiology program.

David Holmberg, president and CEO of Highmark Health, became emotional while recalling the story of facing his own cardiac health scare a few years ago. He was treated at Allegheny General Hospital, he said, and now is healthy enough to have just completed a marathon over the weekend.

“I benefited from the investment the Lemieux Foundation made in 2019,” he said, adding that the health network’s care “saved my life.”