$5M donation will help Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation research heart rhythm conditions

The Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, an internationally renowned cardiovascular research organization, recently received a $5 million donation to advance care for future generations of families living with heart rhythm conditions.

The donation will establish the Joseph F. Novogratz Family Heart Rhythm Center, named after the family of donors that made the center possible. Novogratz has received care for his own atrial fibrillation.

“I’ve been through a lot and had the privilege of receiving great care, which led me to want to
support this important research for the benefit of my family and so many other families into the
future,” said Joseph Novogratz, a long-time supporter of MHIF. “I’m confident that progress is
going to be tremendous going forward. If I can support research that continues to help doctors
understand heart rhythm conditions, then this gift will make a difference in the lives of other
people. I’m looking forward seeing continued innovation in my lifetime because of the amazing
pace of advancing research.”

The Joseph F. Novogratz Family Heart Rhythm Center will accelerate and fund research focused on three areas related to irregular heart rhythm conditions: sudden cardiac death, atrial fibrillation and cardiac implantable devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators.

It is estimated that by 2030, 12.1 million Americans will have atrial fibrillation, which contributes to 158,000 deaths per year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Alicia Bravo is a Hennepin County Medical Center ER nurse and former triathlete who suffered sudden cardiac arrest while swimming. She sees a cardiologist at Minneapolis Heart Institute — Dr. Jay Sengupta, who has been involved with research on heart arrhythmias for years.

Sengupta will also be the director of the Joseph F. Novogratz Family Heart Rhythm Center.

Bravo works to raise money to buy AEDs and teach people CPR for free. She calls the mission “Be Brave” because everyone around her was brave to start CPR and call 911 for help.  Alicia encourages everyone to sign up for a CPR class through the American Red Cross.