One of the world's leading heart-transplant researchers is leaving Toronto for Edmonton because Ontario can't compete with the funding, or the spirit of openness, in Alberta.
Lori West is a pediatric cardiologist whose work led to the first ABO incompatible heart transplant, in which the donor's blood type does not match the recipient's. Her work has saved dozens of young lives and has been featured in countless newspapers and magazines, as well as on CBS's 60 Minutes.
Both Dr. West, 51, and her husband, Jeffrey Smallhorn, a 56-year-old cardiologist, are leaving Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children for the Stollery Children's Hospital, which is connected to the University of Alberta. Their departure is a blow to a hospital that sees itself as a world leader in pediatrics. It also comes at a time when Ontario is struggling to keep up with the health-care demands of its population while Alberta, as it unveils a so-called third way of medical care and grows ever richer from rising oil revenue, takes on an increasingly important role in medical research.
"Resources are much harder to come by in Ontario than they are in Alberta," Dr. West said. "It's hard to lose senior people, but if you don't give them the tools they need to continue their work, then you're going to lose senior people. And that's a pity, but there are other places and there are children all over who will benefit from this kind of work."
Dr. West said she was sought out by the University of Alberta, and spent at least six months pondering the switch.
She will be able to hire twice as many researchers for her lab in Edmonton, and there will be much more space in which to work. Her salary will also be significantly better, but that's not what motivates her, she said.
"We're on the cusp of a lot of new things. Transplantation, particularly in children, stands poised to lead the way in the field of research that I'm involved in," Dr. West said. "There just are immense resources being put into things like medical research in Alberta, and [there is a]willingness to put them into transplantation and specifically transplantation for children."
She also describes a refreshing culture of openness in Alberta and a keenness to embrace new ideas that is not matched in Ontario.
"Some of what we see in Edmonton reminds me more of an Australian take on life. You're not bogged down by how it's always been," she said. "If you've got a good idea, there's an attitude of 'Let's do it.' "
Dr. Terry Klassen, clinical leader of the Stollery Children's Hospital, has hired more than 40 top researchers from across Canada, the U.S. and overseas since his arrival from Ottawa six years ago. He credits the money available through Alberta's Heritage Foundation for Medical Research and an attractive organizational culture, for luring so many leading researchers to Canada's northernmost city. He described Dr. West's hiring as a coup.
"For us to get someone of such international stature and for her to have been here a number of times and believe this is a place for the future, really sends a strong message for us and builds on the sense of growing excellence that's been happening for the last six to 10 years."
He also said the growing research infrastructure, including two brand new labs being built at their site, make Edmonton an attractive option.
Dr. West said Toronto fought "a bit" to keep her, but in the end it was clear that they weren't prepared to make a commitment to children's transplant research.
"If it's not a high enough priority here and it's a higher priority there and they're willing to put the investment in, then that's important to me. Then I can do better for the children that I take care of."
Dr. West was born in the U.S. and Dr. Smallhorn was born in Australia. She says they're committed to the principles that form the basis of Canada's health-care system and would never want to leave. She isn't nervous about Ralph Klein's musings on health-care reform and is excited about the move to a new city, even if it means leaving a recently renovated home.
"I won't miss the traffic. I won't miss the smog. My husband's a fitness addict and he cycles to work every day and he doesn't like this kind of heat. I think he's really looking forward to the wide open spaces. Sure, we'll miss Toronto, it's a nice city. But I think Edmonton will be interesting."