Revolutionizing Atrial Fibrillation Management: Sturm Family Foundation Impact Update Winter 2022
Giving up isn’t an option at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. The doors to groundbreaking research possibilities are always open. It’s what drives us; the desire to do more, to stretch the boundaries of science and explore leading edge research that can make a difference in people’s lives. Thanks to the philanthropic investment from the Sturm Family Foundation, the dream of developing an atrial fibrillation (AF) center of excellence at CU Anschutz is becoming a reality. Your gift has enacted real change as we continue to identify more patients for whom we can minimize hospitalization and optimize follow-up care. Under the direction of Dr. Wendy Tzou, the clinical research being done on our campus has enormous potential to change the trajectory of AF management as we look for ways to not only make patients feel better but do better to improve longer-term outcomes like survival. As an academic medical institution with direct ties to the hospital system, CU Anschutz is uniquely situated to revolutionize AF management. We are ready to be a leader in this space.
Your Generosity in Action The initial $100K investment from the Sturm Family Foundation is fueling research that otherwise may not have been possible. With your support, we are pioneering the future of AF management and patient care. Over the last year, Dr. Tzou’s team has made incredible progress, including: Extremely promising research with respect to incorporating lifestyle improvements to reduce secondary risk factors like weight gain and sleep apnea have helped improve the way we manage AF patients. Leveraging your gift for additional help and resources to acquire data and analyze it on a scale that would be difficult for Dr. Tzou to achieve on her own. Encouraging other researchers in Dr. Tzou’s group to be enthusiastic about the project, which builds comradery and gives the team a sense of pride for their combined work efforts. Support in training fellows who can take what they’ve learned from this project to improve system processes at other medical institutions and health centers. The charts on the next page depict a pattern of improved and timely intervention for AF patients. While much progress has been made, Dr. Tzou’s research suggests the need for infrastructure change and an automated process to better streamline AF management.