About Us
Better Lives Through a Partnership of Research and Advanced Medicine
In 2003 the University of Louisville and Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare partnered to create the Cardiovascular Innovation Institute (CII). This groundbreaking research center brings together the best minds in the field to improve the quality of life for 
patients with cardiovascular disease. CII builds on the success of both organizations’ previous efforts to combat heart disease and heart failure through development of ventricular assist devices, artificial hearts and much more.
The new state-of-the-art building, opened in January 2007, includes innovative research labs, operating rooms, medical imaging facilities, intensive care, monitoring facilities, the latest diagnostic equipment, training areas, administrative offices and conference rooms.
Initial funding to construct the facility and to support research was provided by Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare, the University of Louisville, Kosair Charities, the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development and the Department of Commercialization and Innovation, the Gheens Foundation and federal appropriations secured by the efforts of Senator Mitch McConnell.
The main goal of the Cardiovascular Innovation Institute is to foster a highly collaborative, integrated, multi-disciplinary world-class enterprise encompassing basic, translational, and clinical and population research in cardiovascular disease affecting individuals from pre-natal life to death. This is also the goal of the National Institutes of Health and has been identified as the most important area of medical research for the next decade.
