Co-inventor of the first
artificial heart valve, and
medical director of the
Providence Heart and
Vascular Institute
With $1 million coming from community members and a matching $1 million grant from the Meyer Memorial Trust, the Albert Starr Academic Center was established at Providence St. Vincent. Dr. Starr is the co-inventor of the first artificial heart valve, which he successfully implanted in 1960. With his Providence Heart and Vascular Institute colleagues, Dr. Starr continues to blaze new trails in cardiac research. This permanent endowment fund acknowledges our physicians' commitment to research while assuring that they can continue to explore the field of cardiac surgery and share their findings through writing, lecturing and hands-on teaching throughout the world.
