Heart Force Medical Appoints New President and CEO
January 22, 2009
VANCOUVER, BC— January 21, 2009 Heart Force Medical Inc., a Vancouver-based company that develops non-invasive cardiac performance monitors announced today it has appointed Dr. Geoff Houlton to its Board of Directors and the position of President and CEO. Dr Houlton will be responsible managing the overall strategic direction and operations of the company. Heart Force’s digital Ballistocardiography (dBG) device utilizes advances in digital signal processing and computing to create proprietary technology that detects abnormalities in the efficiency of the heart’s blood-pumping actions.
Dr. Houlton has an impressive career as an Anaesthesiologist, senior health sciences analyst to prominent Canadian Investment Banks, and as a business consultant to many private and public biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies spanning over three decades.
Notably, Dr Houlton has worked for CIBA-Geigy (now Novartis) Bristol-Myers (Canada), and Glaxo Canada in senior positions responsible for product development programs. In addition, he has distinguished himself in the finance world by assessing many Canadian biotechnology companies for venture capital and venture management companies including Octagon Capital, Loewen Ondaatje McCutcheon, and Union Securities Capital Markets. In addition he has supported capital raising efforts for many biotechnology companies.
“Geoff’s unique blend of experiences in both the medical and business domains make him an ideal fit for Heart Force” said Heart Force founder and Director, Bill McCartney. “We are confident in his leadership ability to take our company to its next stage of development and increase the company’s value for its shareholders.”
“I instantly knew that the Heart Force technology would be a winner and was pleased when asked to join the company as its new CEO to support the management team to realize the value of this unique technology,” said Dr Houlton. “The Heart Force dBG technology has many applications in the cardiovascular field making the scope of the market significant. The impact of this medical device to many constituencies will be outstanding”.
Between 2000 and 2004, the latest year for which Statistics Canada has data, cardiovascular disease accounted for 380,861 deaths, making it the leading cause of death at 34 per cent of all fatalities.
About Heart Force
Heart Force Medical Inc. develops non-invasive cardiac performance devices to measure and analyze the mechanical action of the heart. The Heart Force Digital Ballistocardiography (dBG) device combines complex computer programs and sophisticated sensors to measure the mechanical function of the heart through its various cardiac cycles. Existing tests for cardiac disease are lengthy and expensive requiring significant technical expertise and equipment not readily available at first points of care. This inexpensive, easy-to-use and quick-to-report device could be used extensively to assess people for potential future heart problems. As well, in the emergency department of a hospital, such a device could be the key to saving the lives of patients whose heart attacks would otherwise go undetected. For more information, visit www.heartforcemedical.com.
Contact
Lyn Blanchard
Vice President, Corporate Development
Heart Force Medical Inc.
T: (604) 913-2131
C: (604) 418-5288
Lyn.Blanchard@heartforcemedical.com
