News Coverage
February, 2005
Calgary Sun
Calgary's Profiles in Business Excellence—Fourth Edition
Dr. Howard Gimbel
Vision is the operative word at the Gimbel Eye Centre, but it's carried far beyond mere eye care.
The latest technological innovations, the highest standards of patient care, and a legacy of education passed on to the world of ophthalmology and health care in general are visions that have made Dr. Howard Gimbel's endeavor a sweeping success. "Never in my wildest imagination did I foresee all this," says Gimbel, whose career began with a modest ophthalmology practice in 1964. "It was never a great dream or a business plan—I just followed the needs of my patients, embracing the opportunity to help people." With his company now celebrating its 40th anniversary, Gimbel is the founder and head of two surgically-equipped eye centres, one in Calgary and the other in Edmonton, employing 87 staff members, not to mention the Gimbel Eye Foundation, an active and engaging philanthropic organization providing training, education and sharing best-practises around the world.
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Gimbel humbly credits his associates Dr. John van Westenbrugge, Dr. Jacinthe Kassab, Dr. Geoff Kaye and others around him, along with the grace of God, for his success. "I have to attribute it to God's leadership, direction and blessing," he says. "My wife Judy has been absolutely instrumental in our success. She has a master's degree in public health, has worked tirelessly in administration, also has developed staff training programs and a wellness program to promote awareness among patients, staff and community that the underlying causes of many eye diseases is a less-than-optimal lifestyle." Gimbel has long been deeply committed to staying on the cutting edge of technology, bringing the latest innovations and procedures to his patients. Applying new and advanced technology, then expanding on them has been a hallmark of the Gimbel Eye Centre's success, but Gimbel doesn't jealously hide his techniques and equipment from competitors. "Sharing what we've learned has always been a focus, but as one gets older, you become more aware of that responsibility," he says, describing the constant training going on at his centres, as well as the videoconferencing, publications, lectures and satellite training he's offered to doctors around the globe. "The evolution of communication technology has been like a gift—enabling us to share what we've learned." |
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For five years, Gimbel has also served as professor and department chair of ophthalmology at the Loma Linda University in California, where he spends two weeks of every month, building a legacy of education for generations to come. Always leading his field in arenas ranging from surgical applications to patient convenience, Gimbel has received the Alberta Order of Excellence Award, has been named by Calgary as the Citizen of the Century in Science and Academics, and was given a Medical Devices Canada award for ground-breaking achievement—all while the Eye Centre received the Consumers' Choice Awards of its own for business excellence.
Gimbel did the first small incision cataract surgery in a non-hospital setting in Canada. He was the first in the country in 1988 to use the laser flare cell meters to objectively measure eye inflammation, was the first in Canada to perform implantable corrective lenses in 1997 … and the list of firsts goes on and on. And shall go on, says Gimbel, as he enthusiastically explains new techniques and tools of the trade entering the market today. A recent $500,000 renovation at the Calgary centre has set the stage, he adds, for decades more of continued growth and exploration, with a team of remarkable surgeons keeping all these visions alive while protecting the vision of the public at large. "Dr. John van Westenbrugge, Dr. Jacinthe Kassab, Dr. Geoff Kaye—they're all vital to the centres and their success," Gimbel says. "And there have been so many dedicated, energetic staff members over the years to whom credit belongs for our success.
"We weren't business people—we just happened to be the right people with the right skills, and we're very grateful for the opportunity to help so many people."