The Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) is launching the Heart Failure Community Education Program. This idea grew out of the 2015 HFSA Patient Healthcare Day and intends to connect patients and caregivers impacted by heart failure to multi-disciplinary experts and resources.

The goals of the program are to:

• Promote heart failure awareness
• Increase self-assessment abilities through interactive learning experiences
• Encourage participants to assume responsibility for their own health choices through development of a personal wellness plan for maximizing heart health throughout life
• Reassure and encourage participants to continue healthy behaviors
• Increase understanding of available heart failure healthcare resources

The first community education event is scheduled for July 5 during the Mended Hearts National Education Conference in Nashville. JoAnn Lindenfeld, MD will present "Heart Failure: Medications and Challenges of Multiple Medications" to almost 300 patients and caregivers.

HFSA is collaborating with Mended Hearts to bring these community education events to patients throughout the U.S. Presentations are being scheduled for fall 2017 in Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Washington and Virginia. Collaborations with other patient groups are under discussion. A webinar series is also being planned to have a broader reach to heart failure patients everywhere.