August 26, 2018

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

My year as HFSA President has flown by! I am so proud of all we have accomplished and particularly proud of our society’s strong commitment to advancing the care of heart failure patients.

First and foremost, we have remained strongly committed to serving our patients and are expanding opportunities for patient participation in the society. We have made great strides in cultivating a multidisciplinary community that engages all who treat heart failure patients. Education is a major priority. We have increased and enhanced our educational offerings and are looking toward implementing a certification program. Our research portfolio continues to expand through additional research opportunities and innovative partnerships with investigators, government, industry, and patients. In addition, we have increased awareness of the critical need to combat the growing crisis of heart failure though our advocacy, communications and public awareness efforts, and have embarked on an international ambassador program to strengthen ties throughout the world.

I would like to thank our Officers, current Past President, Mandeep Mehra, MD, FHFSA; President-Elect, Randall Starling, MD, MPH, FHFSA; Treasurer, Biykem Bozkurt, MD, PhD, FHFSA; Secretary, Corrine Jurgens, RN, PhD, FHFSA and outgoing Board Members Jonathan D. Rich, MD, FHFSA; Susan E. Ammon, MSN, NP, CHFN, FHFSA; Javed Butler, MD, MPH, FHFSA; and Joseph A. Hill, MD, PhD, FHFSA for their outstanding service. I would also like to thank all the Board Members for their hard work this year.

Looking to the future I want to congratulate those listed below who will serve as our 2018-2019 HFSA Officers and Board of Directors, as I move to Immediate Past President:

President                 

Randall Starling, MD, MPH, FHFSA

President-Elect

Biykem Bozkurt, MD, FHFSA

Treasurer
Corrine Y. Jurgens, RN, PhD, FHFSA

Secretary
Nancy M. Albert, RN, PhD, FHFSA

 
Board of Directors
Sean Collins, MD, MSc, FHFSA
Mark Drazner, MD, MSc, FHFSA
Mona Fiuzat, PharmD, FHFSA
Robb Kociol, MD, FHFSA
David Lanfear, MD, MS, FHFSA
Paul J. Mather, MD, FHFSA
J. Herbert Patterson, PharmD, FHFSA
Wai Hong Wilson Tang, MD, FHFSA
John Teerlink, MD, FHFSA

Cynthia Chauhan, MSW - Patient Member (ad hoc)

Welcome New Board Members:
James Fang, MD, FHFSA
Michael Givertz, MD, FHFSA
Maria Rosa Costanzo, MD
Gregg C. Fonarow, MD, FHFSA
G. Michael Felker, MD, FHFSA

There is much work to be done and I am confident that this outstanding leadership team, working with staff, our committee members and the membership at large, will make considerable progress toward our vision of reducing the burden of heart failure.

I am looking forward to seeing all of you at our September 15-18, 2018 Annual Scientific Meeting in Nashville, which promises to be an outstanding success. In the meantime, this is your soon-to-be Immediate Past President, signing off.

Sincerely,

Christopher O'Connor, MD, FHFSA
President HFSA
@coconnormd