This has been a very busy time for HFSA with much activity. HFSA CEO John Barnes has managed the talented HFSA staff well. Three HFSA staff have recently been recruited and accepted leadership positions outside of HFSA. John has promoted within the HFSA staff to fill vacant positions. There are also new additions and all the staff have pitched in with dedicated efforts towards ensuring success at the upcoming HFSA Annual Scientific Meeting. The Program Committee has reviewed and finalized accepted abstracts and is scheduling speakers and moderators. The planning for Patient and Caregiver Day is taking place concurrently. The Nominating Committee is finalizing the slate of candidates for committees, chairs, and officers that will be presented to the HFSA Board of Directors soon. Finally, HFSA was on the move with representation at the ESC HFA Athens Congress. Let’s review some key highlights.

HFSA Annual Scientific Meeting: Where Heart Failure Teams Gather

You may have already noticed that the HFSA Annual Scientific Meeting has undergone a brand refresh. We're still bringing you the same high-quality networking and programming tailored to heart failure experts that you've come to associate with HFSA activities. In fact, we're hoping the new look does an even better job of capturing the essence of the meeting and the important work HFSA members do day-in and day-out.

While the colors will feel familiar, we'll be incorporating imagery and language depicting heart failure teams, as the annual meeting is where HF teams gather together to learn, network, and advance the practice. We believe that it's important to highlight not only the cities in which we hold our meetings, but the critical work that all of you do to support the field of heart failure care. We hope that you'll enjoy getting to know our refreshed brand. If you have feedback, comments or questions, please feel free to share with me or HFSA staff at any time.

The 2019 Advance Program has been released. You can download it here.

Remember, I am asking every member to bring ONE new member to our meeting. You represent HFSA and are our best ambassadors!

ASM Upcoming Deadlines:

• Emerging Therapies Row Submissions end July 13, 2019
• Clinical Trial Row Submissions end July 13, 2019
• Advance Registration ends July 31, 2019
• Philadelphia Marriott Downtown Reservation Rate ends August 21, 2019

Annual Meeting Social Media Catalysts

HFSA Senior Twitter Influencer Eiran Gorodeski MD, MPH, FHFSA, has assembled a core team that will serve as Social Media Catalysts at the ASM this year.

Medical conferences, including HFSA, frequently hold multiple lecture sessions at the same time, making it impossible for any one individual to be present at all lectures. To catch up on sessions they've missed, attendees frequently follow the social media (SoMe) feeds of colleagues and fellow conference-goers. Conference hashtags link communications together, creating rich threads of information that become permanent testimonials of the medical conference. These communications can be searched and referenced. Follow #HFSA2019 and #HFSA2019Catalyst to catch up with our SMCs. Are you a Tweeter that wants to help out? If so please contact Eiran.

HFSA Sponsors Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology (AHFTC) Fellowship

The Heart Failure Society of America will sponsor participation in the National Resident Matching Program® (NRMP) Medical Specialties Matching Program (MSMP), in addition to the American Association of Medical Colleges ERAS®, for the 2020 academic year. Special thanks to Robb Kociol MD, FHFDA, HFSA board member, and Ken Margulies MD, FHFSA, Education Committee Chair, for leading this important HFSA effort to sponsor the ERAS and NRMP Match process for HF fellowships. Find more information online here.

HFSA Launches Committee Improvements and Reforms

As a member-driven organization, the HFSA relies on its members, particularly those members that volunteer on committees to help achieve the association’s mission and maintain the organization. With this in mind, on May 9, 2019 the HFSA Board of Directors approved a range of reforms and improvements to the committee structure and processes at HFSA. The goal of these reforms and improvements is to enhance HFSA’s committees so that they are more effective, efficient and can provide a more fulfilling experience for HFSA’s member-volunteers. You can read the full article in HFSA News.

Steps Outlined by ABIM and Cardiovascular Specialty Societies To Help Cardiologists Maintain Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Status

Please remember you must earn 100 MOC points in addition to passing the exam to maintain ABIM certification. The Heart Failure specialty has been 100% compliant to keep up the good work and please watch for reminders from ABIM when your deadline is approaching. There are many ways to earn MOC points via HFSA educational offerings and many other professional societies. Read the full letter shared by HFSA/ACC/ HRS/ and SCAI leadership.

HFSA Comprehensive HF Review Course Registration is Open

HFSA at Heart Failure Meetings

HFSA sponsored a joint session at the Canadian Heart Failure Society meeting held in Montreal on May 11, 2019. Mazen Hanna MD, HFSA member spoke at the joint session (below left) chaired by CHFS President Shelley Zieroth and HFSA President Randall Starling (below right, SELFIE).

The European Society of Cardiology Heart Failure Athens (ESC HFSA) was another predictable success with record attendance and amazing educational content. Past HFSA presidents Mandeep Mehra MD, FHFSA, Barry Greenberg MD, FHFSA, and colleagues presented important post hoc analyses from COMMANDER HF. ESC HFA past president and congress chair Gerasimos Filappatos organized the congress with the leadership of ESC HFA President Petar Seferovic. A highlight was the Philip Poole Wilson Honorary Lecture by HFSA past board member Mariell Jessup, MD, FAHA.

 

I was pleased to deliver the second annual Mihai Gheorghiade Lecture. Mandeep Mehra MD, FHFSA, Christopher O’Connor MD, FHFSA, and I were extremely honored and appreciative to be inducted as Honorary Fellows of ESC HFA.

The China International Heart Failure Congress was convened in Beijing PR China June 21-22, 2019. I served as Honorary Co-Chairman of the Congress. Over 4,000 delegates were in attendance, coming primarily from throughout Asia. I had the opportunity to tour the HF care unit at Fuwai Hospital and to observe the high quality of heart failure care delivered in China. Results of the China HF registry established by Professor Zhang were reviewed. It was a great opportunity to enhance our collaborations and educational exchange with colleagues in Asia.

We now move officially into the summer season. We all need time for vacation and to reflect and rejuvenate. I anticipate the HFSA staff will remain quite busy over the summer months preparing for the Annual Scientific Meeting and numerous initiatives related to our strategic plan. The baseball All Star game is July 9th in Cleveland; site of HFSA Annual Scientific Session 2020.

 

Best Regards,

 

Randall C. Starling, MD, MPH, FHFSA

HFSA President

Twitter: @rcstarling