Update from the CEO, Michele Blair

Dear HFSA Member,

Thank you for your membership and helping to make 2014 a successful year at the Heart Failure Society of America.   Please renew your dues for 2015 so, together, we may continue on the strong course we have built.

During the past year, your membership and participation has allowed the Association to:

• Redesign our website! The new HFSA website has been launched! hfsa.org.  The new site combines both the HFSA website as well as the patient portal abouthf.org.  We believe you will like the new look and updated format for easy navigation and updated resources.   We have added new links and will be adding additional content as we develop it.

• Initiate a membership and public donation program on the website; some of these fundraising efforts will go toward enhancing early career programs for physicians, nursing, pharmacy and research scientists. You can donate here.

• Receive a large grant from Medtronic specifically targeting early career scientists. The funds from Medtronic supported fellows in the form of 50 travel grants to present an abstract at the annual meeting and to fund 11 research awards. HFSA also dedicated funding for 4 nursing grants from funds previously raised.  These generous gifts are critical to young investigators and HFSA appreciates the opportunity to interest early career heart failure specialists.

• Re-design the cover of the Journal and starting in 2015, we will have a new Editor-In-Chief, Paul Hauptman. JCF will undergo an aggressive restructuring to enhance the journal, attract quality manuscripts and increase articles from all HF disciplines.  The Journal of Cardiac Failure is a world class journal and we urge you to submit to the JCF-it is your Journal.

• Hold a successful 18th Annual Scientific Meeting with increased attendance of over 1900. The Opening Plenary discussion was about disparities in heart failure and identifingy strategies to reduce or eliminate them. There were several Hands-On workshops planned by Early Career members, the 3rd Annual Early Career Speed Mentoring session and the first ever Pharmacy Reception.  In the Late Breaking Clinical Trials session, there was standing room only to hear the first ever US reporting on the PARADIGM-HF trial. Many people relayed a new excitement and buzz for the meeting and for HFSA.

• Redesign some of the HFSA education modules. These are a popular resource for you and your patients and we are hopeful to raise the funds to complete the updates and translation into Spanish by the end of 2015.

• Initiate new educational programs. With the help of a sponsorship from Amgen, HFSA will initiate a Quality Care initiative working toward increasing collaborative efforts with other stakeholders including AAHFN.  A grant from Abbott will allow HFSA to partner with nine local education courses to discuss mitral regurgitation.

• Increase membership! HFSA membership has increased from 1113 in 2012 to nearly 1800 in 2014.

HFSA is adding tremendous value to heart failure specialists, patients and caregivers.  Through its commitment to advocacy, research and education, HFSA is working to standardize care and improve outcomes for patients.  With a focus on access to quality care, cultural competence and diversity, HFSA is actively working toward the goals set forth in the Strategic Plan to be seen as the driver of change and to be recognized as the primary advocate for heart failure.

Again, thank you for your membership and participation and see below how to renew your dues today for 2015.

There are two options to renew your membership:

1. Renew online (You will be prompted to enter in your username and password.)
2. Download and submit the interactive PDF form

Please let us know if you have any comments, suggestions or ideas of how we may improve upon and make your association better.

Healthy Regards,

Michele Blair   Chief Executive Officer