action

What action does

ACTION (Advanced Cardiac Therapies Improving Outcomes Network) is a nonprofit, multi-center quality-improvement and research collaborative founded in 2017 and anchored at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. It operates a learning health system that unites pediatric cardiology centers, patients and families, clinicians, researchers, payors, and medical-device industry partners across 66 sites in North America to improve outcomes for pediatric heart failure patients—an annual population exceeding 14,000 hospitalizations in the United States alone.

The network's core technology is a registry-based data infrastructure built on REDCap and Simplified Clinical platforms, capturing longitudinal real-world data on VAD, heart failure, muscular dystrophy, and Fontan patient populations (2,178 total patients, 1,336 VAD patients as of October 2025). On top of this data layer, ACTION has developed nearly 40 consensus-based harmonized clinical protocols and a portfolio of patient- and provider-facing educational assets delivered through MyACTIONEducation.org, including device-specific handbooks, decision aids, and one-page summaries. The network has generated 50+ peer-reviewed publications since 2019 and has produced regulatory-grade evidence, including support for the FDA's expanded pediatric labeling of Abbott's HeartMate 3 LVAD and completion of the first prospective FDA-regulated pediatric VAD IDE trial with Berlin Heart.

ACTION is funded through research grants (notably a $2 million PPMD grant in June 2022), industry partnerships with device manufacturers including Abbott, Johnson & Johnson MedTech, Medtronic, Berlin Heart, Bayer, and Cytokinetics, and institutional support from Cincinnati Children's. It does not charge participation fees to network sites; revenue mechanics rely on philanthropy, sponsored research, and co-developed educational and clinical-trial assets. Customer-side stakeholders are the 66 participating clinical centers and the patient populations they serve; revenue-side stakeholders are a relatively concentrated set of foundation and industry sponsors.

Name

action

Legal name

Advanced Cardiac Therapies Improving Outcomes Network

Website

https://actionlearningnetwork.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

ACTION is a nonprofit pediatric heart failure quality-improvement network uniting 66+ North American clinical sites, patients, families, and device-industry partners through shared registries, ~40 harmonized clinical protocols, and collaborative research anchored at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Cardiology Research Network

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Patient Engagement, Education & Messaging Platforms (portal/CRM integrated) (HLALABAJ), Family Care Navigation & Care Coordination Platforms (multi-member care plans, referrals) (HLALAHAL), Chronic Disease Management Pathways (e.g., diabetes, CHF, COPD) (HLACAGAG)

Keywords

• Pediatric heart failure
• Clinical quality improvement
• Cardiac research network
• Patient registry platform
• Harmonized clinical protocols

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Philanthropy: ACTION receives grant funding from organizations such as Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy ($2 million grant in 2022) to fund research initiatives, data collection, clinical trials, education, and collaboration across multiple sites.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ACTION operates a multi-center quality improvement and research collaborative network that unites pediatric heart failure patients, families, clinicians, researchers, payors, and medical device industry partners. The network runs interconnected real-world patient registries (VAD, Heart Failure, Muscular Dystrophy, Fontan) using REDCap and Simplified Clinical platforms, develops harmonized consensus-based clinical protocols, delivers education through MyACTIONEducation.org, and generates regulatory-grade evidence supporting FDA pediatric device approvals. Participation is center-based across 66 network sites in North America with no fees charged; funding comes from grants, industry sponsorships, and donations.

Product overview

ACTION (Advanced Cardiac Therapies Improving Outcomes Network) is a collaborative learning health system that unites healthcare experts, patients, families, clinicians, researchers, payors, and industry to improve outcomes for patients with heart failure. The network operates through multiple interconnected registries (VAD Registry, Heart Failure Registry, Muscular Dystrophy Registry, Fontan Registry) that collect real-world data to inform quality improvement projects, support FDA device label expansions, and develop harmonized clinical protocols. Patient and provider education is delivered through MyACTIONEducation.org and includes various handbooks, decision aids, and one-page summaries for specific devices and conditions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MyACTIONEducation.org: Educational platform providing resources, protocols, and training materials for healthcare providers and patients
• ACTION Collaborative

Products and services

• ACTION Learning Network A collaborative quality improvement and research network uniting healthcare experts, patients, families, clinicians, researchers, payors, and industry partners to improve outcomes for pediatric and adult heart failure patients through registry data sharing and best practice harmonization.
• ACTION VAD Registry A multi-center registry capturing real-world data on pediatric ventricular assist device use, supporting device safety evaluation and contributing to regulatory evidence including FDA pediatric label expansions.
• ACTION Heart Failure Registry A registry collecting data on pediatric heart failure patients to inform quality improvement projects including medication titration standardization and patient-informed planning processes.
• ACTION Muscular Dystrophy Registry A registry for dystrophinopathy patients (Duchenne and Becker Muscular Dystrophy) tracking cardiac outcomes and supporting data-driven quality improvement projects to harmonize cardiac care.
• ACTION Fontan Registry A registry tracking outcomes for Fontan circulatory failure patients across network sites, supporting quality improvement projects to improve referral practices and patient outcomes.
• MyACTIONEducation.org An education portal providing harmonized protocols, device handbooks, decision aids, one-page summaries, and clinical training materials for healthcare providers, patients, and families in the ACTION network.
• Harmonized Clinical Protocols A library of approximately 40 consensus-based clinical protocols developed collaboratively across network sites by the Harmonization Committee, covering VAD/Mechanical Circulatory Support, heart failure, failing Fontan, and muscular dystrophy care to standardize practices across institutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced stroke rates in VAD patients through quality improvement initiatives
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AbbottcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACTION collaborated with Abbott on FDA labeling expansion for the HeartMate 3 LVAD for pediatric use, using ACTION registry data to demonstrate device safety and outcomes in children.
• Berlin HeartcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the first prospective FDA-regulated pediatric cardiac device IDE trial using the ACTION Registry for the Berlin Heart EXCOR Active Driver, enrolling 40 patients at 15 ACTION sites.
• Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding anchor institution serving as the coordinating center for the ACTION network, hosting the main registry infrastructure and leadership.
• Johnson & Johnson MedTechcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Impella device education including co-branded One Page Summaries, patient education handbook, and algorithms & care guide for providers.
• Cardiac Networks UnitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating organization including the Fontan Outcomes Network, working together on harmonizing care practices and improving Fontan patient outcomes.
• Children's Cardiomyopathy FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization collaborating on cardiomyopathy patient populations and congenital heart disease initiatives.
• Pediatric Heart Transplant SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating organization focused on pediatric heart transplant outcomes and research.
• Enduring HeartsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting congenital heart disease research and transplant outcomes.
• Transplant FamiliesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization providing support and resources for transplant families.
• Additional VenturesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating foundation supporting pediatric cardiac care initiatives.
• CVRx (Barostim)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner participating in ACTION's Igniting Cardiac Innovation meeting at ISHLT 2025.
• BiVACORminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCardiac device innovator participating in ACTION's Igniting Cardiac Innovation meeting at ISHLT 2025.
• CorKaleh Eskandanian/CobiCureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPediatric device development initiative partner participating in ACTION innovation meetings.
• International Cardio-Oncology Society (IC-OS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization collaborating on Cardio-Oncology initiative to support individuals whose cancer treatments may affect their hearts.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• ImproveCareNow: Multi-center learning health system for pediatric IBD. Analogous community-led, registry-based QI model serving a different pediatric subspecialty; useful comparable for the network-collaborative operating model ACTION employs.

Broad incumbents

• INTERMACS: Established U.S. registry for mechanical circulatory support devices, primarily in adults. Comparable registry-based evidence-generation infrastructure for VAD/MCS, and a potential upstream/downstream partner or alternative for device manufacturers.
• PEDSnet: PCORI-funded pediatric clinical research network aggregating EHR data across children's hospitals. Comparable as a multi-site pediatric data/registry platform, though broader in scope and not cardiac-specialized.

Direct peers

• Pediatric Heart Transplant Society (PHTS): Multi-center collaborative registry for pediatric heart transplant outcomes. Comparable as a pediatric cardiac quality-improvement and research network serving the same clinician community and overlapping device/transplant patient populations.
• Fontan Outcomes Network: Pediatric/congenital registry network focused on Fontan patients, operating under Cardiac Networks United. Overlaps with ACTION's Fontan Registry on patient population, data infrastructure, and care harmonization.
• Cardiac Networks United: Umbrella collaborative that includes the Fontan Outcomes Network and other pediatric cardiac registries. Most directly comparable to ACTION as a multi-center pediatric cardiac learning health system that shares infrastructure and harmonization goals.

Others

• Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy: Disease-specific nonprofit and ACTION's largest disclosed grant funder ($2M, 2022). Comparable as a disease-advocacy organization whose funding priorities shape ACTION's muscular dystrophy research agenda.
• Children's Cardiomyopathy Foundation: Nonprofit foundation focused on pediatric cardiomyopathy. Already an ACTION collaborator; comparable as a disease-specific advocacy/research organization supporting the same patient community and potential co-funding partner.
• Additional Ventures: Nonprofit foundation focused on single-ventricle congenital heart disease, supporting ACTION and Fontan Outcomes Network. Comparable as a philanthropic backer of pediatric cardiac QI infrastructure with overlapping mission.

Regional players

• EUROMACS: European registry for mechanical circulatory support. Comparable in registry design and VAD focus, but geographic complementarity offers an international expansion pathway for ACTION rather than direct head-to-head competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Action4HF
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCfOdn_baBmPcmIPrcBZruMw
• Facebookfacebook.com/actionlearningnetwork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/action-collaborative
• Instagraminstagram.com/action4hf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about action