Heart Failure Society of America

What Heart Failure Society of America does

Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA), legally The Heart Failure Society of America, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional society founded in 1995 and headquartered at 500 N Washington St. #10009, Rockville, MD. It operates as the only multidisciplinary professional society serving the entire heart failure care team, with membership tiers for physicians, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, RNs, scientists, trainees, industry, and patients/caregivers, plus an international tier. Its core outputs are the Journal of Cardiac Failure (JCF) and its open-access companion JCF-Intersections, the Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM), the HFSA Devices Meeting, the AHFTC Board Certification Review course, and the HFSA Learning Center — an LMS delivering accredited continuing education.

The revenue model combines individual membership dues priced from complimentary (trainees) to $525 (physicians, U.S.), corporate memberships segmented across four tiers (Introductory, Bronze, Silver, Gold) with ~28 named industry partners, event registration, certification fees (HF-Cert at $375 member / $590 non-member; OMT-HF at $175; FHFSA at $250), CME endorsement at $999 per program, and OnDemand CE content sales (e.g., ASM 2025 OnDemand at 43.25 credits). Distribution is community-led: HFSA goes to market through membership acquisition, event attendance, certification enrollment, and corporate sponsorship relationships, leveraging social media, a weekly newsletter (Heart Failure News Weekly) reaching ~5,800 subscribers, the Heart Failure Beat podcast, CardioHub multimedia programs, and joint accreditation (ACCME/ACPE/ANCC) that enables multi-discipline CE issuance from a single accreditation framework.

The organization is governed by a Board of Directors led by President Kenneth B. Margulies, MD, FHFSA, with day-to-day operations run by CEO John D. Barnes, COO Joori Jeon (CPA, CAE), and Chief Learning Officer Kris Fridgen. Strategic positioning rests on three pillars: (1) co-development of the 2022 ACC/AHA/HFSA Heart Failure Guideline with ACC and AHA, (2) long-running credentialing partnerships with ABIM (over 1,400 AHFTC certifications since 2010) and ISHLT, and (3) sponsored participation in the AAMC ERAS and NRMP MSMP match for AHFTC fellowships. Forward signals include a new April 2026 HFmrEF Scientific Statement, expansion of CardioHub, and the Heart Failure Research Network connecting academic and community research sites.

Name

Heart Failure Society of America

Legal name

The Heart Failure Society of America, Inc.

Website

https://hfsa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Heart Failure Society of America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional medical society founded in 1995 that serves the multidisciplinary heart failure care team — physicians, nurses, pharmacists, scientists, and patients — through credentialed education, the Journal of Cardiac Failure, certification programs, and the Annual Scientific Meeting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Professional Medical Society Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Heart Failure & Transplant Cardiology (HLAKABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cardiac Assist & Heart Failure Therapies (Implantables, Neuromodulation) (HLAHAFAL), Healthcare & Clinical Professional Development (CME/CE) (EDAGANAJ)

Keywords

• Professional medical society
• Heart failure education
• Continuing medical education
• Cardiology certification
• Scientific publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Rockville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from professional members including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, scientists, and trainees, with tiered pricing from complimentary (trainees) to $525 (physicians)
2. Corporate Membership and Sponsorship: Corporate membership at four levels (Introductory, Bronze, Silver, Gold) plus digital advertising and sponsorship opportunities for industry partners
3. Event Registration: Registration fees for Annual Scientific Meeting, AHFTC Board Certification Review, Devices Meeting, Heart Failure Seminars, and other educational events
4. Certification and Certificate Programs: HF-Cert application fees ($375 member, $590 non-member) and OMT-HF certificate program ($175) generating revenue from professional certification
5. CME Endorsement: Endorsement fee of $999 per educational program for third-party CME activities meeting HFSA criteria
6. OnDemand Education: Continuing education content sold for CE credits including ASM 2025 OnDemand (43.25 credits available), Contemporary Issues in Heart Failure, HF-Cert Bootcamp, and other educational modules

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Heart Failure Society of America is a multidisciplinary professional medical society that delivers heart failure education, scientific publishing, professional certification, and clinical practice guidelines to physicians, scientists, nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and patients. Its core offerings include professional membership with tiered dues, the Journal of Cardiac Failure and JCF-Intersections publications, the Annual Scientific Meeting and Devices Meeting, board certification review and HF-Cert/OMT-HF certification programs, the HFSA Learning Center for OnDemand CE, and corporate membership for industry partners.

Product overview

HFSA is a professional society operating a platform-based model offering educational, certification, publication, and networking products. The core offerings include the Journal of Cardiac Failure (JCF) and JCF-Intersections as flagship scientific publications, the HFSA Learning Center as the central LMS for CME-accredited OnDemand education, the HFSA Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) as the premier annual conference, and the HFSA Devices Meeting as a focused one-day program. Professional development products include HF-Cert (Heart Failure Certification), OMT-HF Certificate Program, AHFTC Board Certification Review, Heart Failure Seminars, Mentoring Webinar Series, and the FHFSA Fellowship Designation. Additional offerings encompass the Heart Failure Beat Podcast, Heart Failure News Weekly newsletter, CardioHub educational programs, Heart Failure Research Network, and the HFSA Career Center. These products serve the multidisciplinary heart failure care team through continuing education, certification, research dissemination, and professional networking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HFSA: Common abbreviation for Heart Failure Society of America
• JCF
• HF-Cert
• OMT-HF
• CardioHub
• HFSA Learning Center
• Heart Failure Beat Podcast
• HF Stats
• ASM
• FHFSA

Products and services

• Journal of Cardiac Failure (JCF) Official peer-reviewed scientific publication of HFSA publishing groundbreaking research, expert perspectives, and multidisciplinary insights on heart failure, including the companion open-access JCF-Intersections journal. Distributed monthly as part of professional membership.
• HFSA Learning Center Online learning management system providing access to CME, NCPD, CPE, and MOC credits through in-person meetings recordings, courses, and OnDemand educational content for the heart failure care team.
• HF-Cert (Heart Failure Certification) Credential validating providers' advanced expertise in heart failure assessment, treatment, and management. Recognizes competencies in guideline-directed heart failure management. Application fee $375 for HFSA members and $590 for non-members.
• OMT-HF Optimal Medical Therapy in Heart Failure Certificate Program Structured evidence-based program helping healthcare providers make better treatment decisions for heart failure patients, focusing on closing gaps in guideline-directed medical therapy implementation. $175 program fee with 3.0 CE credits.
• HFSA Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) Annual flagship conference bringing together the global heart failure community for four days of groundbreaking science, multidisciplinary education, innovation, networking, and collaboration. ASM 2026 scheduled October 9-12, 2026 in Phoenix, AZ.
• HFSA AHFTC Board Certification Review In-person review course preparing physicians for ABIM Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology Board Certification or MOC exams, aligned with ABIM AHFTC blueprint. Held July 17-18, 2026 in Chicago, IL.
• HFSA Devices Meeting One-day immersive meeting focused on device-based heart failure care, covering patient selection, optimal timing, cutting-edge decongestion strategies, and real-world clinical application of device therapies. Held October 9, 2026 in Phoenix.
• HFSA Heart Failure Seminars 1.5-hour virtual seminars bringing together heart failure experts to provide updates on key topics with live Q&A, available OnDemand through the HFSA Learning Center after broadcast.
• CardioHub Year-round online educational platform with multimedia programs including CardioBites, CardioBites+, Cardio Town Hall, and CardioAbstracts for interdisciplinary heart failure team education.
• Heart Failure Research Network Initiative connecting academic institutions, health systems, and community practices engaged in heart failure clinical research, advancing the ecosystem of HF clinical trials.
• Heart Failure Beat Podcast Monthly podcast series featuring interviews with heart failure care clinicians and JCF authors on timely research and treatment topics. Includes Provider Series and Patient Healthy Living series.
• HFSA Mentoring Webinar Series Webinar series created by Early Career Committee providing practical guidance on navigating career paths from training to clinical practice across disciplines.
• Heart Failure News Weekly Weekly eNewsletter consolidating news from important cardiology sources including JCF, Cardiology Business News, JAMA, Medscape, and other leading publications, delivered to approximately 5,800 users weekly.
• JCF-Intersections Open Access companion journal exploring the interplay between heart failure and other domains of health and science.
• HFSA Career Center Job board connecting career opportunities with qualified heart failure professionals.
• FHFSA Fellowship Designation Distinguished fellowship designation recognizing professional achievement and contributions to heart failure medicine. $250 application fee.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,400 ABIM AHFTC certifications since 2010
• +2 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• American College of Cardiology (ACC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Joint guideline publisher for 2022 ACC/AHA/HFSA Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure
• American Heart Association (AHA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Joint guideline publisher for 2022 ACC/AHA/HFSA Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure
• Heart Failure Research Network (HFRN) MemberscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCornerstone initiative connecting academic institutions, health systems, and community practices across the United States actively engaged in heart failure clinical research
• National Resident Matching Program (NRMP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHFSA sponsors participation in NRMP Medical Specialties Matching Program (MSMP) for Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology (AHFTC) fellowships
• Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHFSA sponsors participation in AAMC ERAS for AHFTC residencies, streamlining the residency application process
• American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABIM administers the AHFTC certification examination; over 1,400 candidates have been ABIM AHFTC certified since 2010
• International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developer of guidelines including ISHLT/HFSA Guideline on Acute Mechanical Circulatory Support; joint seminar series for nurses and allied health professionals in advanced heart failure and transplant care

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• European Society of Cardiology: Large European cardiovascular umbrella society whose Heart Failure Association is a direct peer; competes for international HF clinicians, journal submissions, and global pharma/device sponsorship.
• American College of Cardiology: Larger U.S. cardiovascular professional society that co-publishes guidelines with HFSA (2022 ACC/AHA/HFSA HF Guideline) and competes for members, sponsors, and educational programming across cardiology, including heart failure.
• American Heart Association: Major U.S. cardiovascular nonprofit that co-publishes the 2022 ACC/AHA/HFSA Heart Failure Guideline and offers overlapping cardiovascular education, certification, and patient-facing campaigns competing for HFSA's clinician and sponsor audiences.

Direct peers

• American Society of Echocardiography: Cardiology subspecialty society focused on echocardiography with a comparable professional society operating model (membership dues, CME, annual meeting, journal, corporate sponsorship).
• Heart Rhythm Society: U.S. cardiac subspecialty society focused on electrophysiology and heart rhythm disorders; comparable membership/education/certification model and overlapping cardiovascular audience and industry sponsor base.
• Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions: Cardiology subspecialty society for interventional cardiologists with comparable member, education, and industry-supported event model; competes for device-company sponsorship dollars relevant to HFSA's Devices Meeting.
• American Association of Heart Failure Nurses: U.S. nursing subspecialty organization serving heart failure nurses with certification (CHFN) and annual meeting; overlaps directly with HFSA's nursing and APP member segments and competes for HF-Cert credentialing value.
• Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology: Direct international peer dedicated exclusively to heart failure within the ESC; runs its own annual congress, clinical trials, and heart failure certification programs that compete with HFSA's offerings outside the U.S.
• International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation: Direct peer focused on advanced heart failure, transplant cardiology, and mechanical circulatory support; co-develops guidelines with HFSA (ISHLT/HFSA acute MCS guideline) and overlaps on AHFTC clinician training and certification.

Emerging players

• Pulmonary Hypertension Association: Smaller U.S. patient-and-clinician professional society focused on pulmonary hypertension, a frequent comorbidity of heart failure; overlaps on right-heart failure education, patient advocacy, and industry funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/HFSA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/HeartFailureSociety
• Facebookfacebook.com/HeartFailureSocietyofAmerica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hfsa

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Heart Failure Society of America