January 2022
What an extraordinary year for CHFS! Through our endeavors we have expanded our national and global collaborations, which has broadened our capacity to develop best practices in the field of heart failure and provide high quality CPD. I look forward to continuing our momentum in 2022.
It is time to renew your commitment to the CHFS! Your membership renewal invoice has been sent to you by email from membership@ccs.ca. It is my hope that you will renew your CCS and CHFS memberships and encourage your colleagues to join as well. For our nursing members, our joint membership with the CCCN continues. Visit the CCCN website to renew your CCCN/CHFS joint membership and save 20% on CHFS membership fees.
The CHFS has had an exciting year and there are more new initiatives and programs planned for 2022. Highlights from 2021 include:
- The 8th edition of Heart Failure Update was held as an entirely virtual conference from May 7-8, 2021. Over 730 delegates attended over a 2-day period. HF Update not only continues to lead as the largest Canadian conference devoted to heart failure but is also one of the leading cardiovascular conferences in Canada. The program consisted of four plenary sessions, an Acute HF track, workshops, corridor consults and symposia delivered by national and international leaders in heart failure. The HF Update Trainee Research Competition continued, and the four finalists were: Marilyne Jarjour - Montreal Heart Institute (winner), Priccila Zuchinali - CRCHUM, Bridve Sivakumar - Ontario Tech University and Nima Moghaddam - University of British Columbia.
- The 3rd annual National Heart Failure Awareness Week (HFAW) was held May 3-9, 2021. Our virtual campaign successfully provided tools, resources, and self-management strategies to patients, their families, and their healthcare providers.
- CHFS was well represented at the CCC 2021 Digital. A highlight for us was our Accredited Symposia “Launching the Moonshot for Heart Failure: Across the Continuum of EF”, with speakers Drs. Javed Butler and Subodh Verma. The CHFS/CCTN Annual Research Competition continued this year. Excellent research was presented, and the four finalists were: Yuchen Dai - University of Ottawa Heart Institute (winner), Ryan Sless - University of Toronto (runner up), Kaitlin McGrath - University of Calgary and Vikram Gurtu - University of Toronto.
- Phase 2 of the CHFS-led HF Admission Order Set campaign was launched. This resource encompasses the latest Canadian guidelines, evidence, and recommended therapies.
- In parallel with the development of the Order Set, the CHFS developed a learning activity entitled CollabCare to provide cardiologists, internists, and hospitalists with practical and evidence-based education around the management of patients with acute heart failure, from admission in hospital to discharge.
- The CHFS Annual Achievement Award was presented to Dr. Karen Harkness.
- We launched the Members Only section on the CHFS website which includes free access to on-demand HF Update content.
- We produced premiere virtual educational programs at the ESC 2021 Congress and CV Update 2021 Congress.
- The CHFS developed two animated heart failure introductory Patient Education Modules.
- Over the last year we have also delivered extensive live and online CPD programs, including Hf-rEFlect - an accredited Section 3 self-learning program on the CCS/CHFS Heart Failure Guidelines; the webinar series 'Top 3 HF Conundrums: Managing common clinical issues'; virtual Canadian Hyperkalemia Speaker Tour; and the HF21 Program - a series of succinct (21 minute) case-based sessions around the practical applications of the 2021 CCS/CHFS heart failure guidelines.
We look forward to welcoming you at Heart Failure Update 2022 Hybrid: May 13-14. Stay tuned for more details in the coming months.
Thank you to our membership for your continued support and engagement. Please contact us at chfs@ccs.ca to get involved! Together we will be a stronger voice for HF advocacy and for making high quality HF care a priority at the national level.
Sincerely,
Anique Ducharme, MD, MSc, FRCP, FCCS
President, Canadian Heart Failure Society