HFSA AHFTC Board Certification Review 2026

July 17, 2026 - July 18, 2026 | Chicago, IL

Program

Prepare with confidence for the ABIM Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology Board Certification and Maintenance of Certification (MOC) exams—or deepen your expertise in advanced heart failure and transplant care—through HFSA’s premier in-person review course. The 2026 HFSA AHFTC Board Certification Review will consist of two full days of live, in-person programming, along with a supplemental bundle of OnDemand presentations and access to a comprehensive question bank. 

Join us in Chicago, IL, at the Hilton Rosemont/Chicago O’Hare. The in-person portion of the course will take place on Friday, July 17, and Saturday, July 18.

All sessions are listed in Central Standard Time.

Pre-Meeting Webinars
  • Cardio-Oncology for the HF Boards
    Bonnie Ky, MD, MSCE
     
  • Clinico-Pathologic Correlates in Heart Failure/ Images for the Heart Failure Boards
    Jon W. Lomasney, MD
     
  • Diabetes and COPD
    TBD
     
  • Diagnosis and Clinical Assessment
    Mark Drazner, MD, MSc, FHFSA
     
  • Healthcare Disparities in HF
    Khadijah Breathett, MD, MS, FHFSA
     
  • Heart Failure Epidemiology and Risk Factors
    Clyde Yancy, MD, MSc, FHFSA
     
  • Hemodynamics in HF Virtual
    James C. Fang, MD, FHFSA
     
  • Issues in Chronic HF Disease Management (Biomarkers, Remote Monitoring, Lifestyle Interventions)
    TBD
     
  • Management of Comorbidities in Heart Failure - Sleep Disorders
    TBD
     
  • Optimal Medical Therapy for HFrEF Virtual
    Mark Drazner, MD, MSc, FHFSA
     
  • Pathophysiology 1: Cellular and Energetic Considerations
    Mark Drazner, MD, MSc, FHFSA
     
  • Pathophysiology 2: Hemodynamic, Structural and Neurohormonal Considerations
    Daniel Burkhoff, MD, PhD
     
  • Pulmonary Hypertension: Classification and Initial Evaluation
    Yasmin Raza, MD, FHFSA  
     
  • RV Failure and TR Management
    Barry A. Borlaug, MD
     
  • Statistics for the HF Board
    Brian Claggett, PhD
Intended Audience

The 2026 HFSA AHFTC Board Certification Review is designed for physicians who are preparing to take the ABIM Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology Certification Examination or the Maintenance of Certification Assessment Examination, or heart failure specialists seeking an in-depth review in heart failure.

Learning Objectives

For the Certification Examination in Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology:

This course is designed to:

  1. Review testable content and the focus of the ABIM Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology Certification Examination. 
  2. Identify gaps in knowledge about advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology.  
  3. Explain how to best focus study efforts on filling identified knowledge gaps.  
  4. Provide practice for the certification examination with ABIM-style multiple-choice test questions.

For Clinical Practice:

  1. Describe the epidemiology of heart failure, including environmental factors, and implement strategies for the prevention of heart failure. 
  2. Discuss the pathophysiology of heart failure, including normal physiology and compensatory and maladaptive mechanisms. 
  3. Assess and treat patients with acute or advanced heart failure, using non-invasive and invasive tests and biomarkers. 
  4. Apply guideline-based therapy for patients with chronic heart failure, including pharmacologic agents; non-pharmacologic options, such as diet and exercise; and implantable devices. 
  5. Incorporate appropriate care strategies for patients undergoing chemotherapy or with pulmonary hypertension, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, valvular heart disease, pregnancy-associated disease, and cardiorenal syndrome. 
  6. Explain the genetic basis of cardiomyopathies, including hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and recognize when to pursue genetic testing as part of the evaluation of patients with suspected inherited heart failure syndromes. 
  7. Manage comorbidities in patients with chronic heart failure, including sleep-disordered breathing, anemia, and diabetes. 
  8. Implement strategies for effective disease management of patients with advanced heart failure, including referral for mechanical circulatory support, heart transplant, or palliative care. 
  9. Manage immunosuppressive therapies and common complications of heart transplant, including rejection, allograft vasculopathy, and immunosuppression-associated conditions. 
  10. Utilize mechanical support devices, both temporary and durable. 
  11. Manage common complications of mechanical circulatory support.  
07:00 am - 08:00 am

Registration Opens & Breakfast

08:00 am - 08:15 am

Welcome and HFSA Introduction

Jane Wilcox, MD, MSc, FHFSA

08:15 am - 08:45 am

Live ABIM Style Question Session

08:45 am - 09:15 am

Hemodynamics in HF Live

James C. Fang, MD, FHFSA

09:15 am - 09:45 am

Optimal Medical Therapy for HFrEF Live

Mark Drazner, MD, MSc, FHFSA

09:45 am - 10:15 am

Cardio Renal Failure Interactions in Heart Failure 

Wendy McCallum, MD

10:15 am - 10:30 am

REFRESHMENT BREAK

10:30 am - 11:00 am

Assessment of Functional Capacity Including CPET

Gregory Lewis, MD

11:30 am - 11:30 am

HFpEF: Epidemiology, Risk Factors, Diagnosis, Management (For the Boards)

Ravi Patel, MD

11:30 am - 12:00 pm

Management of Comorbidities in Heart Failure: Iron Deficiency/Anemia

Gregory Lewis, MD

12:00 pm - 12:30 pm

Q&A - Faculty

12:30 pm - 01:30 pm

LUNCH

01:30 pm - 02:00 pm

Specific Etiologies of HF 1: HCM

Jane Wilcox, MD, MSc, FHFSA

02:00 pm - 02:30 pm

Specific Etiologies of HF 2: Other Inherited HF syndromes

Jane Wilcox, MD, MSc, FHFSA

02:30 pm - 03:00 pm

Specific Etiologies of HF 3: Infiltrative Disorders and Restrictive CMP

Jennifer Cowger, MD, MS

03:30 pm - 03:30 pm

Specific Etiologies of HF 4: Myocarditis and Inflammatory Cardiomyopathies

Jennifer Cowger, MD, MS

03:30 pm - 03:45 pm

REFRESHMENT BREAK

03:45 pm - 04:15 pm

Adult Congenital Heart Disease for the HF Specialist

Eric Krieger, MD

04:15 pm - 04:45 pm

Management of Left Sided Valvular Heart Disease in Heart Failure

Jane Wilcox, MD, MSc, FHFSA

04:45 pm - 05:15 pm

Management of Common Arrhythmias 1 & 2 

Susan Kim, MD

05:15 pm - 05:45 pm

Q&A - Faculty

05:45 pm - 05:45 pm

Day 1 Adjourns

07:00 am - 08:00 am

Breakfast

08:00 am - 08:30 am

Welcome & Live ABIM Style Question Session

Jane Wilcox, MD, MSc, FHFSA

08:30 am - 09:00 am

Management of the Hospitalized HF Patient

Alpesh Amin, MD, MBA, FHFSA, HF-Cert

09:00 am - 09:30 am

Pregnancy in HF

TBD

09:30 am - 10:00 am

Immunology: The Basics, PRA, Sensitization, Crossmatch

Palak Shah, MD, MS, FHFSA

10:00 am - 10:15 am

REFRESHMENT BREAK

10:15 am - 10:45 am

Rejection: Cellular and Antibody Mediated

Palak Shah, MD, MS, FHFS

10:45 am - 11:15 am

Heart Transplant, Clinical Outcomes and Complications

Michelle Kittleson, MD, PhD, FHFSA

11:15 am - 11:45 am

Managing Immunosuppression and Drugs

Michelle Kittleson, MD, PhD, FHFSA

11:45 am - 12:45 pm

Lunch

12:45 pm - 01:15 pm

Advanced Heart Failure: Defining the Phenotype and Patient Selection for Advanced Therapies

Mark Belkin, MD, FHFSA

01:15 pm - 01:45 pm

Cardiogenic Shock Management

Esther Vorovich, MD

01:45 pm - 02:15 pm

Device Therapy in Heart Failure I: Sudden Death Prevention

TBD

02:15 pm - 02:45 pm

Device Therapy in Heart Failure II: CRT

TBD

02:45 pm - 03:00 pm

REFRESHMENT BREAK

03:00 pm - 03:30 pm

MCS 1: Durable MCS Devices and Outcomes

Jennifer Cowger, MD, MS

03:30 pm - 04:00 pm

MCS 2: Temporary Support Devices and ECMO for the Boards

Shashank Sinha, MD, MSc, FHFSA  

04:00 pm - 04:30 pm

MCS 3: Management of Complications of MCS

Shashank Sinha, MD, MSc, FHFSA  

04:30 pm - 05:30 pm

MCS 4: Interactive Shock and Device Management

Daniel Burkhoff, MD, PhD, Jennifer Cowger, MD, MS, Shashank Sinha, MD, MSc, FHFSA, Esther Vorovich, MD, Sarine Beukian, AGACNP-BC, FHFSA

05:30 pm - 06:00 pm

Q&A - Faculty