Shaping the Future of Heart Failure Training

The future of heart failure care will be defined by the physicians and teams we train today. If we want stronger programs, a larger and more diverse workforce and better patient outcomes, we must invest deliberately in those who lead training. That is why HFSA is elevating its partnership with AHFTC Program Directors as a strategic priority for the Society.

Program Directors are not simply administrators of fellowship programs – they are architects of the next generation of heart failure leadership. They set the standards, cultivate excellence and ensure that training evolves alongside advances in science, technology and systems of care. Their influence extends far beyond their institutions; it shapes the national landscape of heart failure practice.

Over the past year, we strengthened this commitment by establishing the AHFTC Program Directors Committee under the leadership of Chair Richard K. Cheng, MD, alongside an exceptional group of national leaders. This Committee is more than an advisory body—it is a strategic engine helping HFSA align education, workforce development and innovation.

Our goal is not incremental engagement. Our goal is integration.

Through structured quarterly convenings, shared best practices and coordinated resource development, we are building a national network of Program Directors who learn from one another, collaborate across institutions and shape HFSA programming in real time. This network allows us to move beyond isolated excellence toward shared advancement.

At HFSA’s Annual Scientific Meeting 2025, the energy and urgency of this work were clear. The dedicated Program Director Town Hall and subsequent networking events were not simply gatherings – they were working sessions focused on the future of fellowship training, recruitment, mentorship, and leadership development. The HFSA ASM must continue to evolve as the premier forum where AHFTC Program Directors influence national strategy.

Listening remains foundational to our approach. Through surveys, structured dialogue and direct engagement, we are identifying gaps in training, workforce pressures and emerging educational needs. But listening is only the first step. Acting on what we hear is what defines leadership.

• First, strengthening the pipeline. We must expand awareness of heart failure as a career choice, support recruitment efforts and ensure fellows see HFSA as their long-term professional home from the start of training.
• Second, modernizing training. Rapid advances in device options, precision medicine, multi-omics, AI-enabled diagnostics and monitoring, gene editing and cell therapies, and multidisciplinary care demand curricula that are nimble and future-facing. HFSA will partner with Program Directors to anticipate these shifts.
• Third, developing leaders. Today’s fellows are tomorrow’s program directors, division chiefs and national voices. We will continue lowering barriers to engagement, expanding leadership pathways and creating meaningful opportunities for faculty and trainees to contribute to HFSA committees, scholarship and strategic initiatives.

Initiatives such as “Bring a Fellow for Free” reflect a broader philosophy: access matters. Inclusion matters. Investment in emerging leaders is not optional – it is essential.

Taken together, these efforts signal something larger. HFSA is positioning itself not only as a convener of science, but as the national platform for heart failure training leadership. By strengthening our partnership with Program Directors, we strengthen the entire ecosystem – education, workforce, innovation, and ultimately, patient care.

We are deeply grateful to the Program Directors who contribute their expertise and time. Their engagement ensures that HFSA remains grounded in the realities of training while reaching ambitiously toward the future. The work ahead is significant. The need for highly trained heart failure specialists continues to grow. The complexity of care continues to increase. The responsibility to lead has never been greater.

Together, we will build a sustainable and dynamic AHFTC physician workforce and leadership pipeline – in doing so, secure the future of our field.
 

Kenneth B. Margulies, MD, FHFSA
HFSA President 2025-2026