American Heart Association Launches Three-Year Initiative to Improve Care for Common Heart Failure Types

The American Heart Association has launched a comprehensive three-year quality improvement initiative targeting heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF), conditions that collectively represent up to 75% of all heart failure cases yet suffer from limited clinical research and treatment evidence compared to other heart failure types. The IMPLEMENT-EF program will systematically map gaps in the patient journey to identify unmet needs and establish ideal care models for these prevalent conditions.

HFpEF occurs when an individual has heart failure but maintains an ejection fraction of 50% or higher, while HFmrEF involves a reduced ejection fraction between 41%-49%. Effective treatment for both conditions requires earlier recognition and prompt initiation of scientific evidence-based therapies to significantly improve health outcomes. The initiative, supported by Bayer, will engage multidisciplinary care teams including pharmacists to ensure patients receive and properly take appropriate medications while raising provider awareness of best care practices.

The program will leverage insights from Get With The Guidelines® - Heart Failure data to improve adherence to evidence-based therapies. Findings from this initiative will inform the Association's broader approach to patient care and help scale effective, replicable models nationwide, potentially transforming standard care protocols for the majority of heart failure patients.

Forty hospitals have been recruited for the inaugural program, providing care teams with opportunities to collaborate with other facilities and nationally recognized experts. Participants will gain access to exclusive educational resources and share successful quality improvement models. The initiative includes professional educational offerings such as a podcast series, eLearning module, and live presentations, all guided by a Science Advisory Panel to ensure clinical accuracy and relevance.

Mariell Jessup, M.D., FAHA, chief science and medical officer of the American Heart Association, emphasized that improving care for these heart failure types demands a coordinated, team-based approach that extends beyond clinical knowledge alone. Robert Perkins, M.D., M.P.H., FACP, vice president of U.S. medical affairs cardiovascular and renal at Bayer, highlighted the commitment to advancing science that transforms patient care in areas where evidence and treatment gaps persist. Updates and insights from the initiative will be available at https://www.heart.org/IMPLEMENTEF as the program progresses.