I am deeply honored to serve as the 14th President of the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA). Following in the footsteps of the former presidents Jay Cohn, Arthur Feldman, Milton Packer, Marvin Konstam, Gary Francis, Barry Greenberg, Douglas Mann, Thomas Force, JoAnn Lindenfeld, Mandeep Mehra, Chris O'Connor and Randy Starling, I am also honored to be the second woman president after JoAnn Lindenfeld, and to stand on the strong foundation built by our heart failure leaders and community.
This year marks an important milestone for the HFSA, it celebrates its 25th birthday. HFSA was formed in 1995 by a group of academic cardiologists who recognized the critical need for development of a society to address treatment strategies and practice needs for heart failure. In the following 25 years, HFSA became the home of the heart failure clinicians, where the existence of heart failure as a specialty and practice was recognized, solidified, supported and enhanced.
HFSA continues to thrive and grow as a society. In addition to being the trusted home of heart failure clinicians, HFSA is dynamically expanding its deliverables with an aim to provide increased value to its members, become the trusted authority for our heart failure community and be the driver of care and discovery in heart failure. We have always been proud of our multidisciplinary and diverse membership, and now we have patients as our newest members strengthening delivery of our mission. Along with incorporation of patients in our core functions, this year our emphasis has been to further enhance the member value. In early 2020, we launched a new cutting-edge HFSA Learning Center that offers continued education and maintenance of certification credits, a comprehensive experience for learners that allows users to manage their professional development at their own pace tailored to their needs. We modernized our website and also launched a new HFSA member portal with specifications to better match opportunities for member interests and expertise. Our communication tools have been diversified; we increased our social media presence, launched an e-Newsletter and Heart Failure News Round-Up compiling science, practice, education, advocacy news in heart failure, and increased our podcasts and webinars. Tributes such as awards, member spotlights, and newsletters are showcased on the web and social media with increasing opportunities to recognize member distinctions and contributions. We also amplified our advocacy efforts; launched HFSA Awareness365, and initiative to continue awareness initiatives throughout the entire year beyond our traditional heart failure awareness week activity in February. We expanded our outreach globally; launched a new international membership category; increased our international collaboration and joint sessions with Canadian, European, Japanese, Indian, Chinese, Inter-American Heart Failure Associations and Societies. Recently HFSA virtually hosted the Trilateral Cooperative Consensus meeting with the Heart Failure Association and Japanese Heart Failure Society on the Universal Definition of Heart Failure which was attended by participants from 14 countries and six continents.
Of course, this year was also very challenging with the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and the recognition of the gravity of human suffering due to inequality, racism, social injustice that was felt to the core. During these challenging times, HFSA strategized to provide support for our clinicians and patients. In addition to the Journal of Cardiac Failure issue dedicated largely to COVID-19 research, podcasts, and a resource center on COVID-19, HFSA provided several statements expressing its stance against racism and hate in all its forms and its commitment to address disparities and calling for justice; emphasizing urgent necessity for appropriate resources and PPE for clinicians; calling for attention on heart failure access during the COVID-19 crisis, and urging heart failure patients to continue taking their guideline directed medical treatment during the pandemic. Our diversity and inclusion efforts and strategies to eliminate disparities in heart failure are now imbedded in all our activities including our scientific sessions. HFSA also led development scientific statements on the use of telemedicine for heart failure patients, and on protections and treatment strategies for heart failure patients and caregivers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Contrary to the somber effects of COVID-19 in our heart failure patients, we had good news in clinical trials that showed great benefit with new treatment strategies in heart failure. Our heart failure community is galvanized by these results and by the newer treatment options for our patients. As we embrace these new advances, we adapted to COVID-19 and held most of our meetings virtually this year. The 2020 HFSA Virtual Board Certification Review was a great success with participants from eight countries, which set a new record for the meeting. Our last year's in-person annual scientific session was a huge success with record number of attendees with cutting-edge science coverage and special heart failure awareness event with Shaquille O'Neal. Our upcoming 2020 Annual Scientific Sessions will be held virtually between September 30th and October 6th and will combine many of our popular traditional sessions including late breaking sessions, plenary sessions and networking sessions with new and exciting features. The 2020 Program Committee led Javed Butler, MD (Chair); Peter Liu, MD (Co-Chair); Sandra Dunbar, RN, NP (Co-Chair); and Herb Patterson, Pharm-D (Co-Chair) have worked hard to conceptualize fun and innovative ways to boost learning and drive engagement and networking at the meeting. We look forward to another successful session this year full of exciting news, surprises and transformative changes in heart failure.
Our other near future activities include the following building blocks to strengthen heart failure community and close practice gaps. Next year, we will be offering a HFSA Certification program to recognize and certify competencies in heart failure management for heart failure practitioners. This certification program is separate from the existing fellow of the HFSA (FHFSA) designation, and will provide distinction as a heart failure specialist for many practitioners taking care of heart failure patients. Additionally, we are launching the Optimal Medical Therapy Initiative to provide education and a certificate on guideline directed therapies in heart failure for heart failure practitioners. We believe these new programs will help close practice gaps and enhance member recognition as heart failure experts. We are also launching development of the HFSA365-Community program with an aim to create a multi-pronged year-round community of heart failure providers, patients and corporations to increase the networking opportunities at HFSA meetings and improve the interaction among HFSA members and the HFSA.
I look forward to HFSA's continued success and encourage our members to stay active with HFSA, explore leadership opportunities and engage with the HFSA. HFSA is committed to be the trusted authority for our heart failure community and be the driver of care and discovery in heart failure.