Heart Failure Focus
Heart Failure Focus is your guide to everything Heart Failure related! This podcast is designed to help the busy health care professional breakdown all aspects of heart failure. Each segment is broken down into different topics so you can listen on the
go during the course of your day.
This podcast is brought to you by The American Association of Heart Failure Nurses (AAHFN). AAHFN is a specialty organization dedicated to advancing nursing education, clinical practice, and research to improve heart failure patient outcomes. Subscribe
today!
Episode 11 - Nurse-Led ECMO — What we can learn from a Center of Excellence
Description - Chris interviews, Melissa Fix, BSN, is the program manager for temporary mechanical circulatory support (MCS) at Keck Medical Center, University of Southern California. She specializes in the care of patients with advanced heart failure, cardiogenic shock, and complex cardiothoracic surgical needs, with a particular focus on advancing a nurse-led ECMO model. This episode was made possible through grant funding from Abbott.
Episode 10 - Cardiac Contractility Modulation (CCM) — Getting more out of a failing heart
Description -Chris bell interviews Michael Arnold DNP, FHRS about what is new in CCM therapy and when GDMT is not enough
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Episode 9 - The Power of Remote PA Pressure Monitoring: Advancing Heart Failure Care with the CardioMEMS HF System
Description - Join us for a conversation with a heart failure nurse leader who’s been at the forefront of remote monitoring. In this episode, we explore the clinical value of CardioMEMS in managing heart failure, especially for patients who appear stable but are at high risk for decompensation—along with insights on the expanded National Coverage Determination and the future of cardiovascular care. This episode was made possible through grant funding from Abbott.

Episode 8 - Decompensated HF and Diuretic Resistance — Finding success with UltraFiltraion "Heart Failure Focus
Description - A review of UltraFiltration as a therapeutic modality to overcome chronically decompensated heart failure in patients who struggle poorly responsive to diuretics. A brief review of pivotal trials as well as discussion of real-world experience with the therapy in a successful advanced heart failure clinic.
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Episode 7 - CardioMEMS Legacy
Abbott celebrated the 10 year anniversary of the FDA approval of CardioMEMS. On this podcast Chris Bell talks to Rebecca (Beki) Angerstein about the legacy of CardioMEMS. Beki is currently the Manager in Medical Affairs at Abbott. Her clinical background includes managing CV patients at the bedside and in a large cardiology practice for many years. She continues to practice clinically working prn in the hospital. Her passion is heart failure which led her to Abbott where she worked with clinicians on HF research trials. **Please note that the website stated during the podcast was incorrect. Please visit www.cardiovascular.abbott for more information.**
Episode 6 - Structural Heart Disease
In this episode of Heart Failure Focus, Chris Bell talks about structural heart disease, specifically mitraclip, and upcoming trials with Kristy Gam, NP, Lead APP for General Cardiology at the University of Colorado Hospital and Assistant Professor of Medicine in outpatient Interventional/Structural Cardiology.
Episode 5 - HF Overview (What's New and What's Hot)
In this episode of Heart Failure Focus, Chris Bell talks about what's new and hot in heart failure with Midge Bowers, a Clinical Professor and Lead Faculty for the cardiovascular specialty at Duke University School of Nursing. They review the “4 Pillar” therapy for HFrEF as well as discuss the emerging phenotypes of HFpEF.
Episode 4 - HF Devices and Remote Monitoring: Past, Present, and Future
This podcast includes a brief discussion with Dr. Phil Adamson, Divisional VP & CMO for the Heart Failure Division at Abbott , and longtime support of AAHFN. Listen as he discusses
the role of device therapy & remote monitoring in heart failure from a personal and corporate perspective.
Episode 3 - NYHA Study
This podcast discusses the importance of being accurate with NYHA Functional Classification as well as the current study that is focused on NYHA classification.
Episode 2 - Diagnostic work up of Cardiac Amyloidosis
This podcast will provide an overview of the steps and diagnostic studies that should be ordered on a patient with suspected Amyloidosis.
Episode 1 - Amyloidosis: Red Flags and symptoms
This podcast will describe the signs and symptoms that are common in Amyloidosis and will help the clinician pull together the pertinent factors, besides the well-known low voltage EKG.