Heart Failure Advanced Certification
DNV’s Heart Failure Advanced Certification (HFAC) recognizes hospitals that deliver high-quality, coordinated, outcomes-driven care. The certification affirms excellence in clinical care, patient safety, and continuous improvement in the specialty of cardiovascular care.
Heart Failure Advanced Certification
The urgent need for heart failure excellence
Heart failure poses a critical public health challenge, affecting over 6 million Americans and millions more globally each year. It is one of the leading causes of hospitalization, and morbidity worldwide, placing a substantial burden on healthcare systems. As life expectancy increases and chronic disease management becomes more complex, hospitals are expected to:
- Reduce 30-day readmission rates.
- Improve patient engagement and education.
- Deliver personalized, guideline-based care.
- Coordinate across care teams and care settings.
- Demonstrate performance through data and outcomes.
Meeting these challenges requires more than just strong clinical practice – it requires a structured, validated, and accountable heart failure program. Our Heart Failure Advanced Certification (HFAC) provides that recognition, while also offering a practical roadmap for growth and sustainability.
How does certification support your heart failure programs and processes?
HFAC is a comprehensive, standards-based certification designed for hospitals that provide structured, multidisciplinary heart failure care. The certification validates your hospital’s ability to deliver safe, effective, and patient-centred care for individuals living with heart failure through all phases from early diagnosis to acute intervention, chronic management, and follow-up.
How the certification process works
Certification is awarded following a rigorous onsite survey is conducted by DNV’s clinical surveyors with cardiovascular expertise. The survey includes a full evaluation of:
- Evidence-based clinical guidelines and treatment protocols.
- Integration of multidisciplinary care teams including cardiology, internal medicine, nursing, pharmacy, rehab, case management, and social work.
- Patient education and engagement strategies focused on self-management and lifestyle modification.
- Data collection, analytics, and outcomes measurement.
- Continuous quality improvement and care coordination across inpatient and outpatient settings.
By achieving certification, your hospital affirms that it is consistently delivering high-quality heart failure care aligned with national guidelines from the American Heart Association/ American College of Cardiology (AHA/ACC), the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and international best practices.
Cardiac Excellence Program
Learn how DNV’s Cardiac Excellence Program helps hospitals achieve superior outcomes through evidence-based care, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Trusted experts in healthcare
Unlike traditional audits that focus on checklists, DNV offers a unique certification approach rooted in clinical excellence and the ISO 9001 quality management system framework. DNV empowers healthcare organizations to create sustainable systems that support performance improvement long after the survey is complete.
Our approach:
- Led by expert surveyors with real-world cardiovascular care experience.
- Integrates with your hospital’s existing quality initiatives.
- Promotes collaborative learning and practical feedback.
- Minimizes administrative burden – no unnecessary data submissions outside of corrective action.
- Supports regulatory readiness, payer expectations, and system-wide quality alignment.
With DNV, certification is not just a compliance milestone, it’s a strategic asset that strengthens your hospital’s position as a leader in cardiac care.
Benefits of Heart Failure Advanced Certification
Earning the Heart Failure Advanced Certification delivers both immediate and long-term value to your organization, clinicians, and patients.
Clinical and operational excellence:
- Validates a high-performing, guideline-aligned heart failure care model.
- Strengthens collaboration across inpatient, outpatient, and community care teams.
- Promotes adherence to evidence-based treatment protocols.
- Supports proactive management of complex cardiac patients.
- Patient outcomes and experience:
- Reduces unnecessary hospital readmissions.
- Enhances patient education and empowerment, leading to better self-management.
- Improves continuity and coordination of care.
- Boosts patient satisfaction and trust through clear, effective care pathways.
- Strategic and market differentiation:
- Positions your hospital as a trusted provider of advanced cardiac care.
- Increases visibility with referring physicians and community partners.
- Demonstrates accountability to regulators and payers.
Why certification matters more than ever
As heart failure treatment evolves – with new medications, technologies, and care models – certification helps ensure your hospital stays ahead of the curve. It allows your team to standardize care, adapt quickly, and lead with confidence.
HFAC also aligns with value-based care models, helping your organization meet the requirements of CMS quality programs, pay-for-performance initiatives, and ACO expectations.
Explore resources for your Heart Failure Advanced Certification
Access tools and guidance to support your hospital’s path to excellence in heart failure care.
Download our standards
Download the DNV Advanced Heart Failure Certification Requirements.
Heart failure advanced certification
Explore an overview of the certification process, benefits, and how it advances cardiac care quality.
