Harborview's Community Heart Failure Program receives national recognition

Harborview's Community Heart Failure Program (CHFP) was started by two cardiology nurses (Kate Smith and Jaimie Pechan) as a way for providers to treat unhoused vulnerable heart patients. In just a handful of years, the program has grown exponentially – thanks in part to a number of generous philanthropic donations.

There's a system for referrals now, and an average patient panel of around 90. The team is typically overbooked two weeks out, seeing around six to seven extremely sick patients a day, five days a week, venturing as far north as Shoreline and as far south as Renton.

Many patients may be simultaneously fighting substance use disorder, inadequately treated mental illness, housing insecurity and/or post-traumatic stress disorder.

Because of this complexity of care, they often have UW Medicine medical residents make visits with the team, Dr. Mrinal Yadava, assistant professor (Cardiology) said. When these young doctors come along, they deepen the empathy and flexibility with which they approach future patient care.

Dr. Danee Hidano, acting assistant professor, the other cardiologist with the program, says that this work hinges on seeing and treating people as human beings, without judgment about someone's life choices or circumstances.

“It's about bringing equitable care to people who need it the most, to allow them to live a better quality of life and feel like they matter in the world.”

National Recognition

After so much hard work over the last two years, the program recently garnered national recognition.

The Heart Failure Society of America named CHFP as their 2025 Outstanding Heart Failure Care Team, an award that usually goes to large health care systems, according to Dr. Nate Green, associate professor, and head of cardiology at Harborview.

“This is amazing news for a small, relatively new team that is working on an innovative model to push care into the community,” he added.