Sanford Health Awarded Grant to Enhance Heart Failure Diagnosis and Treatment

Sanford Health has been selected as one of only three recipients of a highly competitive grant offered through a collaboration between Pfizer and the American College of Cardiology (ACC). This grant supports innovative quality improvement initiatives aimed at increasing identification and accurate diagnosis of heart failure patients with cardiac amyloidosis.

Through this funding, Sanford will design and implement a comprehensive initiative focused on:

• Improving capabilities for cardiac amyloidosis identification and diagnosis, particularly among hospitalized heart failure patients.

• Reducing time to correct diagnosis by enhancing coordination of care across specialties.

• Implementing interventions for holistic patient management, including early identification and post-discharge care strategies.

• Leveraging AI and digital health tools to identify patients at risk for cardiac amyloidosis.

• Defining and augmenting quality and performance measures for screening and diagnosis.

“This grant represents an incredible opportunity to improve outcomes for patients with cardiac amyloidosis and heart failure,” said Nayan Desai, M.D., interventional cardiologist, Sanford Bismarck. “By advancing diagnostic accuracy and coordination of care, we hope to make a meaningful impact on patient lives.”

Pfizer will provide funding for the initiative, while ACC will convene an Expert Review Panel, foster a community of practice among grantees and offer guidance to ensure program success. Importantly, the initiative will be independently designed and conducted by Sanford, with no involvement from Pfizer in project development or monitoring.