NOVA-HF: Primary Prevention of Heart Failure in US Veterans - From Validation to Randomized Trial
July 7th, 2026
We will describe our American Heart Association-funded quality improvement implementation trial. This project involves validation of a new risk prediction equation, then application of that equation to identify rural Veterans at high risk for heart failure and with opportunities to improve preventive care. We then test whether connecting these individuals to preventive cardiology care improves uptake in therapies proven to prevent heart failure.
Becca Tisdale, MD, MPA
Dr Becca Tisdale is an internist, obesity medicine specialist, and health services researcher with interests in cardiovascular disease, global health, and health systems. As a VA Health Services Research & Development fellow (2020-2023) and Investigator in the VA Center for Innovation to Implementation (Ci2i) and Stanford Cardiovascular Outcomes, Policy, & Implementation Research Group (COPIR), her work has focused on value, access, and equity in cardiovascular disease care and the role of virtual care in achieving these goals. She additionally serves as Medical Director of the Evaluation Sciences Unit (ESU) with the Division of Primary Care and Population Health
Neil M. Kalwani, MD, MPP
Dr Neil M. Kalwani is a board-certified, fellowship-trained cardiologist with Stanford Health Care. He is also a clinical instructor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine. In addition, he serves as director of preventive cardiology at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Palo Alto Health Care System. Dr. Kalwani’s research focuses on innovations in care delivery designed to improve the value of care for people living with cardiovascular disease. He is especially interested in telemedicine and its impact on cardiology care, including on quality of care, practice patterns, and access.
