Heart failure (HF) affects nearly 6.7 million Americans, and its prevalence continues to increase.1-3 Inpatient admissions for HF are associated with high mortality, and readmissions and subsequent health events are common.4,5 Although symptoms often improve rapidly during HF hospitalization, episodes of worsening HF nevertheless may mark a fundamental change in the HF trajectory; patients admitted with HF have a 20% to 30% risk of death within 1 year.1,6 Goals of hospitalization thus include not only good clinical response, but also the assessment and optimization of therapy to address the long-term trajectory after discharge.