Background Heart failure readmission rates are rising. To reduce hospital readmissions, heart failure patients, need to understand what is heart failure, when to notify the doctor with signs and symptoms and how to self-manage to improve outcomes to have a better quality of life. Methods Heart failure patients were invited to participate in an hour a week class for four weeks. The participants were enrolled into the classes by their pcp. There was a limit of ten participants per class. Once the participants accepted the invitation, they were called by the nurse teaching the class to welcome them and confirm their enrollment. Their spouse or caregiver was also invited to attend. Each participant received a Heart Failure education packet. Each class consisted of a different topic relating to heart failure with participants given the opportunity to ask questions. A pre-test was given at the first class to determine the knowledge of the participants and a questionnaire was also given to assess how many days a week they followed lifestyle changes, such as taking their weight daily and following a low salt diet. At the conclusion of the course, the same test was given to evaluate their learning. The answers were given in a discussion format to share responses and experiences. Conclusions Educating heart failure patients in a small group expands their knowledge of self-management. Patient's benefit from ongoing support to self manages heart failure. Results A total of 34 participants were enrolled In 4 different classes. Of the 34 participants enrolled, 5 dropped out. The remaining 29 heart failure participants showed improvement in their knowledge of signs and symptoms of heart failure. The majority of participants noted that they had: increased the number of days per week they weighed themselves, increased their compliance of medications, increased monitoring a low sodium intake, increased stress reduction techniques, and increased daily exercise. Initially, participants perceived that it was ok to skip their diuretic occasionally if they did not have any signs of fluid. In addition, a low sodium diet was perceived as a no added salt diet.