The goal for outcomes management of patients with Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) is to prevent cardiac decompensation and subsequent hospitalizations in order to decrease hospital costs and improve the patient's quality of life. The Registered Dietitian in our heart failure center is addressing this goal with aggressive medical nutrition therapy (MNT) and by using a tracking system that identifies patients who have experienced cardiac decompensation due to dietary non-compliance. In the past 21 months, seven heart failure center patients have decompensated due to an excessive sodium load. During hospitalization, all patients were interviewed by the Registered Dietitian. The results of these interviews showed that each patient consumed a four to six gram sodium load within 48 hours of hospitalization, and that five of the seven patients consumed their sodium load in a restaurant. Based on this information, new patient education strategies have been implemented. All CHF patients receive individualized MNT on sodium and fluid with additional information on dining out. Decompensated CHF patients receive intensive MNT both in and out of the hospital. An individual plan of action is developed and monitored for each patient. New education materials (pamphlet, refrigerator magnet, and videotape) have been developed with the specific objective of decreasing sodium intakes in restaurants. Video clips will be used in the presentation to illustrate patient education strategies. At this time, none of the seven patients have been readmitted to the hospital for cardiac decompensation and many report improved quality of life.