The Pulse – Powered by Duke Heart

Chief’s message: American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 100th year

 This weekend we had the AHA Scientific Sessions meeting with our cardiology, CT and vascular surgery faculty and fellows presenting.  The session have highlighted by the amazing innovation in CV care and opportunity to improve health.  There were important sessions on new therapies for heart failure, more data on the weight loss therapies, and some important and amazing data on possible gene editing for cardiomyopathies.  There was also the puppy booth – a favorite place to rechard among many of the session goers.

 

Highlights of the week:

NP’s Celebrated!

We hope all of our NPs had a wonderful Nurse Practitioner Week! The week of November 10-16 celebrates the NP profession nationally and the many contributions NPs make to Duke Heart and Duke Health. We want to take this opportunity to express our deepest gratitude for your unwavering dedication, compassion, and expertise. Your commitment to providing exceptional care to our patients is truly inspiring. Each day you make a profound difference in the lives of those you serve and your hard work does not go unnoticed.

Thank you for being the heart of our Heart team. Your contributions are invaluable, and we are incredibly fortunate to have such a talented and caring group of nurse practitioners.

 

Califf Delivers DOM Annual Eugene Stead Memorial Lecture

Cardiologist Robert Califf, MD, Commissioner, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, delivered the Duke Department of Medicine’s annual Eugene Stead Memorial Lecture on Friday, Nov. 15 in the Great Hall of the Trent Semans Building.

His lecture, “Seeing the World of Health and Healthcare through an Orthogonal Lens: Enduring Lessons from Dr. Stead,” was formally hosted by the Chair of the Department of Medicine, Kathleen Cooney, MD, the George Barth Geller Distinguished Professor of Medicine. The event honors the legendary Dr. Eugene Stead, who served as chair of the Department of Medicine from 1947 to 1967.

Dr. Stead’s leadership lead to the formation of the Duke Databank for Cardiovascular Diseases, which grew into the Duke Clinical Research Institute (once led by Dr. Califf); he also launched a new profession when he created the role of ‘physician assistant’ (PA). Duke’s PA program was the first in the country and is currently the top PA program in the nation. We honor Dr. Stead’s legacy each year by inviting a visiting professor to speak on health policy, innovation in health care, or another pressing topic in internal medicine. The Stead Lecture is held each November at Duke Health in conjunction with the School of Medicine’s Medical Alumni Weekend.

 

Shout-out to Othman & Team

We received the following message this week regarding care provided by Islam Othman, MD, and his team to an elderly patient who passed away recently.

“My 94-year-old mother was a patient of Dr. Othman, a superior cardiologist. When she died this past week, Dr. Othman called me to express his sadness at learning of her passing. He said he always looked forward to seeing her when she had an appointment. I was touched by his concern and genuine sadness at her passing. Dr. Othman is an outstanding physician; as a cardiologist, he does his best to heal hearts. As a cardiologist with a heart, his phone call to me started the healing process of my broken heart. He is a gem.” — a grateful family member

The message continued with a comment from Tamara in Patient Relations:

I spoke with the patient’s daughter this morning to express condolences and to acknowledge and appreciate the time she took to forward such incredibly kind words and an outstanding recognition of you. She reiterated the sentiments in the above compliment during our conversation and shared great appreciation for you. Thank you for all you do for your patients and their families and all of us at Duke Health.  —Tamara Griffin, Duke Health Integrated Practice, Patient Relations

You lead by example, Izzy – and we are so glad you’re a member of our team!

 

Shout-out to Keenan & Team

This week, we received the following message from a grateful patient regarding surgery performed by Jeffrey Keenan, MD, just over one year ago and the care the patient received while in recovery at Duke Hospital.

**Please note: the following letter has been edited to protect patient privacy.

“Last year, you performed bypass open heart surgery on me at Duke University Hospital. My wife and staff told me the following: My surgery went fine, I was sent to ICU to recover and then in a few days would be sent home. However, my heart had other ideas as it started to go into V-Fib. I was placed on ECMO and received an Impella device. I was in the ICU for about 40 days but I recovered very well.

I completed cardiac rehab this past summer and met with my cardiologist for a follow-up. Testing showed a normal ejection fraction and my cardiologist is very pleased with my recovery.

I am very grateful and thank you for your help in my recovery from heart failure. I would also like to thank all the surgical staff, nurses, ICU nurses, and everybody involved with my surgery.

I just wanted you to know that I chose Duke University Hospital over other places like Wake Med. Several years ago my wife had a [health issue] that required urgent care. I took her to Duke Urgent Care and then to Duke Raleigh for surgery, and she fully recovered. I was very impressed with Duke’s care of my wife. She went home the next day.

I have no memory loss from my surgery and can do all the normal things in life one would want to do. While many bad things could have happened to me they did not. Overall it was a very positive experience for me and my family.

I had the right Doctor to operate on me at Duke. Once again, thank you for all your help and the incredible staff at Duke Medical.

Miracles don’t just happen.

They happen because of the wonderful people in the world like you.” — a grateful patient

 

Bystanders More Likely to Perform CPR with Instructions from 911 Operators

Women are less likely to receive CPR from a bystander than men when stricken with a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital, Duke Health researchers found. This disparity was eliminated, however, when 911 operators guided an emergency caller through CPR steps, helping ease apprehensions about administering chest compressions to women.

When guided by a 911 operator, bystanders performed CPR on women 44% of the time and on men 40% of the time. Without this guidance, bystander CPR dropped to 9% for women and 11% for men.

The findings were presented at the American Heart Association’s Resuscitation Science Symposium on Nov. 11. Researchers say it offers significant insight into improving the 10% rate of survival for people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital.

“Prompt delivery of CPR doubles a patient’s chance of survival from out of hospital cardiac arrest,” said Audrey Blewer, PhD, the study’s lead author and assistant professor in the Departments of Family Medicine and Community Health and Population Health Sciences at the Duke University School of Medicine.

“What encourages me from a research standpoint is that there are so many opportunities to increase that number, and that’s really a matter of everybody working together and working towards the chain of survival from cardiac arrest,” Blewer said.

To arrive at the findings, the team examined a database of nearly 2,400 emergency calls for cardiac arrest in North Carolina. They found that CPR was administered in 52% of all calls; of the cases where CPR was performed, 911 operators provided assistance 81% of the time.

The data for this study comes from the RACE CARS Trail, a seven-year collaboration between Duke Clinical Research Institute and other hospitals and emergency medical agencies across North Carolina, funded by the National Institutes of Health, and aimed at improving survival rates for cardiac arrest.

The study builds off previous research where Blewer and her colleagues found women were less likely to receive CPR no matter what neighborhood they were in.

“We know, based off of prior qualitative studies, some of the reasons why people are hesitant to do CPR on women center around the fear of being perceived as touching them inappropriately,” said Blewer.

“There’s also that aspect of frailty,” Blewer said, adding that the average age of a person in need of CPR is around 63. “Some women are smaller. There are concerns, especially when the person in need of CPR is elderly, that whoever is performing CPR on them may be breaking the ribs, hurting them, harming them.”

Blewer points to CPR training as another area for potential revision, with the anatomy of the manikin remaining largely the same over the past 30 years. She hypothesizes that training on manikins with breasts may improve CPR delivery for women.

In addition to Blewer, study authors include Konstantin A. Krychtiuk, Harman Yonis, Monique A. Starks, Hayden B. Bosworth, Carolina Malta-Hansen, Stephen Lee Powell, Lisa Monk, Lisa A. Kaltenbach, Hussein R. Al-Khalidi, Steve Vandeventer, Bryan McNally, Sana M. Al-Khatib, Daniel Mark, and Christopher B. Granger.

The study received funding from the RACE-CARS Trial (5UH3HL146935) and BIRCWH (K12AR084231).

 

Duke Hospitals Again Earn ‘A’ Grades for Patient Safety in Leapfrog Survey

For 13 consecutive grading periods, Duke University Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital, and Duke Raleigh Hospital, a campus of Duke University Hospital, received top scores for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group.

The “A” scores for Leapfrog’s fall 2024 survey are part of the group’s Hospital Safety Grades Assessment, issued to hospitals every six months. This is the only hospital ratings program focused exclusively on preventable medical errors, infections, and injuries that kill more than 500 patients a day nationally.

Duke Health’s three hospitals were among nearly 3,000 hospitals surveyed across the country. Only 30% of hospitals nationwide achieved “A” hospital safety grade for the fall 2024. In North Carolina, Duke University Health System hospitals were among 43 hospitals to achieve the grade.

The Leapfrog Group is an independent nonprofit organization led by the nation’s leading employers and private health care experts. Twice each year, it collects and analyzes data based on more than 30 national performance measures of errors, accidents, injuries, and infections, as well as systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm. The letter grades assigned to hospitals help people make informed decisions to protect themselves and their families.

Comparisons of hospital scores locally and nationally are available here.

 

Duke Implements Enhanced Online Security Measures

As online threats continue to evolve, Duke continues to review and adapt its cybersecurity measures to protect users and safeguard data. As a result, several changes will be implemented over the next several months. These updates will focus on Duo Mobile, Duke Unlock, and 1Password. Click here to learn more.

 

Reflect and Connect During the Holiday Season

The holiday season can be a busy, stressful, and isolating time for many. Duke Personal Assistance Service (PAS) is hosting three “Reflection and Connection” sessions that will use storytelling as a means of reducing stress and creating a stronger sense of connection with yourself and others.

The sessions will be held remotely via Zoom. Participants will be guided through practices of a mini-mental makeover and expressive writing to reflect and nurture empathy and a sense of meaning in response to stress – whether personal, professional, or related to current events or the stress and pressures (and joys) of the holiday season.

Writing exercises are for the sole use and benefit of participants, who are not required to share anything they write. Registration is required. You can attend any/all of the sessions offered.

Dates:

• Tuesday, Nov. 26, from 4–5 p.m.
• Tuesday, Dec. 17, from 4–5 p.m.
• Tuesday, Jan. 14, from 4–5 p.m.

Register Here  

 

Duke Health Baxter IV Fluid Update

Thanks to all who continue to assist in our conservation strategies!

• Please continue to follow all previously communicated conservation strategies.
• Updates on this situation can be found on Duke’s Baxter Operational Updates page on Sharepoint.

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Nov. 18-22: Grief Awareness Week

 

Cardiology Grand Rounds

Nov. 19: Spirals, Paradigms, and the Progression of Heart Failure with Piotr Ponikowski. 5 p.m., DN2002 or via Zoom .

All Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:

• 2024 CGR Recordings

NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!

 

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

November 20: TBD. Noon, DN 2001.

November 22: Right-sided Valve Guidelines with Bharathi Upadhya. Noon, Zoom.

November 27: DHP Conference with Jemi Galani. Noon, DN2001.

November 29: NO CONFERENCE. Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Grief Symposium, November 20

Duke Health will hold the 2024 Grief Symposium on Wednesday, November 20. The event is hosted by the DUHS Employee Experience team. The keynote speaker will be Rebecca Feinglos, founder of Grieve Leave, will present “Grief in Healthcare.” The symposium will also include a panel discussion on how to communicate immediately after a loss and a discussion with Dr. Tony Galanos on re-entry into the workplace after a significant loss.

Grief Symposium – Wednesday, November 20

• Education Event | 8:30 – 10:30 a.m.
• Grief Circles | 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Both in-person and virtual opportunities are available. Click here to register.

 

Cardiovascular Research Symposium

Dec. 3-4, 2024 at Weill Cornell’s Belfer Research Building, 413 East 69th Street, NYC.

The keynote speaker this year is Anthony Fauci, MD. Previous Duke Cardiology faculty member Geoff Pitt is the Cornell host for the December event, and Howard Rockman is the Duke organizer. Current Duke Cardiology faculty speaking include Conrad Hodgkinson, Rockman, Ching Zhu, Sudarshan Rajagopal, and Sreekanth Vemulapalli.

The Duke Cardiovascular Research Center and the Cardiovascular Institutes of Stanford and Penn are partnering to present the Symposium, which will rotate locations each cycle.

Registration and additional information can be found here.

 

Cardio Sim Creator Competition

The ACC is accepting submissions for the Cardio Sim Creator Competition, a prestigious recognition for outstanding innovation in the field of cardiac simulation.

The submission deadline is Friday, Dec. 6 at 11:59 p.m. To learn more, please visit this link.

 

2025 Duke Safety & Quality Conference Date Announced

The Duke Safety & Quality Conference will be held on April 17, 2025. Abstracts are due Sunday, January 5, by 5 p.m.

Click here to learn more and to review submission criteria.

 

Duke Health Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts

You can join our support efforts in a number of ways:

• Check for updates on the Duke Health intranet page (NET ID required)
• Sign up to volunteer with our SMAT team to deploy to provide disaster relief.
• Make a financial donation to the American Red Cross.

 

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.

 

Duke Heart in the News: 

November 8 — Susan Dent (oncology)

Oncology News Central/Supportive Care Podcast

Cardiology’s Growing Place in Cancer Treatment, with Dr. Susan Dent

November 11 — Duke University Hospital and Donovan Harbison

WPTF-AM Raleigh

Update: Artificial Heart Patient Recovering

November 11 — Audrey Blewer (Family Medicine)

WTVD Durham

New study finds that bystanders are more likely to perform CPR with instructions from 911

November 11 — Audrey Blewer

AHA Newsroom

911 dispatcher assistance improved chances of receiving bystander CPR

November 11 — Audrey Blewer

Health Day

Bystanders More Readily Perform CPR If 911 Operator Instructs

November 11 — Duke University Hospital

Mix 99.5 (Triad, NC)

North Carolina Hospital Crowned ‘Best In State’ For 2025

November 12 — Robert Mentz

CardioNerds

402. Guidelines: 2022 AHA/ACC/HFSA Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure – Question #39 with Dr. Robert Mentz

November 14 — Renato Lopes

Medical Dialogues

New Study Reveals Best Antithrombotic Regimen for Atrial Fibrillation Post-ACS/PCI: Apixiban and P2Y12 Inhibitor Shine

 

Chief’s Message:

We were lucky to have our Heart Leadership Council Meeting on Friday.  The meeting is a place where we can present where we think the field of cardiovascular medicine is going and get feedback from this group of leaders, some of whom are grateful patients.  The group is led by Bob Keegan, and they were engaged and supportive of all the work our group is doing.  We also had our fourth annual “Shark Tank” competition to see awards and projects presented by our Faculty.  There were some big ideas that we hope will change the course of the work, research, and training we do.  I am including a picture here of Senthil Selvaraj presenting some follow up to a prior award.  We are grateful for the leadership and support from this group of ambassadors and look forward to continuing to have them support and engage in supporting our work to discover and deliver cardiovascular health.

Highlights of the week:

Keenan Named Surgical Director, Mechanical Circulatory Support

Jeffrey Keenan, MD, assistant professor of surgery at Duke, has been named Surgical Director, Mechanical Circulatory Support. The announcement was made by Carmelo Milano, MD, the Joseph and Dorothy Beard Professor of Surgery and Division Chief of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, who previously held the role.

Dr. Keenan completed his general and cardiothoracic surgery training here at Duke. After completing his training, he joined the University of Washington as an assistant professor in their Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery before being recruited back to Duke. As a member of Duke’s CT surgery division, he has done a great job supporting adult cardiac surgery, cardiac transplantation, and mechanical circulatory support. Jeff brings a tremendous work ethic, great communication, and team-player skills to our division and the Duke Heart service line.

In his new role, Dr. Keenan will work closely with Stuart Russell, MD, Medical Director, MCS, and Stephanie Barnes, Clinical Director for Advanced Heart Failure.

Important responsibilities in this role include:

• Providing surgical oversight of the durable VAD program.
• Serving as surgical site principal investigator on national trials of MCS devices at Duke, continuing to drive innovation in this space.
• Reinvigorating our effort to organize a multi-disciplinary cardiogenic shock team.
• Overseeing quality improvement initiatives and databases related to MCS within Duke Health.

Furthermore, Dr. Keenan will work closely with Jacob Schroder, MD, Surgical Director, Advanced Heart Failure and Duke’s Heart Transplantation Program and co-director of the Cardiothoracic Surgery ICU, to strengthen MCS for transplant-bridging. He will also work closely with Jeff Gaca, MD, Section Chief, Adult Cardiac Surgery, to help enhance MCS support for high-risk cardiac surgery.

Congratulations, Jeff!

 

Thank you, Dr. Milano!

Words of gratitude and appreciation for Dr. Carmelo Milano’s years at the helm of our Mechanical Circulatory Support team poured in after he announced that Jeff Keenan would be stepping into the role of surgical director. We wanted to share some of those thoughts here with the entire Duke Heart team:

Just wanted to point out that Carmelo has run the MCS program since joining the faculty at the turn of the century so this transition is the end of an era. On behalf of the heart failure docs and Cardiology – Carmelo, thanks for all of your care of patients at Duke, your leadership in the surgical LVAD world, and your tireless effort to make Duke the best place in the world for surgical care of end-stage heart failure patients. We are so fortunate to have you, Jacob, and Jeff to work with. Looking forward to the next 25 years with Jeff.  — Stu Russell, MD

Dr. Milano’s knowledge, passion for MCS therapies, and compassion for patients made the best leader for this therapy at Duke. I always knew we could count on him to get in to see any patient even when on vacation, or to get a case posted ASAP if it was best for the patient. His brilliant and humble approach helped us to partner with others and to draw the best and brightest to this field. It has been a privilege to partner with him to build the Duke program. — Laura Blue, NP

The advanced heart failure program at Duke has grown — under Dr. Milano’s leadership — into a world powerhouse. Thank you, Carmelo, and congratulations, Jeff. – Chet Patel, MD

I echo the remarks with much gratitude for Carmelo’s steady and visionary leadership in growing the MCS program in volume, quality, and evidence generation. And with equal enthusiasm and great anticipation for the dawn of a new era of innovation and team-based decision-making under Jeff’s leadership. As for our team, you can continue to count on our unwavering support, as we partner with you 24/7/365 in the care of these complex patients during some of the most vulnerable moments in their heart failure journey – the perioperative and critical care stages. Congratulations Jeff! – Mihai Podgoreanu, MD

 

AHA Sessions & Annual Duke Gathering

We are all looking forward to the 2024 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions coming up next weekend. Please join us at our Annual Duke-DCRI reception on Saturday, Nov. 16 from 5:30-8:30 p.m.!

• Where? Marriott Marquis Chicago – Grand Horizon E
• Time: 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
• Date: Saturday, Nov. 16

Questions? Please email Elizabeth.Evans@duke.edu or Willette.Wilkins@duke.edu

 

Selvaraj Receives DOM Research Award

Congratulations to Senthil Selvaraj, MD! We learned this week that he is one of two recipients selected by the Department of Medicine (DOM) for their inaugural Rising Star Research Excellence Award.

The Rising Star Research Excellence Award recognizes junior faculty in the DOM for their burgeoning excellence in producing new insights into important biomedical problems. These insights may be delivered using clinical, translational, or basic research approaches and are demonstrable by high-quality peer-reviewed publications, the acquisition of competitive external funding, and the development of sustainable research programs that enhance Duke’s research enterprise.

Great news, Senthil – congrats!

 

Shout-out to Schanze

We received the following shout-out for Emily Schanze from cardiac sonographer Katie Nobles for the exceptional work done by Emily last weekend:

“Hi all, I just wanted to send out this email to let you know that Emily, serving as North charge, this weekend has been an absolute superwoman for lack of better words. I’m pretty sure she figured out how to clone herself at some point. Not only did she handle scheduling the patients, dealing with Stats, and phone calls, but she also coordinated for taps, Ice Cases, TAVRs and TEE’s. Not to mention on top of all this she has been helping transport patients to and from their rooms to the north lab, along with helping with Definity or bubble studies as needed. I honestly don’t know how she managed to do everything she has done this week while going far above and beyond her “job title”. She even scanned a patient during lunch when needed!!!

I truly cannot applaud her enough for all she did this week! So appreciated!!!” — Kathryne “Katie” Nobles, RCS, Cardiac Sonographer, Cardiac Diagnostic Unit

In addition to being a very busy weekend, it was the CDU’s first week of the new reporting and viewing system, Lumedx. Way to go, Emily!

 

Shout-out to the CDU, Anesthesia & Support Teams

It was another amazing week in Duke Heart – with a lot of gratitude to share! We received the following messages regarding particularly high volumes in our CDU:

“I wanted to send kudos to the CDU staff at Duke North and anesthesia today. Our board had 20 procedures today with 10 TEEs alone (including one who had to be done in an EP lab due airway requirement pre-procedure), 3 TEE/CV, and many additional DCCVs that turned into TEE/DCCV due to missed anticoagulation doses. There was also a complicated mix of cases including several mitral valve evaluations, cardiac mass evaluations, congenital cases, and severe cardiomyopathies with rapid atrial arrhythmias.

Due to the nursing leadership of Shari Starr and April Dickerson we were able to run four rooms for procedures. The nurses themselves transported patients to make sure the work flow kept flowing without delays. The rooms were turned around extremely fast and consents were done in rolling fashion both from the imaging and anesthesia teams. Our anesthesia team (CRNA Brad Deen and attending Dr. Katherine Sun) were phenomenal and helped move the day along so that procedures would get done. CRNA Chad Ragains also volunteered to help on his admin day to move the day forward. Additionally, our sonographers were amazing with having TEE probes ready to go and supporting each other with breaks. Given the high TEE volume, we actually ran out of probes stocked at north a couple of times, and the sonographers expedited the cleaning and recycling to avoid any delays. Our fellow Jonathan Hanna also was prepared to get through the procedures and masterfully made sure things were organized to get it done. He was well read on all the cases and had them all triaged for who would need anesthesia. Furthermore, his enthusiasm and excitement was contagious!

With the help of the entire team we got through all procedures on the board to hopefully avoid adding on to the next day. This could not have been done without the CDU team effort. I certainly wanted to give them a shout out for their hard work and support. They are certainly a reason why Duke Heart Center is a special place.  I feel lucky to work with this team.” — Nishant Shah, MD

“Nishant – thanks so much for the note… to my knowledge, this is the largest number of procedures that we’ve ever done in a day in the CDU.  It also represents a continuation of the large number of procedures we’ve been doing on a daily basis for at least the past week, inclusive of long procedures (VSD closures, paravalvular leak closures, etc…) that we’ve been doing in the cath lab as well as our usual daily census of 150-200 TTEs.  

A huge thank you to the entire CDU team, including nursing, sonographers, fellows, attendings, CRNAs, anesthesia, and our colleagues in the EP lab for making this possible. 

You’ll remember that I sat in a room at the end of September and had the opportunity to tell our colleagues and young faculty not to overlook the quality of the people we get to work with and that I don’t spend an instant worrying about whether our team in the CDU will always endeavor to do the “right thing”.  This is yet another example of why I said that.” – Sreek Vemulapalli, MD

“Could not agree more, Sreek! Thank you so much Nishant and everyone! Our team is exceptional. Last few months we did many challenging but interesting cases. Yesterday, we had a very challenging VSD closure that lasted for 6 hours but ended with a great result. In addition, I want to thank our fellows for their hard work! And last but not least I would like to thank Anita for guiding us through every challenge! Fantastic job everyone!” — Fawaz Alenezi, MD

“While I will say it was a tiring day to get through all those cases. It was a very smooth and efficient day and it took us all to safely accomplish that and do the right things for our patients. It took the nurses there today (Shari, Hedva, Brandon, Randy, Kiah, Kelly and myself), our cardiology team John Hanna and Nishant, the anesthesia team, the sonographers (Courtney and Andrea) along with Hana our NA and the rest of the team to just know we were all busy and help support us and the rest of the team throughout the other needs. Final count was 19 procedures, 1 stress echo, among many more echos.  This truly represents the CDU, the strong will and determination we all have to assure we are taking care of not only our patients but each other. – April Dickerson

“Thanks to the whole CDU/Echo team for amazing commitment to our patients, colleagues, and fellows.” – Manesh Patel, MD

“Thanks for sharing the amazing work by the CDU team today and every day. We have a tremendous multidisciplinary team in the CDU performing quality exams and unique exams and procedures every day that make Duke Heart such a tremendous place to receive care! Kudos and thanks to the CDU team!!” – Jill Engel

Incredible work, everyone! Not only is our CDU a great place for care, but we also have amazing colleagues who are happy to share their kudos and shout-outs.  

 

2025 Duke Safety & Quality Conference Date Announced

The Duke Safety & Quality Conference will be held on April 17, 2025. Abstracts are due Sunday, January 5, by 5 p.m.

Click here to learn more and to review the submission criteria.

 

Duke Health Leadership Updates

Elizabeth Howe has been named Ambulatory Associate Vice President of Performance Excellence. The news was announced on Monday, Nov. 4 by Simon Curtis, COO of DHIP, and Heather Marstiller, COO of Duke Primary Care.

Morgan Jones has been named Chief Strategy Officer for DUHS. The news was announced on Tuesday, Nov. 5 by Craig Albanese, MD, CEO of DUHS.

Congrats to both!

 

Duke Health Baxter IV Fluid Update

Thanks to all who continue to assist in our conservation strategies!

• Please continue to follow all previously communicated conservation strategies.
• Updates on this situation can be found on Duke’s Baxter Operational Updates page on Sharepoint.

 

Reflect and Connect During the Holiday Season

The holiday season can be a busy, stressful, and isolating time for many. Duke Personal Assistance Service (PAS) is hosting three “Reflection and Connection” sessions that will use storytelling as a means of reducing stress and creating a stronger sense of connection with yourself and others.

The sessions will be held remotely via Zoom. Participants will be guided through practices of a mini-mental makeover and expressive writing to reflect and nurture empathy and a sense of meaning in response to stress – whether personal, professional, or related to current events or the stress and pressures (and joys) of the holiday season.

Writing exercises are for the sole use and benefit of participants, who are not required to share anything they write. Registration is required. You can attend any/all of the sessions offered.

Dates:

• Tuesday, Nov. 26, from 4–5 p.m.
• Tuesday, Dec. 17, from 4–5 p.m.
• Tuesday, Jan. 14, from 4–5 p.m.

Register Here  

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Nov. 10-16: National Nurse Practitioner Week

Nov. 18-22: Grief Awareness Week

 

Cardiology Grand Rounds

Nov. 12: Devices in Heart Failure with Marat Fudim. 5 p.m., Zoom only.

All Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:

• 2024 CGR Recordings

NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!

 

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

November 13: Board Review with Paula Rambarat and Nishant Shaw. Noon, DN 2001.

November 15: Fellow’s Forum with Paula Rambarat and APDs Noon, Zoom.

 

Grief Symposium, November 20

Duke Health will hold the 2024 Grief Symposium on Wednesday, November 20. The event is hosted by the DUHS Employee Experience team. The keynote speaker will be Rebecca Feinglos, founder of Grieve Leave, will present “Grief in Healthcare.” The symposium will also include a panel discussion on how to communicate immediately after a loss and a discussion with Dr. Tony Galanos on re-entry into the workplace after a significant loss.

Grief Symposium – Wednesday, November 20

• Education Event | 8:30 – 10:30 a.m.
• Grief Circles | 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Both in-person and virtual opportunities are available. Click here to register.

 

Cardiovascular Research Symposium

Dec. 3-4, 2024 at Weill Cornell’s Belfer Research Building, 413 East 69th Street, NYC.

The keynote speaker this year is Anthony Fauci, MD. Previous Duke Cardiology faculty member Geoff Pitt is the Cornell host for the December event, and Howard Rockman is the Duke organizer. Current Duke Cardiology faculty speaking include Conrad Hodgkinson, Rockman, Ching Zhu, and Sudarshan Rajagopal.

The Duke Cardiovascular Research Center and the Cardiovascular Institutes of Stanford and Penn are partnering to present the Symposium, which will rotate locations each cycle.

Registration and additional information can be found here.

 

Cardio Sim Creator Competition

The ACC is accepting submissions for the Cardio Sim Creator Competition, a prestigious recognition for outstanding innovation in the field of cardiac simulation.

The submission deadline is Friday, Dec. 6 at 11:59 p.m. To learn more, please visit this link.

Special thanks to Midge Bowers for alerting us to this opportunity! She is the only NP on the ACC Simulation Council and wanted to share this opportunity with all of our fellows, faculty and staff in Duke Heart.

 

Duke Health Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts

You can join our support efforts in a number of ways:

• Check for updates on the Duke Health intranet page (NET ID required)
• Sign up to volunteer with our SMAT team to deploy to provide disaster relief.
• Make a financial donation to the American Red Cross.

 

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.

 

Duke Heart in the News: 

November 1 — Jennifer Green

The Cardiology Advisor

Diabetes and Pregnancy: Cardiovascular Risk Postpartum

November 3 — Crystal Tyson (nephrology)

Time News (Cuba)

Discover the Dash diet, which can help reduce blood pressure

November 4 — Jennifer Rymer

tctMD

PAD Patients’ Views on Decisions and Outcomes Hinge on Sex, Race/Ethnicity: ELEGANCE

November 5 — Duke University Hospital

Becker’s Hospital Review

Top-ranked hospitals for pacemaker placement, by state

November 6 — Nina Nouhravesh

MSN/Scripps News

Eggs might not be that bad for your heart health, study says

 

Highlights of the week:  Daylight Savings:

Hopefully you all got more use from your extra hour last night for sleep as we had daylight savings with fall back of one hour.  It is a good time to consider the significant scientific work that has happened over the last 7-10 years in circadian rhythm research.  This includes the 2017 Nobel Prize to three researcher that isolated the Period gene that produces the protein that builds up during nighttime hours and gets degraded during the day and the feeback loop.  There are significant newer insights into these control mechanisms and how they can affect many health conditions and disorders.  Finally, this last version of the AHA life’s goals includes in the Life’s essential 8 – sleep as one of the core health issues.  We have lots of ongoing work in this space – and will be interesting to see if the daylight savings system continues in the years to come.  Given the election week and many later nights with groups up – likely important to ensure we continue to focus on getting sleep and early am activity and daylight as they seem to improve overall well-being.

Happy Diwali!

We hope all who celebrated Diwali this past week had a joyous and peace-filled holiday!

Duke & UHC Reach Agreement

We were delighted to learn that Duke Health will remain in-network for patients with United Healthcare. For updates and additional information related to the agreement, you can read about it here and here. A UHC announcement can be found here.

Duke-Led Model Identifies Pathogenic Variants in Cardiac Patients, Offers Diagnostic Hope

Currently, many patients receive inconclusive results from genetic testing, leaving them without a clear diagnosis or a path forward for treatment, but a new model developed by researchers at Duke University could help increase the number of patients receiving positive test results, providing them with valuable information that could guide treatment decisions. Results were published on Oct. 29 in Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine.

By incorporating factors such as minor allele frequencies, gene expression in cardiovascular tissues, splicing effects, conservation scores, and the location of the variant relative to known pathogenic variants, their model predicts with high accuracy whether a variant is likely to be pathogenic.

The team used the model on the CathGen cohort – a collection of patients undergoing cardiac catheterization – and identified individuals carrying likely pathogenic variants. “A majority of those people carrying predicted pathogenic variants displayed symptoms that would allow us to provide a diagnosis based on genetics,” said Megan E. Ramaker, PhD, a postdoctoral associate with Duke Molecular Physiology Institute. Ramaker added that it would also help clinicians prescribe medicines to treat individual conditions more effectively, as some treatments are gene-specific.

While the model was developed with a focus on cardiovascular tissue, it can be adapted for other diseases. “You could input a tissue relevant to your disease of interest, like cancer, and modify the model accordingly,” Ramaker said. This opens up the possibility for researchers in other fields to fine-tune the model for their own needs.

Next, the team plans to work on expanding the use of this tool to larger genetic biobanks, such as the UK Biobank, All of Us, and OneDukeGen. They are also applying it to investigate genetic variants linked to cardiac amyloidosis, a rare inherited disease that leads to plaque buildup in the heart, similar to how Alzheimer’s disease affects the brain.

“There are a lot of machine learning tools to predict variant pathogenicity,” Ramaker said, “but this is the first one that is tissue-specific and publicly available.”

Ramaker’s co-authors include Jawan Abdulrahim, MD; Kristin M. Corey, MD; Ryne C. Ramaker, MD, PhD; Lydia Coulter Kwee, PhD; William E. Kraus, MD, and Svati H.Shah, MD, MS, MHS.

 

Kraus Celebrated

Bill Kraus, MD was celebrated on Wed., October 30 for his 30 years as medical director of Duke’s Cardiac Rehabilitation program. (A hat tip to the folks responsible for the t-shirts. Well done!)

Congratulations, Bill — you’ve impacted so many patients and all of your colleagues. Thank you for all you do!

 

Sketch Celebrated

Mike Sketch, MD was celebrated by several DHP team members on Friday, Oct. 25 to recognize his last week of rounding there. The team wanted to thank Sketch, ahead of his pending retirement, for his many years teaching the Duke house staff. In attendance was Jemi Galani and her team, along with a few of the cardiovascular fellows, as well as Anita Kelsey.

You’re going to be missed, Mike!

 

 

 

Shah Presented with the Gill H&V Award

Congratulations to Svati Shah! Shah was recently presented with the 2024 Gill Heart and Vascular Institute Award for Outstanding Contributions to Cardiovascular Research. The award recognizes notable and life-long achievements in research that have had a sustained impact on understanding cardiovascular biology and disease and/or that have changed the standard of cardiovascular clinical care.

 

The award was presented to Shah on Sept. 20 during the University of Kentucky College of Medicine’s 26th Annual Cardiovascular Research Day, held at Central Bank Center in Lexington, KY.

Congratulations, Svati!

 

 

 

 

 

16th Annual PH Symposium Held

Our 16th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium was held Friday, Nov. 1 at the Durham Convention Center. The program was geared toward pulmonologists, cardiologists, nurses, pharmacists, and other care providers involved in the care and treatment of patients with pulmonary hypertension. The event was also open to patients and their family members.

Overall, the event attracted more than 160 healthcare professionals and industry representatives, and more than 70 patients and family caregivers.

Speakers included Diane Ramirez of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association Board of Trustees; Terry Fortin, MD; Sudar Rajagopal, MD, Jordan Whitson, MD,  and Richard Krasuski, MD (all of Duke Health), and H. James Ford, MD and Laura Nowicki, RN (of UNC), among many others.

The event was sponsored by Duke Health, UNC School of Medicine, and the Pulmonary Hypertension Association.

Great job, all!

 

Pena to Serve as Nurse Manager DUH 3300, Effective November 4th

Duke Heart is pleased to announce that Heather Pena, MSN, RN, CCRN, CPPS, will become Nurse Manager Operations for Duke University Hospital’s Cardiothoracic Stepdown Unit 3300 effective November 4th.

Heather will co-manage 3300 with Kasey Jacobson until November 29. Heather earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from UNC at Chapel Hill in 2012 and her Master’s in Nursing Leadership from East Carolina University in 2022.  She joined the Duke Heart Team as a new graduate nurse on 3200 in July 2012 and has served as Strategic Services Associate, Patient Safety and Quality Improvement since 2019. 

During her time at Duke, Heather advanced on the clinical ladder by becoming a CNIV and has held a variety of roles on 7West including Clinical Lead, Preceptor, Charge Nurse, HAI champion, and numerous committee roles.  As an SSA, she has been heavily involved with safety and quality initiatives including, reduction in HAI, pressure injuries, falls, and CT Evidence-Based Care.  She has been part of many team building and leadership activities throughout the Heart Center and beyond, including support of the career ladder and onboarding/education initiatives, support of Healthy Work Environment, and multiple presentations at national conferences annually.

Please join us in congratulating and welcoming Heather to her new role.

 

Sanner to Serve as Nurse Manager DUH 6 East, Effective November 4th

Duke Heart is pleased to announce that Abigail “Abby” Sanner BSN, RN, CNML, CCRN will become Nurse Manager Operations for Duke University Hospital’s Cardiothoracic Surgery Stepdown Unit 6 East effective November 4th.

Abby will co-manage 6 East with Ciarra Ashley until Ciarra transitions to her new role in December. Abby earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Rockford University in 2018. She joined the Duke Heart Team as an experienced nurse on 7 East in May 2020 and has served as Assistant Nurse Manager since August 2022.

During her time at Duke, Abby advanced on the clinical ladder by becoming a CNIII and has held a variety of roles on 7 East including Preceptor, Charge Nurse, and Skin Care Champion. As Assistant Nurse Manager, she has been involved with safety and quality initiatives including the development of an ICU float to cardiology step-down guide, AirTAP trial for pressure injury prevention, and the institution of the “welcoming team” for new graduate RNs, especially those new to the Raleigh/Durham area. She has been part of team building and leadership activities throughout the Heart Center including presenting at Heart Center Charge Nurse meetings and development and implementation of the Heart Center Leadership Escalation Pathway to help provide support to off-shift charge nurses.

Please join us in congratulating and welcoming Abby to her new role.

 

Cardio Sim Creator Competition

The ACC is accepting submissions for the Cardio Sim Creator Competition, a prestigious recognition for outstanding innovation in the field of cardiac simulation.

The submission deadline is Friday, Dec. 6 at 11:59 p.m. To learn more, please visit this link.

Special thanks to Midge Bowers for alerting us to this opportunity! She is the only NP on the ACC Simulation Council and wanted to share this opportunity with all of our fellows, faculty, and staff in Duke Heart.

 

Duke Regional Leadership Changes

In a letter to staff on Oct. 30, Greg Pauly and Tom Owens announced that Devdutta Sangvai, MD, MBA, will step down as president of Duke Regional Hospital. He will remain at Duke to continue his research and to care for patients.

The announcement states:

“Colleagues,

With a deep sense of gratitude for his service leading Duke Regional Hospital (DRH) through significant change and transition, Dr. Devdutta (Dev) Sangvai, MD, MBA, has decided to step down from his role as President to pursue his passion for academic medicine and research at Duke.  Dr. Sangvai, who has dedicated over two decades to clinical excellence and innovative healthcare administration, is returning to his academic roots at Duke to focus on teaching, advancing clinical research, and contributing to family medicine.

Dev’s leadership across the Duke University Health System (DUHS) enterprise has been transformative. His strategic initiatives have notably advanced population health management, created partnerships to promote equity in care, and launched value-based care models that significantly impacted patient outcomes. Under his leadership, Duke Regional Hospital has achieved recognition for social responsibility and excellence in care, including Magnet Hospital accreditation and advanced certifications in diabetes and behavioral health care.  Throughout his tenure, Dev’s commitment to the health system and the broader community has been unwavering, marked by national leadership roles and innovations that have set a high standard in patient care.

In the interim, we have asked Jason Carter, Chief Operating Officer (COO), to serve as the President at Duke Regional, while continuing his COO responsibilities.  We are appreciative of Jason’s willingness to step in during this time. Dev has graciously offered to collaborate with Jason and the leaders across his portfolio to help with the transition through the end of the calendar year.

As Dev steps down to embrace his academic and research pursuits fully, please join me in thanking him for his invaluable contributions. We look forward to his continued impact in advancing medical knowledge and inspiring future generations.”

 

Shout-out to Grover!

We are thrilled to welcome Phoenix Grover, who joined us in August as our new cardiovascular genetic counselor in the HF clinic! This week, she went above and beyond by preparing and discussing genetic testing results for a family seen in Clinic. Phoenix created a thoughtful presentation with visuals to clarify the results and guide the family on potential risks. She demonstrated exceptional thoroughness, patience, and empathy, addressing all their concerns with care.

Thank you, Phoenix, for your dedication to helping families navigate cardiomyopathy care. Great job! — Karen Flores Rosario, MD

 

Shout-out to Duke Heart from Pauly

ICYMI, in a message to staff this week from Greg Pauly, president of Duke University Hospital, our team received a shout-out regarding our work with the BiVACOR total artificial heart. That portion of his message reads as follows:

“I am thrilled to share that our Duke Health Cardiothoracic team recently performed the world’s second BIVACOR Total Artificial Heart procedure for a patient waiting for a heart transplant. This device completely replaces a patient’s heart and pumps blood through the body, which allows our teams additional time to find a match and offers patients a lifesaving option they would not have otherwise had. This allowed the patient to live with the device for 10 days before undergoing a heart transplant here at DUH.  Thank you to our teams for your incredible commitment to this life-saving work.”

Way to go, team!

 

Duke Health Baxter IV Fluid Update

Thanks to all who continue to assist in our conservation strategies!

• Please continue to follow all previously communicated conservation strategies.
• Updates on this situation can be found on Duke’s Baxter Operational Updates page on Sharepoint.

 

Attend the 2024 Grief Symposium on November 20

Duke Health will hold the 2024 Grief Symposium on Wednesday, November 20. The event is hosted by the DUHS Employee Experience team. The keynote speaker will be Rebecca Feinglos, founder of Grieve Leave, who will present “Grief in Healthcare.” The symposium will also include a panel discussion on how to communicate immediately after a loss and a discussion with Dr. Tony Galanos on re-entry into the workplace after a significant loss.

Grief Symposium – Wednesday, November 20

• Education Event | 8:30 – 10:30 a.m.
• Grief Circles | 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Both in-person and virtual opportunities are available. Click here to register.

This event is being held during Grief Awareness Week (Nov. 18-22), which is designed to increase awareness of issues about grief and loss in the workplace, promote strategies for healthy grieving, and encourage staff self-care. Events and activities during the week include a staff memorial service and other events designed to normalize grief.

 

Election Day & Voting Resources

If you did not vote early – please plan to vote on Tuesday! Before heading out to do so, make sure to bring an acceptable form of photo identification, which can include a North Carolina driver’s license, an approved Duke ID card (students only), and others. Duke Votes is an excellent resource for non-partisan voting information and resources for voting here in North Carolina or in your home state if you are not a North Carolina resident.

To allow Duke employees flexibility in casting their vote, Duke University and Duke Health encourage supervisors to cancel nonessential meetings on November 5 and be flexible with scheduling to enable staff members who are unable to vote outside normal work hours to do so before, during, or after their assigned shifts. On Election Day, Karsh will not be a polling location, so you will need to cast a ballot at your assigned polling place.

Thank you for participating in our democracy!

 

Duke Health Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts

You can join our support efforts in several ways:

• Check for updates on the Duke Health intranet page (NET ID required)
• Sign up to volunteer with our SMAT team to deploy to provide disaster relief.
• Make a financial donation to the American Red Cross.

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Nov. 10-16: National Nurse Practitioner Week

Nov. 18-22: Grief Awareness Week

 

Cardiology Grand Rounds

November 5: CTA in 2024: Physiology, Plaque, and Planning PCI with Jonathan Leipsic. 5 p.m. DN 2002 or via Zoom.

November 12: Devices in Heart Failure with Marat Fudim. 5 p.m., Zoom only.

All Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:

• 2024 CGR Recordings

NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!

 

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

November 6: EP Conference with Tess and Aubrie. Noon, DN 2001.

November 8: Current AFib Management Guidelines with Jon Piccini. Noon, Zoom.

November 13: Board Review with Paula Rambarat and Nishant Shaw. Noon, DN 2001.

November 15: Fellow’s Forum with Paula Rambarat and APDs Noon, Zoom.

 

Cardiovascular Research Symposium

Dec. 3-4, 2024 at Weill Cornell’s Belfer Research Building, 413 East 69th Street, NYC.

The keynote speaker this year is Anthony Fauci, MD. Previous Duke Cardiology faculty member Geoff Pitt is the Cornell host for the December event, and Howard Rockman is the Duke organizer. Current Duke Cardiology faculty speaking include Conrad Hodgkinson, Rockman, Ching Zhu, and Sudarshan Rajagopal.

The Duke Cardiovascular Research Center and the Cardiovascular Institutes of Stanford and Penn are partnering to present the Symposium, which will rotate locations each cycle.

Registration and additional information can be found here.

 

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.

Duke Heart in the News: 

October 20 — Leanna Ross

Daily Republic

‘Weekend warriors’ may gain same health benefits as people who spread out exercise

October 21 — Annemarie Thompson

Kansas City Star*

How to manage heart and stroke risks before, during and after non-heart surgery

*appears in 30+ affiliates nationally

October 23 — Renato Lopes

Amazing Health Advances

Wearable Heart Monitor Increases Diagnosis of Irregular Heart Rhythm

October 23 — Manesh Patel

Medscape

The Rising Tide of Atrial Fibrillation: Is Primary Care Ready?

*also appears in MD Edge/Cardiology News

October 23 — Duke Health

Becker’s Hospital Review

50 top hospitals for cardiac surgery: Healthgrades

October 23 — Redford Williams (Psych/Beh Health)

The People’s Pharmacy

Show 1405: Why Does Anger Harm Your Heart?

October 28 — Stuart Knechtle (Surgery/Transplant)

IVOOX

CDO Magazine Podcast Series: We Want to Offer Transplantation Equitably to All Patients in the US — Duke

October 29 — Svati Shah

The Business Journals/American Heart Association

U.S. could save $28 billion by 2040 through improved women’s cardiovascular health

October 29 — Brittany Zwischenberger

Live Science

‘Wake-up call’: Women are more likely than men to die of complications after heart surgery

October 30 — William Kraus

Only My Health (India)

10,000 Steps Is A Myth; Here’s What Science Says You Should Do Instead

October 30 — Oyomoare Osazuwa-Peters

Medpage Today

After COPD Hospitalization, Some Groups At Risk of ASCVD

October 31 — Duke Hospital

Becker’s Hospital Review

Titanium heart makes Time’s ‘Best Inventions’ list

October 31 — Duke Hospital

Black Doctor

Best Hospitals for Black America 2025

October 31 — Manesh Patel, Suresh Balu & Michael Pencina

Healthcare Innovation

Researchers: AI Development Should Focus on Top Clinician Needs

Chief’s message:  Seeing the world from other people’s perspective.

In the important novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch tells Scout  “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”  This provides Scout with an important lesson as she stands in Boo Radley’s shoes and sees how much she has meant to him and how he sees the community they live in. This is one of the many lessons from the book that provide to be timeless and help us understand how they were able to make progress in their community.

This advice is particularly important in our current environment where things at times seem so polarized, so short in information exchange, and so hard to engage our community and patients to improve health. As we consider how we will continue to evolve and work on improving patient care – we spend more time on working to ensure we remain a trusted source for health care and health information. Part of our current CV service line and training of our fellows is constantly working as teams and learning the multiple perspectives of our patients, team members and staff in caring for our patients.  No matter how tumultuous the next few weeks are for our region and country, focusing on thinking and understanding our patients, colleagues, neighbors and community will help Duke Heart continue to improve CV health.  Recently, we are encouraged as we have seen some signs of improvement in Western North Carolina and the tremendous unity and purpose that our entire state has had in supporting that region.  Finally, we have just completed our interviews of the many amazing star residents considering Duke Heart as their destination for continued training and are awed by the caliber of people that see our organization as one of the top places to get trained in cardiovascular medicine.

Updates of the week:

Duke Health Baxter IV Fluid Update

Thanks to all who continue to assist in our conservation strategies!

• To order IV fluids, call the Fluid Distribution Center at 919-681-6851. The center remains open 24/7.
• Please continue to follow all previously communicated conservation strategies.
• Updates on this situation can be found on Duke’s Baxter Operational Updates page on Sharepoint.

Voting Resources

Early voting concludes Nov. 2, including at Karsh Alumni Center (for Durham County residents).

Hours are as follows:

• Monday – Saturday: 8 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
• Sundays: 2 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
• 2: 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Same-day voter registration will also be available during this time.

Before heading to the polls, make sure to bring an acceptable form of photo identification, which can include a North Carolina driver’s license, an approved Duke ID card (students only), and others. Duke Votes is an excellent resource for non-partisan voting information and resources for voting here in North Carolina or in your home state if you are not a North Carolina resident.

In order to allow Duke employees flexibility in casting their vote, Duke University and Duke Health encourage supervisors to cancel nonessential meetings on November 5 and be flexible with scheduling to enable staff members who are unable to vote outside normal work hours to do so before, during, or after their assigned shifts. On Election Day, Karsh will not be a polling location, so you will need to cast a ballot at your assigned polling place.

Thank you for participating in our democracy!

Duke Health Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts

You can join our support efforts in several ways:

• Check for updates on the Duke Health intranet page (NET ID required)
• Sign up to volunteer with our SMAT team to deploy to provide disaster relief.
• Make a financial donation to the American Red Cross.

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Oct. 17-Nov. 2: Early voting period, November 2024 General Election.

Cardiology Grand Rounds

Oct. 29: Working Towards Elimination of Rheumatic Heart Disease in Our Lifetime with Andrea Beaton, MD. 5 p.m. DN 2002 or via Zoom. 

All Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:

• 2024 CGR Recordings

NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

October 30: Board Review with Paula Rambarat and Nishant Shah. Noon, DN 2001

November 1: HF/Txp Fellows’ Case Conference with Jawan Abdulrahim. Noon, via Zoom.

 

Duke Heart Fall 2024 CME Courses

Upcoming symposia:

November 1: the 16th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium at Durham Convention Center, 8:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Course directors are Dr. Terry Fortin and Dr. Jimmy Ford (of UNC).

Questions? Contact Christy Darnell.

 

Last Call for Nominations: MLK Humanitarian Award

Nominations are now open for Duke’s first Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award. Dr. King’s enduring legacy inspires this initiative, which will celebrate Duke Health faculty and staff who embody his vision of “It starts with me…” The award will honor those who have gone above and beyond in their dedication to a nonprofit’s mission in keeping with Dr. King’s principles.

Nominations will be accepted through October 29. The awards will be announced in January during Duke’s annual recognition of the MLK holiday.

Learn more about the award here.

SOM Leadership Development Programs

Applications for the 2025 SOM Leadership Development Programs are now open. This includes the ADVANCE-UP, ALICE, DCLP, and LEADER programs.

Applications are due by Friday, Nov. 1. To learn more, click here. Programs are hosted by the SOM Office for Faculty.

 

Cardiovascular Research Symposium

Dec. 3-4, 2024 at Weill Cornell’s Belfer Research Building, 413 East 69th Street, NYC.

The keynote speaker this year is Anthony Fauci, MD. Previous Duke Cardiology faculty member Geoff Pitt is the Cornell host for the December event, and Howard Rockman is the Duke organizer. Current Duke Cardiology faculty speaking include Conrad Hodgkinson, Rockman, Ching Zhu, and Sudarshan Rajagopal.

The Duke Cardiovascular Research Center and the Cardiovascular Institutes of Stanford and Penn are partnering to present the Symposium, which will rotate locations each cycle.

Registration and additional information can be found here.

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.

Duke Heart in the News: 

News coverage will return Nov. 4.

Chief’s message:  Fall Changes

Hopefully you all had some time to experience the fall changes to the weather and trees in our area.  This time of year is marked with the shorter days with less light, North Carolina State Fair, nearing the end of our cardiology fellowship recruitment (nearly 1000 applicants for our 10 spots) and lots of great sporting events including the start of Duke Basketball and this year the Duke Football team some recent key wins and a 6-1 record.  Unfortunately, this time of year also sees an increase in cardiovascular events in our community and an uptick in hospital care needs.  Our teams lean on each other even more in these busy times.  We have a photo included from a “rodeo” themed get-together at the Granger house this weekend with our visiting professor Bernard Gersh and the CICU team members.

You will also see story below of the passing of Scott Braswell.  We are saddened by the loss of such a great supporter of the Heart mission, but more importantly – the loss of such a great member of our community – someone who was engaged in supporting  North Carolina and our people in so many ways.  Our thoughts are with his family.

Lastly, we received news of Dr. Allan Kirk deciding to step down as the Chair of the Department of Surgery.  Over the last 10 years, Allan has led the remarkable growth in the research and surgical care of patients at Duke, the creation of several new departments of surgery, and elevated the surgical research group to be the leading NIH-funded research program in the country. He has also supported many innovative initiatives that will have long lasting impact.  Over the next several months there will be a national search for his successor, and we will have several opportunities to help celebrate his contribution to Duke Health. From the Duke Heart perspective, I will note that Allan has been a north star for our teams, always putting patients, trainees and faculty at the forefront of our decision-making and thought process, looking and working to identify solutions that help our team achieve our highest potential.  When you see him, please thank him for his service to Duke Health.

Updates of the week:

In Passing: HCLC Member, Scott Braswell

We are deeply saddened this weekend by the passing of Scott Braswell, a member of our Heart Center Leadership Council. Braswell, who died Tuesday, was an enthusiastic supporter of Duke Heart and one of the newest members to join our HCLC. We appreciated getting to know and work with him — he will be missed.

Services are planned for Saturday, Oct. 26. Visitation for family and friends is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Nashville Methodist Church, Nashville, NC. A Memorial Service will follow at 2 p.m. Rev. Scott Dodson and Rev. Luke Whitehead will officiate.

The family has requested that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Appalachia Service Project (Johnson City, TN), Nashville Methodist Church (Nashville, NC), or Samaritan’s Purse (Boone, NC). A full obituary has not yet been posted online, but a tribute page and all service information are available here.

Our thoughts are with Scott’s family, friends, colleagues, and our HCLC team.

 

Kirk Stepping Down as Chair, Dept. of Surgery

After more than a decade of service, Allan D. Kirk, MD, PhD, will be stepping down as chair of the Department of Surgery effective June 30, 2025. Kirk will continue at Duke as the David C. Sabiston, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Surgery. The news was announced this week by Mary E. Klotman, MD, executive vice president for health affairs at Duke and Dean, Duke University School of Medicine, and Craig Albanese, MD, MBA, chief executive officer, Duke University Health System.

Dr. Kirk’s career began at Duke, where he earned his MD and PhD in immunology. He completed his surgical residency at Duke and a multi-organ transplant fellowship at the University of Wisconsin. His pioneering work in co-stimulation blockade and personalized immune management has been instrumental in advancing the field of organ transplantation. Throughout his career, Dr. Kirk has held numerous prestigious positions, including chief of transplant research for the Armed Services Transplant Service and chief of the intramural organ transplant program at the National Institutes of Health. Before returning to Duke in 2014 as chair of the Department of Surgery, he served as vice chair for surgical research at Emory University.

During his tenure as chair, Dr. Kirk has led the Department of Surgery through unparalleled clinical and academic growth. Under his visionary leadership, the department has recruited numerous esteemed surgeons and scientists, building nation-leading clinical programs in specialties such as organ transplantation and cardiac surgery. He fostered the creation of several new departments, including Neurosurgery, Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences, Urology, and Emergency Medicine, and expanded Duke Surgery to the Greensboro area through a partnership with Central Carolina Surgery. He oversaw the creation of the perioperative clinical service line, standardizing surgical and anesthesiology leadership across Duke Health. He led the department through transformative events including the COVID-19 pandemic and the creation of the Duke Health Integrated Practice.

Dr. Kirk elevated the Duke surgical research program to lead the nation in NIH funding, fostering multidisciplinary collaboration and significantly growing research infrastructure. He established numerous programs to support the career development of surgeon scientists, resulting in multiple prestigious awards and fellowships for surgical trainees. Additionally, he launched innovative initiatives incorporating artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies into surgical practice, including the Surgical Black Box and the Surgical Artificial Intelligence and Innovation Lab.

Gary Faerber, MD, chair of the Department of Urology, will lead a committee through a national search to identify Dr. Kirk’s successor. Dr. Kirk has graciously agreed to stay on as chair longer, if needed, to ensure a smooth transition in leadership. In their message, Klotman and Albanese expressed their deepest gratitude to Dr. Kirk for his extraordinary leadership and dedication to advancing surgical science and practice. We all look forward to his continued contributions to our community and the field of surgery.

 

Shout-out to Swaminathan!

Congratulations to Rajesh Swaminathan – we learned this week he was selected as the Collaborating Physician of the Year by physician assistants at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center during PA Week.

Well-deserved, Raj!!! Way to go!

 

 

 

Kittipibul Earns Mario Award

We are excited to share the great news that cardiology fellow Mark Kittipibul has been awarded one of two Mario Family Foundation Award for his project, Leveraging Exercise Stress Echocardiography for Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction. His project aims to determine the prevalence of undiagnosed HFpEF in patients undergoing exercise stress echo and to evaluate the impact of systemic HFpEF probability assessment during exercise stress echo and tailored recommendations on HFpEF diagnosis and management. His faculty mentor is Marat Fudim.

The Mario Family Foundation Award supports two patient-oriented research proposals (clinical or translational) from fellows in training within any of the Divisions in the Duke Department of Medicine. The total one-year funding for all proposal expenses is $35,000.

About the Mario Family Foundation

Ernest Mario, PhD, founded the Mario Family foundation, a private charitable organization, in 1997. Dr. Mario is a native of New Jersey. He received a bachelor of science in Pharmacy from Rutgers University, and Masters and PhD degrees in Physical Sciences from the University of Rhode Island. During his distinguished career, he held a variety of leadership roles in several pharmaceutical companies. In recognition of his leadership in the pharmaceutical industry and support for the school, the Rutgers school of pharmacy was renamed the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy in 2002. Dr. Mario served on the Duke Board of Trustees, and he was chairman of the Duke University Health System board of directors. He was named Trustee Emeritus of Duke University in 2007, and is the second longest serving trustee in the school’s history. He was awarded The University Medal in 2009, Duke’s highest recognition of service to the school.

Congratulations, Mark!

 

Annual Cardiovascular Research Symposium

Our Cardiovascular Research Symposium is now a four-institution event and will be hosted this year by Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City. The Symposium will be held Dec. 3-4, 2024 at Weill Cornell’s Belfer Research Building, 413 East 69th Street, NYC.

The keynote speaker this year is Anthony Fauci, MD. Previous Duke Cardiology faculty member Geoff Pitt is the Cornell host for the December event, and Howard Rockman is the Duke organizer. Current Duke Cardiology faculty speaking include Conrad Hodgkinson, Rockman, Ching Zhu, and Sudarshan Rajagopal.

The Duke Cardiovascular Research Center and the Cardiovascular Institutes of Stanford and Penn are partnering to present the Symposium, which will rotate locations each cycle.

Registration and additional information can be found here.

 

Respiratory Care Week

It’s Respiratory Care Week 2024 (Oct.20-Oct.26) — time to recognize our respiratory therapists! Each October the American Association for Respiratory Care uses this week to advance the work of respiratory therapists in healthcare. It’s an opportunity to recognize the tremendous dedication and impact of respiratory therapists on patient care and improved outcomes.

Our RT team at Duke is amazing — thank you for everything you do!!

 

National Healthcare Quality Week

It’s also Healthcare Quality Week (Oct 20-26), a recognition period for celebrating and raising awareness of the positive impact those working in healthcare quality and safety have in their organizations and communities. Our quality and safety teams play a vital role in improving patient outcomes, enhancing organizational efficiency, and fostering a culture of excellence within healthcare.

Healthcare Quality Week was established in 1985 by the National Association of Healthcare Quality to recognize and celebrate the contribution of healthcare quality experts in their various organizations.

Thank you to all members of our team who specifically focus on quality and safety improvement each and every day!

 

Last Call for Open Enrollment!

Open Enrollment is underway and ends at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 25. This is your opportunity to review your medical, dental, vision, and reimbursement account benefit elections for the coming year and to make any changes necessary to ensure your choices continue to meet your needs.

Full information can be found on Duke’s Open Enrollment 2025 website.

 

Duke Health Baxter IV Fluid Update

Thanks to all who are assisting  in our conservation strategies!

• Physical command centers have closed.
• To order IV fluids, call the Fluid Distribution Center at 919-681-6851. The center remains open 24/7.
• Please continue to follow all previously communicated conservation strategies.
• Updates on this situation can be found on Duke’s Baxter Operational Updates page on Sharepoint.

 

Voting Resources

Early voting is underway through Nov. 2, including at Karsh Alumni Center (for Durham County residents).

Hours are as follows:

• Monday – Saturday: 8 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
• Sundays: 2 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
• 2: 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Same-day voter registration will also be available during this time.

Before heading to the polls, make sure to bring an acceptable form of photo identification, which can include a North Carolina driver’s license, an approved Duke ID card (students only), and others. Duke Votes is an excellent resource for non-partisan voting information and resources for voting here in North Carolina or in your home state if you are not a North Carolina resident.

To allow Duke employees flexibility in casting their vote, Duke University and Duke Health encourage supervisors to cancel nonessential meetings on November 5 and be flexible with scheduling to enable staff members who are unable to vote outside normal work hours to do so before, during, or after their assigned shifts. On Election Day, Karsh will not be a polling location, so you will need to cast a ballot at your assigned polling place.

Thank you for participating in our democracy!

 

Duke Health Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts

You can join our support efforts in several ways:

• Check for updates on the Duke Health intranet page (NET ID required)
• Sign up to volunteer with our SMAT team to deploy to provide disaster relief.
• Make a financial donation to the American Red Cross.

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Oct. 17-Nov. 2: Early voting period, November 2024 General Election.

Oct. 20-Oct.26: Respiratory Care Week

Oct. 20-Oct.26: Healthcare Quality Week

Cardiology Grand Rounds

Oct. 22: In the Fall of the Sparrow: Neuroprognosis in Cardiac Arrest with Matthew Luedke, MD. 5 p.m. Zoom only. 

Oct. 29: Working Towards Elimination of Rheumatic Heart Disease in Our Lifetime with Andrea Beaton, MD. 5 p.m. DN 2002 or via Zoom. 

All Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:

• 2024 CGR Recordings

NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

October 23: HF/Txp Fellows’ Case Conference with Mike Cosiano. Noon, DMP 2W96

October 25: No conference. Interview Day.

October 30: Board Review with Paula Rambarat and Nishant Shah. Noon, DN 2001

November 1: HF/Txp Fellows’ Case Conference with Jawan Abdulrahim. Noon, via Zoom.

Duke Heart Fall 2024 CME Courses

Upcoming symposia:

November 1: the 16th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium at Durham Convention Center, 8:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Course directors are Dr. Terry Fortin and Dr. Jimmy Ford (of UNC).

Questions? Contact Christy Darnell.

 

DIHI – Innovation Projects RFA 2025

The Duke Institute for Health Innovation (DIHI) announces the next emerging ideas and innovation funding cycle. Applications are open to faculty, staff, trainees and students of Duke University and Duke University Health System. Proposed innovation projects should address actual and important problems encountered by care providers, patients and their loved ones in our clinical enterprise and represent urgent health challenges nationally.

For the 2025 funding cycle, priority will be given to ideas aligned with the thematic area of improving provider and staff experience, the patient journey, and clinical outcomes using advanced technology solutions.

Due Date: Proposals are due by 11:59 p.m., October 25, 2024.

The application packet can be found here.

Up to ten applications will be selected for support. Most proposals are expected to request funding in the range of $25,000 to $60,000 over one year.

Questions? Please email DIHIrfa@duke.edu.

 

Call for Nominations: MLK Humanitarian Award

Nominations are now open for Duke’s first Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award. This initiative is inspired by Dr. King’s enduring legacy and will celebrate Duke Health faculty and staff who embody his vision of “It starts with me…” The award will honor those who have gone above and beyond in their dedication to a nonprofit’s mission in keeping with the principles of Dr. King.

Nominations will be accepted through October 29. The awards will be announced during Duke’s annual recognition of the MLK holiday in January.

Learn more about the award here.

 

SOM Leadership Development Programs

Applications for the 2025 SOM Leadership Development Programs are now open. This includes the ADVANCE-UP, ALICE, DCLP, and LEADER programs.

Applications are due by Friday, Nov. 1. To learn more, click here. Programs are hosted by the SOM Office for Faculty.

 

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.

 

Duke Heart in the News: 

October 11 — Mark Kittipibul and Robert Mentz

Endocrinology Advisor

Semaglutide Lowers Heart Failure Risks in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, CKD

October 11 — Duke University Hospital (BiVACOR)

Becker’s Hospital Review

The titanium heart keeping transplant patients alive

October 13 — Adam DeVore and Donavon Harbison

WTVD-TV (Durham, NC)

Titanium heart implant pioneers treatment to help patient make it to transplant

October 14 — Adam DeVore, Carmelo Milano, and Donavon Harbison

KUMV-TV (Minot, ND)

Innovative artificial heart implant helps patients survive to heart transplant

October 14 — Leanna Ross

The Minnesota Star Tribune via Tribune News Service

Study supports ‘weekend warriors’

October 14 — Sana Al-Khatib

Healio

Top in cardiology: COVID-19 linked to increased CV risk; semaglutide improves HF symptoms

October 14 — Duke Hospital

Becker’s Hospital Review

Hospitals with highest, lowest 30-day mortality rates for heart attack patients

October 15 — Leanna Ross

The Daily Item

‘Weekend warriors’ may gain same health benefits as people who spread out exercise

October 15 — Leanna Ross

The Columbian

To stave off disease, stay active

October 16 — Mark Kittipibul and Robert Mentz

The Cardiology Advisor

Semaglutide Lowers Heart Failure Risks in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, CKD

October 16 — Allan Kirk

Wall Street Journal

The Future of Everything: ‘It’s Spare Parts for People’: Blood Vessels Grown in a Lab

*subscription may be required

 

Chief’s message:

 This week we have highlights around some work our heart failure and transplant teams are doing around a total artificial heart.  The story ran on NBC news this last week and builds on work this group has done over the last several years around supporting people with failing hearts.  Moreover, it highlights the tremendous teamwork with the cardiologists, CT surgeons, cardiac anesthesiologists, the research teams, ICU, wards, and overall care teams to help patients move through our system to get innovative therapies.  We have examples across all of our disciplines for patients we care for in cardiometabolic prevention, arrhythmia care, heart failure, coronary and vascular care, and valvular heart disease.  Thanks to the teams that helped this latest innovation get to our patients.

On a more solemn note, we also have information below around one of our past cardiology fellows, now cardiologist in practice passing away suddenly – Rip Waters.  Our community grieves the loss of such a kind and thoughtful person.  Details of the memorial and places for donation are provided below.  We will keep Rip and his family in our collective thoughts and prayers.

Highlights and Updates of the week:

Duke Transplant Team Helps Pioneer Total Artificial Heart

A young Graham, NC, father became the second person in the world to receive a BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart (TAH) as a bridge to transplant, living with the device for 10 days before undergoing a heart transplant at Duke University Hospital.

The device completely replaces a patient’s heart muscle, providing the essential mechanics to circulate blood throughout the body. For patients with biventricular heart failure awaiting a heart transplant, the device provides blood circulation until a donor heart becomes available.

Use of the device at Duke was part of a first-in-human clinical study aiming to evaluate the safety and performance of the BiVACOR TAH. The device provides an option for eligible patients with severe biventricular heart failure or univentricular heart failure in which left ventricular assist device support is not recommended.

“While there are many ways to bridge patients with end-stage heart failure as they await heart transplant, all conventional strategies were unsuccessful for our patient, who had dysfunction of both the right and left side of the heart,” said Duke transplant surgeon Carmelo Milano, MD, chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery. “The BiVACOR TAH effectively replaced his entire heart and restored normal circulation. He was able to be successfully transplanted 10 days later.”

The Duke patient is a 34-year-old education consultant who is expecting his fourth child. Donavan Harbison, a recreational runner and former NC Central University football player, began feeling poorly in late 2023 and thought he had pneumonia.

To his surprise, he was diagnosed with heart failure.

“It was shocking,” said his wife, Lindsey Harbison. Hoping to manage the condition with medications along with diet and lifestyle changes, Harbison learned earlier this spring his condition was genetic and likely the cause of his father’s early death.

After further tests, his doctors at Cone Health in Greensboro, Daniel R. Bensimhon, MD, and Aditya Sabharwal, DO, found that he had end-stage biventricular heart failure and referred him to Duke for a heart transplant.

“We can offer our patients VADs, ECMO, and other technologies, but the ability to offer our patients the very highest level of care, such as heart and dual-organ transplant, as well as access to advanced devices such as the BiVACOR TAH — that does not happen unless you’re aligned with a partner like Duke Health,” Bensimhon said. “It allows us to get our patients super high-level therapies, fairly close to home, that they would not have access to otherwise.”

With his condition deteriorating quickly, Harbison received a ventricular assist device, but it could not provide the level of assistance needed. After ruling out other technologies, Harbison and his Duke team opted to move forward with the artificial heart.

“There was definitely a feeling of the fear of the unknown,” Donavon Harbison said, “but at that point, I had resolved to take the leap of faith and do everything I could do to increase the success of what would happen.”

“Now, I’m looking forward to getting back to making memories with my family, my kids, my wife, just doing the things you often do and take for granted, like putting my kids to bed at night.”

Harbison received the BiVACOR device in early August – the second in the world after the first implantation occurred at Texas Heart Institute a few weeks earlier. With the device providing strong blood circulation, Harbison gained enough strength within 10 days to receive a donated heart.

“Many end-stage heart disease patients are actually too sick to qualify for heart transplants,” said heart surgeon Jacob Schroder, MD, surgical director of Advanced Heart Failure at Duke and a member of the transplant team that implanted the device. “Current technologies are effective for some patients, but still leave others without options. Having another way to bridge a path to transplant would fill a tremendous void and truly be a lifesaver.”

The BiVACOR TAH utilizes an electro-mechanical rotary blood pump that is a simpler construction than other investigational devices. It has no valves, and a motor drives a single magnetically levitated rotor that simultaneously pumps blood to both the body and the lungs.

“It was a remarkable opportunity for our team to witness the recovery and subsequent bridge-to-transplant of our second courageous BiVACOR TAH patient at Duke,” said Daniel Timms, Ph.D., founder and chief technology officer of BiVACOR. “He and his family embraced a positive attitude toward this new technology, which not only helped extend their lives together, but their experience will provide hope for many others with end-stage heart failure.”

The BiVACOR device is the second total artificial heart implanted via clinical trial at Duke. In 2021, the heart transplant team became the first in the world to successfully implant a different technology, manufactured by CARMAT.

The Duke heart transplant team has been a world leader in pioneering new technologies that make heart transplantation accessible to more patients,” said Adam DeVore, MD, medical director of the Duke Heart Transplant program. “With long waiting lists for the limited numbers of donor hearts, it’s imperative that we continue to find innovative ways to maximize scarce resources.”

The BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart Early Feasibility Study is led nationally by cardiologist and Principal Investigator Joseph G. Rogers, MD, president and CEO of Texas Heart Institute in Houston. Rogers spent many years with us at Duke and remains an adjunct professor of medicine in cardiology at Duke School of Medicine. He served as interim chair of the Duke Department of Medicine for just over a year before being named Chief Medical Officer for DUHS in 2018. He joined THI in 2021.

“It has been rewarding to watch the evolution of this pump and see it finally get to human trials,” said Rogers. The BiVACOR device has been in development and preclinical testing with Texas Heart Institute for nearly 12 years, he added. “We’ve watched the device transition from very early prototypes to pre-clinical testing, and finally to human implant.

Rogers says the field has always needed a reliable, total artificial heart. “So many of the patients we care for can get by with a left ventricular assist device because their right hearts work reasonably well, but there is a cohort of patients who, heretofore, had no real viable therapy. I think this device offers that patient population promise and hope that we finally have a total artificial heart that will be not just an outstanding blood pump, but a reliable device that could support people for prolonged periods.”

In terms of collaborating with investigators at Duke on the trial, Rogers said, “You can’t ignore the Duke Heart Failure program for any clinical trial conducted in the U.S. It’s the top-tier program with high-volumes, outstanding care, and a team committed to clinical research and excellence. Duke now has the largest advanced heart failure program in the U.S., and probably in the world. It is also arguably the most academically impactful and has trained some of the most brilliant minds in heart failure in the last 15 years.”

Further reflecting on Duke’s HF program, Rogers adds, “It has been fulfilling to look back at the program and see just how remarkable it is. The physicians and surgeons who are leading it are taking it places that we never would have even dreamed it could go.”

Incredible work, team!

 

In Memoriam: Rip Waters, MD, former Duke CV Fellow

We learned this week of the passing of cardiologist Richard Everely Waters, II, MD, a former cardiovascular fellow at Duke, on Sept. 24 in California. He was 53.

He is survived by his wife Erica, and their children Ella (20) and Reed (19). He is also survived by his mother, Joanne Waters, brothers Robert (Sara) Waters and Randall (Janée) Waters, sister-in-law Lindsay (Scott) Horner, nieces and nephews Tucker, Claire, Kellen, Isabella, Alexandre, Grant, and Gavin, and parents-in-law, Leon and Denise Reed. He was preceded in death by his beloved father and namesake, Richard E. Waters.

Though Rip valued his job as a cardiologist, his most cherished and gifted roles were as a husband, father, son, brother, and friend.

His obituary reads, in part:

Rip was a brilliant student, and continued his academic pursuits, seeking excellence at all times. He graduated from Stanford in 1993 with a BA in Economics. After college, he spent a year traveling and serving as a medical volunteer in Peru, then continued on to Vanderbilt Medical School, receiving his MD in 1998. He completed internal medicine residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 2001, and cardiovascular fellowship at Duke University Hospital in 2005. After completing his training, he returned home to Stockton, where he sought to always provide outstanding cardiology care to the community. He joined Stockton Cardiology Medical Group in 2005 and was a partner there for the remainder of his career. He was a dedicated clinician and loved to hear every person’s story. He also worked at St. Joseph’s Hospital, where he served in many leadership roles. He was most proud of being part of the structural heart team, which brought non-invasive heart valve replacement (TAVR) to Stockton.

The full memorial piece can be found here.

“Rip Waters left a legacy of always being kind to patients, colleagues, staff, and students,” said Anna Lisa Chamis, MD, program director of Duke’s Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship. “I try to pass on his legacy to our fellows to always be kind even when frustrated in a given situation.”

Chamis and several other cardiology faculty members trained with Waters at Duke during fellowship and became good friends with him. We know Rip will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him. Our deepest sympathy goes out to his family, friends and colleagues.

Private family services were held at Cherokee Memorial Park in Lodi. A Celebration of Rip’s Life will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the San Joaquin Medical Society Scholarship Loan Fund, 3031 W. March Lane, suite 222W, Stockton CA 59219, or the charity of your choice.

 

Cardiac Imaging Symposium Held 

The Duke Cardiac Imaging Symposium was held yesterday, October 12 in the Great Hall of the Trent Semans Center.

The event, designed for cardiac sonographers, imaging cardiologists, and other healthcare professionals involved in cardiovascular imaging, had more than 90 participants attending either virtually or in person. Ten companies joined us as vendors.

The event had terrific lectures as well as hands-on demonstrations conducted in small breakout sessions for participants.

Co-course directors were Drs. Anita Kelsey and Sreekanth Vemulapalli. Invited presenters included Fawaz Alenezi, Alicia Armour, Ashlee Davis, Andy Dhimitri, Dallas Gardner, Sarah Hatton, Michel Khouri, Batina Kight, Christopher Kontos, Jayne Leypoldt, Nicholas Medlock, Rachel O’Brien, Jon Owensby, Richard Palma, Danny Rivera, Eddy Sandoval, and Andrew Wang.

 

Shown here, L-R, are Alenezi, Palma, Sreek Vemulapalli, Ashlee Davis, Alicia Armour, and Anita Kelsey.

Nicely done, all!

 

Duke Health Baxter IV Fluid Update

On behalf of our Heart & Vascular leadership, kudos to all team members for your ongoing and amazing efforts within our clinical areas to ensure excellent care and conservation of supplies during the Baxter shortage.

Here’s the latest:

As Duke Health continues to monitor the impact of the Baxter Healthcare manufacturing plant closure, we would like to express heartfelt thanks to everyone who is working so tirelessly to review our processes to develop and implement conservation strategies. Your efforts are enabling us to protect our supply of these critical fluids while continuing to provide safe, quality care for our patients.

Thanks to our ongoing conservation efforts, our supply of critical fluids appeared sufficient going into the weekend. Please take note of the following:

• The DUH incident command center will be open from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. To contact the command center, call 919-684-2222.
• To order IV fluids, call the Fluid Distribution Center at 919-681-6851. The center remains open 24/7.
• If you use emergency stock, please call the fluid center to have your emergency supply replenished.
• When returning Code Carts to the pharmacy, please be sure to also return all IV fluids that were not used for patient care.
• For Duke North and DMP ORs: please put aside empty Baxter 1000 ml bottles of sterile water for Irrigation and 0.9% Sodium Chloride for Irrigation with the cap on the cart at the DMP OR Front Desk.
• For procedural areas: DUH is tentatively planning to transition to distilled water for GI endoscopy procedures starting on Tuesday, October 15. Infection Prevention is finalizing the SOP for collection, cleaning, and filling bottles with distilled water. Other DUHS GI endoscopy sites should review the SOP this weekend and determine readiness for transition on Monday. Supply Chain has obtained enough distilled water to support this process for all GI endoscopy across the system. DUH is also collecting used bottles of the Baxter 1000 ml bottles of Sterile water for Irrigation and 0.9% Sodium Chloride for Irrigation with the cap in preparation for this change.
• Please ensure that we continue to follow all previously communicated conservation strategies.

Please note this update from late last week regarding warmer storage for irrigation solutions in OR/Procedural settings:

• Irrigation solutions in plastic pour bottles may be stored in the warmer for up to 28 days. Use-by dates for these solutions may be extended from 14 days to up to 28 days total.

Thank you again for your collaboration and dedication throughout this situation.

 

UHC Negotiations Update

For several months, Duke University Health System leadership has worked diligently to negotiate a new agreement with UnitedHealthcare (United) that protects our patients’ access to Duke Health and appropriately reimburses us. However, United has yet to agree to such terms and is likely to remove Duke Health from its network on October 31, 2024. If this occurs, patients with UnitedHealthcare insurance will have to pay more out of pocket to access care at Duke Health beginning November 1, 2024.

Significant operational planning is underway to minimize disruption to patients and clinical teams in the event that this occurs. For now, teams and clinicians should continue care as usual. Resources for Duke Health teams, including leader talking points and team member tips, as well as patient resources, can be found in this email message that was shared earlier in the week. Information is also available on Leadership Exchange. 

DUHS has posted a publicly available statement regarding our ongoing negotiations with UnitedHealthcare (UHC). It can be found on the DUHS News & Media site. Here is the link.

 

Campbell To Serve in ACC Sessions Planning Role

Congratulations to Kristin Bova Campbell, clinical pharmacy specialist in electrophysiology at Duke! We learned this week that she will serve as the Cardiovascular Team Lead for the American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Sessions for both 2026 and 2027.

The CV Team Lead works closely with the chair, vice chair, and other team leads to direct and manage the work of the Annual Scientific Session Program Committee, focusing on areas of the meeting related to CV Team member education and the role of the CV Team in patient care.

What a huge honor — congrats, Kristin!!

 

Great Catch, Watts!

Katland Watts, CNII, a team member with our Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at Duke University Hospital earned a Great Catch Award recently, which was presented to her on Monday, October 7:

Cardiac ICU Nursing colleague, Katland (Katie) Watts, received an order for Digoxin to treat a persistent/complex patient condition. Katie reviewed the labs prior to administering the medication and found electrolyte imbalances that made her question the appropriateness of this medication. She recalled learning in nursing school less than two years ago some concern regarding Digoxin and potassium levels and took the extra step to both research the drug and contraindications AND call the primary team for clarification. Based on current potassium and magnesium levels, the primary team agreed administration of this drug could result in potential harm or toxicity. The order was held until further assessment and planning for safe management could occur. Because of Katie’s clinical expertise and meticulous practice, she prevented harm from reaching the patient.

Way to go, Katie!

 

Open Enrollment Starts Monday

Open enrollment is your opportunity to review your medical, dental, vision, and reimbursement account benefit elections and make any changes necessary to ensure your choices continue to meet your needs.

If you wish to participate in the Health Care or Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts for 2025, you must enroll (or re-enroll). Participation in the reimbursement accounts does not automatically continue from year to year.

If you do not make changes to your medical, dental or vision coverage, your current medical, dental and vision coverage elections for 2024 will continue for 2025.

Duke’s annual open enrollment period for medical, dental, vision and reimbursement account benefits for 2025 is from October 14 at 8 a.m. — October 25 at 6 p.m.

• Up to $640 of your unused Health Care and Dependent Care Reimbursement Account funds from 2025 can be carried over to the subsequent year.
• All selections made during the open enrollment period will be effective January 2025.

Benefits information has been mailed to all staff. All information can also be found on Duke’s Open Enrollment 2025 website.

 

Early Voting at Karsh Starts on Thursday

Durham County registered voters can vote early at Karsh Alumni Center starting Thursday, October 17, and ending Saturday, November 2.

Hours are as follows:

• Monday – Saturday: 8 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
• Sundays: 2 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
• 2: 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Same-day voter registration will also be available during this time.

 

Duke Health Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts

Duke Health continues to support Hurricane Helene relief efforts in Western North Carolina.

“In support of the huge need for disaster relief, the health system has donated a wide variety of much-needed supplies, personnel, and drugs to our neighbors and colleagues to the west,” said Craig Albanese, MD, MBA, CEO of DUHS, in a statement last week to all employees. “I’m so proud that more than 300 of our team members have volunteered to deploy to provide clinical and non-clinical support where needed. Additionally, many of our team members have donated their time and expertise locally, and thousands of dollars have been raised through various fundraising efforts. If you are interested and able to do so, please click here to contribute to the American Red Cross. However you are able to support relief efforts, know it will go a long way and truly make a difference.”

You can join our support efforts in many ways:

• Sign up to volunteer with our SMAT team to deploy to provide disaster relief.
• Make a financial donation to the American Red Cross.
• Check for updates on this Duke Health intranet page (NET ID required)

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Sept. 15 to Oct. 15: Hispanic Heritage Month

Oct. 17-Nov. 2: Early voting period, November 2024 General Election.

Oct. 20-Oct.26: Respiratory Care Week

 

Cardiology Grand Rounds

Oct. 15: Mechanical Circulatory Support in Cardiogenic Shock: Where Interventional and Heart Failure Collide with Imran Aslam, MD. 5 p.m. Zoom only.

All Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:

• 2024 CGR Recordings

NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

October 16:  No conference. Interview Day.

October 18:  Fellows’ Meet and Greet Lunch with visiting professor Bernard Gersh. Noon, DMP 2W91

October 23: HF/Txp Fellows’ Case Conference with Mike Cosiano. Noon, DMP 2W96

October 25: No conference. Interview Day.

October 30: Board Review with Paula Rambarat and Nishant Shah. Noon, DN 2001

 

Duke Heart Fall 2024 CME Courses

Upcoming symposia:

November 1: the 16th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium at Durham Convention Center, 8:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Course directors are Dr. Terry Fortin and Dr. Jimmy Ford (of UNC).

Questions? Contact Christy Darnell.

DIHI – Innovation Projects RFA 2025

The Duke Institute for Health Innovation (DIHI) announces the next emerging ideas and innovation funding cycle. Applications are open to faculty, staff, trainees, and students of Duke University and Duke University Health System. Proposed innovation projects should address actual and important problems encountered by care providers, patients, and their loved ones in our clinical enterprise and represent urgent health challenges nationally.

For the 2025 funding cycle, priority will be given to ideas aligned with the thematic area of improving provider and staff experience, the patient journey, and clinical outcomes using advanced technology solutions.

Due Date: Proposals are due by 11:59 p.m., October 25, 2024.

Application packet can be found here.

Up to ten applications will be selected for support. Most proposals are expected to request funding in the range of $25,000 to $60,000 over a one-year period.

Questions? Please email DIHIrfa@duke.edu.

 

Call for Nominations: MLK Humanitarian Award

Nominations are now open for Duke’s first Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award. This initiative is inspired by Dr. King’s enduring legacy and will celebrate Duke Health faculty and staff who embody his vision of “It starts with me…” The award will honor those who have gone above and beyond in their dedication to a nonprofit’s mission in keeping with the principles of Dr. King.

Nominations will be accepted through October 29. The awards will be announced during Duke’s annual recognition of the MLK holiday in January.

Learn more about the award here.

 

SOM Leadership Development Programs Update

Applications for the 2025 SOM Leadership Development Programs are now open. This includes the ADVANCE-UP, ALICE, DCLP, and LEADER programs.

Applications are due by Friday, Nov. 1. To learn more, click here. Programs are hosted by the SOM Office for Faculty.

 

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.

 

Duke Heart in the News: 

October 4 — Theresa Fink/Duke Lifepoint, Conemaugh

Becker’s Hospital Review

Duke LifePoint names physician group COO

October 4 — Annemarie Thompson

Renal & Urology News

AHA and ACC Update Cardiovascular Management Guideline for Noncardiac Surgery

October 5 — Duke Health

Times of India

These signs of a heart attack can appear in young , super-fit people weeks before

October 5 — Robert Mentz

European Heart Journal & Podcast

New light shed on the treatment of heart failure and on novel therapeutic targets

EHJ podcasts are located here: https://duke.is/v/qhfm

October 6 — Gregory Pauly

Yahoo News/McClatchy/Charlotte Observer

Hospitals brace for IV, dialysis fluid shortages after Helene shuts down NC producer

October 7 — Adam DeVore, Carmelo Milano, Donovan Harbison

NBC News Now

‘My heart was gone’: Second person to receive a titanium heart shares experience

October 8 — Leanna Ross

News & Observer* (via AHA News)

‘Weekend warriors’ may gain same health benefits as people who spread out exercise

*and 30 McClatchy news affiliates

October 8 — Duke Children’s

US News & World Report

U.S. News Announces the 2024-2025 Best Children’s Hospitals

October 8 — Duke Children’s (peds cardiology/CT Surgery)

WNCN-TV (Raleigh/CBS News)

Duke Children’s Ranked Highly for Pediatric Cardiology, Heart Surgery

October 8 — Duke Children’s (peds cardiology/CT Surgery)

Cardiovascular Business

The top 25 children’s heart hospitals in the US

October 8 — Duke Children’s Hospital (peds cardiology/CT Surgery)

State children’s hospitals earn top rankings

WGHP-TV (Greensboro-High Point, NC)

October 8 — BiVACOR/Duke Heart

Black News/Radio Zindagi (NYC)

Experimental Artificial Heart Helps Save Life

October 8 — Adam DeVore, Carmelo Milano, Donavon Harbison

WRAL-TV (Raleigh)

NC father embraces new life after becoming 2nd person to receive titanium heart at Duke Hospital

October 8 — Adam DeVore, Donavon Harbison

WTVD-TV (Durham)

Graham resident, former NCCU football player becomes 2nd in world to receive total artificial heart

October 8 — Carmelo Milano, Donavon Harbison

WXII-TV (Winston-Salem, NC)

Second chance at life

October 8 — Carmelo Milano, Donavon Harbison

WNCT-TV (Greenville, NC)

NC home to innovative heart transplant

October 8 — Adam DeVore, Carmelo Milano, Donavon Harbison

WCNC-TV (Charlotte)

NC father becomes second person to receive titanium heart at Duke hospital

October 8 — Adam DeVore, Carmelo Milano, Donavon Harbison

NBC News Daily (and NBC affiliates nationally)

Heart transplant innovation helps NC man’s recovery

October 8 — Carmelo Milano, Donavon Harbison

WRC-TV (Washington, DC)

Heart transplant innovation aides man’s recovery

October 9 — Crystal Tyson

Best Life

Doctors Say This Heart-Healthy Diet Is “The Way to Go” for Lower Blood Pressure

October 9 — Carmelo Milano, Jacob Schroder, Adam DeVore

Duke Today

Duke Transplant Team Helps Pioneer Total Artificial Heart

October 9 — Jeffrey Kuller (OB/GYN)

Juta Medical Brief (Africa)

Heart defect risk for babies conceived through IVF – Swedish study

October 10 — Donovan Harbison/BiVACOR

WSOC-TV (Charlotte, NC)

Artificial Heart helps North Carolina man bridge gap until heart transplant

October 10 — Harry Severance

Becker’s ASC Review

Are business skills the ticket to reclaiming physician autonomy?

October 10 — Sana Al-Khatib

Healio/Cardiology Today

VIDEO: ‘Clear lack of data’ on digital CV health tools for women concerning

October 10 — Carmelo Milano and Donovan Harbison

WNYT-TV (Albany, NY)

NewsChannel 13 Live at 12:30

October 10 — Carmelo Milano and Donovan Harbison

WPTF-AM (Raleigh, NC)

Duke uses innovative device to bridge patient from heart failure to heart transplant

October 10 — Mark Kittipibul and Robert Mentz

Renal & Urology News

Semaglutide Lowers Heart Failure Risks in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, CKD

October 10 — Marat Fudim

Medical Dialogues (India)

Greater Splanchnic Nerve Ablation Shows Feasibility But No Clinical Benefit In HFpEF Patients: REBALANCE-HF Trial

October 11 — Marat Fudim

Healio/Cardiology Today

New consensus statement outlines benefits, challenges of device-based therapies for HF

Chief’s message: 

This week we continued to support our neighbors and communities in western North Carolina while we worked to ensure we continue to care for our patients.  See the stories below on the work we are doing at the Health system to ensure we continue to have IVF and support our clinical operations.  There are also efforts by many to support our communities with Hurricane Helene relief efforts you will see below.

This monday we also had our annual faculty celebration re-capping the last year and also welcoming in our new faculty.  We have a wonderful panel discuss (image) where leaders in our cardiology group shared their vision for clinical care, research, training.   The event was well attended with over 65 faculty members and we will share the slides with everyone this week.

 

This upcoming week we will continue to work with our teams to ensure we can think about supporting groups as we hopefully have our state health systems return to full operations.

Highlights of the week:

Rosh Hoshana & Yom Kippur

To all who celebrated Rosh Hashanah this past week, we hope you have a good and happy new year. This week, which marks the October 7 anniversary and culminates in Yom Kippur, we wish you and your loved ones peace.

 

 

 

Duke Health Operations Update: Baxter IV Fluid

DUHS and hospitals nationally anticipate upcoming shortages of Baxter IV fluids due to critical damage to their Marion, NC manufacturing plant. Baxter supplies approximately 60% of IV solutions used in North America.

Duke Health has convened a system-wide committee of clinical and administrative leaders to lead a conservation strategy and reduce the impact on our patients and team members. To ensure the continuity of patient care is maintained, we have consolidated our inventory of IV fluid for normal saline and lactated ringers to a central distribution point.

For Duke University Hospital:

• If a patient is hemodynamically decompensating and there is a clinical emergency (including sepsis), proceed as you would normally do in ordering IV fluids to resuscitate the patient. The IV fluid supply will come from your clinical units’ supply and be replenished by restocking from the central distribution room. When a patient has stabilized, please follow previously distributed guidelines on the appropriate use of IV fluids.
• If a patient does not have a clinical emergency and you are considering ordering IV fluids (bolus or continuous infusion) then you must contact your responsible covering attending for approval of that fluid order and this approval must be documented in a progress note. There will be an auditing process to confirm compliance with this process.
• As of Friday, (Oct. 4), every team must daily review their list of ongoing continuous IV fluids to confirm clinical need. All clinicians are strongly encouraged to add an IV Fluid column to their patient lists.
• To order IV fluids, call the Fluid Distribution Center at 919-681-6851. Once confirmed, the fluids will be delivered to you.

Following is a list of system-wide recommendations that should be implemented ASAP. If you have additional suggestions for conservation within your specialty area, please escalate through the tiered huddle process.

Maintenance Fluid

• When appropriate, limit maintenance fluids to a specific total volume or time frame.
• Consider oral hydration strategies when possible. Duke will be increasing the availability of electrolyte PO fluids in partnership with Food Services (ex. Gatorade and Pedialyte).
• Frequently review and consider elimination of continuous intravenous fluids (IVFs) for patients who are not NPO (or able to take an oral diet).

Procedural/OR

• Consider opportunities to reduce sterile fluid use (intravenous and irrigation) in procedural cases when appropriate

Nursing Processes

• Extend the use of IV and flush bags from 24 to 96 hours when changing tubing.
• Use small-volume bags for low infusion rates.
  • Don’t use 1L bags when a 100ml bag will do.
  • Prime A-lines with 500mL bags instead of 1L bags, changed every 4 days
• Eliminate the use of Keep Vein Open (KVO) protocols.
• Limit quantities of IV bags placed in warmers to avoid early expiration.
• Verify ongoing fluid needs with providers before a new IV fluid bag is spiked.
• Finish IV bags from the OR or procedure area when going to the unit from surgery rather than switching over to a new bag immediately.

Clinical Practice

• Do not empirically start IVF unless indicated.

The incident command center remains active and available to assist with any needs. Hours are from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. To contact the command center, call 919- 684-2222.

Updates will continue as conditions unfold. Our Supply Chain colleagues are working diligently to ensure we continue providing quality care to those who need us. Thank you for your partnership, collaboration, and dedication to providing remarkable care to our patients, their loved ones, and each other.

 

Duke VAD Team Supporting Patients Caught in Helene

Multiple Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) patients living in western NC have been significantly impacted by Hurricane Helene. Last weekend, our Duke VAD team worked tirelessly to track down each of them to ensure they were okay and had access to power to charge their batteries.

On Monday, there were four people the team had yet to locate. By working the phones and partnering with Jason Zivica and Duke’s State Emergency Response Team, the team coordinated assistance from local fire departments in those western counties, the National Guard, and Mission Hospital to assist in tracking them down. Thankfully, by Wednesday evening all had been found and all were safe.

Our Duke team has worked all week to get medication refills, wound dressings, batteries, and battery chargers to patients who lost them in the storm. Due to issues with ground transport, these supplies had to be airlifted into the area and brought directly to those patients.

“This is just one of many examples of the LVAD team going above and beyond for the patients,” says Stu Russell, MD, Duke’s regional director for advanced heart failure.

Many thanks to Stephanie Barnes, Kevin Cox, Vanessa Francalangia, Grayson Griggs, and Michelle Kern for their efforts – and that of the entire team supporting our VAD patients.

“Amazing work by this group,” added Jill Engel, service line vice president for Heart & Vascular. “The LVAD team has a well-organized approach tied into the emergency management system to ensure the patients are supported during natural disasters, going above and beyond to get them what they need. Kudos to Stu for his leadership as well!”

Outstanding work by a deeply caring and dedicated group!

 

Duke Health Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts

Duke Health is actively supporting Hurricane Helene relief efforts in Western North Carolina. Many team members have been deployed with our Duke State Medical Assistance Team (SMAT), including Duke Heart & Vascular nurses.

Here in the Triangle, our teams are coordinating care for patients living in the affected areas. We are also working to support our partners at Duke Lifepoint community hospitals by identifying needs and ensuring we can help them by transporting patients to Duke and other local hospitals.

You can join Duke Health’s support efforts in several ways:

• Sign up to volunteer with our SMAT team to deploy to provide disaster relief.
• Make a financial donation to the American Red Cross.
• Donate items to the Duke Hurricane Helene Relief Drive

Thank you to all who have helped so far and those willing to help in the future. The needs in western NC are great and will continue for a long time.

 

ECMO Specialist Team Certification Achievement

We are thrilled to share that Duke’s Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Specialist Team has, for the very first time, achieved 100 percent ELSO Adult ECMO Practitioner Certification (E-AEC) for our experienced ECMO Specialists.

The Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) is an international consortium of healthcare institutions, researchers, providers, and industry partners that supports ECMO providers with continuing education, guidelines, research, and certification. They also maintain a comprehensive registry of patient data.

“To my knowledge, we are the first ECMO program to achieve 100 percent ELSO Adult ECMO Practitioner Certification,” said Desiree Bonadonna, director of Extracorporeal Life Support at Duke and chief of Perfusion Services. “Duke’s newest class of ECMO Specialists will become eligible and pursue certification in the coming months.”

Our ECMO Specialist team includes Allison Bartlett; Amy Zinn; Benjamin Brown; Christopher Lappe; Dirk Mattin; Christian Oland; Jess Brown; Joanna Mischke; Joel Kester; Blake Hazelwood; Kristin Johnson; Mel Caccamise; Michael Blank; Taylor Miller; Tia Forbes; Vincent Yeboah; Van Lewark; and William Poorboy. Outstanding!

We are very proud of this team. Please join us in congratulating our ECMO Specialists for their hard work and dedication!

 

Shout-out to Bullock!

Last week, in clinic 2F2G, a patient was checking in for a heart failure follow-up appointment. While checking in, one of our front desk team members — Ethan Bullock — observed the patient to be experiencing stroke-like symptoms.

Ethan very quickly alerted the clinical team. A stroke code was called and the patient was rapidly transported to the emergency department where occlusion of an intracranial artery was confirmed.

Ethan’s attention to detail and quick response ensured this patient was treated as fast as possible. Our clinic nurses, Julie Parham and Debra Means, were also instrumental in helping with the care of this patient.

Great job and great save, Ethan!

 

Shout-out to Pendyal!

We received a terrific patient compliment this week regarding cardiologist Akshay Pendyal, MD:

“[Earlier this year]I was in the ER for A-Fib and told to see my cardiologist asap. Referral was sent to (another hospital), but I asked with Duke. Due to high turnover of Drs., mine was gone. Earliest I could be seen was within a couple of weeks, which was earlier than I could be seen at the other hospital. I was incredibly impressed with Dr. Pendyal. I am a complex patient. Rarely have I had a new Dr who reviews my record before seeing me, and listens before treating. His willingness to discuss my condition and medication in conjunction with my other conditions and medications was refreshing and encouraging. I last saw a cardiologist 8 months before this and have received three notifications of a change in Drs since. I was ready to jump to a different health clinic, but Duke offered the earlier appointment. I am so pleased with Dr. Pendyal that I really hope he stays at Kernodle Clinic. A friend of mine has seen him as well and was very impressed. Based on our experiences we believe Dr. Pendyal is more than a cut above other providers in his interactions with his patients.” – a grateful patient

Excellent communication and great patient care — way to go, Akshay!

 

Open Enrollment Starts Oct. 14

Open enrollment is your opportunity to review your medical, dental, vision, and reimbursement account benefit elections and make any changes necessary to ensure your choices continue to meet your needs.

If you wish to participate in the Health Care or Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts for 2025, you must enroll (or re-enroll). Participation in the reimbursement accounts does not automatically continue from year to year.

If you do not make changes to your medical, dental, or vision coverage, your current medical, dental, and vision coverage elections for 2024 will continue for 2025.

Duke’s annual open enrollment period for medical, dental, vision, and reimbursement account benefits for 2025 is from October 14 at 8 a.m. — October 25 at 6 p.m.

• Up to $640 of your unused Health Care and Dependent Care Reimbursement Account funds from 2025 can be carried over to the subsequent year.
• All selections made during the open enrollment period will be effective January 2025.

Benefits information has been mailed to all staff. All information can also be found on Duke’s Open Enrollment 2025 website.

 

Early Voting at Karsh Alumni Center

Durham County registered voters can vote early at Karsh Alumni Center starting Thursday, October 17, and ending Saturday, November 2.

Hours are as follows:

• Monday – Saturday: 8 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
• Sundays: 2 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
• 2: 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Same-day voter registration will also be available during this time.

 

Winter Respiratory Virus Season Masking Guidance

As respiratory virus season ramps up, Duke’s Infection Prevention/Infectious Disease specialists anticipate another “tripledemic” related to COVID-19, influenza, and RSV. Patients, visitors, and team members should protect themselves and others using established prevention strategies.

We strongly recommend masking for patients, visitors, and team members during respiratory virus season – September 18, 2024, through March 1, 2025. Masking is still required in high-risk clinical areas, during clusters or outbreaks, and during the active COVID-19 infectious period.

For more details, masking guidance documents can be found on SharePoint.

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Sept. 15 to Oct. 15: Hispanic Heritage Month

Oct. 17-Nov. 2: Early voting period, November 2024 General Election.

Oct. 20-Oct.26: Respiratory Care Week

 

Cardiology Grand Rounds

Oct. 8: Coronary Function Testing in 2024: Where Are We Now? with Nadia Sutton, MD. 5 p.m. Zoom only.

 

All Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:

• 2024 CGR Recordings

NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!

 

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

October 9: EP Fellows’ Case Conference with Jonathan Kusner and Hannah Schwennesen. Noon, In-person, DN 2003, or via Zoom.

October 11: DHP Fellows’ Case Conference with Cosette Champion. Noon, via Zoom.

October 16:  No conference. Interview Day.

October 18:  Fellows’ Meet and Greet Lunch with visiting professor Bernard Gersh. Noon, DMP 2W91

October 23: HF/Txp Fellows’ Case Conference with Mike Cosiano. Noon, DMP 2W96

October 25: No conference. Interview Day.

October 30: Board Review with Paula Rambarat and Nishant Shah. Noon, DN 2001

 

Duke Heart Fall 2024 CME Courses

The following symposia will be held this fall:

October 12: Duke Cardiac Imaging Symposium at Trent Semans Center, 7:55 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Course directors are Drs. Sreekanth Vemulapalli and Anita Kelsey.

November 1: the 16th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium at Durham Convention Center, 8:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Course directors are Dr. Terry Fortin and Dr. Jimmy Ford (of UNC).

Questions? Contact Christy Darnell.

 

New Faculty Orientation

October 22 & 23: 2024 School of Medicine Academic New Faculty Orientation, Trent Semans Center. Registration is required. Questions? Contact the SOM Office for Faculty at facdev@dm.duke.edu.

All faculty hired in the past three years are welcome to attend. While content specifically targets newer faculty, many topics apply to all faculty regardless of career stage.

 

DIHI – Innovation Projects RFA 2025

The Duke Institute for Health Innovation (DIHI) announces the next emerging ideas and innovation funding cycle. Applications are open to faculty, staff, trainees, and students of Duke University and Duke University Health System. Proposed innovation projects should address actual and important problems encountered by care providers, patients, and their loved ones in our clinical enterprise and represent urgent health challenges nationally.

For the 2025 funding cycle, priority will be given to ideas aligned with the thematic area of improving provider and staff experience, the patient journey, and clinical outcomes using advanced technology solutions.

Due Date: Proposals are due by 11:59 p.m., October 25, 2024.

The application packet can be found here.

Up to ten applications will be selected for support. Most proposals are expected to request funding in the range of $25,000 to $60,000 over one year.

Questions? Please email DIHIrfa@duke.edu.

 

Call for Nominations: MLK Humanitarian Award

Nominations are now open for Duke’s first Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award. This initiative is inspired by Dr. King’s enduring legacy and will celebrate Duke Health faculty and staff who embody his vision of “It starts with me…” The award will honor those who have gone above and beyond in their dedication to a nonprofit’s mission in keeping with the principles of Dr. King.

Nominations will be accepted through October 29. The awards will be announced during Duke’s annual recognition of the MLK holiday in January.

Learn more about the award here.

 

SOM Leadership Development Programs Update

Applications for the 2025 SOM Leadership Development Programs are now open. This includes the ADVANCE-UP, ALICE, DCLP, and LEADER programs.

Applications are due by Friday, Nov. 1. To learn more, click here. Programs are hosted by the SOM Office for Faculty.

 

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may interest our team. Please call with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.

Duke Heart in the News: 

September 27 — Annemarie Thompson (CT Anesthesiology)

Medical Dialogues (IN)

New insights on perioperative cardiovascular management in noncardiac surgery: AHA/ACC 2024 guidelines release

September 27 — William Kraus

Voz Populi (Sp)

Este es el alimento que ayuda a mantener el corazón fuerte y que recomiendan los cardiólogos

September 28 — Crystal Tyson (Cardiometabolic Prevention/nephrologist)

The New York Times

The Heart-Healthy Diet Hardly Anyone Is Talking About

September 30 — Duke University Hospital/Mary Martin

WTVD (Durham, NC)

Teams from Duke University Hospital have now deployed to Cleveland county to provide assistance after Helene

October 1 — Duke University Hospital

Becker’s Hospital Review

Top-ranked hospitals for angioplasty, by state

October 1 — Duke University Hospital/Jason Zivica (emergency preparedness)

CBS17.com (Raleigh/Durham)

Responders from Central North Carolina join Hurricane Helene recovery efforts

October 2 — Stephen Greene

HCP Live

Cardiology Month in Review: September 2024

October 3 — Kristin Bova Campbell

Specialty Pharmacy Continuum

Heart Rhythm Monitoring Tools Helpful When Used Judiciously

October 2 — Duke Health/Mary Martin

WRAL-TV News, Raleigh-Durham

Triangle hospitals playing critical role in providing aid to Western NC

October 2 — Duke Health

Supply Chain Brain

Damage from Hurricane Helene Threatens U.S. Medical Supply Chain

October 3 — Duke Health

Government Technology

North Carolina City Governments Help Flooded Communities

 

Chief’s message:  Hurricanes and Homecoming Weekend

This week had lots of downs and ups for us across the state.  The biggest challenge – Hurricane Helene required many of the people in our state (especially those colleagues in the western part of the state) to take shelter and ensure that they stayed safe.  On the Duke Health side – you will see our efforts noted below including some work to keep our teams/patients safe during the weather. 

This weekend was also founders day and homecoming weekend.  Duke Football came from behind to win 21-20 against UNC and the founders weekend also had the university give Rob Califf the University Medal for Distinguished Meritorious Service – the highest honor at the University.  Quite an amazing achievement for Dr. Califf and speaks to the influence he has had not just on cardiology, the DCRI, but the broader Duke University environment and health around the world.  There are also several stories around continued excellence from Faculty, Staff, and Residents/Fellows with research and clinical care below that show the continued work of our amazing team.  In the upcoming week we will have our fall faculty celebration to welcome new faculty and share highlights from the past year.   We also anticipate having some of our recent  Duke Heart accomplishments in managing patients with failing hearts shared in the national media.  We will share all of this and more in the upcoming pulse – and appreciate the continued efforts our multi-specialty teams make in caring for our patients.

Highlights of the week:

Duke Health Monitoring Helene Recovery Efforts

We are all stunned at the damage wrought throughout the Southeastern U.S. due to Hurricane Helene – particularly in the mountains of western NC and eastern TN, where the full extent of devastation and loss is not yet known. In an update from DUHS leadership yesterday, Tom Owens, MD, executive vice president and chief operating officer, issued the following message:

On Friday, September 27th, Hurricane Helene made landfall, affecting much of the eastern seaboard, including North Carolina. While the Triangle experienced heavy rain and winds, western North Carolina has been dealing with severe flooding, road closures, and ongoing power outages.

 As we assess the situation across the state, Duke University Health System is working to coordinate support and resources in areas of critical need. Our Emergency Preparedness team is collaborating with state officials to evaluate the damage, ensure patient safety, and coordinate care where needed.

We recognize that many of us have friends and family impacted by this devastation. Many of our colleagues have reached out to see how they can contribute to our community’s recovery efforts. We will share more information in the coming days on how we can individually and collectively help those in need.

Thank you for your dedication during this difficult time. We remain committed to supporting our colleagues, patients, and the wider community across North Carolina throughout this recovery effort.

In happier news…

Many other events have been taking place this weekend, including Duke’s Founders’ Day & Homecoming Weekend with a gathering of the current and former Duke University presidents – Vincent Price, Nan Keohane, and Richard Brodhead – along with Duke alumna Judy Woodruff serving as moderator; a concert featuring Ed Sheeran and special guests 9^th Wonder and Duke alumna Rhetta; the presentation of the 2024 University Medals for Distinguished Meritorious Service – the University’s highest honor – one of which has been bestowed on Robert Califf (more on this below); and an inspired (historic!) comeback performance by Duke on the field against UNC in yesterday’s Homecoming football game… ICYMI, Duke won 21-20, taking the coveted Victory Bell back to the Bull City.

Today is also World Heart Day an international celebration and awareness day led by the World Heart Federation and established in partnership with the World Health Organization. Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death across the world.

Thank you for your daily efforts to improve our global understanding of cardiovascular diseases and for leading the way in treatment and outcomes for our cardiovascular patients, educating and training our students, fellows, and teams, and for being part of Duke Heart.

 

Califf Receives University Medal

The 2024 University Medals for Distinguished Meritorious Service, Duke’s highest honor, are being awarded to alumni Robert Califf, Fred Stanback, and William Turner, Jr. this weekend.

Founders’ Weekend celebrates the founding of the university and provides an opportunity each year for the Duke community to reflect on the school’s history and recognize the leadership, contributions, and impact students, faculty, administrators, staff, trustees and alumni have made over the past 100 years.

About Robert Califf, MD

An esteemed cardiologist and prominent leader in public health and clinical science, Robert “Rob” Califf is commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Califf completed both his undergraduate degree in psychology and medical degree at Duke. Prior to joining the FDA in 2015, he spent more than 30 years as a practicing cardiologist, researcher and administrator at Duke.

He was founding director of the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI), which today is the world’s largest academic clinical research organization and a leader in impactful clinical trials in medicine.

In 2006, Califf was named vice chancellor for clinical and translational research, a position he held until he was named deputy commissioner of the FDA in 2015. Seven months later, former President Barack Obama nominated Califf to serve as FDA Commissioner, a position he held until 2017.

Califf then returned to Duke as professor of medicine and vice chancellor for health data science, and founded and directed Duke Forge, a multi-disciplinary center for actionable health data science, before joining Alphabet, Inc., in 2019 as head of medical strategy and senior advisor.

In November 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Califf to once again serve as FDA Commissioner. Califf is also a Duke parent; his son Tom graduated from the university in 2006.

The full story, including more on Stanback and Turner, can be found here. A complete list of previous University Medal recipients is available on the University Archives website.

Congratulations and well deserved, Rob!

 

Voora to Serve as Site PI for $27M NIH award on Genomics in Clinical Care

The National Institutes of Health last week announced that it was awarding $27 million to establish a new network of genomics-enabled learning health systems. Duke and Durham VA cardiologist Deepak Voora, MD, along with Duke/Durham VA internist Lori Orlando, MD, will serve as two of the four principal investigators (PIs) for the Boston, MA site (Boston Veterans Administration Research Institute), one of six systems selected as part of the network.

The selected systems for the new Genomics-enabled Learning Health System (gLHS) Network have already developed mature, learning healthcare systems to design and test novel implementation strategies to improve the use of genomics in clinical care. Over the next five years, the network will create best practices for improving the uptake and use of genomic medicine interventions that can be generalized to diverse healthcare systems.

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA)/U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will be represented by four PIs: Jason Vassy, MD, and internist at Boston VA/Harvard; Maren Scheuner, MD, a medical geneticist at UCSF/San Francisco VA; Voora, and Orlando.

“This research complements Dr. Voora’s ongoing work at the VHA in Pharmacogenomics at the national level,” said Rajesh Swaminathan, associate professor of medicine in cardiology at Duke and cardiology section chief for the Durham VAMC. “He was recently awarded a $1.5M VA HSR&D Grant focusing on reducing Veterans’ risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease through pharmacogenomics informed statin prescribing.”

In addition to Boston VA Research Institute, the network includes Geisinger Health System in Danville, PA; Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis; Northwestern Medicine Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago; University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, and Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. To learn more, see the full announcement here.

Way to go, Deepak!

 

Biever Receives HFC SBR Award

Congratulations to Kim Biever, a research coordinator with Duke Heart’s Clinical Research Unit! She has been awarded an Excellence in Site Based Research Award from the Heart Failure Collaboratory (HFC) in partnership with the American Heart Association, for her work on the VALOR-HCM clinical trial. She was nominated by a team from Bristol Myers Squibb.

Biever will be recognized by the HFC on Sunday, Nov. 17 during the 2024 AHA Annual Scientific Sessions being held in Chicago.

This award is given to principal investigators, study coordinators, and sites that have demonstrated excellence through multiple nominations over the years for the HFC Site-Based Research Award.

The award certifies that she has shown exceptional achievement, contribution, or performance in site-based research. Only the top site-based researchers are recognized by the HFC with this award.

Congratulations, Kim!!!

 

Selvaraj Receives ATTR Research Award

Congratulations to advanced heart failure specialist, Senthil Selvaraj, MD! He has been selected as one of two recipients of the ATTR Young Investigator Research Awards by Cornerstone Medical Education. Selvaraj was invited to present his work to peers and a selection committee via a virtual colloquium. In a message from Bryan Taylor, Cornerstone’s chief strategy officer, he stated, “I truly don’t think I could have asked for two better physician-scientists to claim the first 2 ATTR Young Investigator Research Awards. Your work, and your presentation of that work, was truly stellar.”

The $100,000 award will support Selvaraj’s continued research into amyloidosis — some of which was published earlier this year in JAMA and presented at the Heart Failure Congress 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal.

Great job, Senthil!!!

 

Kudos to D’Amico!

We received a warm message from a patient recently regarding care she received from Dr. Thomas D’Amico, the Gary Hock Endowed Professor of Surgery.

The patient shared that she was in the hospital for 37 days and stated, “Dr. D’Amico and his team took great care of me. They were the most amazing group of caregivers and nurses” she had ever had.

True to his nature, D’Amico’s response was, “I’m sure this is really about great nursing care and resident involvement. It’s a great place to be as a patient.”

Congratulations to Tom and the entire team for being recognized for the tremendous care they provided!

 

Winter Respiratory Virus Season Masking Guidance

As respiratory virus season ramps up, Duke’s Infection Prevention/Infectious Disease specialists anticipate another “tripledemic” related to COVID-19, influenza, and RSV. Patients, visitors, and team members should protect themselves and others using established prevention strategies.

We strongly recommend masking for patients, visitors, and team members during respiratory virus season – September 18, 2024, through March 1, 2025. Masking is still required in high-risk clinical areas, during clusters or outbreaks, and during the active COVID-19 infectious period.

For more details, masking guidance documents can be found on SharePoint.

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Sept. 15 to Oct. 15: Hispanic Heritage Month

Sept. 29: World Heart Day

Oct. 17-Nov. 2: Early voting period, November 2024 General Election.

Cardiology Grand Rounds

Oct. 1: No CGR today.

All Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:

• 2024 CGR Recordings

NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

October 2: No conference. Interview Day.

October 4: No conference.

October 9: EP Fellows’ Case Conference with Jonathan Kusner and Hannah Schwennesen. Noon, In-person, DN 2003 or via Zoom.

October 11: DHP Fellows’ Case Conference with Cosette Champion. Noon, via Zoom.

October 16:  No conference. Interview Day.

October 18:  Fellows’ Meet and Greet Lunch with visiting professor Bernard Gersh. Noon, DMP 2W91

October 23: HF/Txp Fellows’ Case Conference with Mike Cosiano. Noon, DMP 2W96

October 25: No conference. Interview Day.

October 30: Board Review with Paula Rambarat and Nishant Shah. Noon, DN 2001

 

AAMC Professional Development Webinar

Wednesday, Oct. 2:  GFA Professional Development Webinar: Innovative Programs for Mid-Career Faculty in Academic Medicine, Noon-1 p.m. Register here.

Our own Cary Ward, MD, Associate Dean for Faculty Development for Duke School of Medicine will be a featured speaker during an AAMC webinar on Oct. 2 about faculty development programs for mid-career faculty in academic medicine. Registration is required.

 

 

 

Duke Heart Fall 2024 CME Courses

The following symposia will be held this fall:

October 12: Duke Cardiac Imaging Symposium at Trent Semans Center, 7:55 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Course directors are Drs. Sreekanth Vemulapalli and Anita Kelsey.

November 1: the 16th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium at Durham Convention Center, 8:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Course directors are Dr. Terry Fortin and Dr. Jimmy Ford (of UNC).

Questions? Contact Christy Darnell.

 

New Faculty Orientation

October 22 & 23: 2024 School of Medicine Academic New Faculty Orientation, Trent Semans Center. Registration is required. Questions? Contact the SOM Office for Faculty at facdev@dm.duke.edu.

All faculty hired in the past three years are welcome to attend. While content specifically targets newer faculty, many topics apply to all faculty regardless of career stage.

 

DIHI – Innovation Projects RFA 2025

The Duke Institute for Health Innovation (DIHI) announces the next emerging ideas and innovation funding cycle. Applications are open to faculty, staff, trainees and students of Duke University and Duke University Health System. Proposed innovation projects should address actual and important problems encountered by care providers, patients and their loved ones in our clinical enterprise and represent urgent health challenges nationally.

For the 2025 funding cycle, priority will be given to ideas aligned with the thematic area of improving provider and staff experience, the patient journey, and clinical outcomes using advanced technology solutions.

Due Date: Proposals are due by 11:59 p.m., October 25, 2024.

Application packet can be found here.

Up to ten applications will be selected for support. Most proposals are expected to request funding in the range of $25,000 to $60,000 over a one-year period.

Questions? Please email DIHIrfa@duke.edu.

 

Call for Nominations: MLK Humanitarian Award

Nominations are now open for Duke’s first Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award. This initiative is inspired by Dr. King’s enduring legacy and will celebrate Duke Health faculty and staff who embody his vision of “It starts with me…” The award will honor those who have gone above and beyond in their dedication to a nonprofit’s mission in keeping with the principles of Dr. King.

Nominations will be accepted through October 29. The awards will be announced during Duke’s annual recognition of the MLK holiday in January.

Learn more about the award here.

 

SOM Leadership Development Programs Update

Applications for the 2025 SOM Leadership Development Programs are now open. This includes the ADVANCE-UP, ALICE, DCLP, and LEADER programs.

Applications are due by Friday, Nov. 1. To learn more, click here. Programs are hosted by the SOM Office for Faculty.

 

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.

 

Duke Heart in the News: 

September 20 — Christopher Granger

Cardiology Advisory

Rethinking Beta-Blocker Use Following Acute Myocardial Infarction

September 20 — Stephen Greene

tctMD

Yes, Clinical Inertia IS the Leading Cause of GDMT Underuse in HFrEF

September 20 — Harry Severance

Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

The Crisis of Disruptive Workplaces in Healthcare: Insights from Dr. Harry Severance

September 22 — Michael Carboni

People magazine

College Student and Toddler She Babysits Share a ‘Special Bond’: They’re Both Heart Transplant Survivors (Exclusive)

September 23 — Duke Health (CT Surgery)

Becker’s Hospital Review

Top-ranked hospitals for coronary bypass, by state

September 24 — Ehsan Samei (Biomedical Engineering)

Cardiovascular Business

Space travel disrupts normal rhythm in heart cells

September 24 — Annemarie Thompson

American Heart Association News

How to manage heart and stroke risks before, during and after non-heart surgery

September 25 — Annemarie Thompson

HCP Live

AHA/ACC Update Guidelines on Cardiovascular Risk in Noncardiac Surgery

September 26 — William Kraus

GlobalHappenings.com

How to Turn Regular Walking into an Effective Workout: Advice from a Doctor of Science

September 26 — Duke Clinical Research Institute

Becker’s Hospital Review

The heart guideline lowering hospital burden, mortality

September 26 — Leanna Ross

American Heart Association News

‘Weekend warriors’ may gain same health benefits as people who spread out exercise

September 26 — Anita Kelsey

Blogs.Microsoft.com

A year of DAX Copilot: Healthcare innovation that refocuses on the clinician-patient connection

September 27 — Jeffrey Kuller

The New York Times

Risk of Heart Defects Higher in Babies Conceived With I.V.F.

Chief’s message:

This week in Duke Heart you will see the continued themes for our success (partnership with our community, focus on our people, team work for care, and innovation focusing on the use of data and AI partnerships).  This is all part of our work with our heart and vascular teams to ensure the discoveries and world class innovations get to all of our members in our community in this state and the region.  The week featured a trip to McLeod Regional Health System in Florence SC where we had a case review and great discussion with the cardiologists and cardio-thoracic surgeons in that center.  They are doing some amazing care and we look forward to partnering with them to ensure the people of NC and SC get access to all of the cardiovascular care they need.

You will also see stories of our teams working across the health system to ensure patients get the care they need – often innovating ways with multiple services to ensure that happens.  We also highlight the data/AI work going on with a partnership with SAS Institute in Raleigh (part of our grand rounds speaker last week), and the ongoing collaboration with DIHI within the Heart Center with a new RFA across the health system to improve the care workflow and outcomes of our patients

Finally – fall is starting to get here with football, college starts, and running season.  Sunday is the 1st day of fall, and we had our resident Stead tread yesterday for those who could make it to support the medicine residency.  The upcoming week will have part 2 of our ESC cardiology meeting update for cardiology grand rounds and the launch of some new studies in our clinical group that we will highlight in the upcoming weeks.  The week culminates with Geoff Ginsburg, MD, PhD, Chief Medical and Scientific Officer for the All of Us research program at the National Institutes of Health giving Medicine Grand Rounds.  Geoff is a former Duke Cardiology faculty member and currently is an adjunct professor of medicine in cardiology at Duke.

Highlights of the week

Celebrating APPs

This week is National Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Week, a celebration and awareness week honoring the contributions of Physician Assistants/Associates, Nurse Practitioners, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Certified Nurse Midwives, and Certified Anesthesiologist Assistants. The theme this year is “Innovate, Elevate, Celebrate: The Power of APPs.”

This important group of providers throughout Duke Health and the U.S. elevates the fields of medicine and nursing to ensure our patients and communities receive safe, high-quality, evidence-based care.

Our Heart APPs are amazing, supportive, terrific colleagues, so be sure to thank an APP this week!

 

Heart APPs Supporting Cancer Walk & 5K

Speaking of APPs… yesterday a number of our Heart APPs participated in the Gail Parkins Memorial Ovarian Cancer Walk and 5K Run to honor and celebrate one of our team members. All had a great time – and beautiful weather! 

The walk-and-run event is intended to raise awareness of ovarian cancer, raise money to provide financial support to research efforts, and pay tribute to those touched by ovarian cancer. Funds raised by the event go to support the Duke Ovarian Cancer Research Program. 

The Walk & 5K was held at Sanderson High School in Raleigh.

Shown L-R in the smaller group photo are Kelley Reid, Ashley Barba, Nikki Phillips, Diane Sauro, Lauren Clise, Mallory Bailey, Virginia Coe, Keisha Hall, Hayley Karan

Great job, APPs!

 

Shout-out to Interventional, Vascular & Cardiac Anesthesia Team Members!

On behalf of Duke Heart & Vascular leadership and Schuyler Jones, a huge shout-out to team members who collaborated on a tough case last week:

“A complex vascular patient presented today with STEMI, and had a history of occluded aorta, occluded right brachiocephalic, and occluded left subclavian/axillary arteries. The interventional team – Dr. Raj Swaminathan (cath lab attending), Dr. Dennis Narcisse (IC fellow), Dylan Skiscim (DUH cath charge nurse), and Anna Mall (ANM-emeritus and general problem solver) worked together with Dr. Adam Johnson (vascular surgery) and Dr. Negmeldeen Mamoun (cardiac anesthesiology) to do a carotid cutdown, sheath insertion, coronary angiogram and LAD PCI in Cath Lab 5. We may not have made the door-to-balloon time metric for this patient, but it’s incredible to watch how this team worked together to solve a complex problem. Really great job to all involved!” – Schuyler Jones, MD

Phenomenal collaboration, everyone!!

 

Friday MGR to Feature Geoff Ginsburg

Please join us on Friday, Sept. 27 at 8 a.m. for Medicine Grand Rounds. The speaker will be our very own Geoff Ginsburg, MD, PhD, Chief Medical and Scientific Officer for the All of Us research program at the National Institutes of Health and adjunct professor of medicine in cardiology at Duke.

His presentation, The All of Us Research Program: Advancing Precision Medicine for the Nation, begins at 8 a.m. Join us in Duke North 2002 or via Zoom.

 

 

 

Stablein Receives HFC SBR Award

Josh Stablein, a clinical research coordinator in the Duke Heart Center Clinical Research Unit, has been awarded a Top Study Coordinator Award by the Heart Failure Collaboratory (HFC) in partnership with the American Heart Association. He was nominated by a team from Bristol Myers Squibb for his outstanding performance on the MAVA-LTE clinical trial.

Stablien is one of 14 site-coordinator award recipients who will be recognized by the HFC on Sunday, Nov. 17 during the 2024 AHA Annual Scientific Sessions being held in Chicago.

Way to go, Josh!

 

 

It’s a Girl! Duke Heart Grows by One

Congratulations to Duke cardiovascular fellow Andrew Andreae and his wife Kathryn on the birth of their first child, Aspen, on Thursday evening.

We are thrilled to welcome her into our Duke Heart family! Mom and baby are healthy and doing well.

Exciting news, Andrew!

 

2024 Flu Campaign Underway & Updated Masking Guidance

The 2024 Duke Flu Campaign launched on Thursday, Sept. 19. The deadline for immunization compliance is October 29 at 10 a.m. Questions? StopTheFlu@duke.edu

• DUHS employee vaccination sites

Keep in mind: Winter Respiratory Virus Season Masking Guidance

As respiratory virus season ramps up, Duke’s Infection Prevention/Infectious Disease specialists anticipate another “tripledemic” related to COVID-19, influenza, and RSV. Patients, visitors, and team members should protect themselves and others using established prevention strategies.

We strongly recommend masking for patients, visitors, and team members during respiratory virus season – September 18, 2024, through March 1, 2025. Masking is still required in high-risk clinical areas, during clusters or outbreaks, and during the active COVID-19 infectious period.

For more details, masking guidance documents can be found on SharePoint.

 

Duke Health and SAS Formalize Strategic Analytics and AI Collaboration

Duke Health has formalized a two-year collaboration with SAS, a global leader in data and AI, headquartered in Cary, N.C.

The strategic effort builds on the two organization’s previously announced collaboration to leverage cutting-edge technology to transform healthcare operations and patient care through advanced operational analytics, AI, and machine learning.

Building on Duke Health’s successful partnerships with industry leaders such as Microsoft and nference, the collaboration with SAS is set to expand Duke Health’s capabilities in operational efficiency and data-driven decision-making. The initiative aims to create innovative AI-powered tools that will drive healthcare delivery process improvements, ultimately enhancing the quality of care provided to patients.

“We are pleased to expand our relationship with SAS, our neighbor in the Research Triangle,” said Jeffrey Ferranti, MD, senior vice president and chief digital officer at Duke Health. “This relationship marks a significant milestone in enhancing our analytics capabilities by leveraging AI in a responsible and ethical manner. Together, we will unlock new opportunities to transform health care.”

(Full news release available here.)

 

Please Register to Vote!

Are you new to North Carolina, or have you moved to the Triangle area from elsewhere in the state? Don’t forget to register to vote!

Find all the information you need about registering to vote and voting in upcoming elections at these websites:

North Carolina State Board of Elections

Durham County Board of Elections

Orange County Board of Elections

Wake County Board of Elections 

Thank you!

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

• Sept. 15 to Oct. 15: Hispanic Heritage Month
• Sept. 23 to Sept. 27: National APP Week
• Sept. 29: World Heart Day

 

Cardiology Grand Rounds

Sept. 24: ESC Wrap-up 2024, part 2 with Christopher Granger and Bernard Gersh. 5 p.m., DN2002 or via Zoom.

All Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:

• 2024 CGR Recordings

NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!

 

DCRI Research Forum

Tuesday, Sept. 24:  Fireside Chat with Dr. Holden Thorp.  Noon-1:00 p.m., via Zoom.

Duke Clinical Research Institute is excited to welcome Holden Thorp, PhD, as the featured speaker for their 2024-25 DCRI Research Forum series opener. Dr. Thorp is the Editor-in-Chief of the Science family of journals. Attend to learn more about the inner workings of the journals, how they maintain a robust scientific record, and the responsibility of journals for both fielding concerns and standing up for solid research.

 

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

Sept. 25: No conference. Interview Day.

Sept. 27: DHP Fellows’ Case Presentation with Joshua Sink. Noon, via Zoom.

 

AAMC Professional Development Webinar

Wednesday, Oct. 2:  GFA Professional Development Webinar: Innovative Programs for Mid-Career Faculty in Academic Medicine, Noon-1 p.m. Register here. 

Our own Cary Ward, MD, Associate Dean for Faculty Development for Duke School of Medicine will be a featured speaker during this AAMC webinar — she’ll be speaking on faculty development programs for mid-career faculty in academic medicine. Registration is required.

 

 

Duke Heart Fall 2024 CME Courses

The following symposia will be held this fall:

October 12: Duke Cardiac Imaging Symposium at Trent Semans Center, 7:55 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Course directors are Drs. Sreekanth Vemulapalli and Anita Kelsey.

November 1: the 16th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium at Durham Convention Center, 8:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Course directors are Dr. Terry Fortin and Dr. Jimmy Ford (of UNC).

Questions? Contact Christy Darnell.

 

New Faculty Orientation

October 22 & 23: 2024 School of Medicine Academic New Faculty Orientation, Trent Semans Center. Registration is required. Questions? Contact the SOM Office for Faculty at facdev@dm.duke.edu.

All faculty hired in the past three years are welcome to attend. While content specifically targets newer faculty, many topics apply to all faculty regardless of career stage.

 

DIHI – Innovation Projects RFA 2025

The Duke Institute for Health Innovation (DIHI) announces the next emerging ideas and innovation funding cycle. Applications are open to faculty, staff, trainees, and students of Duke University and Duke University Health System. Proposed innovation projects should address actual and important problems encountered by care providers, patients, and their loved ones in our clinical enterprise and represent urgent health challenges nationally.

For the 2025 funding cycle, priority will be given to ideas aligned with the thematic area of improving provider and staff experience, the patient journey, and clinical outcomes using advanced technology solutions.

Due Date: Proposals are due by 11:59 p.m., October 25, 2024.

The application packet can be found here.

Up to ten applications will be selected for support. Most proposals are expected to request funding in the range of $25,000 to $60,000 over one year.

Questions? Please email DIHIrfa@duke.edu.

 

Call for Nominations: MLK Humanitarian Award

Nominations are now open for Duke’s first Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award. This initiative is inspired by Dr. King’s enduring legacy and will celebrate Duke Health faculty and staff who embody his vision of “It starts with me…” The award will honor those who have gone above and beyond in their dedication to a nonprofit’s mission in keeping with the principles of Dr. King.

Nominations will be accepted through October 29. The awards will be announced during Duke’s annual recognition of the MLK holiday in January.

Learn more about the award here.

 

SOM Leadership Development Programs Update

Applications for the 2025 SOM Leadership Development Programs are now open. This includes the ADVANCE-UP, ALICE, DCLP, and LEADER programs.

Applications are due by Friday, Nov. 1. To learn more, click here. Programs are hosted by the SOM Office for Faculty.

 

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may interest our team. Please call with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.

 

Duke Heart in the News: 

September 13 — Christopher Granger

JAMA Network

Even After CPR, Surviving Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Might Be Influenced by Race, Sex

September 13 — Manesh Patel

Physician’s Weekly

OCEANIC-AF: Asundexian Does Not Meet Expectations for Stroke Prevention in AF

September 16 — Betty Tong

Medscape

Missed Opportunities for Early Lung Cancer Detection

September 16 — Robert Mentz

tctMD

Subcutaneous Furosemide Enables HF Patients to Address Congestion at Home

September 16 — Stephen Greene

Consultant Live

HCPLive Five at ESC 2024

September 17 — Nia Schwann Mitchell (internal medicine)

The Columbian (WA)

New tool targets high blood pressure

September 19 — Matthew Sparks (nephrology)

Medscape/InDiscussion Cardiorenal Metabolic Syndrome podcast

MRAs and Potassium Binders

September 19 — Payal Kohli

VerifyThis.com

Yes, you can get the COVID-19 vaccine and the flu shot at the same time

Chief’s message:

 This last week we had grand rounds from Andrew Grace in Cambridge on innovation in cardiac rhythm management.  This was a great way to start the year off an a good reminder of ways we can collaborate to innovate.  Today we also had the Invasive labs event at the Durham Bulls game with faculty, fellows, and staff at the game to spend some time and get to engage with our family and co-workers.  Pictured included below.  You will see highlights of this last week with Tri-Clip use in some patients and this upcoming week we have highlights that include the Stead Tread and research/grand rounds highlights.

Highlights of the week:

Two TriClip TEER Procedures Performed at Duke Health

Congratulations to cardiologist Andrew Wang, MD, and our entire structural heart team on the completion of Duke’s first TriClip cases – both performed on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at Duke University Hospital. Duke is the second hospital in NC to initiate use of TriClip, but the first in the Triangle region and eastern part of the state.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the TriClip transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) system in April. The TriClip TEER procedure, performed in the cath lab, offers a minimally invasive approach designed to repair severe tricuspid regurgitation, or a leaky tricuspid valve, in patients with severe symptoms.

We’ll have a full story next weekend on the procedure, why it’s an exciting addition to our treatment offerings, and which patients could benefit most.

 

HFSA Scientific Statement on Device-Based Therapies in HF

Congratulations to Marat Fudim, Husam Salah, and co-authors on their latest publication in the Journal of Cardiac Failure (JCF)!

The Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) Scientific Statement: Update on Device-Based Therapies in Heart Failure, published Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, provides a state-of-the-art scientific overview and update of the rapidly evolving field of device-based therapies for heart failure (HF), including a clinical pathway to implementation of these technologies alongside pharmacologic therapies.

While tremendous advances have been made to reduce hospitalizations and improve outcomes for patients with HF in the past decade, the residual risk of optimized guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) remains on par or worse than other major cardiovascular diseases. Some established medical devices, such as implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), are widely used alongside pharmacologic therapies. However, in some high-risk patients who exhibit an intolerance for certain drugs, novel device therapies may prove highly effective in producing promising outcomes.

The Update on Device Based Therapies in Heart Failure scientific statement defines how these novel device therapies may bridge current gaps in HF treatment and outcomes and proposes a clinical pathway to implement FDA-approved device-based therapies that align with current HF management workflow.

Great work!

 

Miller Announces Retirement from DUHS, Effective Sept. 30

After 37 years of service at Duke, Cory Miller has announced she will retire at the end of this month. Miller joined Duke in 1987 after working in California hospitals for three years.

Cory has seen remarkable changes through the years and achieved a great deal. She spent 27 years as a clinical nurse providing outstanding clinical care in Duke’s Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, becoming CCRN certified in 2013; she spent five years as a Clinical Nurse Educator, and five years in Duke Heart’s Center of Excellence helping to drive analytics and provide clinical expertise to support complex technical systems, including our outcomes databases.

During her time with Duke, she served as either Chair or Co-Chair of several committees, including Code Blue Oversight, Cardiac Monitoring, and the CICU Research committees. Over the years, she has evaluated the BLS skills of hundreds of team members across Duke Health –- possibly even yours!

Cory has served as a guest speaker more than 20 times, has had 17 poster presentations, co-authored five publications, and received at least seven honors and awards – including The Great 100 of North Carolina, a Triangle Business Journal Health Care Hero award, and in 2018 Duke’s Palliative Care Advocacy award. She has also traveled on several medical mission trips to Kenya since 2014.

Her fierce patient advocacy, excellent provider communications, great collaborative skills, coaching and learning skills, positive energy, compassion, dedication, ability to make people laugh, and to spark conversation and find commonalities between us all, will be sorely missed.

Cory… enjoy your retirement knowing you made a huge and lasting impact here at Duke!

Please drop her a line via email at cory.miller@duke.edu to congratulate her.

 

Kudos to Bowers!

Congrats to Midge Bowers for her presentation this past week at the 13th International Council of Nurses NP/APN Network Conference (ICN), held Sept. 9-12 in Aberdeen, Scotland. The ICN conference is one of the largest global forums for advanced practice nurses to network and collaborate on contemporary topics and future trends relevant to their practice. This year’s conference theme was “Advanced Practice Nursing: an invaluable investment for global health.”

Bowers and her team presented ‘Transatlantic Interrelations in Advanced Practice Nursing in Guideline Directed Heart Failure Management’.

Way to go, Midge!

 

Blue Celebrates 45 Years with Duke

The Heart Failure and VAD teams celebrated with Laura Blue this week – she is celebrating an incredible 45 years of service with Duke.

Congratulations, Laura!!!

 

HF Collaboratory Recognizes Duke’s ALLAY-HF Team

The Heart Failure Collaboratory (HFC) this week, in a post to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, recognized our Duke Heart Center ALLAY-HF trial team as winners of their newest award, “Excellence in Site-Based Research” which will be awarded to sites, principal investigators, and site coordinators who consistently demonstrate excellence in their work and have received a previous site-based research award.

The HFC recognized Rob Mentz as a Top Principal Investigator, and Matthew Gray and Lacey Taylor as Top Site Coordinators. Marat Fudim is closely involved and instrumental in the trial.

Way to go, team!

 

New RFAs Announced

Two new requests for applications (RFA) were announced this past week – both great opportunities! Please note the application deadlines, as one of them is this week:

Heart Center Leadership Council Awards: Focus on Innovation and Collaboration

We are excited to announce that we will again have a Heart Leadership Council Award competition this year.

Eligibility: This award is available to Early Career Faculty in cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery (defined as within 10 years of completing training). If residents or fellows apply -– they should have an early career faculty member mentoring or primarily involved in the project.

Award: Two awards providing $40K in support each will be awarded to two faculty for research in their selected fields. The awards will be determined based on finalist presentation to the Heart Center Leadership Council on Friday, November 8, 2024.

Application Process: Please provide your CV and a two-page application (one page proposal + one-page draft budget). The proposal should include any background or preliminary data, hypothesis, and proposed methods. As noted, the focus should be on innovation, high-risk – high-reward projects, and projects that cross-collaborate across the Heart Center.

Due Date: Proposals are due to christy.darnell@duke.edu by 5 p.m. September 20.

Notification: Finalists will be notified by October 4 for the presentation in November. Our team will work with finalists on the 10-minute presentation for the Heart Center Leadership Council.

 

Duke Institute for Health Innovation – Innovation Projects RFA 2025

The Duke Institute for Health Innovation (DIHI) announces the next emerging ideas and innovation funding cycle. Applications are open to faculty, staff, trainees, and students of Duke University and Duke University Health System. Proposed innovation projects should address actual and important problems encountered by care providers, patients, and their loved ones in our clinical enterprise and represent urgent health challenges nationally.

For the 2025 funding cycle, priority will be given to ideas aligned with the thematic area of improving provider and staff experience, the patient journey, and clinical outcomes using advanced technology solutions.

Due Date: Proposals are due by 11:59 p.m., October 25, 2024.

The application packet can be found here.

Up to ten applications will be selected for support. Most proposals are expected to request funding in the range of $25,000 to $60,000 over a one-year period.

Questions? Please email DIHIrfa@duke.edu.

 

Please Register to Vote!

Are you new to North Carolina, or have you moved to the Triangle area from elsewhere in the state? Don’t forget to register to vote!

Find all the information you need about registering to vote and voting in upcoming elections at these websites:

North Carolina State Board of Elections

Durham County Board of Elections

Orange County Board of Elections

Wake County Board of Elections 

Thank you!

 

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

In a letter to Duke Health team members this week, Antwan Lofton, vice president of human resources for DUHS, wrote:

More than 4,100 of our colleagues at Duke identify as Hispanic/Latino, and we join with them to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (also known as Latinx Heritage Month), which runs from Sept. 15 – Oct. 15.

During the month, I encourage you to take time to celebrate the diverse cultures, achievements, histories, and legacy of contributions by members of these vibrant communities.

As you know, inclusion is a core value at Duke, and one of the ways we live this value is by supporting Employee Resource Groups such as ¡DALHE! (Duke Advancing Latine-Hispanic Excellence). This group provides a welcoming and supportive environment for those who identify as Latino/a/x/é and/or Hispanic and their allies. The group is hosting various events and activities during the month, including a panel discussion on Sept. 16 called “Duke: Pasado y Perspectiva (Past and Perspective).” A similar group for DUHS team members called Juntos is also hosting events during the month.

For those of you looking for a stronger sense of belonging within this large and complex institution, I encourage you to connect with an ERG or learn more about how to start a new group that might bring together others who share common bonds and are bound by a commitment to advancing excellence at Duke.

 

2024 Flu Campaign Launches This Week

The 2024 Duke Flu Campaign launches on Thursday, Sept. 19. 

Deadline for immunization compliance: October 29 at 10 a.m.

• DUHS Flu Ordering Survey Link (peer to peer)
• Access to OESO Vaccination Report: cachafeiro@duke.edu
• Questions? StopTheFlu@duke.edu

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

 

Cardiology Grand Rounds

Sept. 17: Update from ESC 2024 with Manesh Patel. 5 p.m., DN2002 or via Zoom.

 

All Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:

• 2024 CGR Recordings

NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!

 

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

Sept. 18: HF/TX Fellows’ Case Presentation with Jemi Galani. Noon, DMP 2W96.

Sept. 20: Bradyarrythmia with Sana Al-Khatib. Noon, via Zoom.

Sept. 25: No conference. Interview Day.

Sept. 27: DHP Fellows’ Case Presentation with Joshua Sink. Noon, via Zoom.

 

2024 Annual Stead Tread 5K

Join the Duke Department of Medicine Internal Medicine Residency Program on Saturday, September 21 at 9 a.m. for the annual Stead Tread 5K Run/Walk, held at Solite Park, 4704 Fayetteville Rd, Durham. All proceeds will benefit the Lincoln Community Health Center, a federally qualified health center dedicated to meeting the health care needs of medically underserved patients in Durham.

The event draws 300+ participants annually and is named in honor of former Dept. of Medicine Chairman Dr. Eugene Stead (1947-1967), and his legacy of community service and contributions to the Duke and Durham communities.

 

Entry Fees

For participants 13 and older, registration is $35 per person. For Lincoln patients and children 12 years and younger, registration is free.

Deadlines

Sign up by Friday, September 1 and you are guaranteed to receive a t-shirt. After September 1, t-shirt size and availability are not guaranteed.

Register and/or Donate

Visit steadtread.org to register. Can’t join us on September 21? Stead Tread also accepts individual and corporate donations of any amount (steadtread.org/donate). Contributions of $90 or greater are recognized on our website and at the event.

Questions?

For questions or additional information, contact Caroline Sloan, MD, assistant professor, Division of General Internal Medicine.

 

Catalyzing Climate Connections: Researcher Forum

Date: Thursday, October 10, 2024

Time: 3:30-6:30 p.m.

Venue: Great Hall, Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans Center for Health Education

Please register soon. Questions? Contact Blake Tedder.

The Office of Climate & Sustainability and the Climate Commitment Advisory Council invites the Duke research community to mark calendars for the Catalyzing Climate Connections Researcher Forum, a dynamic three-hour event designed to spark creativity and collaboration among Duke’s climate researchers and those interested in linking their research into the climate space. This forum will feature moderated panel conversations that explore broad climate research themes from multiple disciplinary perspectives.

Attendees will also participate in engaging table conversations, offering deeper discussions and networking opportunities. With refreshments provided, there will be ample time for informal interactions and idea exchanges.

Who Should Attend:

• Faculty, postdocs, and graduate students from all university schools and units
• Researchers and staff interested in expanding their research into the climate space.

Goals of the Event:

• Foster relationships and connectivity among Duke researchers.
• Inspire fresh ideas and creativity in addressing climate change.
• Spark new lines of research by emphasizing idea generation over specific expertise.
• Facilitate connections between climate and health researchers.

Why Attend?

This forum is a unique opportunity to build connections, inspire new lines of research, and effectively address the challenges of climate change. Don’t miss out on the chance to be part of this exciting event!

 

New Faculty Orientation

October 22 & 23: 2024 School of Medicine Academic New Faculty Orientation, Trent Semans Center. Registration is required. Questions? Contact the SOM Office for Faculty at facdev@dm.duke.edu.

All faculty hired in the past three years are welcome to attend. While content specifically targets newer faculty, many topics apply to all faculty regardless of career stage.

 

Duke Heart Fall 2024 CME Courses

The following symposia will be held this fall:

October 12: Duke Cardiac Imaging Symposium at Trent Semans Center, 7:55 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Course directors are Drs. Sreekanth Vemulapalli and Anita Kelsey.

November 1: the 16th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium at Durham Convention Center, 8:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Course directors are Dr. Terry Fortin and Dr. Jimmy Ford (of UNC).

Questions? Contact Christy Darnell.

 

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may interest our team. Please call with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.

 

Duke Heart in the News: 

August 30 — Neha Pagidipati

ACC News

Semaglutide Improves Heart Health Outcomes Beyond Weight Loss

 

August 30 — Robert Mentz

First for Women

Fortified Eggs Won’t Affect Your Cholesterol Levels, a Recent Study Finds: What This Means for You

 

August 30 — Neha Pagidipati

Express (UK)

Scientists hail ‘remarkable’ drugs set to unlock ‘Fountain of Youth’ and slow ageing

 

September 1 — Renato Lopes

ESC News/Press Office

Wearable heart monitor increases diagnoses of common heart rhythm disorder by 50%

 

September 1 — Manesh Patel

ESC News/Press Office

Asundexian inferior to apixaban for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation

 

September 1 — Manesh Patel

Cardiology Now News

OCEANIC AF – Asundexian is inferior to apixaban for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation

 

September 1 — Manesh Patel

Healio/Cardiology Today

Asundexian did not prevent stroke, systemic embolism vs. apixaban in atrial fibrillation

 

September 2 — Renato Lopes

International Business Times (IN)

Wearable Monitor Boosts Atrial Fibrillation Diagnosis; What It Means For Cardio Care

 

September 2 — Renato Lopes

Medical Dialogues

Wearable Heart Monitor Increases Diagnosis of Irregular Heart Rhythm

 

September 2 — Renato Lopes

Technology Networks

Wearable Heart Monitors Detect More Atrial Fibrillation but Don’t Lower Stroke Rates

 

September 2 — Manesh Patel

tctMD

Asundexian for AF? More Details on the Sinking of OCEANIC-AF

 

September 2 — Stephen Greene

HCP Live

Don’t Miss a Beat: Finerenone’s Role in Heart Failure from ESC Congress Data

 

September 2 — Renato Lopes

pharmaphorum

iRhythm wearable heart monitor raises AFib diagnoses by 52%

 

September 2 — Renato Lopes

Tribune India

New wearable heart monitor to boost irregular heart rhythm diagnosis

*also carried by 20+ news affiliates in India

 

September 3 — Neha Pagidipati

Neuro Rehab Times (UK)

Semaglutide improves heart health outcomes beyond weight loss

https://duke.is/g/8m8c

 

September 3 — Manesh Patel

EP Lab Digest

Asundexian Inferior to Apixaban for Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation

https://duke.is/v/e4tn

 

September 4 — Renato Lopes

Health Day News/United Press International

In new study, wearable heart monitor increases A-fib detection

 

September 6 — Christopher Granger

tctMD

STEEER-AF: Educating Healthcare Workers Improves Adherence to Guidelines

 

September 6 — Stephen Greene

HCP Live

Cardiology Month in Review: August 2024

 

September 6 — DCRI/Rob Mentz

Women’s World magazine

Cholesterol Myths and Facts Debunked: Varieties, Age, More | Woman’s World

 

September 11 — William Kraus

Alimente (Spain)

Ni aceitunas ni pistachos: un cardiólogo explica cuál es el aperitivo que siempre recomienda para cuidar el corazón

 

September 11 — Duke Children’s (Heart Center)

BVM Sports

Duke Tennis Teams Launch Fundraiser for Children’s Heart Center

 

September 11 — Robert Lefkowitz

The Brainy Business (podcast)

Episode 427. The Mentorship Mindset: Nobel Insights with Dr. Bob Lefkowitz

 

September 12 — Renato Lopes

Healio/Cardiology Today

Mass ECG screening for atrial fibrillation in older adults does not seem to prevent stroke