Highlights of the week:

Duke Receives MI Registry Platinum Award

Duke University Hospital has received the American College of Cardiology’s National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) Chest Pain  ̶  MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2019. Duke is one of only 225 hospitals nationwide to reach this level of performance, which is given to those groups demonstrating sustained achievement for eight consecutive quarters of performance measures in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction patients through the implementation of ACC/American Heart Association Clinical Guideline Recommendations.

Way to go!

Duke Heart Welcomes Visiting Doc from SE Health

We were pleased to have Troy Sterk, DO, visit with us on Friday, August 9. Sterk is with Southeastern Health, our Duke Heart Network affiliate in Lumberton, NC. Sterk was on-site at Duke University Hospital rounding with our cardiology team.

We met up with him in the cath lab where he was observing a case done by James Tcheng. Glad to host you and we hope to see you again soon!

 

 

Duke & CSL Research Acceleration Initiative

CSL Behring is partnering with Duke University to accelerate research and to identify and commercialize promising new technologies with the CSL Research Acceleration Initiative. Representatives from CSL Behring were here on Tuesday to meet with researchers and discuss opportunities; they are particularly interested in offering research grants focused on translational/discovery research, so we are really hoping to drive a number of cardiovascular applications from faculty members within Duke Heart. CSL Behring is a global biotechnology leader and, as many of you know, Pierluigi Tricoci is now serving as CSL Behring’s executive director for their Cardiovascular and Metabolic Therapeutic area. This is a great opportunity if your research interests dovetail with theirs. Deadline to apply is August 30. To access the application and to learn more, please visit: https://researchfunding.duke.edu/duke-and-csl-research-acceleration-initiative.

Upcoming Opportunities/Save the Date:

September 22: Triangle Heart Walk.

Check in starts at 12:30 p.m.; the walk is at 2 p.m. at PNC Arena. Have you registered? Please consider joining us. It is not too late to register as a team captain or to join an already formed team (there are several to join as part of Duke Heart as well as all major DUHS entities) – please visit: https://www2.heart.org/site/TR?company_id=209022&fr_id=4327&pg=company

Consider Joining my team – PACE (partnership for advancing cardiovscular health through community engagement). 

We are going to have a bunch of fun events – including the day of the walk.  Please considering bringing family, friends, and pets — pictured here are some photos of the heart walk including Bosco who has done the walk with us before.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the link for the team or search PACE

http://www2.heart.org/goto/PACEHeartWalkTeam

Call for applications: 2020 ADVANCE-UP Program

ADVANCE-UP: Academic DeVelopment, Advocacy, Networking, Coaching and Education for Underrepresented Populations

The School of Medicine Office for Faculty is now accepting applications for the 2020 ADVANCE-UP Faculty Development Program. This is a year-long program starting in January that will provide in-depth opportunities for academic development, mentoring, and networking for faculty from underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds. To learn more and to access the application, please visit: https://medschool.duke.edu/about-us/faculty-resources/faculty-development/our-programs/advance

ICYMI: State Health Plan Update

Late yesterday, the North Carolina State Treasurer issued a statement that the State Health Plan network would include health systems and providers that participate in Blue Option offered by Blue Cross Blue Shield NC. That means Duke Health and PDC providers will be in-network and receive the same reimbursement rates in 2020.

The short-term crisis has been averted for now, but attempts like this by large employers to reduce their health care costs are not going away. Now is the time for us to get serious about reducing the cost of healthcare. We can do this optimally by working together with Duke University Health System to provide greater value for our patients. The statement from the treasurer is available here.

PDC Public Statement on State Health Plan

On behalf of the physicians and providers of the Private Diagnostic Clinic, we appreciate the State Treasurer’s decision to maintain and protect access to health care services for state employees and their families. We stand ready to work with the Treasurer and state leaders to create a long-term plan that focuses on value instead of cost, and is transparent and sustainable for the state of North Carolina, patients, and health care systems and providers.

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart 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 Duke Heart family. Please call with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged.

 

Duke Heart in the News:

August 2 — Sunil Rao

tctMD/the heart beat

Conversations in Cardiology: The Push for High-Sensitivity Troponin

https://www.tctmd.com/news/conversations-cardiology-push-high-sensitivity-troponin

 

August 5 — Tracy Wang

tctMD/the heart beat

Best Strategy Questioned for NSTE ACS Patients With Prior CABG

https://www.tctmd.com/news/best-strategy-questioned-nste-acs-patients-prior-cabg

 

August 5 — Laura Schanberg (Pediatrics & Duke Clinical Research Institute)

Lupus.org

Study Finds Genetic Connection to Hypertension in People with Childhood-Onset Lupus

https://www.lupus.org/news/study-finds-genetic-connection-to-hypertension-in-people-with-childhoodonset-lupus