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Monthly Archives: October 2019

Leadership Announcement: Jason Katz to Return to Duke and Newby to be Medical Director of Duke CICU

We are excited to announce that Jason Katz, MD, MHS has agreed to return to Duke and serve as Director of Cardiovascular Critical Care Services across Duke Health System, Co-Director of the Duke CICU, and Co-Director of Mechanical Circulatory Support.  Jason did his medical residency at UTSW where he was a Chief Resident before coming to Duke for both his cardiovascular fellowship and critical care fellowship.  In 2010, he joined UNC Faculty where he was dual appointed in Cardiovascular Medicine and Pulmonary Critical Care at UNC.  At UNC, he has served in many roles including the medical director of both the CICU and Cardio-Thoracic ICU. He has also cared for and led the team managing patients with mechanical circulatory support at UNC and participated in several multi-center trials in patients with ventricular assist devices.  He currently directs the UNC Mechanical Circulatory Support and Cardiogenic Shock Program. He is one of the three executive steering committee members of the recently launched Critical Care Cardiology Trials Network (CCCTN) –a multicenter, international group to design and implement pragmatic clinical research efforts focusing on optimal care processes for critically ill patients with cardiovascular disease.  This group has recently described the contemporary characteristics and patients in cardiology critical care units.  Jason is the current Chair of the Acute Cardiac Care and General Cardiology Committee of the Council on Clinical Cardiology (CLCD) for the American Heart Association.

Jason is passionate about education and has won several teaching awards from medical students, residents and fellows including being selected by UNC medical students to receive membership in the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) medical honor society.

We look forward to having Jason join our team and help Duke Heart take care of our sickest patients across our clinical network.

CICU Redesign – Newby to become Medical Director Duke CICU:

Regarding the addition of Jason in the CICU, Chris Granger stated “we are delighted and energized to have Jasoncome back to Duke, to help guide us into the next era of cardiac intensive care.”  Chris will be stepping down as the Medical Director of the CICU, a leadership position that Kristin Newby will take on Starting November 1st.  Kristin has served as the Co-Director of the CICU over the last several years and worked at both the local and national level on cardiovascular critical care. She will take on the role of Medical Director of Duke University CICU and will work with Jason and our Division Leadership as we advance and integrate Cardiac Intensive Care at Duke University Hospital and across the health system.

Chris Granger has been our Medical Director of the CICU and spearheaded several innovations including team based rounding, rapid coronary revascularization through a statewide systems based approach for patients with ST-segment elevation, and numerous studies on patients with acute coronary syndromes and heart failure.  We look forward to continuing to have Chris provide divisional leadership in how we develop and deliver systems for high quality cardiovascular care.  I want to also personally thank Chris for his leadership in our division and the CICU.

Please welcome Jason and Congratulate Kristin and Chris when you see them!

 

Duke Heart Updates for the week ending October 27th 2019

Friends of Nursing Winners Recognized at Gala

We congratulate our Duke Heart Friends of Nursing Award recipients. Eight of our team members were recognized at the 31st Annual Gala Celebration of Excellence which was held at the Durham Convention Center on Saturday night. There were 38 award winners selected out of 203 nominees across Duke University Health System.

In 1988, Martha White Blalock, a Duke patient, and her husband, Dan S. Blalock Jr., envisioned a program to support the exceptional nurses who were caring for them. After his wife’s death, Mr. Blalock donated funds to begin Friends of Nursing as a way of thanking Duke Nurses for the excellent care they provide.

Since its inception, Friends of Nursing has sponsored professional development opportunities, funded scholarships for continuing education, financially supported learning and research dissemination, and recognized outstanding nursing practice.

The 2019 award recipients from Duke Heart include:

Shannon Brennan, CT Surgical Stepdown Unit 3300, who received the Nan & Hugh Cullman Heart Center Award for Excellence in Nursing Practice.

Kiersten Butler, Cardiac Intensive Care Unit 7700, who received the Heart Center Award for Excellence in Cardiovascular Nursing in recognition of Mary Ann Peter.

Lauren Gispanski Coggins, Cardiac Intensive Care Unit 7700, who received the Ernestine Davis & Edward L. Cole Award for Excellence in Coronary Care Unit Nursing.

Mary Lindsay, Associate Chief Nursing Officer, who received the Award for Excellence in Nursing Leadership.

Ashley Newsome, Duke Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation at Croasdaile, who received the Nan & Hugh Cullman Heart Center Award for Excellence in Nursing Practice.

Rex N. Ruiz, Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit, DMP 7 West, who received the Award for Excellence in Critical Care Nursing.

Catherine Shuford, Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit, DMP 7 West, who received the Mary Ann & Robert H. Peter Award for Excellence in Nursing Practice.

Rachel Zwiacher, Cardiac Telemetry Unit 5-2 at Duke Regional Hospital, who received the Duke Regional Hospital Medical Staff Award for Excellence in Nursing Practice.

Great job, to all – we are proud of your efforts and work for our patients.

Respiratory Therapy Week Wraps Up

As National Respiratory Care Week wraps up, we’d again like to thank our respiratory therapists (RT) for the work they do! The Duke RT team includes 138 talented individuals who perform more than 220,000 aerosol therapies per year and manage more than 80 ventilators per day at Duke. The team has worked to decrease ventilator days from over nine days per patient to just over 4.5 ventilator days per patient over the past year.

Our RTs lead research, publish original work, serve on the ECMO team and as leaders on the Board of the North Carolina Society for Respiratory Care. They also present and conduct outreach through the American Association for Respiratory Care, Society of Critical Care Medicine, and the College of Chest Physicians. Our RTs manage day to day care, spearhead chronic disease management, and are crucial to critical care management of patients with respiratory issues. They are here to manage all aspects of respiratory care in both adult and pediatric/neonatal care at Duke University Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital and Duke Raleigh Hospital.

Thanks for all that you do!

RFPs for Mandel Funding

The Duke Cardiovascular Research Center is pleased to announce the annual fall Mandel Funding program RFP’s for the SEED, SCHOLAR, and FELLOW awards.  Funding for these awards is provided by the Edna and Fred L. Mandel Jr. Foundation, through the Mandel Center for Hypertension and Atherosclerosis at Duke.

Guidelines for the SEED and SCHOLAR program are similar to past years; the FELLOW guidelines have been revised. If you would like a copy of the guidelines, please contact Cheryl Woodard.

Proposals are due November 4th and should be sent as a PDF to Maria Rapoza (maria.rapoza@duke.edu) with a copy to cheryl.woodard@duke.edu. All applicants should receive an email confirming receipt within 48 hours of submission. If you do not receive a confirmation email please let them know.

 Doximity Deadline, Oct. 31

The registration deadline is this week! Doximity registration is the only way to ensure you will absolutely have the opportunity to vote online in the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals survey.

Please take a moment to claim your profile in Doximity. If you do not know if you are registered or not, please contact Tracey Koepke, Director of Communication for Duke Heart. She has the full list of faculty who are (and who aren’t!) registered. If you have questions about how to utilize Doximity, she can help with that, too.

Please make sure you’re eligible to vote in early 2020. The deadline is October 31, 2019.

  1. Visit com and enter your first and last name.
  2. Select your profile
  3. Follow the prompts to sign in, reset your password or create a new account.

 

Thank you!

Upcoming Opportunities/Save the Date:

Cardiology Grand Rounds

This week we welcome Euan Ashley from Stanford for his presentation, “Towards Precision Medicine.” Please join us on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 5 p.m., DN, 2003.   This is the 5th annual Albert L. Williams Cardiovascular Genetics leacture and we are excited to have Euan Join us.  He will give DCRI Research Conference from 12-1 pm on Tuesday Oct 29th entitled “You Heart Counts.”

Upcoming Grand Rounds:

  • November 5: Renato Lopes will present “AF and PCI: Triple Trouble? Double Therapy? Where do we stand in 2019?”
  • November 8 (Friday): Kim Eagle, Michigan, will be presenting the Eugene Stead Lecture
  • November 12: Javed Butler, University of Mississippi

 

Talent from All Corners Symposium, Nov. 4

Science and discovery thrive in environments that welcome and foster the free exchange of talent and ideas. The U.S. has for decades been a worldwide leader in science. Its universities and research centers, public and private, have been on the cutting edge of many discoveries that have improved lives and transformed societies.

In this panel discussion on Talent from all corners: how immigration helps shape American scientific leadership, a group of prominent and highly promising scientists, led by Duke cardiologist and Nobel Laureate Professor Robert Lefkowitz, will share their own stories as first, second, or third-generation immigrants, their research and its significance, and their perspective on immigration and its role in shaping American scientific leadership. 3-6 p.m., Searle Center. Registration is required. Refreshments will be served. To learn more or to register, please visit: https://scienceandsociety.duke.edu/events/talent-from-all-corners-how-immigration-helps-shape-scientific-leadership/

 

Duke Heart Safe Choices, Nov. 6

Our next Duke Heart Safe Choices workshop will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 6 from 4 – 6:30 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Trent Semans Center.

The workshop includes presentations from Duke Health patient safety officers and Duke Heart leadership, as well as break-out discussions to discuss past safety events. In the small groups, you’ll review an actual case in order to identify and analyze risks taken and potential solutions to enhance patient safety.

These workshops are some of the most important events we offer to our care teams in Duke Heart. They offer a time to gather and intentionally reflect on the role each of us plays in the safety of our patients and each other.  We need participation from all teams and each type of provider. Join us!

Dinner will be provided. Please register here:  https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cHhouKiZ19cm0Bv

 

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:

October 21 — Redford Williams (psychiatry)

MedPage Today

Depression Intervention Flops for Heart Attack Survivors

https://www.medpagetoday.com/cardiology/prevention/82853

October 21 — Anthony Viera (Family Medicine & Community Health)

Consumer Reports/The Washington Post

You’re told you have a ‘pre-disease.’ Here’s what that means.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/youre-told-you-have-a-pre-disease-heres-what-that-means/2019/10/18/a48722d0-ef92-11e9-8693-f487e46784aa_story.html

 

October 22 — Renato Lopes

NBC News

Bedtime may be the best time to take blood pressure meds, study finds

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/heart-health/bedtime-may-be-best-time-take-blood-pressure-meds-study-n1069961

October 22 — Michael Nanna

tctMD/the heart beat

Elderly Women Worse Off Than Men Before and After Acute MI

https://www.tctmd.com/news/elderly-women-worse-men-and-after-acute-mi

October 25 — Manesh Patel

Time magazine

12 Innovations That Will Change Health Care and Medicine in the 2020s

https://time.com/5710295/top-health-innovations

Duke Heart Highlights week ending October 20th 2019

Inaugural Research Week

The School of Medicine held their inaugural Research Week this past week. Thanks to all who participated! There were a number of great presentations and discussions, including a talk on the Duke Precision Medicine Collaboratory by Svati Shah, keynote lecture by Richard Lifton entitled from “Genes and Genomes to Biology and Health.”  The innovation jam sponsored by DIHI led by Suresh Balu was also held with many great presentations.  Our own Carmelo Milano presented a novel catheter for venting the LV during ECMO.  Thanks to Adrian Hernandez and the School of Medicine for a great week on research.


 

 

 

 

 

The week ended with the Blue-White basketball game for Duke Basketball to start the season.  Outside the game – William Kaelin – Duke Alum and 2019 Nobel Prize winner was spotted and we were able to get a selfie with him and his signed Basketball.  You can see Adrian Hernandez trying to lean in to get into the picture.

 

 

National Respiratory Care Week: Oct. 20-26

National Respiratory Care Week begins today. Please take some time this week to recognize the efforts of the very talented respiratory therapists (RTs) working throughout Duke to help care for and educate patients with lung diseases and disorders. They are an incredibly valuable part of the Duke Heart team and have a long history of living our core value of caring for our patients, their loved ones, and each other.

Their clinical expertise is pivotal in Duke’s delivery of the highest quality care. On behalf of the leadership team, we thank them for all they do each and every day. Keep up the great work! #RCWeek19

Wofford Named Young Healthcare Executive of the Year

We are pleased to announce that Brian Wofford, Duke Heart’s Vice President of Heart Operations for Durham County, has been named the 2019 Young Healthcare Executive of the Year by the National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE). The award was announced at the 34th Annual NAHSE Educational Conference held Oct. 9-11 at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, DC.

The award is given annually to a NAHSE member under the age of 40 in recognition of their contributions and dedicated commitment to the healthcare industry and NAHSE. The award selection committee seeks a professional with progressive management experience who has a demonstrated commitment to the development and career of young healthcare professionals and who is active in community organizations.

This is excellent news! Congratulations, Brian!

 

AANP Fall Conference

Duke Heart was well represented at the American Association of Nurse Practitioners annual conference held Oct. 10-13 at Bally’s Las Vegas Hotel in Las Vegas, NV.

Presenters included Midge Bowers, Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction (HFrEF) – Acute and Chronic Management in the Ambulatory Setting; Allison Dimsdale, Hypertension:  Simple to Resistant Care Transformation:  Managing Cardiometabolic Risk to Prevent Disease; Carolina Tennyson, Admitted with Heart Failure:  From Clinic to Transplant;  and Carolyn Lekavich with two presentations: The Many Faces of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF):  The Cardiometabolic Profile and Clinical Challenges of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF):  Diagnosis and Treatment.

Great job everyone!

 

 

 

 

Duke Emergency Alerts Update

Duke University Health System (DUHS) and the Private Diagnostic Clinic (PDC) are updating our operational (non-clinical) emergency alerts to make sure everyone in our three hospitals and PDC clinics understands what’s happening during an emergency situation, and knows how to respond.

Beginning on Wednesday, October 23, the operational emergency codes across DUHS and the PDC clinics will be replaced with easy-to-understand intercom alerts that tell staff and providers, patients, and visitors exactly what’s happening during emergencies.

This approach is referred to as using plain language, and is a nationally-recognized best practice that is being implemented in health care organizations across the country. It is also becoming the new standard for health care organizations in North Carolina. The goal is to make sure everyone in our hospitals, including our visitors, has the needed information during an operational emergency situation and can respond as appropriate.

Doximity Deadline, Oct. 31

All of you are busy and we know some of you are not as interested in social media platforms as others, but… Doximity registration is the only way to ensure you will absolutely have the opportunity to vote online in the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals survey.

Please take a moment to claim your profile in Doximity. If you do not know if you are registered or not, please contact Tracey Koepke, Director of Communication for Duke Heart. She has the full list of faculty who are (and who aren’t!) registered. If you have questions about how to utilize Doximity, she can help with that, too.

Please make sure you’re eligible to vote in early 2020. The deadline is October 31, 2019.

  1. Visit com and enter your first and last name.
  2. Select your profile
  3. Follow the prompts to sign in, reset your password or create a new account.

Thank you!

Upcoming Opportunities/Save the Date:

Cardiology Grand Rounds

This week we look forward to the Cardiology Fellows Conference with Sounok Sen. Please join us on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 5 p.m., DN, 2003.

Upcoming Grand Rounds:

  • 29: Euan Ashley from Stanford, “Towards Precision Medicine.” 5 p.m.
  • 5: Renato Lopes will present “AF and PCI: Triple Trouble? Double Therapy? Where do we stand in 2019?”
  • 8 (Friday): Kim Eagle, Michigan, will be presenting the Eugene Stead Lecture
  • 12: Javed Butler, University of Mississippi

 

Talent from All Corners Symposium, Nov. 4

Science and discovery thrive in environments that welcome and foster the free exchange of talent and ideas. The U.S. has for decades been a worldwide leader in science. Its universities and research centers, public and private, have been on the cutting edge of many discoveries that have improved lives and transformed societies.

In this panel discussion on Talent from all corners: how immigration helps shape American scientific leadership, a group of prominent and highly promising scientists, led by Duke cardiologist and Nobel Laureate Professor Robert Lefkowitz, will share their own stories as first, second, or third-generation immigrants, their research and its significance, and their perspective on immigration and its role in shaping American scientific leadership. 3-6 p.m., Searle Center. Registration is required. Refreshments will be served. To learn more or to register, please visit: https://scienceandsociety.duke.edu/events/talent-from-all-corners-how-immigration-helps-shape-scientific-leadership/

 

Duke Heart Safe Choices, Nov. 6

Our next Duke Heart Safe Choices workshop will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 6 from 4 – 6:30 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Trent Semans Center.

The workshop includes presentations from Duke Health patient safety officers and Duke Heart leadership, as well as break-out discussions to discuss past safety events. In the small groups, you’ll review an actual case in order to identify and analyze risks taken and potential solutions to enhance patient safety.

These workshops are some of the most important events we offer to our care teams in Duke Heart. They offer a time to gather and intentionally reflect on the role each of us plays in the safety of our patients and each other.  We need participation from all teams and each type of provider. Join us!

Dinner will be provided. Please register here:  https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cHhouKiZ19cm0Bv

 

Save the Date: 3rd Annual Cardio-Oncology Symposium

The third annual Duke Cardio-Oncology Symposium will be held at the Washington Duke Inn on Feb. 22, 2020. Chiara Melloni and medical oncologist Susan Dent are co-chairs. Stay tuned for more information!

 

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:

October 11 — Robert Califf

MedPage Today

Real-World Data Playing a Bigger Role in Drug Development

https://www.medpagetoday.com/publichealthpolicy/fdageneral/82711

Highlights of the Week – October 13th 2019

Cath/EP Waiting Room Opens Monday, Oct. 14

Our newly renovated and enhanced waiting area for the Adult Cardiac Catheterization and Electrophysiology Labs at Duke University Hospital is fully operational and open to patients and visitors starting tomorrow, Oct. 14. The renovation expanded the available seating area from 26 to 46 seats. We’ve added a physician consultation room, an open check-in area with a second window, a quiet area, outer glass wall for a modern and spacious feel, two entrances and additional signage. Each modification was made to give patients and families greater comfort and more privacy, which we believe will enhance their experience.  Members of the Duke Heart Patient Family Advisory Council weighed in on our design.

Many thanks to Brian Wofford, Mary Lindsay, Elizabeth Watts and Greg Shelton from Duke Heart for their efforts on this project; a big thank you to project manager Dane Van Enwyck, interior designer Amy Young, and maintenance and construction supervisor Ray Doss, as well as our PFAC members. Great job everyone – the space is gorgeous!

Superhero Kudos to Truby & Lowenstern

We received a terrific note this week from our colleague, Dr. Suchita Sata, in Duke Internal Medicine: “I cannot say enough good things about your fellows Lauren Truby and Angela Lowenstern for their excellent care for a patient of mine earlier this week.

“A patient of mine on the hospitalist service had a STEMI on the floor. The 115 STEMI activation worked beautifully. These two phenomenal women rushed in, white coats flying like superhero capes, and saved this patient’s life. Their calm control of the situation and also clinical prowess was amazing to witness. It was some of the best clinical care delivered by fellows I have seen in my time here at Duke.Thank you for building a team for excellence.”

Awesome job, Lauren and Angela!

 

Thanks to you and to all of our fellows for representing Duke Heart so well! Thanks to Anna Lisa Crowley for forwarding this note to share in Pulse.

Shout-Out to Lovell

On a recent visit to Nashville, TN, Taylor Lovell, a nurse in our cardiothoracic ICU, rushed to the aid of a bus passenger who was found unconscious, turning blue and without a pulse. Taylor performed CPR, got a pulse and turned the patient over to EMS. Although we are unable to report on the condition of the patient, we are so proud to know our Duke Heart providers are ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice no matter where they are.

Well done, Taylor! Many thanks to Pam Pennigar (Duke Sarcoma Program) and Jill Engel for bringing this to our attention.

Cardiovascular MR Practicum Held

The semi-annual Duke Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Center (DCMRC) Cardiovascular MR Practicum was held Oct. 7 – 11 at the Searle Center. In attendance were physicians, technologists, and fellows. During the Practicum, participants are provided with an understanding of the principles of magnetic resonance imaging, safety issues in performing cardiac MR, and imaging protocols currently available for the evaluation of the structure and function of the cardiovascular system.  Case presentations, one-on-one discussions, and observation of actual patient imaging were provided.

Pictured here are some of the DCMRC faculty, leadership, and staff.

Doximity Deadline, Oct. 31

All of you are busy and we know some of you are not as interested in social media platforms as others, but… Doximity registration is the only way to ensure you will absolutely have the opportunity to vote online in the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals survey.

Please take a moment to claim your profile in Doximity. If you do not know if you are registered or not, please contact Tracey Koepke, Director of Communication for Duke Heart. She has the full list of faculty who are (and who aren’t!) registered. If you have questions about how to utilize Doximity, she can help with that, too.

Please make sure you’re eligible to vote in early 2020. The deadline is October 31, 2019.

  1. Visit com and enter your first and last name.
  2. Select your profile
  3. Follow the prompts to sign in, reset your password or create a new account.

Thank you!

Upcoming Opportunities/Save the Date:

Duke SOM Research Week

The inaugural Duke University School of Medicine Research Week is this week! Activities for the week include presentations from four School of Medicine faculty members (including Duke Heart’s Svati Shah!), a Duke Office of Scientific Integrity (DOSI) Research Town Hall, the Robert J. Lefkowitz, MD, Distinguished Lecture, Innovation Jam, a Clinical Keynote Lecture, and a poster session featuring the research of residents, trainees and PhD students from clinical and basic science departments. To learn more: https://medschool.duke.edu/research/research-week.

Cardiology Grand Rounds

In lieu of grand rounds this week, we will hold the Cardiology Faculty Meeting. Please join us on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 5 p.m., DN, 2003.

Upcoming Grand Rounds:

  • 22: Cardiology Fellows Conference with Sounok Sen
  • 29: Euan Ashley from Stanford, “Towards Precision Medicine.” 5 p.m.
  • 5: Renato Lopes will present “AF and PCI: Triple Trouble? Double Therapy? Where do we stand in 2019?”
  • 8 (Friday): Kim Eagle, Michigan, will be presenting the Eugene Stead Lecture
  • 12: Javed Butler, University of Mississippi

 

Duke Heart Safe Choices, Nov. 6

Our next Duke Heart Safe Choices workshop will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 6 from 4 – 6:30 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Trent Semans Center.

The workshop includes presentations from Duke Health patient safety officers and Duke Heart leadership, as well as break-out discussions to discuss past safety events. In the small groups, you’ll review an actual case in order to identify and analyze risks taken and potential solutions to enhance patient safety.

These workshops are some of the most important events we offer to our care teams in Duke Heart. They offer a time to gather and intentionally reflect on the role each of us plays in the safety of our patients and each other.  We need participation from all teams and each type of provider. Join us!

Dinner will be provided. Please register here:  https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cHhouKiZ19cm0Bv

Save the Date: 3rd Annual Cardio-Oncology Symposium

The third annual Duke Cardio-Oncology Symposium will be held on Feb. 22, 2020. Chiara Melloni and medical oncologist Susan Dent are co-chairs. Stay tuned for more information!

 

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:

October 10 — L. Kristin Newby

tctMD/the heart beat

Any Troponin Bump in Suspected ACS—MI or Not—Signals High CV Risk: High-STEACS

https://www.tctmd.com/news/any-troponin-bump-suspected-acs-mi-or-not-signals-high-cv-risk-high-steacs

October 9 — Mitchell Krucoff

Healio/Intervention

Another study finds no evidence of increased long-term mortality with paclitaxel-coated devices

http://bit.ly/2IGjgzL

October 8 — Sarah Cross (Sanford School of Public Policy)

Cardiovascular Business

Homes overtake hospitals as most common site of CV death

http://bit.ly/2MwBOUa

Duke Heart Week ending October 6th 2019

Highlights of the week Ending October 6th 2019:

Recognition Week: Physician Assistants

This coming week (Oct. 6-12) is National Physician Assistant Week in recognition of the PA profession     and its contributions to the nation’s health. The week offers us the opportunity to offer thanks to these vital members of the Duke Heart team (and elsewhere!) as well as to help raise awareness and visibility of the overall profession. Please take some time this week to personally thank the PAs within your area.

Prior to become a week-long event, PA Day was first celebrated on October 6, 1987, in honor of the 20th anniversary of the first graduating class of physician assistants from Duke University’s Physician Assistant program; October 6 is the birthday of the profession’s founder, Eugene A. Stead, Jr., MD, former chair of the Department of Medicine and founder of the Duke Cardiovascular Disease Research Database. To read about the history of the profession at Duke, please visit: https://fmch.duke.edu/duke-physician-assistant-program/about-pa-program.

Congratulations and many thanks to each of the PAs throughout Duke Heart and Duke Health. If you are on social media and wish to post messaging about your favorite PAs, the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) is using #PAWeek as their official tag. Have a great week!

 

Lung Transplant Milestone Celebrations Held

As many of you know, the Duke Lung Transplant Program reached a milestone in August: they completed their 2000th lung transplant. This week, the group held a variety of celebrations at Duke to thank all of the DUHS teams for their support and work with the program and patients. A larger event will be held in the Spring to include all active lung transplant patients.

Congratulations to all of members of the Lung Transplant program and to the many care providers and staff across Duke Heart who work on a daily basis to ensure the safety, care and support of all lung transplant recipients at Duke. These collaborations enable groups across Duke to reach significant milestones, such as this one. Great job, everyone!

Swaminathan to Serve CART-CL Research Committee

Rajesh Swaminathan, associate professor of medicine in cardiology at Duke and director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, has been selected to the Research and Publications Committee of the Cardiovascular Assessment, Reporting and Tracking System for Catheterization Labs (CART-CL), the national cath lab database for the Veterans Health Association. In this capacity, Raj will be part of the team that determines the research direction of the National VA Interventional Cardiology program and reviews research proposals.

This is terrific news, Raj — congratulations!

 

Team Huddle Roll-Out Continues

Two weeks ago, we announced that DMP 7East went live as the Duke Heart pilot unit for implementation of the Duke Quality Management System initiative, Commit to Zero. This initiative allows Duke care providers and staff to take a transformative approach to teamwork by creating systems based on our individual and collective integrity, leading to enhanced patient safety and zero harm to patients and to one another.

One of the tools we are using are tiered team huddles. The huddles are taking place throughout all service areas within Duke Health and are being implemented on a rolling basis. Huddles occur daily and are designed to last approximately 15 minutes. The huddle offers an opportunity to proactively review key metrics, get updates on work in progress and to share any new safety issues that may have arisen, allowing us to move into problem solving. It offers a structured approach to identify, escalate and solve safety problems using the team’s collective knowledge. The huddles also offer an important opportunity to provide moments of recognition and celebration of team members.

This week, units 3100, 3300, 7100, 7200 and 7300, and Respiratory Care Services will officially come online with their use of huddles as part of Duke Heart Wave I. Additional teams will follow in Waves II and III over the next two months.

Wave II: Heart ICUs (7700 and 7 West); Adult Cardiac Catheterization Labs, Electrophysiology Labs, Cardiovascular Short Stay Unit (CVSSU), Heart Center Bed Control and Cardiothoracic Operating Room (CTOR) Schedulers, and Perfusion.

Wave III: Cardiac Diagnostic Unit, Cardiac MRI, EKG; Cardiopulmonary Rehab; Heart Center Communications/Heart Center Financial Administration.

We are grateful for the significant effort being made across Duke Heart in order to implement the huddles – it has required a change in how we spend our time and how we approach problems together; we are already seeing great results and improved teamwork. Thanks to everyone who is working to make this effort a huge success for us. You make Duke Heart an amazing place to be and will lead to an even safer quality-driven culture for our patients and each other. Great work!

Duke Heart Family Expands!

We are pleased to announce that our Duke Heart family has expanded by one! Congratulations to Khyati Baxi and her husband, Jatin Roper (faculty member in the Duke division of gastroenterology) on the birth of their son, Aarav Jatin Roper, on Sept. 25! Aarav joins big brother, Rahul. We are so happy for you and we look forward to meeting him soon.

 

HARMONEE Update

Congratulations to the DCRI HARMONEE study team and to all site partners! The OrbusNeich COMBO drug-eluting stent (DES) with endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) capture technology has just been approved for clinical use in Japan. As some of you may know, the Japan-USA HARMONEE study was conducted as a proof-of-concept in global regulatory harmonization, and provided the pivotal evidence supporting this decision by the Japanese Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Agency and Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. This milestone is not just a huge success for the COMBO DES as a new technology. It is also a first-ever, formal “proof of concept” program conducting a randomized, prospective coronary device study using a single protocol on both sides of the Pacific as part of the Japan-USA Harmonization By Doing program. This represents a fundamental change in the landscape of global device evaluation for innovative new devices.

In a message sent to all site teams, Shirgeru Saito, vice director of Cardiovascular Medicine at Shonan Kamakura General Hospital, and Mitchell Krucoff wrote, “We want to thank each and every one of you and your site teams for your significant contributions to this truly global HARMONEE effort. We would not be here without your amazing efforts on behalf of your patients.”

To read the formal statement from OrbusNeich, please visit: http://bit.ly/2VnzNOk. To see a copy of the journal article regarding the Harmonization by Doing Program, please visit: https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/circj/77/7/77_CJ-12-1431/_article.

Great work, everyone!

Heart Fellows Win NC/SC ACC FIT Jeopardy

Great news from the 26th Annual Joint Meeting of the NC and SC State ACC Chapters which was held last weekend at the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville. Dave Manly, Zak Loring and Marat Fudim won the Fellows-in-Training (FIT) Jeopardy competition, beating out teams of players from UNC, MUSC and Prisma Health (SC). Marat hopes it’s a good omen for the upcoming Duke Football and Basketball season!

FIT Jeopardy is a friendly competition that promotes a healthy rivalry between state chapter FIT teams, fosters FIT engagement in their local state chapter and provides educational value to the contestants and audience. Each team is made up of three fellows-in-training. The Duke trio will represent at the national level next spring.

Congrats and way to represent Duke Heart!

 

Update from Eldoret, Kenya

Jerry Bloomfield shared an update from Mike Foster who is adjusting to life on his new adventure in Kenya. Mike wrote:

“As some of you know, my first priority was the American Society of Echocardiography Foundation event that Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) hosted recently. This event was held at three schools in the area. We scanned over 1200 kids in four days. We had a great team of sonographers/MD’s from all over the USA and one from New Zealand, as well as our Kenyan team of nurses, clinical officers (sort of like what you know as Advanced Practice Providers at Duke) and a sonographer. Most kids [had normal scans]. We identified a little over 80 kids with either obvious rheumatic or congenital abnormalities or who were borderline rheumatic according to the WHO criteria (of which I’m critical). Of these, a few are definitely going to need an invasive intervention in their future. All 80 plus kids and parents will now be invited to come to Dr. Maghasi’s pediatric cardiac clinic for care.

It was nice to have Titus show up and be part of the event. I ended up having him teach some of the older kids while they were waiting for their echocardiogram.

Hitachi USA and GE Kenya were generous with loaning equipment for this event. We had three laptops and 5 Vscans. We started the week staffing a one-day symposium on Pediatric Echocardiography for the Kenyan Cardiac Society in Nairobi, which was sponsored by GE. Many of the sonographers/MD’s from our team gave lectures, including Brittany Byrd (former Duke Pediatrics tech) and Greg Tatum from the Duke Pediatrics lab.

This brings us to over 2300 kids screened from six schools from around the area –some urban, some rural. Although it’s not a good sample, we figure it gives MTRH a starting point while helping some kids and families.

After the event, I switched gears into my “element.” We have two doctors who started their cardiology fellowship in September. I’m spending time introducing them to echocardiography, parasternal long axis, patient positioning and all those knobs and buttons on machines.

I’m also working with Dr. Barasa who is director of the Cardiac Centre at MTRH to improve the Cardiac Diagnostic Unit (they took your name) with workflow, digital reporting, and an archiving system.

I’m in talks with MTRH HR about my contract for teaching a new “diagnostic cardiology” program which mostly includes teaching clinical officers to become sonographers. I expect to start in January.

I’ve lost 5 pounds already. Enjoyed seeing friends here in Kenya as well as from the USA. You should know that I’m grateful, once again, to the Duke Hubert-Yeargan Center for Global Health — they continue to be supportive of my efforts and Duke’s collaboration here. ASE and ASEF are really cool organizations to get involved with their work and help support.

The Duke Cardiac Diagnostic Unit and its culture of support, learning and professional advancement is second to none in this world. I wouldn’t have had the opportunity, skills, critical thinking and confidence to embark on this endeavor had it not been for you guys. Take advantage of it. Support Sreek and our attendings.” — Mike

We followed up with Titus Ngeno regarding the teaching experience Mike mentioned above.

Titus wrote, “I had the pleasure of joining Mike in his herculean undertaking, promoting CVD awareness and developing treatment capacity in Eldoret, Kenya. He called me into a classroom after the inquisitive 7th grade students asked him why the left side of the heart is bigger than the right side. A poignant reminder to me of the effects of rheumatic heart disease and unexplained pulmonary hypertension in the region. The CV fellowship and collaborative research efforts led by Duke is touching and improving lives globally.” — Titus

Many thanks to Jerry for sharing this update with us!

Global Cardio-Oncology Summit This Last Week in São Paulo

The Global Cardio-Onc Summit was in São Paulo this week.  Susan Dent and Chiara Melloni attended from Duke.  Susan is part of the organizing committee. Susan tweeted several meeting updates over the week, and it seems like it was a great meeting. There were more than 500 attendees  from 17 countries around the globe!!! It is increasing every year. We hope to have a bigger presence from Duke next year in Toronto.  Below are few pics from the event.

 

Cybersecurity Awareness Month

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Duke faces daily attacks from hackers, and we need everyone’s help to protect Duke. This year Duke’s IT Security Office has launched a new “Report Phish” button that allows you to report any suspicious email with one click. The button is now available at the top of your email in Outlook and is labelled “Report Phish to Duke”/Phish Alert.

 

Upcoming Opportunities/Save the Date:

Duke SOM Research Week

The inaugural Duke University School of Medicine Research Week will be held from Monday, October 14 through Thursday, October 17 on the sixth floor of the Trent Semans Center for Health Education.

Activities for the week will include presentations from four School of Medicine faculty members (including Duke Heart’s Svati Shah!), a Duke Office of Scientific Integrity (DOSI) Research Town Hall, the Robert J. Lefkowitz, MD, Distinguished Lecture, Innovation Jam – with DIHI that Manesh Patel will emcee, a Clinical Keynote Lecture, and a poster session featuring the research of residents, trainees and PhD students from clinical and basic science departments. To learn more about events being held as part of Research Week, please visit: https://medschool.duke.edu/research/research-week.

 

Cardiology Grand Rounds

Our grand rounds this week will be the Cardiology Fellows Conference with Zak Loring. Please join us on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 7:15 a.m., DN, 2003.

Upcoming Grand Rounds:

  • 15: Faculty Staff Meeting, 5 p.m.
  • 22: Cardiology Fellows Conference with Sounok Sen
  • 29: Euan Ashley from Stanford, “Towards Precision Medicine.” 5 p.m.
  • 5: Renato Lopes will present “AF and PCI: Triple Trouble? Double Therapy? Where do we stand in 2019?”
  • 8 (Friday): Kim Eagle, Michigan, will be presenting the Eugene Stead Lecture
  • 12: Javed Butler, University of Mississippi

 

3rd Annual Invented at Duke Celebration, Nov. 5

Co-hosted by the Duke Office of Licensing & Ventures and & Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Invented at Duke celebrates and promotes the diverse accomplishments of Duke innovators and entrepreneurs.

The event showcases select technologies, inventions, and novel ideas–illustrating the breadth of Duke discoveries–while also highlighting Duke’s innovation and entrepreneurship resources and facilitating discussions among Duke inventors and the broader Duke community.

Join us to celebrate innovations coming out of Duke, learn about Duke’s resources, and engage with inventors, the local investment community, alumni, Duke leadership, and researchers. The event will be held at Penn Pavilion on Tuesday, Nov. 5 from 5-7 p.m. (remarks begin at 5:30).

This year’s guest speaker is Derek Jantz, CSO of Precision BioSciences, a recently-made-public company spun out of the Duke School of Medicine. Precision uses a proprietary genome editing method called ARCUS to overcome cancers, cure genetic diseases, and create safer, more productive food sources.

If you’re an inventor, entrepreneur, researcher, licensee, investor, or someone interested in partnering with Duke, we hope you’ll join us for our 3rd Annual #InventedAtDuke Celebration. To learn more or to register, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/3rd-annual-invented-at-duke-celebration-tickets-65802486007.