Duke Heart Week Ending – 5-31-2020
Chief’s message:
It has been a week in which our country and community have been challenged to move forward. We are all grieving for George Floyd, his family, and unfortunately all the violent deaths our country has witnessed as evidence of racism and injustice. We can not imagine the feeling of frustration, helplessness, pain, and vulnerability. The open wounds of racial injustice, inequality, and structural barriers to equity have festered in America for too long. These inequities have been further magnified in recent months by a pandemic and economic downturn that is creating heightened challenges and uncertainty for us all. Yet as noted by many, these hardships have fallen disproportionately on communities of color including African American, Indigenous and Latinx communities. For our group, the path forward will continue to include listening, not tolerating any acts of hatred or racism, and striving for health equity in our own community, clinical practice, and actions. Our core value of respect for and inclusion of people from all backgrounds will continue to be our north star.
Update from the week:
Mike Felker to become Vice-Chair of Clinical Research
We are excited to announce that Mike Felker, MD, MHS, Professor of Medicine with Tenure will assume the role of Vice Chair of Clinical Research for the Division of Cardiology. Mike graduated from the Duke University Medical School, completed his internal medicine training at Johns Hopkins, and completed his cardiology and Heart Failure fellowships here at Duke.
Since joining the faculty in 2002, Mike has been dedicated to patient care, education, and research. He has many accomplishments during his time here at Duke, but most remarkable has been his ability to establish and grow the heart failure section through mentorship and research leadership. He has spearheaded the Heart Failure Network with the NHLBI, he has helped lead and understands our Clinical Research Unit, and now will serve as the Therapeutic Area lead for the Duke Clinical Research Institute. During the transformation process at the DCRI, Mike was able to review and identify many of our opportunities for growth. I am personally excited to have Mike brings his thoughtful approach to our divisional plans on clinical research reorganization as respond to and restart research during the pandemic. When you see Mike, please welcome him to this new role.
I want to also personally thank John Alexander who has helped serve in this role in the Division over the last several years. John provided consistent selfless leadership aimed at making our research enterprise stronger. John will continue to be a force for our Division, and I look forward to his continued leadership with our clinical and research missions.
Congratulations to Rich Krasuski and our pulmonary hypertension group
Rich shared a few key accomplishments with our team over the last week. The first was, that Sudar Rajagopal and Rih were awarded an investigator initiated research grant of $324,000 from Actelion/Janssen to perform the EPIPHANY (Effects of Combination Medical Therapy Followed by Balloon Pulmonary Angioplasty on Right Ventricular-PA Coupling and Hemodynamics in Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension) Study. This will be an important study in an evolving space.
The second accomplishment was, last week there was in press a special issue of Advances in Pulmonary Hypertension entitled “New Invasive Technologies and Devices in Pulmonary Hypertension” that Rich guest edited.
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.
Memorial Day Weekend May 24th 2020 – Duke Heart
Chief’s message:
Memorial day reflects the unofficial start of summer… and hopefully you will have some time to spend with family to reflect. With the country going through some changes in our stay at home status, please Stay safe. And let’s never forget those who laid down their lives for our freedom. Happy Memorial Day.
Highlights of the week:
Sewell Retires from EKG Support Unit
Please join us in congratulating Phyllis Sewell on her recent retirement! Sewell, a long-time member of the Duke Heart team retired from the EKG Support Unit on April 21 after 44 years of service at Duke. Due to the pandemic and restrictions that have been in place, the team has not been able to host a gathering in her honor, but she leaves a legacy of diligence and insight that the team hopes to emulate for years to come.
From her retirement announcement, we learned:
“When Phyllis began her Cardiology career as a Duke EKG technician in 1976, she performed EKGs on single-channel recorders; she created 12-lead EKG display pages by literally cutting and pasting pieces of paper. By 1977, she worked with a Hewlett-Packard computer system that required seven hours for system back-ups and, consequently, required Phyllis to stay overnight with the computer system occasionally in order to change data storage discs (manually) during the back-up process.
Phyllis learned to interpret EKGs from her mentor Joseph C. Greenfield, Jr., Duke’s former Chief of Cardiology, Chair of Medicine, and Director of the “Heart Station” (as the EKG Support Unit was formerly known). Throughout the 1980s and much of the 1990s, Cardiology Fellows interpreted hard-copy EKGs by adding their hand-written text to the computer’s interpretation. Phyllis would then “edit” the fellows’ interpretations—often changing them wholesale, so as to prevent the fellows from incurring the wrath of faculty readers or, worst of all, seeing a note from Dr. Greenfield: “MD see me.”
When Cardiology fellows ceased their formal role in interpreting Duke Hospital EKGs during the 2000s, the academic side of Phyllis’s career rose to prominence: she was responsible not only for reading EKGs but also instructing other EKG Editors in EKG interpretation that occurred prior to Cardiology faculty readers’ interpretations. As a result of Phyllis’s work with her Editor colleagues, Duke Health EKGs were reviewed by knowledgeable readers faster than ever.”
Sewell came to Duke because she had been in a medical secretarial program at Chowan College in Murfreesboro, and at the time they were partnered with Duke. She rotated through several Duke medical departments as part of her training. Upon finishing, she served as a medical secretary in pediatrics, but soon realized she wanted to work closer to patient care. So, she learned how to do EKGs on the floor when Duke was just starting a computerized system to read them. Her passion and enthusiasm for reading EKGs took off from there and dovetailed nicely with her love of learning.
After 44 years of fast-paced and intensive work, being at home so much is not how Sewell envisioned the start of retirement — but she says that blessings come to all of us in different ways.
“I have had the opportunity to work with a lot of wonderful people across my years at Duke and to work alongside some of the very best people in the field of cardiology,” Sewell said. “I can’t say enough about Duke. I believe it to be one of the finest places in the country. We see lots of complex issues in our heart patients – many of whom come from all over the world. There is nothing boring about a place like this. It has been fun and interesting and a wonderful opportunity to work with smart and nice people.”
Sewell says she doesn’t have major retirement plans other than to do some of the things she hasn’t had enough time for, such as golfing, exercising and walking their two Pembroke Welsh Corgis, but she knows she won’t just hang out at home. Due to stay-at-home restrictions, she has worked her way through a bunch of house projects already and isn’t interested in sitting still for long. She says she will miss her coworkers and the many cardiologists she worked with each day. Parking decks and the commute are two things she will not miss at all, but she will miss reading EKGs. “I love reading EKGs!” she added.
Congratulations on your retirement, Phyllis! We know you will be missed!
3100 Hosts Celebration & Surprise Pinning Ceremony
Please join us in congratulating two Duke Heart team members who are recent nursing graduates. Trace Alligood, a Certified Nursing Assistant, and Michelle Harris-Evans, Nursing Care Assistant II, both graduated from their respective programs this month and were recently honored with a pizza party and surprise pinning celebration on 3100.
Trace Alligood completed the BSN program at Campbell University. He started in Duke’s 10-week Professional Nursing Assistant summer externship program last summer and has served as a nursing assistant on 3100 since August. Originally from Richmond, VA, Alligood says he always wanted a career in healthcare. His parents are healthcare workers, so he had a lot of exposure to it growing up and nursing seemed like a natural fit. The Campbell program had everything he was looking for in a program and that it opened up some good opportunities for him in North Carolina.
Michelle Harris-Evans received her Associates Degree in Nursing from Vance-Granville Community 
College. She decided to go into nursing because one of her sons has epilepsy. She was planning to go back to school anyway, but she said that one day while her son was being treated here at Duke, she was struck by the wonderful care he was receiving and felt called to become a caregiver.
“I was inspired by our family’s experience and I just knew that I wanted to give that same type of care and comfort to other families,” said Harris-Evans. “Because I have five young boys, I had to find a way to get into nursing cheaply, quickly and close to home. This program worked for me.”
Harris-Evans says she is grateful to her leadership team for always being flexible with her so that she could accommodate her children’s day care needs, her school schedule and working on the unit. She felt supported by her colleagues through the entire program, and gives a great deal of credit to her support system at home. Her husband and her parents spent a lot of time managing their kids so that she could achieve her goals.
Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, neither Trace nor Michelle could experience an in-person graduation or pinning ceremony.
“This was a really fun, nice surprise,” Alligood said. “Since March, we’ve had to do everything online which was a big challenge, but we still finished on time.”
“I was just expecting a small pizza party,” Harris-Evans noted. “When it turned out to be a pinning ceremony and that our nurse managers and clinical leads had thought to do this and wanted to celebrate this accomplishment with us means so much.”
Congratulations Trace and Michelle. We are so proud of you!
Cutcliffe Leads Virtual AHA Heart Challenge Kick-off
The American Heart Association held their annual AHA Heart Challenge Kick-off event for Triangle-area executives on Thursday, May 21 to get a motivational jump-start on team-building and fundraising in preparation for the annual Heart Walk. The virtual luncheon featured Duke football coach David Cutcliffe as the keynote speaker as well as Tom Owens, president of Duke University Hospital and chair of the 2020 Heart Challenge, and David Zaas, president of Duke Raleigh Hospital.
In sharing their “Why” stories, Owens talked about the impact COVID-19 has made.
“The pandemic has highlighted health disparities as well as issues with heart and stroke,” said Owens. “Now is the time to act and find new ways to work together, to engage one another and to improve outcomes.”
“Heart issues have shaped my life,” Cutcliffe told the audience on Zoom. “People used to tell me that when you get knocked down, you just have to get back up. But what I learned through sports, the secret is how fast you get up to take on the next battle.”
In taking questions, Cutcliffe was asked how he was managing the team during the Covid-19 pandemic. He said players and coaches are getting more face time than normal, something he believes is helping everyone feel more appreciative of each other.
“There will always be silver linings, said Cutcliffe. “They aren’t always easy to find, but if you look they are there.”
No one yet knows if the 2020 Triangle Heart Walk will be an in-person event or not, but we do know some type of Heart Walk-related celebration will be held in the fall. Stay tuned for further information. Either way, we hope you’ll join us!
GoFundMe Campaign Created to Support Duke Heart Team Member
We learned this week that Sam Pierce, daughter of Cynthia Pierce, a former cardiac catheterization lab nurse and a current Duke Heart TAVR coordinator, died suddenly and unexpectedly on Mother’s Day. Cynthia is now responsible for raising her three young grandchildren, coping with the loss of her daughter, and helping her grandchildren through this difficult loss.
A GoFundMe campaign has been established by Tom Bashore to help cover funeral and memorial costs, as well as related expenses. Any and all contributions of any amount are appreciated. Even if you cannot contribute, we know the family will welcome expressions of support. Please consider sharing this link with others who know Cynthia.
Blood Donors Still Needed
The American Red Cross is still in need of blood donors. The closest location to Duke is the Durham Donation Center located at 4737 University Drive, Durham. If you have time and are interested in donating, their website offers a convenient way to schedule appointments. As an added incentive… anyone who donates blood between now and May 31 will receive a special Red Cross donor t-shirt. To learn more, please visit redcross.org.
Go Red for Women “Lunch-In” – Join Us!
Duke Heart is a proud sponsor of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement. Join us for the first-ever Go Red for Women virtual “Lunch-In” on Friday, June 5th from 12:00-1:00 p.m. This fun virtual event will elevate awareness of women’s heart health, celebrate survivors of heart disease and stroke, honor healthcare heroes and equip attendees with the knowledge to take control of our own heart health.
Event is free, but RSVP is required. To reserve your place and receive the Zoom webinar link, RSVP here: https://bit.ly/TriangleGRFW
Unable to join? Please consider supporting the mission of the American Heart Association and Go Red for Women with a donation: https://app.mobilecause.com/vf/GoRedTriangle
COVID-19 Updates:
All the latest official DUHS information regarding coronavirus/COVID-19 response at the following locations:
Upcoming Opportunities/Save the Date:
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Cardiology Grand Rounds are cancelled through May, with the exception of internal faculty gatherings to discuss information related to COVID-19. Invitations to those will come via Outlook.
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:
May 19 — Adrian Hernandez
New York magazine
Hydroxychloroquine and the Coronavirus: What Studies Actually Say
https://nym.ag/2AQXqsd
May 19 — Adrian Hernandez
The New York Times
Amid Hydroxychloroquine Uproar, Real Studies of Drug Are Suffering
https://nyti.ms/36z49Db
May 19 — Duke Children’s Hospital
WWAY (Wilmington, NC)
Wilmington Girl Celebrating One Year Anniversary of Second Heart Transplant
https://bit.ly/3d84RK5
May 20 — Duke Clinical Research Institute
CNN.com
Fact Check: Are frontline workers taking hydroxychloroquine to prevent coronavirus?
https://cnn.it/2XkRkrR
May 21 — Adrian Hernandez
MSN.com
https://bit.ly/3bSru3v
May 21 — Duke Clinical Research Institute
WRAL.com
Coronavirus in NC: Live updates for May 20, 2020: Hundreds of workers test positive at Tyson plant (scroll to 9:45 a.m.)
https://bit.ly/2XhKX8y
May 21 — Adrian Hernandez
The New York Times
Trump’s Inaccurate Claims on Hydroxychloroquine
May 21 — Duke Clinical Research Institute
Huffpost.com
Experts Worry Trump’s Hydroxychloroquine Claims Could Have Major Consequences
https://bit.ly/3gegvF4
Duke Heart Week ending May 17th 2020
Highlights of the week:
Towery Moving to Electrophysiology Team Effective June 1
We are pleased to share that Emily Towery, RN, a clinical nurse on 7300, will move to our electrophysiology team on June 1. She will serve as our new device nurse, filling the role that Kris Zanetti held prior to leaving Duke Heart. In her current role, Towery helps manage cardiology step-down patients with heart transplants, heart failure, valve disease, and arrhythmias and has served as a blood transfusion champion and infection prevention champion, all of which will be valuable as she transitions to supporting device patients.
“I’m very excited to take on this role,” Towery says. “I have big shoes to fill, but this is a great learning opportunity for me and offers a chance to focus on one area within cardiology.”
Towery received her BSN from Liberty University in 2015. She joined the Duke Heart team as a clinical nurse II on the Cardiology Step-Down Unit for Duke University Hospital in 2016.
Please join us in congratulating and welcoming Emily to her new role!
Blood Donors Still Needed
The American Red Cross is still in need of blood donors. The closest location to Duke is the Durham Donation Center located at 4737 University Drive, Durham. If you have time and are interested in donating, their website offers 
a convenient way to schedule appointments. As an added incentive… anyone who donates blood between now and May 31 will receive a special Red Cross donor t-shirt. To learn more, please visit redcross.org.
Duke Health Messaging: Committed to Keeping Patients Safe
As our clinics continue to reopen and more appointments and procedures are held, Duke Health is sending emails to patients via MyChart and has posted information and videos on DukeHealth.org, to reassure patients and their family members that Duke’s hospitals and clinics are safe spaces to enter. The messages include information on our safety measures and aim to encourage patients to seek care when they need it – especially if they are dealing with chronic or advanced illnesses.
Check this page to see what is being shared with all Duke patients: https://bit.ly/2WFxF6Q. The Duke Health marketing team has also posted a video message and blog post specifically for heart patients, which can be viewed here.
COVID-19 Updates:
All the latest official DUHS information regarding coronavirus/COVID-19 response at the following locations:
Upcoming Opportunities/Save the Date:
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Cardiology Grand Rounds are cancelled through May, with the exception of internal faculty gatherings to discuss information related to COVID-19. Invitations to those will come via Outlook.
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:
May 10 — Jonathan Piccini
Cardiac Rhythm News
Medtronic shares results of BlueSync and Micra TPS CED studies
Medtronic shares results of BlueSync and Micra TPS CED studies
May 11 — Sana Al-Khatib
Medscape
Low Recurrence Rate Cited for Persistent-AF Ablation in PRECEPT Study
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/930285?src=rss
May 11 — Sana Al-Khatib
MedTechDive
AtriCure treatment for persistent AFib shows superiority in study
https://www.medtechdive.com/news/atricure-treatment-for-persistent-afib-shows-superiority-in-study/577643/
May 11 — Tracy Wang
Cardiology 2.0
CryoLife Initiates Enrollment in PROACT Xa Clinical Trial
May 13 — Duke is mentioned
TCTMD.com
COVID-19: TCTMD’s Daily Dispatch for May 13
https://www.tctmd.com/news/COVID19-daily-dispatch
Mother’s Day – Duke Heart Week Ending May 10th 2020
Chief’s message:
Today many celebrated mother’s day, even during these trying times. Now more than ever, with increased home isolation, home schooling, and home life, we have been reminded by how important moms are in our lives. The unconditional motherly love the support of moves much of our world forward. Hopefully you all had an opportunity to spend a moment and celebrate mother’s day.
Highlights of the week:
Hernandez Named New Executive Director of DCRI
After a nationwide search for a new leader for the Duke Clinical Research Institute, the Duke University School of Medicine announced today it has named an executive director for the Institute.
Adrian Hernandez, MD, MHS, a cardiologist and internationally recognized clinical research expert, will step into the role effective May 15. Hernandez, who has served as the Vice Dean for Clinical Research for the Duke University School of Medicine since 2017, will also maintain some responsibilities of this role as he continues to guide clinical research strategy for the School.
Hernandez has a long history with the DCRI, having joined as a cardiology fellow in 2002. “I learned the power of evidence, the importance of teams, and about the unmet needs of people with everyday health challenges,” Hernandez said while reflecting on the beginnings of his DCRI career. “This early experience continues to shape my vision and thinking today. Simply put, it’s great to be back home.”
Hernandez outlined parts of his vision for the DCRI’s future in creating and implementing new models for conducting clinical research. “Our value will be realized through more efficient studies and in creating new pathways for innovative health solutions and groundbreaking research,” he said. “The future of our work will emphasize programs that are large, leveraged, and embedded within health systems or the daily lives of people. We will practice new methods that enable research at home that is frictionless, flexible, and even fun. To accomplish this, we will continue to leverage the many strengths across Duke and the School of Medicine to innovate locally and scale globally.”
Lesley Curtis, PhD, will transition out of her Interim Executive Director role and resume her full-time work as Chair and Professor of Duke’s Department of Population Health Sciences. She will also remain an active DCRI faculty member through her leadership of the DCRI Think Tanks program and her work with the NIH Collaboratory, PCORnet, and other joint research projects between the DCRI and Population Health.
“Leading the DCRI has been a rewarding journey in so many ways, and together we have made terrific progress,” Curtis said. “I remain committed to the DCRI mission and its ongoing success. I am also delighted to hand over the reins to someone who is a leading clinical researcher, a close colleague, and a substantial contributor to the DCRI for many years.”
Jones Receives DOM Mentoring Award
Congratulations to Schuyler Jones who was honored recently with a 2020 Department of Medicine Research Mentoring
Award. Jones and three other awardees were featured as “master mentors” during a virtual Medicine Grand Rounds (MGR) held Friday, May 1 on Zoom. The DOM included Tracy Wang and Kenneth Schmader (geriatrics), the two 2020 School of Medicine Research Mentoring Award recipients in their panel discussion.
Each awardee served as a panelist during MGR with Leonor Corsino, MD, associate professor of medicine in endocrinology, serving as emcee. Panelists were asked to share insights into the mentoring process and a former mentee of each panelist described the impact that person has had on their career (Ajar Kochar shared thoughts on Schuyler). To learn more or to view the Zoom recording: https://medicine.duke.edu/medicinenews/lessons-master-mentors.
Congratulations, Schuyler!
Fudim Receives DOM Chair’s Research Award
Marat Fudim, a fellow in Advanced Training in Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology, is one of two Duke fellows chosen to receive the Department of Medicine Chair’s Research Award. The award, announced May 1 by Kathleen Cooney, chair of the DOM, provides up to $95,000 in protected research time for one year to continue developing data and findings for their applications for NIH K funding. Fudim plans to use his newfound protected time to jumpstart projects related to his NIH K23 application focused on volume management in heart failure and neuromodulation. To read more, visit: https://bit.ly/2LiMw0s.
This is great news – congratulations, Marat!
Davis Named Chief Technologist for DUH CDU, Effective May 4
We are pleased to share that Ashlee Davis, ACS, RDCS, BSMI, FASE has been named chief technologist for the Cardiac 
Diagnostic Unit (CDU) in Duke University Hospital (DUH). Her role became effective May 4. As chief technologist, she will have oversight for the CDU sonographers and work in collaboration with Terri DeMuro, CDU Nurse Manager for management of operations and clinical, educational, and research considerations.
Davis joined the Duke Heart team in 2008 as a cardiac sonographer in the DUH CDU. During her time at Duke, she has advanced to a Cardiac Sonographer, Level III; served as the Continuous Quality Improvement team lead; spearheaded the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission application process; served on both the Dyssynchrony and Congenital teams, and led multiple educational initiatives for staff.
In addition to her contributions at Duke, Davis is involved in the American Society of Echocardiography where she has served on the Bylaws and Ethics Committee, the Finance Committee, and as a member of the Leadership Academy. When not at Duke, she is often giving presentations in her field of expertise – strain and contrast, or volunteering with Team Heart doing surgical missions in Rwanda. Her work can be found in multiple book chapters and professional journal articles.
Davis earned a Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging from the University of Oklahoma in 2008. Her credentials include Advanced Cardiac Sonographer and Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer.
Please join us in congratulating and welcoming Ashlee to her new role.
DIHI awards announced
The Duke Institute for Health Innovation announced their 2020 Innovation Projects and Principal Investigators in an email 
announcement issued May 7. A total of 11 projects were selected, two of which include members of the Duke Heart team. We are very pleased to congratulate the following projects and their investigators:
Machine Learning for Early Identification and Management of Pulmonary Embolism
Schuyler Jones, MD; Hope Weissler, MD; Alexander Sullivan, MD; Talal Dahhan, MD; Kishan Parikh, MD; Terry Fortin, MD; Alexander Limkakeng, MD; Samuel Francis, MD; Jason Katz, MD; Timothy Amrhein, MD; William Ratliff, MBA; William Knechtle, MHA, MBS; Michael Gao; Armando Bedoya, MD, MMCI; and Manesh Patel, MD
A Unified Framework for Predicting Bacteremia and Interpreting Blood Culture Results
Christopher R. Polage, MD, MAS; Deverick Anderson, MD; Cara O’Brien, MD; Raquel R. Bartz, MD, MMCi; Brian Griffith, MD; Jill Engle, DNP; Daniel Gilstrap, MD; Justin Silverman, PhD; Mark Sendak, MD, MPP; Sarah Lewis, MD, MPH; Becky Smith, MD; Jennifer Saullo, MD, PharmD; and Rebekah Moehring, MD, MPH
We’re very excited for all of you. Way to go!
Life Is Why Updates
Our Life Is Why sponsorship with the American Heart Association (AHA) continues to thrive, despite having to make modifications due to the pandemic. We are very appreciative of the efforts our AHA partners are making to continue helping people in our community.
Many of you will (hopefully) recall our successful cooking class pilot program from the fall. We are hoping to host a second round of cooking classes as soon as we can, again in partnership with the YMCA. In light of Covid-19 restrictions, we are hoping these can be taught via Zoom with participants cooking from their homes. If so, our participants will be centrally located in one of our Durham communities, which would make pre-order grocery delivery easier for our AHA cooking-class team as well as provide an added level of safety for our participants.
Our team hosted a very successful “virtual” blood pressure training via Zoom in late March for the Durham Interdenominational Ushers Union. This was also something of a “pilot” to see if this could be done online in a meaningful way. We are pleased to report that this was so successful that we will continue trainings via Zoom until hands-on training can safely occur in person. The goal is to train “trainers” who can demonstrate how to correctly use blood pressure cuffs that have been made available to parishioners in several Durham churches thanks to our Life Is Why partnership.
We will continue to share our progress with you!
COVID-19 Updates:
All the latest official DUHS information regarding coronavirus/COVID-19 response at the following locations:
Upcoming Opportunities/Save the Date:
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Cardiology Grand Rounds are cancelled through May, with the exception of internal faculty gatherings to discuss information related to COVID-19. Invitations to those will come via Outlook.
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:
May 3 — Michael Dee Gunn
Medicine Net
There Aren’t Enough Coronavirus Test Kits to Safely Reopen America, Experts Warn
https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=230814
May 4 — Michael Dee Gunn
MSN.com
California isn’t ready to safely reopen. Coronavirus testing levels are inadequate, analysis shows
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/california-isnt-ready-to-safely-reopen-coronavirus-testing-levels-are-inadequate-analysis-shows/ar-BB13xKaz
May 4 — Ann Marie Navar
Eatthis.com
75 Things You Should Never Do For Your Health
May 5 — John Haney
ABC11.com (WTVD)
Outer Banks woman undergoes rare 3rd double-lung transplant at Duke Hospital despite pandemic
https://abc11.com/health/obx-woman-undergoes-rare-3rd-double-lung-transplant-at-duke/6149837/
May 6 — Sean Pokorney
Medpage Today
Reusing Cardiac Devices in Developing Countries Shown to Be Safe
https://www.medpagetoday.com/cardiology/chf/86345
May 6 — Jonathan Piccini
EP Lab Digest
Heart Rhythm Society Releases New White Paper on Atrial Fibrillation Centers of Excellence
https://www.eplabdigest.com/heart-rhythm-society-releases-new-white-paper-atrial-fibrillation-centers-excellence
May 6 — Jonathan Piccini
Cardiac Rhythm News
Heart Rhythm Society launches white paper on AF centres of excellence
Heart Rhythm Society launches white paper on AF centres of excellence
Duke Heart Newsletter May 3rd 2020
Chiefs Message
Goodbye April and cautiously looking forward to May:
Undoubtedly, that will be an April that our country, region, and health system will never forget. Certainly, people will remember the COVID-19 pandemic and the too many lives lost and sick. However, we will also remember the tremendous efforts of entire communities, health systems, and of course the people. The people that in Heart that have organized, joined daily calls, volunteered to come in and be the clinic staff, the procedure labs, the CRU staff ensuring our research studies keep going, the heart center that called and set up patients, and of course the fellows and faculty that continually worked to find ways (sometimes creatively) to help. As we enter May, the country seems to unfortunately moving towards widespread soft opening of businesses and industries. In healthcare, we are facing a different challenge, a challenge gauge and open to the patients that have waited 6 weeks or more for care, patients that have cardiovascular disease that has remained the leading cause of morbidity and mortality through these months, and all too often – patients that are scared to come and get care. So we too will be moving in calibrated and cautious ways to help care for our patients and ensure we can continue to support our community and reduce viral spread. All the while, as spring comes, we will try to ensure we appreciate our teams, our staff, and of course our fellows who will be graduating. This upcoming week will allow us to appreciate our nursing colleagues who have been at the heart of our response and care. The good news from my perspective is that our group has demonstrated the cohesiveness and the ability to change that will be needed as we continue to adapt to the upcoming challenges with COVID-19 and our delivery of heart care, discovery, and training of the next generation. So for the traditional first weekend in May, a weekend without the Kentucky Derby but clearly the start of spring, we welcome the opportunity to turn the page on April and focus on our steps to shaping our future care for heart patients.
It’s National Nurses’ Week
National Nurses Week (May 6-12) starts on Wednesday, and concludes on the birthday of Florence Nightingale. The World Health Organization designated 2020 as the “Year of the Nurse” to mark the 200th anniversary of Florence’s birthday. Please give them a shout-out this week – we have an incredible team of nurses throughout Duke Heart! The COVID-19 pandemic has done a great deal to change the way we live our day-to-day lives, but more than anything it has opened the eyes of the world to the incredible value and selflessness of all healthcare workers.
Duke Heart nurses represent the outstanding care delivered to our patients every day through clinical excellence, compassion, and innovation. Help us celebrate their contributions and achievements by recognizing their work!
WRAL has a list of organizations with special offers this week for nurses and other healthcare professionals – to learn more, visit: https://www.wral.com/coronavirus/free-offers-for-healthcare-employees-and-first-responders/19078377/.
The Economist has a great story commemorating the work of Nightingale and nurses overall. Check it out here: https://worldin.economist.com/edition/2020/article/17519/florence-nightingale-and-changing-face-nursing.
Happy Nurses Week!
Special Message to Perfusionists
Dr. Peter Smith, Chief of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, shared a photo message with the perfusion team last week in honor of their recognition week, which ended Friday.
DUHS Leaders Visit CICU, Celebrate CLABSI Reductions
Members of DUHS leadership, including Dr. Eugene Washington, Chancellor, and Dr. Tom Owens, President of Duke University Hospital, as well as Dr. Richard Shannon, Chief Quality Officer for DUHS, visited with our Cardiac Intensive Care Unit team on Wednesday (April 29) to celebrate the work they’ve done to reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI).
Dr. Shannon provided lunch for the staff to show appreciation for the extra efforts the team has put in. The CICU team explored a variety of channels, including increasing education for all staff around CLABSI risks and prevention, and looking at various products that could be more effective for our patients. Overall, the team was able to decrease the CLABSI rate by 88.3 percent since implementing all initiatives earlier in this fiscal year. The team has had only one CLABSI in the past five months.
Washington, Owens and Shannon all discussed sharing this great work with other areas of the hospital as well as coordinating the next steps in CLABSI prevention related to blood culture ordering and drawing.
They were also able to learn more about the new Duke Heart iPad program during their visit. Our iPad project allows patients and families to visit virtually during the pandemic while visitor restrictions are still in place; the team was able to showcase how family members outside the hospital are able to have conversations with the care teams of their loved one.
Many thanks to Amy Wilkerson, Elizabeth Alderton, Lauren Coggins, Greg Flynn, Kelly Kester and Heather Pena for their efforts to pull together the area visit and tour; congratulations to the entire CICU team for reducing CLABSI rates at Duke – impressive work!
Duke Heart Family Grows by One!
We are very happy to welcome Isaac Alexander Rouse to the Duke Heart family! Isaac was born April 29 to Kelsey Rouse, PA-C, (one of the wonderful PAs in the inpatient rounding cardiology group) and her husband, Austin. This is their first child. Kelsey is doing well and reports that Isaac Alexander weighed in at 7 pounds, 9.5 ounces, and is 20 inches long.
He is beautiful and we can’t wait to meet him. Kelsey is appreciative of all the support they received over the past few months.
Congratulations, Kelsey and Austin!
HCC Team Shines with Innovation, Adaptability During Pandemic
Like so many other groups at Duke, the Heart Center Communications (HCC) team has been adapting to the challenges of dealing with COVID-19. Although well positioned due to their past experience managing high-volume schedule changes during short periods of severe weather, the pandemic has been something else entirely. It has forced the HCC to adapt and innovate to manage schedules at a time when dates, times, hospital restrictions and state orders change almost daily.
Since the end of March, when NC stay at home orders were put in place, the team dealt with approximately 300 clinic cancellation calls per week; they have managed 107 procedure cancellations across the invasive labs, and collaborated with clinics to schedule more than 500 cardiology telehealth visits. As one might imagine, many Duke Heart patients were nervous about the novel coronavirus and anxious about getting necessary care during the pandemic. To handle this took a great deal of patience and finesse, as well as compassionate listening skills and excellent customer service.
The HCC and medical team created tracking logs for all elective cancellations so that, as the team works to reschedule cases, they can ensure all patients are accommodated safely and efficiently. Over time, daily scheduling call volume has decreased but the duration of calls has increased.
“We have spent longer periods on the phone helping to alleviate the anxieties patients feel,” said Greg Shelton, administrative director of the HCC. “People quite naturally have had a lot of questions. It has been a team effort, not only in partnering and supporting our medical providers, but making sure we could get each patient’s questions answered and that we could triage the calls coming in.”
Shelton noted that all patient case procedures were reviewed by cardiology medical directors prior to any cancellation or delay. This was done on a case-by-case basis to determine which patients could safely wait and who needed a more immediate intervention.
Another need for adaptability came when HCC staff began working to coordinate COVID-19 screening tests for EP patients who could not be rescheduled to later dates for procedures. The team continues to coordinate when and where patients can be tested. Local patients are accommodated at Duke. For non-local patients, the HCC team works to identify locations closer to their home. Simultaneously, the team is managing an increase in “patient advice” emails coming in via MyChart, as well as an increase in requests for prescription refills.
Shelton said the undertaking throughout the team has been highly collaborative. The HCC moved two-thirds of their staff to working successfully and productively from home. For the remaining one-third of the staff who is coming to campus, social distancing measures were established by using empty offices to ensure a minimum of six feet between co-workers.
The transition to telehealth visits went fairly smoothly, Shelton added.
“Patients have been very appreciative of having the option to meet with their care provider from the safety and privacy of their home and they understood immediately that changes were being made for their safety as well as the safety of healthcare providers.”
As Duke Heart moves toward a gradual reopening of clinics, we know that telehealth visits will continue to be important, but the decisions will be provider driven. Some patients will absolutely need to be seen in person, while some can continue to have either a video-based or telephone-based call with their provider.
The HCC team has done an outstanding job in providing support to our patients and our care teams. Please join us in celebrating their excellent teamwork!
HCC’s Chavis Moving to New Role
LaChandra Chavis, Service Access Manager with Heart Center Communications (HCC), will be stepping into a new role within Duke Heart on May 12. Chavis will become the first dedicated Service Access Manager to support Cardiac Catheterization, Electrophysiology, Cardiac MRI and Clinic 2K. She will be based in Clinic 2K and will continue to report to Greg Shelton, administrative director of HCC.
The new position was created largely due to program volume but also because of the complexity of the interventional labs, 2K and cardiac MRI spaces. These areas have been in need of a range of resources and an increased level of support that a Service Access Manager is equipped to handle.
Chavis has worked at Duke Health for more than 20 years and with HCC for the last 14. She has demonstrated a dedication to excellence and integrity, according to Shelton.
“LaChandra is excellent both from an employee relations and customer service point of view – these are two of her key strengths, said Shelton. “She’s very good at team building and has been a go-to person for us. We know she’ll be great in this new role.”
Please join us in congratulating LaChandra and wishing her well as she starts this next phase of her career.
Vangel Leaving Duke Heart; Stephens to Lead Ambulatory APPs
Ashley Vangel, PA-C, clinical team lead for cardiology APPs at Duke Cardiology of Southpoint/South Durham, will be leaving the practice in mid-May to move closer to her family in the Northeast. Vangel has been a wonderful member of our Duke Heart team in no small part because of her leadership and the outstanding care she has provided to all of our patients.
Allen Stephens, PA-C, will take over as clinical team lead for the Southpoint/South Durham team. Stephens joined the outpatient Duke Heart team from the Cardiothoracic ICU nearly two years ago.
“From the start, Allen has demonstrated outstanding clinical decision making along with great compassion and empathy towards the patients in our practice,” said Mike Blazing, MD, medical director for Duke Cardiology of Southpoint. “More recently he has been instrumental in organizing the group and keeping people in touch during this monumental period of change in our outpatient practice. He has embraced phone and tele-visit practices and quickly has gone from learner to a teacher.”
Given his strengths in clinical, technical and communication skills, and the ease with which he has been able to step up and take on these tasks without interfering with any of his clinical responsibilities, we feel he is an outstanding choice to lead our Southpoint APP team.
Congratulations, Allen!
Please join us in wishing Ashley all the best in this new phase of her career. Ashley, you’ll be missed!
Coumadin News
Bristol-Myers Squibb, the company making Coumadin® (warfarin sodium) tablets, announced that it will discontinue the sale and distribution of Coumadin®. Many thanks to Ed Hammitt, RN, for alerting us and sharing this post from Clot Connect: https://clotconnect.wpcomstaging.com/2020/04/28/coumadin-discontinuation-of-sale/.
TransPop Registry Enrolls 1000th Volunteer
The Duke TransPop Volunteer Registry recently enrolled their 1000th volunteer. Kannapolis resident Andy Yoos, 49, joined shortly
before the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19. As a member of the registry, he receives emails about health studies that may interest him, based on information he provided to the Duke Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI). Duke CTSI’s Translational Population Health Research group, or “TransPop,” manages the registry from Duke’s office on the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis.
Duke cardiologist Dr. L. Kristin Newby is the principal investigator for the Volunteer Registry. Newby, who is the faculty director for the TransPop group, also leads the MURDOCK Study, a groundbreaking Duke CTSI health research project based in Kannapolis entering its second decade.
“This virtual registry is a powerful tool for investigators and makes participating in research studies easy and convenient for volunteers,” said Newby. “I’m once again amazed and humbled by the support of our community, and we are proud to offer this new opportunity to people throughout North Carolina and beyond. Any adult can sign up.”
The Volunteer Registry is designed to collect and maintain information about participants who may be contacted for future studies. Adults 18 and older can join the registry, which has no zip code or geographic restriction. Healthy participants, as well as people suffering from a disease or condition, are invited to join.
The full story can be found here. Congratulations to our colleagues at CTSI and to the TransPop team!
Global Genomics Meeting Going Virtual
Geoff Ginsburg, founder of the Global Genomic Medicine Collaborative, has let us know that they’ve converted their annual meeting to a virtual meeting that will be open to the public. The event, the 5th G2MC Conference: Genomic Medicine Implementation in Low-Resource Settings, will take place this week, from May 6-8. For more information, please visit https://g2mc.org/events/.
Similarly, the 3rd summit for the International 100K+ Cohorts Consortium, co-chaired by Ginsburg, has shifted into a virtual meeting. Keynote speakers include Francis Collins, Jeremy Farrar, Elias Zerhouni, and Soumya Swaminathan; they join an amazing array of speakers. For the full list and information related to the meeting, please visit https://ihcc.g2mc.org/eventlist/. This meeting will take place May 4-5 and is by invitation only. If you’re interested in attending, please contact Geoff Ginsburg.
ICYMI: IT Security & Impersonation Attacks
DHTS has issued an alert regarding impersonation attacks. Please be on the lookout – to learn more, visit: https://security.duke.edu/news-alerts/impersonation-attacks-rise
COVID-19 Updates:
All the latest official DUHS information regarding coronavirus/COVID-19 response at the following locations:
Upcoming Opportunities/Save the Date:
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Cardiology Grand Rounds are cancelled through May, with the exception of internal faculty gatherings to discuss information related to COVID-19. Invitations to those will come via Outlook.
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:
April 24 — Michael Dee Gunn
Men’s Health
What Your Gym Might Look Like When It Reopens for Business
https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a32272303/gyms-reopening-after-coronavirus/
April 24 — John Alexander
MDEdge/Cardiology News
AUGUSTUS: After ACS or PCI, aspirin gives AFib patients scant benefit
https://www.mdedge.com/cardiology/article/221239/interventional-cardiology-surgery/augustus-after-acs-or-pci-aspirin-gives
April 24 — Ann Marie Navar
Consultant Live
Off-Label DOAC Use Not Appropriate for LV Thrombi, Increases Stroke Risk
https://www.consultantlive.com/news/off-label-doac-not-appropriate-for-left-ventricular-thrombi-increases-stroke-risk
April 24 — Michael Dee Gunn
USNews.com
https://www.usnews.com/news/the-report/articles/2020-04-24/as-georgia-reopens-americans-get-mixed-message-about-coronavirus-safety
April 27 — Michael Dee Gunn
NC Health News
NC health officials want testing of all residents, staff of nursing homes with COVID-19
NC health officials want testing of all residents, staff of nursing homes with COVID-19
April 27 — Tracy Wang
Healio/Cardiology Today
Dietary salt reduction initiative effective, with modest BP benefits
https://www.healio.com/cardiology/vascular-medicine/news/online/%7B63ef414f-8113-4c86-a141-c5da6393a4c8%7D/dietary-salt-reduction-initiative-effective-with-modest-bp-benefits
April 27 — Michael Dee Gunn
HealthDay
There Aren’t Enough Coronavirus Test Kits to Safely Reopen America, Experts Warn
https://consumer.healthday.com/infectious-disease-information-21/coronavirus-1008/there-aren-t-enough-coronavirus-test-kits-to-safely-reopen-america-experts-warn-757017.html
April 28 — Michael Dee Gunn and Thomas Denny (DHVI)
Healthline
What to Know About COVID-19 Testing Right Now
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/what-to-know-about-covid-19-testing-right-now
April 28 — John Haney
The Coastland Times (Manteo, NC)
Third double lung transplant surgery a success for Tricia Lawrenson
Third double lung transplant surgery a success for Tricia Lawrenson
April 28 — Duke University Hospital (cardiovascular volume is mentioned)
CBS17.com
Triangle doctors concerned people delaying key medical treatments over coronavirus fears
Triangle doctors concerned people delaying key medical treatments over coronavirus fears
April 28 — Tracy Wang
MedPage Today
Comprehensive Salt Reduction Intervention Works in China
https://www.medpagetoday.com/primarycare/dietnutrition/86207
April 28 — Ann Marie Navar
Medscape
Cautions Raised Against Off-Label DOACs to Clear Left Ventricular Thrombi
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/929619?src=rss
April 28 — Tracy Wang
tctMD/the heart beat
SMASH: Population-Based Sodium Reduction Sees Success in China
https://www.tctmd.com/news/smash-population-based-sodium-reduction-sees-success-china
April 29 — Eric Peterson
The New York Times
Remdesivir Shows Modest Benefits in Coronavirus Trial
April 29 — Sunil Rao
tctMD/the heart beat
Multivessel PCI May Be Safe in Select Shock Patients With Impella Support
https://www.tctmd.com/news/multivessel-pci-may-be-safe-select-shock-patients-impella-support
April 30 — John Haney
OuterBanksVoice.com
Tricia Lawrenson’s road to recovery
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