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Yearly Archives: 2020
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
Duke Heart – April 25th 2020 – “Slow Burn and the New Normal”
Chief’s message:
Slow burn and the getting to a sense of normal
It is hard not to lament the life both in medicine and outside the hospital that we all were living just a few months ago. In fact, in the hospital where despite the entry screening for symptoms, mandatory masks, conversations with scared patient families, there is still somewhat a sense of purpose and normal order to the care we aim to deliver. Much more has been the work our faculty, fellows, and staff have been dealing with around our isolation, the sense of loss of routine, and the upcoming end of the academic year. By now it is clear that we are not at the Peak of COVID-19, rather we have all worked hard to reduce the peak – and hopefully have helped “Flatten the Curve.” We are likely in the important slower longer care process – “Slow Burn” of the long time of learning and adapting to our new way of life in caring for patients, education, and even community commerce. As of writing this, we have as a group moved our entire clinical enterprise to telehealth and in-person urgent / semi urgent care settings. We will need to focus on ensuring our patients feel safe in getting care from us, as we deal with our own realization around the financial uncertainties in health care and the nation. One in six Americans are unemployed and several health systems have started to work to reduce their financial expenditures by furloughing and reducing wages.
It is in this setting, that we are supporting the COVID-19 care at Duke Health System while working to ensure coordinated care across our enterprise. We will be working with all of our colleagues in community to collectively help set the path forward. A path that will likely require persistence, flexibility, effort and characteristic innovation. I personally would like to thank the members of the Duke Heart Community, the Heart Center Leadership Council, the Clinical and Research section leaders, and most importantly our fellows and staff who help make if possible for our organization to pivot so quickly to care for our patients and each other.
Highlights of the week:
Celebrating Perfusion Week, April 27 – May 1
Please join us in recognizing our incredible perfusionists at Duke. Organized by the American Society of Extracorporeal Technology (AmSECT), Perfusion Week is an annual recognition of the positive impact that perfusionists have on the lives of patients. This year’s theme, “Saving Lives Is a Work of Heart,” honors the dedication of this team to improving the lives of patients around the world.
Given the increasing frequency of heart surgery and other cardiac procedures, perfusion is growing in importance in the healthcare community. In the past decade, perfusion has expanded to areas of perioperative blood management, wound healing, ventricular assistance, and advanced uses of extracorporeal circulation.
“Perfusionists are the backbone of open heart surgery and essential in conducting complex heart operations,” said Adam Williams, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon and Medical Director for Perfusion Services. “We are fortunate to have such a talented team of perfusionists at Duke. We thank all of you for your dedication and hard work!”
You may not know, but Duke perfusionist William Scott Snider serves as Treasurer on the national AmSect Board of Directors and pediatric perfusionist Amy Evans has a nice review article in the current issue (March/April 2020) of AmSECTODAY discussing the topic of fresh frozen plasma administration in infant cardiopulmonary bypass. Great work, Amy!
Take some time this week to show appreciation of the amazing work they do each and every day here in Duke Heart. Thank you and have a great #PerfusionWeek!
Administrative Professionals Day
Happy Administrative Professionals Day (officially celebrated on Wednesday, April 22) to all members of the administrative staff – we literally could not keep our offices going without these supportive roles. Thanks for all that you do!
ICYMI: Flags Lowered at Duke in Memory of Dr. Wolfe
All flags were lowered at Duke University earlier this week in memory of Dr. Walter Wolfe, cardiothoracic surgeon, who died on April 13. Duke Today ran the following story: https://today.duke.edu/2020/04/duke-flags-lowered-cardiothoracic-surgeon-walter-wolfe-dies-age-83.
Telemedicine Transformation
Reflecting the rapid incorporation of telemedicine across Duke Health and Duke Cardiology related to COVID-19, cardiology fellow Jedrek Wosik and a team of co-authors have described the impact of telehealth so far. Their manuscript “Telehealth Transformation: COVID-19 and the Rise of Virtual Care,” was accepted and published by the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association (JAMIA) in record time — 7 days!
Per the abstract: “Using examples reported by US healthcare organizations including ours, we describe the role telehealth has played in transforming healthcare delivery during the three phases of the US COVID-19 pandemic: 1) Stay-at-Home Outpatient Care; 2) Initial COVID-19 Hospital Surge, and 3) Post-Pandemic Recovery. Within each of these three phases, we examine how people, process and technology work together to support a successful telehealth transformation.” The text, figures and tables describe the rationale for and implementation of telehealth approaches, providing a framework for other enterprises to follow.
Congrats to the full team of authors: Jedrek Wosik, Marat Fudim, Blake Cameron, Ziad Gellad, Alex Cho, Donna Phinney, Simon Curtis, Matthew Roman, Eric Poon, Jeffrey Ferranti, Jason N Katz and James Tcheng. Outstanding work!
Courtney Stierwalt Named Clinical Lead, 3300
We are pleased to announce that Courtney Stierwalt, BSN, RN, PCCN will become Clinical Team Lead for 3300 effective April 27. Courtney started as a new graduate RN on 3300 in July of 2015. Courtney completed her Bachelor’s degree through Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Ohio. Courtney was recently promoted to a Clinical Nurse IV and has held multiple Leadership roles on 3300 serving as a Charge Nurse, Preceptor, and has on-boarded several new hires through her Unit Orientation Committee Chair role. Please join us in congratulating and welcoming Courtney to her new role.
Sonographers Advance to Level III
Congratulations to Cardiac Diagnostic Unit (CDU) cardiac sonographers: Robert “Curtis” Fitzhugh, Jeanne Gentry, Jon Owensby, and Carissa Marsiglio for achieving Level III on the Sonographer Clinical Ladder.
The entire CDU would like to thank them for their commitment and dedication to our patients and the Duke Team. Please take a moment to congratulate them on this great career achievement when you see them.
We know you’ve worked hard. This is well-deserved, Curtis, Jeanne, Jon, and Carissa! We are proud of you!
New Cardiac Sonographer Clinical Leads Appointed
The Cardiac Diagnostic Unit (CDU) leadership is excited to announce we have added three Cardiac Sonographer Clinical Leads to our leadership team. Congratulations to Jose “Danny” Rivera, Jon Owensby, and Brenda Sedberry. Their expertise, management, and mentorship of the cardiac sonographer group will strengthen the CDU and leadership teams.
Danny Rivera, Cardiac Sonographer Level III, attended Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida where he earned a degree in Cardiopulmonary Technology in December 2001. Danny began his career in January 2002 as an entry level cardiac sonographer in the Duke CDU. During his time at Duke, he has demonstrated leadership while being a charge technician, preceptor, Echo Advisor and serving on the TAVR OR and Cath Echo teams. He has taught student cardiac sonographers as well as cardiac and CT anesthesia fellows while performing his regular clinical duties. Danny excelled in learning and teaching new echo technologies through the years, including 3D echo and speckle track strain imaging. Early in his career he enjoyed being faculty and participating in “ECHO in Context” – one of the largest telemedicine broadcasts at the time. He holds RCS and ACS sonographer certifications.
Jon Owensby, Cardiac Sonographer Level III, started his medical career as a Respiratory Therapist at Vidant Health after graduating from Pitt Community College with an Associate of Applied Science: Respiratory Therapy degree in May, 2006. He returned to Pitt Community College and earned a diploma in echocardiology in August of 2007. Jon came to Duke in November of 2007 as a new cardiac sonographer graduate. Jon has grown to be a leader in the CDU. He serves as a charge technician, preceptor, an Echo congenital expert, and as a member of the TAVR OR and Cath Echo teams. He is involved in many research and education projects. Jon is the point sonographer for the Cardiology fellowship program. In 2018 Jon won selected by the cardiology fellows as their recipient of the Fellows Education Mentor award. In February, he received the Advanced Cardiac Sonographer certification, which is a benchmark of seasoned sonographers in the field.
Brenda Sedberry, Cardiac Sonographer Level III, is a 1982 graduate of the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in Special Education. Prior to her arrival at Duke, Sedberry taught middle school special education, served as a Health and Rehab Protective Investigator for Children’s Services, and worked as a Human Services Counselor in a forensic psychiatric hospital. In 1995 Brenda received an Associate of Science Degree in Cardio-Pulmonary Technology from Santa Fe College and began her career in cardiac sonography at Duke in May of 1996. Brenda is a leader and mentor in the CDU unit. She actively serves on the Continuous Quality Improvement and accreditation teams, is involved in unit research, and is the primary staff scheduler. She has held a Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI) sonographer certification since 1996, and an American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) certification since 1997.
Please join us in congratulating Danny, Jon and Brenda!
McVeigh, Landa Taking New Roles within Duke Heart
Todd McVeigh is taking a position as an APP on the CTICU team starting August 1. He has taken this role to expand his wealth of knowledge as an APP and to expand his clinical role. Todd has been a tremendous asset to the Cardiology team in his APP role and as Co-Team Leader. He will be leaving the Team leader role as of July 1.
Rio Landa, FNP, MSN, has accepted the position of Co-Team Leader for Cardiology. Rio came to Duke in 2014 as a RN in the CTICU until 2017. She received her MSN degree and Family Nurse Practitioner from the Duke University School of Nursing. In October 2018, she joined the Duke Cardiology Team. Please welcome Rio in her new role as Co-Team Lead on the Cardiology team.
Congratulations, Todd and Rio!
Shout-out to Gentile, Cosgrove and Jollis!
We had some great teamwork out at the Southpoint clinic on April 15th. Kevin Gentile, CDU exercise physiologist, did a stress test on a patient referred from one of our Duke Primary Care practices. Fran Cosgrove was the APP in clinic consenting the patient for stress tests. There was high suspicion the test would be positive, so Fran stayed in the room during the test. Immediately after the test (which was positive), Fran and Kevin called the CDU reader (Jamie Jollis). Jollis recommended next steps (a heart cath) and explained them to the patient via speakerphone. A cath was scheduled for the next day; the patient was found to have a high grade stenosis, and a stent was placed.
The great care this patient received looks a lot like it’s just another “regular” patient care experience here at Duke and in the CDU. Let’s not forget that we provide a level of care that exceeds what is offered elsewhere. This is what makes our team amazing: great skill sets, people who are devoted to patient care, and excellent teamwork! Way to go, Kevin, Fran and Jamie – thank you for all that you and our CDU team are doing to keep patients safe!
Team Spirit & Encouragement from Clinic 2F2G
Everyone is working hard to meet the challenges brought on by the pandemic. Our team in 2F2G is showing their team spirit with a thumbs-up to encourage everyone to keep up your spirits as well as the great camaraderie and teamwork. Have a great week, everyone!
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 17 — Jason Theiling (Duke Surgery/Emergency Medicine)
WRAL.com
Virus fear leads to fewer patients in ERs
https://www.wral.com/coronavirus/Virus-fear-leads-to-fewer-patients-in-ers/19061049/
April 19 — William Kraus
Natural News
https://www.naturalnews.com/2020-04-19-prevent-diabetes-heart-disease-cut-300-calories-per-day.html
April 20 — Adrian Hernandez and Emily O’Brien
American Medical Association
Share your COVID-19 story to improve doctors’ safety, well-being
https://bit.ly/354Pj6E
April 21 — Christopher Granger
Spectrum News 14
4 p.m. Newscast: Calling 911 During A Pandemic
https://bit.ly/3eNubWF
April 21 — Manesh Patel
News & Observer
Fewer people are going to Triangle emergency rooms, and that could be a bad thing
https://bit.ly/3eNubWF
*This story was picked up in 11 other newspapers, including the Charlotte Observer and San Antonio Express-News
April 21 — Michael Dee Gunn and Thomas Denny (Duke Human Vaccine Institute)
WRAL.com
Health experts fear resurgence in coronavirus if NC reopens too quickly
https://bit.ly/3cNktBM
April 21 — Michael Dee Gunn and Thomas Denny (DHVI)
WTVD.com
Duke clinical trial hopeful as it studies plasma from COVID-19 survivors
https://bit.ly/3cNktBM
April 22 – Michael Dee Gunn and Thomas Denny (DHVI)
Spectrum News 14
4 a.m. Newscast: Antibodies, Testing & Contact Tracing for Coronavirus
https://bit.ly/2Kws0ZR
April 22 — DCRI (HERO Registry)
The Star/starfl.com (FL-based newspaper)
UF researchers join national study of COVID-19 impacts on health workers, potential remedies
https://bit.ly/2xKZrFn
April 22 — Michael Dee Gunn
USA Today
Fact Check: Trump says the US coronavirus mortality rate is ‘one of the lowest’ in the world
https://bit.ly/3cLzapg
April 22 — Ann Marie Navar
MedPage Today
Study: Off-Label Use of DOACs Worrisome for LV Thrombi
https://www.medpagetoday.com/cardiology/prevention/86103
Duke Heart Week of April 19th 2020
In Memoriam: Walter G. Wolfe, MD, Professor of Surgery, Former Chief of Surgery & Cardiac Surgery at Durham VAMC
Walter G. Wolfe, MD, emeritus faculty member and a Duke cardiothoracic surgeon, died on Monday, April 13 at his home in Hillsborough, NC, in the comfort of his family and hospice providers. The cause was amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease. He was 83.
Dr. Wolfe’s service to Duke spanned more than four decades during which time he served in a number of leadership roles, including professor of surgery at Duke, associate director of Duke Heart Center (1994-2000), Program Director of the Duke Surgery Thoracic Residency Program (1994-2002) and Chief of Surgery and Cardiac Surgery at the Durham Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC).
Wolfe is widely credited as having led the cardiac surgery program at the VA to crown jewel status within the national VA Health System. Wolfe was appointed to the position by David C. Sabiston, MD, then head of surgery at Duke, at a time when the VA system was struggling. He inherited a program with surgical outcomes that were not as good as they needed to be, and a long waiting list of patients needing procedures. One by one, he addressed every challenge he encountered there.
“Walter took this position extremely seriously and kicked the whole system into shape,” recalled Ken Morris, MD, former head of cardiology at the Durham VAMC. “He scrubbed every case for the first year and managed to work through the entire waiting list with zero mortality. He revamped the program and brought a new esprit de corp to the VA.
“The greatest value was to the patients, of course, because they were receiving much better care and support, but it also opened the door to pursuing research clinical trials,” Morris added. “We worked in great collaboration there and had a great time doing it. He was a one-of-a-kind guy and he’d mess with you, but despite all his non-sense we became very good friends.”
Wolfe, a native of Corry, PA, received his MD from Temple University in 1963. He spent his internship year in surgery at Philadelphia General Hospital, then began training at Duke University Medical Center where he completed residency and began fellowship training. He then pursued a research fellowship at the University of California at San Francisco’s Cardiovascular Institute, where he collaborated with J.B. West, MD, who is widely regarded as the father of pulmonary physiology. Wolfe then returned to Duke and completed his training in General and Thoracic Surgery in 1971. He was invited to join the faculty of Duke University as assistant professor in the Department of General and Thoracic Surgery in 1972 and achieved the rank of professor in 1979.
While at Duke, he studied under Sabiston — a luminary in the field of cardiothoracic surgery –and often served as his go-to partner, particularly on surgeries for the treatment of pulmonary embolism.
“Dr. Wolfe was a surgeon’s surgeon, in all regards, both as a general surgeon and as a cardiothoracic surgeon –this gave him bountiful and wide-ranging experience. His clinical acumen and judgment over the years became one of his finest attributes,” said Peter K. Smith, MD, Chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic surgery at Duke. “At the same time, he was completely devoted both to the residents and to his patients. It is really rare to meet somebody where that’s a meaningful statement, and in his case it definitely was. He formed many lasting relationships with residents and fellow faculty members. He was irascible and highly opinionated and he could be demanding, but the demanding aspect of him was always appropriate and he had a moral compass that was directional for everybody around him.”
Wolfe was beloved by his residents and deeply impactful in their lives long beyond their years of training.
“I’ve known him for 40 years. He was my mentor and he taught me how to be a vascular surgeon,” shared Richard McCann, MD, professor of surgery in the division of vascular and endovascular surgery at Duke. “His clinical expertise, dedication, and above all friendship will be missed by all who knew him and especially those who had the privilege of training and working with him.”
Chad Hughes, cardiothoracic surgeon and director of Duke’s Center for Aortic Disease, trained under Wolfe for several years. “He was always one of my main go-to people and he’d never hesitate to help or support me,” said Hughes. “He was a constant source of mentorship and a tremendous person. He saw things to their bare essence and was the model of efficiency – there were no wasted movements or steps on his part, and he had great surgical judgment.”
One of Hughes’ most unforgettable experiences during training was when Wolfe asked him to perform a new technique with him on Wolfe’s patient. “I had just learned how to perform a David procedure during a fellowship year at Penn. It was the first time we performed a valve sparing aortic root replacement at Duke, and it meant a lot to me that he selected me and trusted me to perform this procedure with him.”
Wolfe’s combined research and clinical efforts at Duke contributed to several milestones in cardiothoracic surgery, including the demonstration of preserving the aortic valve by re-suspension, a procedure which prevents the need for a prosthetic valve in patients with aortic dissection and significantly improved patient outcomes. In 2015, Wolfe was honored with the designation “Master Surgeon” by the Duke Department of Surgery.
“Walter wanted to make sure that the number one thing that would happen here at the VA was that veterans would get the best care,” said Sunil Rao, MD, section chief of cardiology at the Durham VA Health System. “He wanted to also make sure the residents were getting appropriate training and the appropriate independence so that, when they finished their training, they would feel confident doing complex surgeries. The VA pays very close attention to surgical outcomes. Any blip toward a negative trend is taken very seriously not just locally, but at the federal level. In that context, Walter established the Durham VA as a flagship cardiac surgery program. He was a really special guy. A lot of the outpouring of affection for him on social media is really well deserved and I think, quite frankly, an underestimation of the impact he had.”
Morris added, “He made a lot of things possible from a research standpoint because we were in a good position to take care of patients. He trained a lot of people and he trained them very well. Most of all, he was a very good partner to me and I appreciated that very much.”
Dr. Wolfe’s obituary can be found on legacy.com. The Wolfe family is in the care of Hall-Wynne; they will hold a memorial service when circumstances allow.
The Duke Department of Surgery has established the Walter G. Wolfe, MD Memorial Fund, which will be used to support resident education. Contributions can be made to this fund in care of Marcy Romary at Duke Health Development, 300 W Morgan Street. Ste. 1200 Durham, NC 27701. Checks should be written to Duke University.
On behalf of the Duke Heart leadership team, we extend our condolences to the Wolfe family and to his many friends and colleagues, as well as to his former residents. His legacy lives on in you.
Mall Elected to AACN Nominating Committee
Anna Mall, clinical lead RN in the adult cardiac catheterization lab, has been elected to Nominating Committee of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN). Acting on behalf of AACN members, the Nominating Committee is responsible for maintaining a thoughtful, systematic process to evaluate nominee qualifications that ensures each candidate possesses the required competencies to fulfill the role. The committee will vet and select candidates for the AACN Board of Directors, AACN Certification Corporation Board of Directors and the AACN – AACN Certification Corporation Nominating Committee. They will also evaluate the nomination and election process and educate the community about the process and required competencies.
Mall’s one-year term is effective July 1. Congratulations, Anna! Way to represent Duke Heart!
Nazo Receives CVRC’s Staff Appreciation Award
Nour Nazo, lab manager of the Rajagopal Lab in the Cardiovascular Research Center (CVRC), has been named the 2020
recipient of the CVRC Research Staff Appreciation Award.
Nazo, who has worked on Sudarshan Rajagopal’s lab team since 2013, says the award recognition came as a complete surprise to her, especially when so many events have been postponed and priorities have shifted due to the pandemic.
“The announcement really caught me off guard,” said Nazo. “This is a true honor.”
Before joining the CVRC team, Nazo’s research career began with an internship at the National Institute of Environmental and Health Sciences and a job with the Environmental Protection Agency. Since joining the Rajagopal lab, she has developed a range of skills ranging from studies on basic biochemistry and pharmacology to mouse physiology. She is also responsible for training undergraduates on the basics of cell culture, molecular biology experiments including PCR, agarose and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and western blotting.
“Nour was my first hire about seven years ago and she initially served as our lab tech,” said Rajagopal. “Slowly she’s become a real jack of all trades. She’s super helpful and super reliable. She essentially runs the lab from a functional standpoint and makes my life a lot easier.”
Nour is shown here in this 2019 photo of the Rajagopal lab team. She is on the far right, back row.
This is well deserved. Congratulations, Nour!
Birthday Surprise via ICU iPad Project
Our Cardiothoracic ICU enabled a virtual birthday gathering for a patient thanks to our ICU “virtual visitation” iPad project. On Monday, our team collaborated with the family of Lee Moore to gather via FaceTime.
When Kristen Cossaart, one of the ICU nurses, logged onto the platform, she says she was astonished that there were three full video chat pages of loved ones attending the party – guests ranged from his youngest grand baby to his oldest friend. Cossaart counted down from three and the family began to sing “Happy Birthday” as she walked into the patient’s room with the iPad.
“Our patient instantly lit up. While everyone on FaceTime continued to sing, all at different lag times, he could not stop smiling and laughing,” said Cossaart. “He went frame by frame and said hello to all of his loved ones and thanked them for this special moment.” The family continued to chat, sharing words of encouragement and celebrating his recovery progress.
“My iPad partner, Annie Jaeger, Pam Porter, and I were so touched and excited to be a part of this unique opportunity during this COVID-19 pandemic. We hope all nurses are able to have these sweet moments with their patients,” Cossaart added.
Many thanks to Kristen Cossaart and Mollie Kettle of our Cardiothoracic ICU for alerting us to this story, and thanks to our ICU “virtual visitation” iPad project team. Happy belated birthday to Mr. Moore!
Shout-out to EP CRNAs!
A big shout-out to the CRNAs from EP who have been serving on the hospital COVID swab team. We really appreciate their
help with COVID patients here at Duke. Shown here is one of our CRNAs getting dressed last weekend (Easter morning) for duty. Do you recognize who it is?
Passings: David E. Miller, MD, cardiologist
Many of you knew Ed Miller, a long-time Durham-based cardiologist whose practice eventually merged with others to become Triangle Heart Associates. Miller, 89, died on Wednesday at Duke University Hospital. Our condolences to his family, friends and many colleagues and former patients. His family has requested that memorial contributions be made in his name to Duke Heart Center. The family is in the care of Hall-Wynne; a private interment is planned at Maplewood Cemetery. To see the full obituary, please visit: https://legcy.co/2XLFpVJ.
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.
2020 NC Walk for Victory
Save the Date: July 6
The NC Walk for Victory, which was to be held this weekend at Laurel Park in Raleigh, has been reconfigured as a virtual walk due to the pandemic. Please consider joining Dr. Chad Hughes, medical chair of the event, and presenting sponsors: the Duke Center for Aortic Disease and Duke Heart in our effort to celebrate and fundraise on behalf of patients with Marfan syndrome. Proceeds benefit the Marfan Foundation.
We invite all Pulse readers and their families and friends to register as members of the Duke Heart team and join with us on Saturday, July 6 as we gather virtually with teams from Boston, New York, Washington, DC, San Francisco, Portland and Michigan for an afternoon of walking and sharing photos via social media. The Marfan Foundation is planning the event and asks that participants post photos to social media using #WalkforVictory and #MyWalkSavesLives.
To register, please visit https://give.marfan.org/event/2020-north-carolina-walk-for-victory/e247519. Adult registration is $20. Kids under 17 register for free.
This should be a fun opportunity to have our Marfan communities from coast to coast come together virtually in support of the mission of the Marfan Foundation. This celebration will also include a virtual dance party featuring DJ Willy Wow, a well-known DJ/entertainer for children. More details can be found on the website.
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 9 — Kyle O’Connor (DCRI) and Eric Velazquez (Yale School of Medicine)
tctMD/the heart beat
CABG Over PCI for Severe HFrEF Patients With Complex CAD: Observational Data
https://www.tctmd.com/news/cabg-over-pci-severe-hfref-patients-complex-cad-observational-data
April 10 — Adrian Hernandez
WFDD.org (88.5 FM/Piedmont Triad)
Duke Leads $50 Million Study On Coronavirus Preventative Drug
https://www.wfdd.org/story/duke-leads-50-million-study-coronavirus-preventative-drug
April 13 — L. Fernando Gonzalez (Neurosurgery)
ABC11.com
https://abc11.com/health/non-covid-19-patients-may-be-delaying-care-officials-say/6100490/
April 13 — Duke Clinical Research Institute
Kansas City Star/kansascity.com
‘Is it effective?’ KU Med needs health care workers to try taking coronavirus drug
https://www.kansascity.com/news/business/health-care/article241969796.html
April 14 — Adam Banks and J. Kevin Harrison
ACC.org/Latest in Cardiology: Important Interventional Trials From CRT.20
Anticoagulation vs. Antiplatelet Therapy After TAVR in Low-Risk Patients
https://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/articles/2020/04/14/08/42/important-interventional-trials-from-crt20
April 15 — Ashley Choi (med student) and Duke University School of Medicine
MedPage Today
Heart Transplant Waitlist More Risky at Choosy Centers
https://www.medpagetoday.com/cardiology/hearttransplantation/85987
April 15 — Adrian Hernandez
Washington Post
Chaotic search for coronavirus treatments undermines efforts, experts say
https://wapo.st/2XIhFSp
April 16 — M. Dee Gunn
WTVD/ABC11.com
How antibody testing and contact tracing might work for NC to reopen
https://abc11.tv/2XL929D
April 15 — Andrew Landstrom
UNC-TV/Science
A Network Of Doctors Offer Hope To Those With Rare Diseases
http://science.unctv.org/content/video/rarediseases
April 16 — Nishant Shah
ACC.org/Latest in Cardiology
Familial Hypercholesterolemia: Early Diagnosis and Treatment is Key for Cardiovascular Prevention
https://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/articles/2020/04/16/09/58/familial-hypercholesterolemia
Duke Heart Week ending April 12th 2020
Chief’s message:
The last few months have pushed our country and healthcare system in many ways. Hopefully, you all had a happy holiday weekend with some time to spend with family and friends. These trying times have increased our appreciation for the opportunities and moments we have together. This time of year is often a time of reflection. The people in the Division of Cardiology and the Heart Center have responded to the crisis with characteristic teamwork, persistence, and creativity. Thank you all for your continued support in carrying for our patients and each other.
Updates of the week:
Meyer Leaving Duke Heart; Heading to Prisma Health
Maggie Meyer, an administrative director with Duke Heart, is heading to Greenville, SC for the next step in her career. Beginning in May, she will join Prisma Health as Director of Executive Projects and will report to their Chief Clinical Officer. Prisma Health is the largest not-for-profit hospital organization in South Carolina.
Meyer has worked on a number of significant projects for Duke Heart, including analyses of bed capacity for Heart Services to ensure our program growth would align with long-term bed allocations as Duke Hospital grows; helping establish the Heart Safe Choices program; assisting with the bundled payment and care redesign efforts across heart services, and helping set up the Duke Heart Incubator in order to create pathways for new ideas to get launched at Duke.
Most recently, she worked to get our Mobile Cardiac Rehab app built and launched (just in time for the COVID-19 pandemic!) and helped institute a program for iPad use in the ICU so that patients could be in touch with loved ones during the pandemic.
Many of you have had the opportunity to work with Maggie over the years and know that she is an extremely caring, conscientious and dedicated person who is always looking for how she can help others.
“Over her time at Duke, she has helped countless people with projects big and small, always with the same willingness to simply make a difference for our teams and our patients,” says Sean Sondej, vice president of Heart Services. “She is someone that you can immediately trust at all levels and she made us better as a team. I couldn’t be more confident that Maggie will continue to make a difference in the lives of the people she works with and for, and that she knows that we’ll all always be here to connect, support, and cheer her on.”
Meyer has been with Duke for seven years. She served as an Administrative Fellow and as a Strategic Services Associate prior to being named an Administrative Director in 2015. Her last day with us will be Friday, April 17.
Please join us in wishing her the very best in her new endeavor! She will be missed. We hope to have a gathering this summer, when she returns for a visit to Duke and the rules for social distancing are hopefully long behind us.
It’s Official! SOM Faculty Awards Announcement
The School of Medicine formally announced their 2020 Spring faculty awards earlier this week. You can read the entire article here. We are so proud of Mike Sketch, Larry Crawford and Tracy Wang for their accomplishments and for this well-deserved recognition.
Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award
Michael Sketch has been named one of the recipients of the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award, which is designed to recognize compassion and sensitivity in the delivery of healthcare. This award is presented annually to a faculty member who demonstrates outstanding compassion in the delivery of care; respect for patients, their families, and healthcare colleagues; as well as demonstrated clinical excellence. The Arnold P. Gold Foundation sponsors this annual award for a faculty member from 99 of the nation’s medical schools.
Excellence in Professionalism Award
Lawrence Crawford has been named one of the recipients of the Excellence in Professionalism Award, which recognizes the
importance of promoting ethical and professional behavior within our community. This award is presented to those who exemplify professionalism and personifies Duke’s guiding principles of respect, trustworthiness, diversity, teamwork, and learning.
Research Mentoring Awards
The Research Mentoring Awards recognize faculty members in the School of Medicine for excellence in research mentoring. Excellence can be demonstrated in many ways such as by the accomplishments of individual mentees, by programs implemented by the mentor, or by exceptional creativity in mentoring. This year, the recipient of the Early Career Mentoring Award in Clinical – Population Health Science is Tracy Yu-Ping Wang.
Congratulations to all three of you!
COVID-19 & CVD Algorithm
We want to thank all members of the Duke Heart team who have helped us formulate a management strategy for the cardiovascular complications of patients with COVID-19. We hope this will be a valuable tool to front-line providers, as we prepare for a possible increase in cases in the coming weeks. The full written document will be available to the division soon.Please let Manesh Patel or Rahul Loungani know if you have any questions or feedback.
Shout-out for Meyer, Carroll & ICU iPad Project Team
Hat tip to Maggie Meyer, Maria Carroll, Mollie Kettle, Kelly Kester, Bradi Granger and Allen Cadavero for their work on the ICU “virtual visitation” iPad project in Duke Heart. As you know, Duke University Health System implemented a “no visitor” policy on March 23rd due to the pandemic. While stepdown and floor unit patients are likely able to access personal devices to communicate with loved ones, ICU and surgical unit patients are unable to access phones and tablets.
The goal is to pilot use of iPads on 7W and 7700 to facilitate non-COVID, non-isolation patient and family communication while a “no visitor” policy is in place. The project could be expanded to other intensive care units within Duke as appropriate. The group has access to iPads purchased by DHTS for use on special projects during the pandemic.
Connection is a very big deal right now for all of us, but especially so for our cardiac patients recovering in the hospital. This is just one of many ways Duke Heart is working to make things easier for our patients and their loved ones while they’re hospitalized. Way to go, team!
Shout-outs to Mall, Loungani, Harrington, Blumer & Arps
We’d like to give a shout-out this weekend to Anna Mall, our clinical lead RN in the adult cardiac catheterization lab. Anna volunteered to be on-call for the STEMI team for the first two events in case we had a STEMI come in that was a rule-out COVID. She came in for two STEMIs within the past week and assisted the team to ensure they had the appropriate equipment, ensure staff was comfortable with the process and with donning and doffing, and assisted with running when necessary. Thank you, Anna, for being such a terrific team member and serving in such a valuable capacity for your Duke Heart teammates. Way to go!
A shout-out to Rahul Loungani, one of our cardiology fellows, who has done a great deal of work in helping to develop care pathways around COVID-19 and cardiovascular complications. The cardiology faculty will get to see the results of this work on Tuesday as we discuss deployment plans around COVID.
And some shout-outs for Josephine Harrington (2x!), Vanessa Blumer and Kelly Arps…
First, this note from Neel Kapadia, Medical Director, Duke University Health System Transfer Center and Assistant Medical Director, Duke Emergency Department, which was shared with us thanks to Jason Katz and Anna Lisa Crowley:
“I just wanted to take a moment to recognize Josephine Harrington, one of your fellows. Yesterday, there was a post-cardiac arrest patient at Granville who they were struggling with managing. I spoke with Josephine to help get the patient transferred and she was very willing to be flexible and helpful in facilitating the transfer. I had the opportunity to meet her yesterday, and thank her personally, but I wanted to share with you as well.”
Second, this note from Rob Harrison to Anna Lisa Crowley and Manesh Patel:
“I want to share some mega kudos for Vanessa Blumer, Kelly Arps, and Joey Harrington on their performance in the CICU this week. We have, as expected, taken on more general MICU type cases this week as other ICUs have taken on more COVID patients or reserved more beds for COVID rule out. All three of the fellows have been extremely receptive to other units sending patients to us, and very willing to take non-cardiac transfers from outside hospitals. They are also providing very high-level medical ICU care and intern/resident teaching – reminding me that our cardiology trainees are already world class internal medicine physicians.”
Indeed, our trainees truly are world-class. Each one of you is a shining example of this profession and we are proud to have all of you as members of our Duke Heart team.
7 East Team Spreads Cheer
Many thanks to the 7 East/CT Surgery Stepdown Unit staff for taking time to gather a bunch of snacks and gifts to share with Duke team members who are caring for COVID-positive patients on other units at Duke University Hospital. The group donated to 3200, 8200, 6E and the emergency department.
“Our nursing staff know just how stressful everything has been lately,” Ciarra Ashley, 7E clinical lead RN shared. “The thing that amazes me about the 7 East staff is that they constantly think of others and realize that in the end we are all in this together.”
Nicely done! Way to represent Duke Heart!!!
ICYMI: Palliative Care & Heart Failure
Congratulations to Shelley Thompson, Cary Ward, Midge Bowers and Tony Galanos for their article, Impact of a Palliative Care Education Module in Patients With Heart Failure, published in the April 9 issue of American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Well done!
ICYMI: AHA EPI/LIFESTYLE 2020 Scientific Sessions
Congratulations to Carolyn Lekavich and Bill Kraus for their abstract, Early Recognition of Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF): Ventricular Elastance as a Predictive Marker for Prevention and Treatment, which was presented last month at the American Heart Association’s EPI/LIFESTYLE 2020 Scientific Sessions. The meeting was held March 3-6 at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix in collaboration with the AHA Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health and the Council on Epidemiology and Prevention. Nice work!
Kids Got Cabin Fever? Maybe YOU Have Cabin Fever…?
The American Heart Association has a suggestion… With students and families across the country adjusting to a new e-learning environment, keeping children physically active and mentally engaged is more important than ever. Enter Kids Heart Challenge Virtual, a 10-day program inviting families to “Kick Cabin Fever to the Curb!” Highlights include engaging in a daily physical activity challenge, practicing kindness and preparing heart-healthy meals together, while continuing to support the American Heart Association. The 10-Day Challenge has been created to help parents keep kids occupied, entertained, and healthy during school closures.
You’ll receive daily challenge emails loaded with quality content for you to engage with your kids. The content within the daily challenge email messages will help prioritize mental and physical health with four key areas of focus:
- The physical activity prompts help pass the time with activities such as hide and seek, yoga, gardening, rope jumping tricks or a dance party.
- The community skills components allow participants to learn Hands-Only CPR, the warning signs of a stroke, how the heart works and so much more.
- The personal growth section asks children to reflect on gratitude and individual goal setting.
- The last component brings the entire family together for kid-friendly cooking and meaningful discussion topics such as how heart disease has touched their family.
To learn more, click here and then, search your child’s school to sign up with your school or if you can’t find your school and want to sign up for Kick Cabin Fever to the Curb, type Finn’s Mission into the search box and join Finn’s team!
Note from Tracey and Manesh: if you participate in any of the above, send us some photos for Pulse!
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 3 — John Alexander and Renato Lopes
tctMD/the heart beat
Aspirin Okay for Up to 30 Days in A-fib Patients After ACS or PCI: AUGUSTUS
https://www.tctmd.com/news/aspirin-okay-30-days-fib-patients-after-acs-or-pci-augustus
Duke Heart Week Ending April 5th 2020
Chief’s Message:
Our faculty, fellows, and staff continue to work to ensure we can deliver and prepare for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the several difficult weeks we have had, there are more coming. It is in these unprecedented times, we are able to see the character of people. We have had people working in remarkable ways to fight the pandemic from managing our clinical practice, organizing research opportunities, to sorting out ways to continue to teach. Perhaps most importantly, I have seen the “all hands on deck” attitude of our entire division across many fronts. Thank you all for your continued effort and commitment to our patients and each other.
Updates of the week:
Melloni Leaving Duke Heart; Heading to IQVIA
After 15 years at Duke, Chiara Melloni, associate professor of medicine, is leaving Duke Heart and the Duke Clinical Research
Institute for a new opportunity with IQVIA. Melloni has accepted the role of senior director for IQVIA’s Cardiovascular Center for Excellence. The strategic role will position her to work with sponsors of research clinical trials to understand their needs, help them develop their CV program, work on appropriate site selection, patient selection and help inform clinical trial design.
Melloni says the decision was bittersweet, as she will miss Duke and the people she has come to know so well, but that the opportunity with IQVIA is a terrific one that will allow her to grow professionally and to remain in the Durham area.
“It has been such an honor to be a part of the Duke family for 15 years and I am deeply grateful for the people here who began as colleagues but who have become friends,” Melloni says.
Her experience at Duke has given her great experience in the design and conduct of clinical trials, but she says the new role at IQVIA will give her a lot to learn.
“Through my work with DCRI, I’ve had the opportunity to partner with so many faculty members and this helped me a great deal throughout my fellowship as well as transitioning into becoming a junior faculty member. You find that everyone approaches things just a bit differently and you grow because you’re learning from so many people. I particularly enjoyed working with the international fellows. You make such good friendships through this type of work and get to meet people from all over the world, and we’re all driven by the same ideals around improving patient health.”
She says she has really enjoyed the last few years of working closely with the Duke cardio-oncology team. (To read more about what drove Melloni and her cardio-oncology work, please see: http://dukecancerinstitute.org/donors/your-gifts-at-work/what-does-heart-disease-have-do-cancer)
“Reaching into this area has been an interesting journey, especially working to create a team outside of my therapeutic area; we’ve worked hard to learn how to reduce cardiovascular harms in this patient population. This is one of the areas I think I will miss the most — I really put my heart in every sense into this project. We have done a lot and I’m very proud to have co-chaired the three symposiums we’ve held so far. When you put a lot of work into something and you see it be successful is a great joy.”
Melloni’s last day with us at Duke will be May 10. She hopes to continue collaborating with us in the years to come. Please join us in congratulating and wishing Chiara the very best in her new adventure!
Mobile Cardiac Rehab Program Launched
This week, Duke Heart launched its Mobile Cardiac Rehabilitation program, allowing patients to benefit from a personalized exercise program via mobile app, devices and electronic communication with an exercise physiologist. The need for a remote program was highlighted during the past few weeks as traditional in-person cardiac rehab was no longer possible due to on-site restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many patients face barriers to participation in cardiac rehabilitation programs, including transportation and access in their community, as well as overall costs for rehab, which is often prescribed three times a week for up to 12 weeks. Planning for a mobile program at Duke has been underway for nearly a year and a half, as our cardiac rehab team explored ways to make our program more accessible to our patient population. The mobile planning team first met with Pattern Health, a local app development company, in October of 2018.
Our mobile cardiac rehab program will work to address barriers to participation by providing patients the option of completing the majority of the 36 sessions at home. Thanks to a partnership with Duke’s Population Health Management Office (PHMO), our planning team was able to secure 20 sets of devices that will allow patients to monitor and record biometrics including steps, heart rate, blood pressure, weight, glucose levels and ECG rhythm strips.
As of last week, 11 patients are enrolled in the mobile program and a number of patients have downloaded the app and started their tasks. Patients are required to attend an initial in-person session with an exercise physiologist at Duke’s Cardiac Rehabilitation clinic prior to launching their at-home program.
The internal mobile planning team includes individuals from areas across Duke including Duke Heart, PHMO, and the Digital Strategy Office (DSO). A special thanks to the Duke Heart team members who have worked so hard to get this program off the ground: Karen Craig, Beth Summers, Bill Kraus, Brian Duscha, Maria Carroll and Maggie Meyer.
Great job, everyone! This opportunity will be critical to many of our heart patients over the coming weeks and months.
Wang to Serve on AHA COVID-19 Registry Steering Committee
The American Heart Association (AHA) this week announced a new, free COVID-19 cardiovascular disease registry
powered by their Get With The Guidelines (GWTG) quality improvement program. Tracy Wang, associate professor of medicine in cardiology and member of the Duke Clinical Research Institute, will serve on the registry’s steering committee. The DCRI is the analytic center for the GWTG program.
The AHA is creating the multicenter registry to collect biomarkers, clinical data and cardiovascular outcomes in COVID-19 patients. This novel COVID-19 patient data registry is expected to be made available in May to the roughly 2400 hospitals currently participating in a GWTG quality improvement program. To read more about the effort, please visit: https://bit.ly/2UHMk0i
PCORI Commits $50M to DCRI COVID-19 HERO Trial
On Wednesday, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) announced they will fund up to $50 million to evaluate hydroxychloroquine as a preventive drug for the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
A new rapid-response study called the Healthcare Worker Exposure Response and Outcomes (HERO) research program will be designed and led by the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI); the study seeks to engage healthcare workers across the nation to understand the impact of COVID-19 on their health and to evaluate whether hydroxychloroquine can prevent COVID-19 infections in healthcare workers at high risk of contracting this novel coronavirus.
Adrian Hernandez initiated the program and will serve as the administrative principal investigator.
The HERO program will initially consist of two parts, a national registry and a randomized clinical trial. The registry will be led by DCRI’s Emily O’Brien, assistant professor in Duke’s Department of Population Health Sciences, and will seek to rapidly identify and enroll a large community of healthcare workers at high risk for COVID-19 infection. Recruitment for the registry is expected to begin within the next two weeks. The registry will not only support recruitment into the trial, but will enable future trials as well, and seek to understand the wellbeing of healthcare workers on issues such as workforce stress, burnout, and other outcomes.
The second part, the randomized clinical trial HERO-HCQ, will be led by the DCRI’s Susanna Naggie, associate professor of medicine in infectious diseases at Duke. The trial will launch later in April and will identify approximately 15,000 healthcare workers from the registry to participate. The trial will randomize participants to either one month of hydroxychloroquine or one month of placebo and will examine whether hydroxychloroquine is effective in decreasing the rate of COVID-19 infection. In addition to the benefits and risks of using hydroxychloroquine, the study also will explore how well the drug can prevent healthcare workers from unintentionally spreading the virus to others.
The program will engage the powerful PCORI-funded PCORnet®, the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network, which is an established health research network involving more than 850,000 clinicians and hundreds of health systems across the U.S. The study results will be shared widely with the healthcare community.
To learn more, please visit: https://www.pcori.org/news-release/pcori-funds-registry-study-effectiveness-hydroxychloroquine-prevent-covid-19-healthcare-workers and https://dcri.org/hero-pcori-funding-coronavirus/.
Attain Stability Trial Results Published
Congratulations to Kevin Jackson, Susan Gerstl and the entire team on the Attain Stability trial. This study was just published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology; Jackson was first author. We finished in the top 50 percent of enrolling sites and the study was conducted with favorable finances. Advancing knowledge and improving treatment of heart rhythm disorders is among our top priorities within Duke’s EP team, and it is great to see this group make another significant contribution to the field. Congratulations to everyone on this very important accomplishment!
Advance Care Planning for End of Life Care in HF Patients
Harshaw-Ellis, K. 2020. Commentary nursing issues: Using advance care planning for end-of-life care in heart failure improves outcomes. BMJ Evidence-Based Nursing. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/ebnurs-2019-103249.
Lifelong Learning Statement for Advanced HF & Transplant Cardiology
Clyde W. Yancy, Mark H. Drazner, Samuel Tristram Coffin, William Cornwell III, Shashank Desai, John P. Erwin III, Mahazarin Ginwalla, Karol S. Harshaw-Ellis, Tamara Horwich, Michelle Kittleson, Anuradha Lala, Sabra C. Lewsey, Joseph E. Marine, Cindy M. Martin, Karen Meehan, David A. Morrow, Kelly Schlendorf, Jason W. Smith and Gerin R. Stevens. 2020, March 17. 2020 ACC/HFSA/ISHLT Lifelong learning statement for advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology specialists. JACC. 75(10) 1212-1230:doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2019.09.030.
Shout-outs to CVRC Labs & Vicky Bryson; Jedrek Wosik & Mike Blazing
Hat tip to Vicky Bryson in the Paul Rosenberg Lab within the Duke Cardiovascular Research Center! After Colin Duckett put out a call within the School of Medicine’s research facilities for PPE supplies that could be donated to Duke University Health System entities, Bryson took the lead on collecting items within the CVRC. Bryson’s efforts yielded many cases of protective gloves in a range of sizes – special thanks to the Rosenberg, Lefkowitz, Shenoy and Stiber labs for their generous donations. Our front-line healthcare workers thank you!!! It’s not too late for CVRC labs to make donations – if you’re interested, send an email to Vicky Bryson or Maria Price Rapoza.
A big shout-out to Jedrek Wosik and Mike Blazing for leading our transition to telehealth visits. You’ve taken on a major project during a stressful time and streamlined it in a way that has been super-palatable to your colleagues – way to go! The Duke Heart team is incredibly grateful and deeply appreciative of the work you’ve done. Many, many thanks!
7 West Partners with Local Restaurant; Helps Others
Amanda Ornell, one of our amazing staff nurses on 7 West, contacted the owners of Travinia, an Italian restaurant and bar in Morrisville that is struggling in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, after hearing they wanted to help local healthcare workers. The restaurant has been working to help the community in any way they can, with the food they currently have on hand, so that nothing goes to waste. Ornell and Philip Parker, one of her nurse managers, set up a lunch for the staff on 7 West, with the understanding that the restaurant would take donations so they could continue to pay it forward and support others in the community. According to Parker, the team was able to raise roughly $500 on Friday, March 27th, which enabled the restaurant owners to provide 250 meals to local nursing home residents. The pictures here show the meals prior to being delivered and Ornell and Parker receiving the lunch provided to 7W staff. Nice job, team!
COVID-19 Updates:
All the latest official DUHS information regarding coronavirus/COVID-19 response at the following locations:
Self-Care Resources from Your Well-Being Team
Please be good to yourself! Duke Health’s well-being team has developed resources to help all of us deal with anxiety and related issues. Visit the Well-Being Resources page which will be updated each Wednesday with new ideas on how to better care for ourselves and each other.
Remember the basics: Show gratitude for one another. Use huddles and meetings to share ideas on what’s helping your resilience. Take deep breaths and mindful minutes with your team. When you leave work, take a moment to think about three good things that happened in the day, and mentally transition from work to home. A new checklist is available to help you power down, rest and recharge. Many sites are posting this checklist in their work areas. We also encourage everyone (including those working remotely) to print out a copy for themselves, or share via PowerPoint.
If you have well-being ideas or resources that have helped you, or moments of gratitude and awe that you want to share with your colleagues, contact BeWell@Duke.edu.
Upcoming Opportunities/Save the Date:
AHA Announces COVID-19 Grant Funding; Deadline April 6
The American Heart Association (AHA) invites cardiovascular-focused applications that will contribute to understanding the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular pathogenesis, diagnosis, prevention, clinical manifestations, clinical management (including critical care management) and social behaviors which can lead to dissemination, containment, and complications of COVID-19. Because of the urgency of this issue, innovative, highly impactful short-term proposals (9-12 months), which can show progress within the period of this award, are sought.
Grant amounts will be up to $100,000, including up to 10 percent institutional indirect costs. The AHA anticipates funding at least 10 awards and a nationwide Coordinating Center. To learn more, please visit: https://bit.ly/2RcWJyC
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Upcoming Grand Rounds:
- Cancelled through April
- May 12: Michelle Kittleson, Cedars Sinai
- May 19: Mark Newman, University of Kentucky
- May 26: Svati Shah
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:
March 27 — Mitchell Krucoff
tctMD/the heart beat
Conversations in Cardiology: Uncovered Struts on OCT After 12 Years?
https://www.tctmd.com/news/conversations-cardiology-uncovered-struts-oct-after-12-years
March 28 — W. Schuyler Jones
MedPage Today
Favorable Results for DOAC After Peripheral Intervention
https://www.medpagetoday.com/meetingcoverage/acc/85663
March 29 — E. Magnus Ohman
tctMD/the heart beat
Anatomic Burden, Ischemia Severity, and Outcomes in ISCHEMIA
https://www.tctmd.com/news/anatomic-burden-ischemia-severity-and-outcomes-ischemia
March 29 — Chiara Melloni
Medscape
CARAVAGGIO Expands DOAC Pool in Cancer-related VTE
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/927735#vp_2
March 29 — Duke Clinical Research Institute
DICardiology.com
Vericiguat Improves Outcomes in Patients with Worsening Heart Failure
https://www.dicardiology.com/content/vericiguat-improves-outcomes-patients-worsening-heart-failure
March 29 — Corey Bradley/DCRI
MedicineNet.com
Bad Info May Be Scaring Patients Away From Heart-Healthy Statins
https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=219763
March 30 – Joe Rogers
Newsobserver.com
How many will die of COVID-19 in North Carolina? Predicting the toll isn’t easy
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/coronavirus/article241615341.html
April 1 — Duke Clinical Research Institute
Bloomberg BNA
Trump-Touted Virus Drug Ready for Trial in Health Workers
https://bnanews.bna.com/pharma-and-life-sciences/trumps-pet-coronavirus-drug-ready-for-trial-in-health-workers
April 1 — Duke Clinical Research Institute
WTVD
https://bit.ly/3dTZkHv
April 2 — Duke Clinical Research Institute
WRAL Tech Wire
Duke launches $50M effort to see if drug can prevent COVID-19 among healthcare workers
https://bit.ly/2JDBgen
Duke Heart Week ending March 29th 2020
Chief’s message:
Resilience and Path Forward: These are very trying times. As you all, I have read, seen, viewed the devastating reports from Italy and New York, where the systems, organizations, hospitals, and most notably the Healthcare Heroes have been overwhelmed by the pandemic, working in limited and trying times to help patients with the disease. The humanity and resolve to continue to support and fight for patients has been awe-inspiring. The messages, lessons, tips you all have sent are all welcome and we are listening and organizing these. We all will be called upon in different ways to pitch in, support, work in situations that will test us. I am confident in our group, and have heard the desire from many to contribute, to act, to matter in this time. Please re-charge, spend some time away from the news and internet. Soon there will be a time to demonstrate our collective ability to work together, trust each other, and act to preserve and care for our patients and each other.
To our past graduates and friends of Duke Heart – we hope you are staying well and appreciate all the support.
Highlights of the week:
Douglas Honored and Awarded by ACC
The American College of Cardiology has renamed an award in honor of Pamela S. Douglas and made her its 2020 recipient! The Pamela S. Douglas Distinguished Award for Leadership in Diversity and Inclusion was officially announced this weekend during the virtual ACC Scientific Sessions. To learn more, please visit: https://dcri.org/acc-2020-pamela-douglas-award/.
The award and naming by the ACC for diversity and inclusion in honor of Pam Douglas is a recognition of her tremendous efforts over the years to help mentor, and build a culture of inclusions. Congratulations, Pam!
Three Duke Heart Faculty Named ACC Fellows
Congratulation to Camille Frazier-Mills, Adam DeVore and Nishant Shah. Each was named a fellow of the American College of Cardiology this weekend. Way to go!
ACC Goes Virtual
For all the latest information on virtual presentations this weekend and tomorrow, please check out the DCRI’s ACC page: https://dcri.org/dcri-acc/
Crawford to Receive Professionalism Award
Congratulations to Larry Crawford! He has been selected by the School of Medicine’s Office for Faculty and the award selection
committee as a recipient of the 2020 Excellence in Professionalism Award. The award is normally presented at the Spring Faculty Celebration held annually in May. Plans for this event are uncertain due to current events, but we look forward to formally celebrating with Larry when the time comes.
This is a wonderful achievement and well-deserved!
Shout-outs:
Kudos to Anthony Peters, Vishal Rao and Chris Wrobel:
Jason Katz wrote the following note to Anna Lisa Crowley this week:
“I was really excited to finally work in the CICU last week and was – as anticipated – very happy with the strong work and leadership exhibited by our fellows. Vishal, Chris, and Anthony were each fantastic. I loved how they each had their own unique style, but each were unwavering in their determination to provide the best care, the best teaching, and the best support for their colleagues, the nurses, the patients, the families, and the rest of the CICU staff. They were awesome! You should be very proud — I sure was!”
Thank you Chris, Anthony and Vishal for your leadership during this uncertain time and thank you to Jason Katz for providing this feedback. Way to go, everyone!
Hat tip to Plichta
Many thanks to Ryan Plichta for providing treats for cardiothoracic unit floor APPs on 7E and 3100/3300 last weekend. Not only did he help boost morale on a few of our busy units, but he helped support a local Durham restaurant that, like so many others across the country, are struggling right now. Great idea!!!
Kudos to Southpoint Staff
Kudos to the Southpoint front desk staff and their manager, Damien Lett, who have been fantastic in helping convert visit types, reschedule patients, scheduling follow-up and lab appointments. This has been a huge help to the team! Thank you Dora Hernandez-Granados, Bulmaro “Alex” Ayala, Loistene Alcaraz, Maria Cabello, Marisol Juarez Mosqueda and Samantha Lorenzo.
Duke Ambulatory APP/NC’s Meeting Goes Virtual
Our Duke Ambulatory APPs and nurse clinicians held their second virtual meeting this past week with 18 participants. Many thanks to Jennifer Hervey, MS-HIIM, BSN, RN, for letting us know and for sending the photo!
According to Allen Stephens, MHS, PA-C, a Duke Heart PA with Duke Cardiology of Southpoint, using Zoom during our time of social distancing “Was a great way for us to check in with one another, share best practices for telehealth visits and to address questions and concerns from the group. I think using video makes it easier for people to communicate than just by phone.” He shared the following tip:
- If using Zoom for a Duke meeting use the Duke Zoom website so that the meeting time can be longer than the 40 minutes included with the general basic zoom account. (Note, this will require you to create a log in on the Duke Zoom website)
COVID-19
You can quickly access the latest official DUHS information regarding coronavirus/COVID-19 response at the following locations:
Messages of thanks from Chancellor Eugene Washington and from Coach Mike Krzyzewski to healthcare providers were shared earlier this week. Check them out!
ICYMI: a useful video update on PPE from our Covid-19 Task Force.
Quick reminder that, as stated in recent email updates from DUHS leadership, media inquiries and stories related to Covid-19 must go through an approval process with the command center and DUHS Media Relations office. If you have questions about this, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart. Thanks!
Resources from Your Well-Being Team
Need to relax and recharge? Visit our page of Well-Being Resources, updated each Wednesday with new ideas on how to better care for ourselves and each other.
And remember the basics: Show gratitude for one another. Use huddles and meetings to share ideas on what’s helping your resilience. Take deep breaths and mindful minutes with your team. When you leave work, take a moment to think about three good things that happened in the day, and mentally transition from work to home. A new checklist is available to help you power down, rest and recharge. Many sites are posting this checklist in their work areas. We also encourage everyone (including those working remotely) to print out a copy for themselves, or share via PowerPoint.
If you have well-being ideas or resources that have helped you, or moments of gratitude and awe that you want to share with your colleagues, contact BeWell@Duke.edu.
National Doctors’ Day
This year, Duke Health is working to celebrate all caregivers on National Doctors’ Day through the #ThankYouDukeHealth campaign.
The first Doctor’s Day observance was March 30, 1933 in Winder, Georgia. Eudora Brown Almond, wife of Dr. Charles B. Almond, decided to set aside a day to honor physicians. On March 30, 1958, a Resolution Commemorating Doctors’ Day was adopted by the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1990, legislation was introduced in the House and Senate to establish a national Doctor’s Day. Following overwhelming approval by the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives, on October 30, 1990, President George Bush signed S.J. RES. #366 (which became Public Law 101-473) designating March 30th as “National Doctor’s Day.”
We are so blessed to have each of you as a member of our Duke Heart team.
Have a great week everyone and please stay safe!
Upcoming Opportunities/Save the Date:
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Upcoming Grand Rounds:
- Cancelled through April
- May 12: Michelle Kittleson, Cedars Sinai
- May 19: Mark Newman, University of Kentucky
- May 26: Svati Shah
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:
March 20 — Adam DeVore
tctMD/the heart beat
Missed Opportunities: Many HF Patients Not Tested for CAD
https://www.tctmd.com/news/missed-opportunities-many-hf-patients-not-tested-cad
March 24 — Adam DeVore
Healio/Cardiology Today
In new-onset HF, rate of CAD testing lower than expected
https://bit.ly/3bzcjMP
Duke Heart Updates Week ending 3-22-2020
Chief’s message:
Red-Beans and Rice and COVID-19
After a long week on the internet and with news you might wonder what Red Beans and Rice have to do with COVID-19. Red Beans and rice is one of the “test-kitchen” cooking attempts I have made over the last year for the Sunday family dinner that my kids actually enjoy (list is up to about 6-8 recipes). Our kids have been especially patient with all that the world has been throwing at them with home distant web-schooling, two parents in health care and associated conversations and concerns, and other adjustments. So when they asked for red-beans and rice for dinner – was a welcome hour or so to get distracted from COVID-19. I include some prep pictures with the them helping make the recipe. Also a picture of the Bull in downtown Durham and some pictures a colleague took from a walk outside.There is a lot changing hour to hour, so it is nice to have moments where screens are off and we are spending time to reflect or on tasks that provide some outlet. In this issue of the Pulse – you will also find photos and recognition of the life that goes one for our fellows and staff, and the continued accomplishments and commitment to our missions.
Regarding COVID-19 news – it is moving rapidly and our Health System and physician group is moving quickly to help care for the community and each other.
The article below by Atul Gawande that many of you have likely seen provides nice context on the things we can do to help our staff and health care workers as we care of patients.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/keeping-the-coronavirus-from-infecting-health-care-workers
The outpouring of support for Duke clinicians has been heartwarming. Thank you all for the teamwork and leadership this last week
Updates of the week:
COVID-19
Thank you for all you’re doing to keep our team and patients safe. The latest official information for Duke Health entities regarding coronavirus/COVID-19 response is available at the following locations:
- PDC intranet site (NET ID required)
- Duke Health intranet site (NET ID required)
- Additional restrictions on hospital visitors go into effect Monday, March 23.
Consistency in messaging is imperative, so please refer to the resources there for the latest information and policy updates.
…And now some reasons to rejoice:
Duke Heart Grows Again!
Cardiology fellow Titus Ngeno and his wife, Claire, welcomed a daughter last weekend. Please join us in celebrating the arrival of Yanna Chepyator Ngeno last weekend! The family is doing well. We are so excited for you, Titus!
Wang to Receive Mentorship Award
We’ve learned that Tracy Wang will be awarded a School of Medicine Mentorship Award at the 2020 spring faculty
celebration. The event is currently scheduled for May 5 at the Doris Duke Center at Duke Gardens. Well deserved!
Alpha Omega Alpha’s Newest Members
We heard this week from Edward Buckley, Vice Dean for Education with the School of Medicine, that three of our future and current cardiology fellows have been elected to membership in the medical honor society Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA). A big congratulations to Marat Fudim, Stephen Greene, and Dennis Narcisse!
AOA elects a small number of students, residents and fellows each year who exemplify the qualities of scholastic performance, leadership, fairness in dealing with colleagues, compassion for others, integrity of character, and service to the school and community at large.
In the notification letter, Buckley wrote, “As you know, membership in AOA is a distinction that accompanies a physician throughout his or her career. I am extremely proud of these individuals and their accomplishments.”
Way to go!!!!
Kudos to Rehorn
Mike Rehorn was awarded a gold star from Duke Graduate Medical Education for his care of a grateful patient.
The patient writes, “I was recently admitted to Duke for atrial flutter. Every single person I came in contact with was WONDERFUL. Everyone was so caring and helpful. They listened, took time with me and my family and answered questions…I had to let someone higher up know about some people in particular… [list included Dr. Rehorn]. Thank you for the standards set for amazing staff.”
Catherine Kuhn, Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education writes, “I want to add a personal note of thanks and appreciation for being such a positive ambassador for Duke and your specialty.”
Nicely done, Mike! Thanks for representing Duke Heart!
Upcoming Opportunities/Save the Date:
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Upcoming Grand Rounds:
- Cancelled through April
- May 12: Michelle Kittleson, Cedars Sinai
- May 19: Mark Newman, University of Kentucky
- May 26: Svati Shah
Duke-J&J Nurse Leadership Program Accepting Applications
The Duke-Johnson & Johnson Nurse Leadership Program is now accepting applications for the 2020-21 program year. Advanced practice nurses (APNs) and their team members–committed to collaborating together on a health improvement initiative–are invited to participate in this program. The 10-month leadership development program trains APNs and their team members to be better equipped to meet the challenges of the evolving health care environment. Up to 35 health care teams will be selected to participate for the 2020-21 program year.
The application period will close May 11. Read more about the application process.
Informational webinar about the program will be held via Zoom 12-1 p.m. ET Thursday April 16.
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:
March 11 — Adrian Hernandez
Nature.com
The FDA brings real-world data head to head with clinical trials
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0772-0
March 15 — Joseph Rogers
WUNC.org
Triangle Hospitals Prepping For Spike In COVID-19 Patients
https://www.wunc.org/post/triangle-hospitals-prepping-spike-covid-19-patients
March 16 — Jason Katz
MedpageToday
https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/covid19/85444
March 16 — Renato Lopes
tctMD/the heart beat
More Support for DOAC-Based Double Therapy After PCI for A-fib Patients
https://bit.ly/2QBpXHd
March 16 — Jonathan Piccini and Sean Pokorney
Healio/Cardiology Today
Oral anticoagulation may be harmful in AF, end-stage renal disease
https://bit.ly/2UpKjV8
March 17 — Robert Califf
The Washington Post
Coronavirus/Latest News: Pence asks construction companies to donate masks to hospitals
https://wapo.st/2Wx6SK5
March 17 — Sreekanth Vemulapalli
Medscape
Hospital PCI Volume Not Tied to TAVR Outcomes
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/926782
March 18 — Jonathan Piccini
Medscape
Benefit of Anticoagulants in Atrial Fibrillation Diminished in End-Stage Kidney Disease
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/926873
March 18 — Manesh Patel
HCP Live
Manesh Patel, MD: Prescribing DOACs In Real-World Settings
https://www.mdmag.com/medical-news/manesh-patel-md-prescribing-doacs-in-realworld-settings
March 18 — Joseph Rogers
WRAL.com
Duke, UNC hospitals to use tents to keep virus patients separate
https://www.wral.com/duke-unc-hospitals-to-use-tents-to-keep-virus-patients-separate/19017941/
March 18 — Christopher Granger
HCP Live
Increasing Implementation and Clinical Use of NOAC Therapy
https://www.mdmag.com/peer-exchange/noac-anticoagulation/increasing-implementation-and-clinical-use-of-noac-therapy
March 19 — W. Schuyler Jones
Medpage Today
ADAPTABLE: The Future of Big Clinical Trial Design?
https://www.medpagetoday.com/publichealthpolicy/clinicaltrials/85511
March 20 — Renato Lopes
Medscape
Less Bleeding With Dual Than Triple Therapy for Atrial Fibrillation After PCI
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/927034
March 20 — Joseph Rogers
WRAL
Duke, UNC hospitals to use tents to keep virus patients separate
https://www.wral.com/duke-unc-hospitals-to-use-tents-to-keep-virus-patients-separate/19017941/
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