Duke Heart Week Updates – March 28th 2021
Highlights of the week:
Paul Clausing Retiring from Duke Heart, Effective March 31
After a “particularly impressive winter” in Wisconsin decades ago, Paul Clausing, RN, and his young wife, Nancy – also a nurse — decided enough was enough. They would move to a warmer climate. Several interviews and visits to southern cities later, the duo decided Durham was the best fit for them. Nancy transferred to the Durham Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center from the VA in Wisconsin and Paul took a nursing job at Duke University Hospital (DUH) – supporting heart patients.
Forty years later, Clausing is a nursing program manager for Duke Heart Services. He has been coordinating admissions and hospital transfers to Duke Heart Center, obtaining outside patient records and imaging scans – basically doing whatever needs to be done in order to keep things running smoothly.
“If you’re in healthcare, the patient comes first,” says Clausing. “You do whatever is in the best interest of the patient.”
When Clausing began his career with Duke, the unified concept of “Duke Heart Center” did not yet exist. Instead, he says, all the units that cared for heart patients were separate and kind of operating on their own. Over the years, he cites the rollout of the Heart Center as one of the biggest changes he has seen at Duke, and one that has worked for the better – not only because of overall collaboration between the teams — but because of the innovation and improved patient care that has resulted.
“There were some stumbling blocks early on, but I think where we are today with the current leadership team within Heart, they have done a really nice job of embracing the concept of a Heart Center,” Clausing says. “The collaboration that I’ve seen across the services from where it was when I started to where it is today, is great.”
What has kept him here at Duke Health, aside from long-term benefits packages?
“The heart discipline is fascinating. It is always changing and I like the people I work with. I have a lot of respect for the leadership within the Heart Center; they are proactive and have a lot of great ideas as well as a vision for the way things should run and where they want to take us.”
Now, Duke Heart faces life without Clausing. This week, Paul will join his wife in retirement after 40 years at Duke (Nancy retired last June). He has held many roles here including staff RN, Assistant Nurse Manager, and nursing program manager.
“He has been vital to the success of Duke Heart,” says Mary Lindsay, associate chief nursing officer for Duke Heart Services. “He’ll be missed and difficult to replace.”
A small celebration is planned for Tuesday morning, March 30.
“The first thing we’re going to do is ride out the pandemic,” Clausing said when asked what’s next for him. “And until we can travel, I like to garden and will be spending a lot of time in my neglected summer and perennial beds.”
Personally, I have known Paul my entire career at Duke and he has remained an advocate for patients, getting them to our institution, helping the various teams interact, and most notably providing the “glue” for day to day interactions. For the Heart Center, during the pandemic he helped us relatively seamlessly integrate general medicine admissions for overflow and encouraged and support our physicians, APPs, and overall heart teams.
Clausing says he’ll miss his daily interactions with the staff, leadership and patients on the wards, as well as the challenge of keeping things running smoothly on a very busy hospital service. We know Paul will be missed here in Duke Heart – a number of you shared your thoughts with us and we’re grateful for the opportunity to share those below.
Thank you, Paul, for your many years of service, camaraderie and friendship!
“This is truly a sad time for Duke Cardiology – truly one of the most helpful, patient centered people I have ever worked with. There are often a few people who really keep everything running smoothly, quietly behind the scenes – Paul is truly that.” — Tom Gehrig, MD
“Paul, this place will not be the same without you. The cardiology APP team will miss you dearly, for all that you do for us, for your daily humor and for always finding a way to fix the impossible. Thank you for making our work life easier and fun; you are irreplaceable. You have spoiled us for years and we cannot thank you enough of your dedication to our patients, our team, and Duke Heart. May you enjoy what you love doing most and have a great retirement.” — the Cardiology APP team
“Paul has been one of the most helpful, caring and considerate people I have met since working in cardiology. He has always gone above and beyond to help the APPs by getting records from outside hospitals, expediting transfers to the ICUs, and assigning us to patients in a fair and thoughtful manner every morning. Regardless of what we needed, he was always willing to help out even if it was not his job. In addition to being arguably the most essential and valuable person in the Heart Center, Paul has an amazing sense of humor that brought us many laughs throughout the day. I cannot elaborate on this in a public newsletter, but those of you who have been there for our workroom roasts or received a page about a pending admission that somehow involves me, you know what I mean! Paul is one of the greats of Duke Hospital. It has been an absolute pleasure to get to know him and work alongside him. He will be missed tremendously but his legacy will not be forgotten. Cheers, old man!” — Jade Clausen, nurse practitioner
“Paul Clausing has made immense contributions to our Heart Center in his many roles across 4 decades. (I calculate that he started working here at age 12?!) In his most recent role managing our bed control, he balanced the daily challenges in triaging very complex and sick patients from across the country, priorities of the physicians and nurses, and available hospital resources with patience, honesty, efficiency and flexibility. He rapidly and accurately assesses clinical and operational situations. His word is highly trusted, and his dedicated, behind-the- scenes work has been critical to our clinical care and missions. He will be greatly missed!” — Andrew Wang, MD
“Paul Clausing is truly a one-of-a-kind and irreplaceable person at Duke. There are thousands of patients over the years who have unknowingly benefited from Paul’s deep knowledge of Duke’s inner working, common sense and concern for their well-being. I think it is safe to say that most of the faculty and staff see parts of what Paul does on a daily basis to keep the inpatient service humming. I know this because when Paul is absent (replaced by someone who is not nearly as prepared), it is very evident how disorganized and slow things can be. His personality is truly one of a kind- a mix of wisdom, intelligence, humor (sometimes profane), gruffness (really a superficial thing) and great work ethic. Paul is also a connection for the junior faculty and APPs to Duke’s storied past, since he worked as a nurse during the seminal thrombolysis trials at Duke. To say that he will be sorely missed would be an understatement. However, in the absence of finer words, I will very much miss Paul Clausing.” — Dennis Abraham, MD
“It has been a pleasure working with Paul through the years. I most value his honest and fair approach to his role as the behind-the-scenes hero of the Duke Heart operation! He embodies the values of Duke and keeps us all laughing. A simple thank you doesn’t begin to show appreciation for all you have done!” — Stephanie Barnes, MSN, AGPCNP-C, PCCN, Clinical Director for Advanced Heart Failure Services
“Paul has played a vital role in the heart center assisting with throughput, admissions, and patient placement. He has collaborated with the CICU, CTICU, invasive labs, patient placement, bed control, and Care Hub. Paul has participated in Care Hub processes as well to facilitate turnaround times and throughput. His efforts have been tremendously appreciated and will be difficult to replace since he will be retiring the end of March. Paul is dependable, reliable, and always willing to assist. His mantra is, “it will work out.” Positive even during challenging situations. Paul will be considered a legend in cardiology patient placement considering the tremendous impact he has had in patient care and the Heart Center team.” — Mary Lindsay, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, CCRN-K, Associate Chief Nursing Officer, Duke Heart Services
Medynskaya Joins Duke Heart as Strategic Services Associate
Duke Heart is pleased to welcome Kate Medynskaya to our administrative leadership team effective Monday, March 29. She will partner closely with Jill Engel and Maria Carroll on DUHS strategy and growth. Kate is transitioning from a PDC Administrative Fellowship into a Duke Heart Strategic Services Associate role. She has a bachelor’s degree in sociology and chemistry, and a Master of Healthcare Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Originally from Moscow, Russia, Kate now considers Raleigh to be home and she is a huge Tar Heel fan. Currently, Kate lives in a household with five animals (three dogs, two cats) – the cats (Jet and Theo) and one dog (Oliver, shown here) are all Kate’s.
She enjoys hiking, reading, traveling and drinking coffee, but her first love is tennis. Kate teaches children and adults of all ages at a local tennis club and has competed nationally as a pro. We are excited to have Kate join the team and meet the broader Duke Heart community. Welcome, Kate!
Marfan NC Walk for Victory, April 17
Please consider joining us for the 2nd annual (and first in-person) North Carolina Walk for Victory to support families of Marfan
patients. The event will be held from Noon to 3 p.m. at Laurel Hills Park on Edwards Mill Road in Raleigh on Saturday, April 17. Duke Heart is the presenting sponsor and Dr. G. Chad Hughes is the medical chair.
Please help us support all Marfan families as well as those with Loeys-Dietz (LDS), Vascular Ehlers-Danlos (VEDS), and related conditions. We’d like to also show our full support for the Howell family of Greensboro, who are serving as the community chairs of the event.
Walk for Victory is The Marfan Foundation global walk program. The event is non-athletic and family oriented to focus on fun! To learn more about The Marfan Foundation, please visit marfan.org.
To register for our event, please visit: https://give.marfan.org/event/2021-north-carolina-walk-for-victory/e303480
Poetry heals: Writing workshop for healthcare workers
Science has shown that writing is excellent for boosting our well-being. As a form of respite to healthcare workers, and to celebrate National Poetry Month, an interactive writing workshop will enable participants to slow down for 90 minutes, breathe, read poems, and do some reflective writing. It takes place on Saturday, April 24, from 1-2:30 EST, via Zoom.
The session is intended for healthcare workers only—all roles and interdisciplinary. We trust that if you RSVP, this describes you. Learn more and register at this link. Deadline for registration is April 10.
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
March 30: No CGR today
April 6: Management of POTS with Camille Frazier-Mills. 5 p.m., Webex.
April 13: Advancing Gender Equity in Global Cardiovascular Health Outcomes with Zainab Samad of Aga Khan University. 7:15 a.m., Webex.
April 20: Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection with Esther (Soo Hyun) Kim of Vanderbilt University Medical Center. 5 p.m., Webex.
April 27: Cardio-Oncology: Moving Forward in 2021 with Daniel J. Lenihan, Director, Cardio-Oncology Center of Excellence, Washington University in St. Louis. 5 p.m., Webex.
Upcoming (Virtual) 2021 Duke Heart CME
We have dates set for three upcoming virtual symposia; registration is not yet available.
May 14: Duke Sports Cardiology & Sudden Death in Athletes Symposium. Course directors are Jim Daubert and Bill Kraus.
October 8: Duke Advanced Heart Failure Symposium. Course director is Richa Agarwal
November 5: 13th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium. Course directors are Terry Fortin and Jimmy Ford (UNC).
Six-Part Mental Health Webinar Series Available Through April
Mar. 31: Understanding and Preventing Suicide in Adults. 4-4:30 p.m. Hosted by the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and led by associate professor Nathan Kimbrel, PhD (Link below).
Apr. 14: Understanding and Preventing Youth Suicide. 4-4:30 p.m. Led by assistant professor Angela Tunno, PhD, MS (Link below).
These are the fourth and fifth in a six-part webinar series, “Taking Care of Yourself and Your Loved Ones,” for all Duke University and Duke Health community members and their families. The 30-minute topical webinars provide practical expert advice on topics including emotional wellness, substance misuse, suicide prevention, and mental health for children, adolescents and teens.
The webinar series runs through April 27. Learn more, watch past webinars and join upcoming webinars: http://bit.ly/DukeMHSeries.
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 19 — Stephen Greene
Healio/Cardiology
Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist use does not affect empagliflozin HF, renal benefits
http://bit.ly/31akCvz
March 18 — Joseph Rogers
Houston Business Journal
Texas Heart Institute hires new president and CEO from Duke University Health System
http://bit.ly/3cc88d4
March 22 — Joseph Rogers
Triangle Business Journal
http://bit.ly/318kTiw
March 24 — Stephen Greene
Duke Heart week ending March 21st 2021
Rogers to Lead Texas Heart Institute; Will Leave Duke in May
Joseph G. Rogers, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Duke University Health System and professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiology will leave Duke to become President and Chief Executive Officer of Texas Heart Institute in Houston, effective May 17, 2021.
Eric D. Wade, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Texas Heart Institute (THI), announced the news on Tuesday afternoon in a news release. “Dr. Rogers possesses the skillful leadership and expertise that the THI needs during a pivotal moment in its history,” he said. “Rogers brings experience to lead THI’s mission to reduce the devastating toll of cardiovascular disease through innovative programs in research, education, and improved patient care.”
“This is a really wonderful opportunity at Texas Heart,” Rogers said. “It’s a chance to build on the foundation they’ve put together over many years. They’ve got a real vision to grow and to increase their impact not just in Houston but across the country. I’m honored and humbled to have been selected to lead that group.”
Rogers, who joined the Duke faculty in 2004, has been instrumental across the Heart Failure (HF) section and the University more broadly during his time here, according to Manesh Patel, MD, chief of the Division of Cardiology at Duke.
“Joe Rogers is a fierce advocate for patients and learners, and has routinely put the interest of others ahead of his own,” Patel added. “His passion for clinical excellence and innovation will continue on.”
In a statement to the cardiology faculty, Patel noted the many leadership roles Rogers has held at Duke, including as section chief of Heart Failure; Vice Chief for Clinical Affairs in Cardiology; Senior Vice Chair of Medicine; Associate CMO for Strategic Growth and Implementation and a member of the board of managers for the PDC; interim roles as the Chief of Cardiology and Chair of the Department of Medicine, and most recently, Chief Medical Officer for Duke University Health System.
“The chance to serve the Health System as CMO has been an enriching two-and-a-half years,” Rogers said. “I’ve learned an incredible amount about healthcare, about healthcare delivery, and management of a health care system. I am grateful to Bill Fulkerson and the other senior leaders of the health system for allowing me the chance to learn from them. I’m grateful to Duke for allowing me to experience those opportunities.”
Of his time at Duke, Rogers went on to say, “First, I thank Duke Heart. It has been home for me since my arrival. It’s really the people who attracted me here in 2004 and in 2021 it’s the people I will miss.”
In the official Duke Health announcement to leadership, William Fulkerson, MD, Executive Vice President of Duke University Health System stated that, “Rogers was recruited to build a world-class heart failure program in partnership with surgical director Carmelo Milano, MD. Under their leadership, Duke’s Heart Failure & Heart Transplant program became one of the most productive clinical and research units in the nation. The program also provided medical and surgical training for a new generation of clinicians and expanded Duke’s influence into heart programs across the country and in Europe.”
Rogers has worked across the Duke Heart team to establish Duke as an international leader in cardiac transplantation and Left Ventricular Assist Device therapy. Through his leadership roles in clinical care and multi-center clinical trials, he was launched to international prominence with pivotal roles including his current position as President of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation.
“Duke Heart has an incredible and unique culture,” Rogers added. “I think it allows the latitude to be creative and to be innovative and to explore clinical care, science and education. My hope for Duke Heart is that we never lose that spirit, because it really is what has distinguished Duke Heart internationally in cardiovascular medicine.”
Please join us in congratulating Joe! We look forward to celebrating with him during his remaining time at Duke as well as partnering with him in this next chapter of his career.
Fortin to Receive SOM’s 2021 Master Clinician/Teacher Award
Congratulations to Terry Fortin, MD who will receive the Duke School of Medicine Master Clinician/Teacher Award for 2021! The award was created for the purpose of honoring individuals for superlative accomplishment and service in the area of Medical School/Medical Center teaching and/or clinical care. The intent is to honor those individuals who have made an extraordinary commitment “above and beyond” normal expectations, and who you might consider an “unsung hero” at Duke.
Dr. Edward G. Buckley, Vice Dean for Education in the Duke School of Medicine, shared the news in an email to Fortin and Kathleen Cooney, MD, Chair of the Department of Medicine on Friday afternoon, adding “You certainly met the criteria and are most deserving of the honor.”
The award will be presented at the annual Faculty meeting. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, that date has not been set yet.
Congratulations, Terry, on a well-deserved award that captures a small amount of what you mean to our patients, trainees, and colleagues!
Home Based Cardiac Rehab Telehealth Program Launched
Following a successful 20 patient pilot beginning in March 2020, Duke Heart launched the next phase of Home-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation with telehealth billing. The program allows for patients to benefit from a personalized exercise program via a mobile app, remote monitoring devices and group zoom sessions with an exercise physiologist.
Planning for a mobile program at Duke has been underway since 2018. Following a year and a half co-development with Pattern Health, a local app development company, Duke Heart has a groundbreaking home-based program offering. Our mobile cardiac rehab program will work to address barriers of participation and onsite rehab capacity constraints, which have only intensified with COVID-19 infection prevention measures, by providing patients the option of completing a hybrid of onsite and home-based rehab for the 36 sessions of cardiac rehab. The use of devices for remote monitoring offers the ability to monitor and record biometrics including steps, heart rate, and ECG rhythm strips.
Dr. William Kraus has been an extraordinary leader in this effort by providing constant direction for our internal program, as well as the national conversations occurring in this space. Many thanks for the expertise from advanced planning to daily execution of the program by Karen Craig, Sean Lowers, Beth Summers, Cathy Ritchey and Brian Duscha. Thanks to Maria Carroll who has led this project, and to Jill Engel and Manesh Patel for their continued support in this effort. Our colleagues in Digital Strategy, PRMO and Compliance have also been instrumental, including Donna Phinney, Julie Peele Breuer, Dion Brown, Marianne Durling, Deserae Brooks and Ally Alexander.
Great job, everyone! This opportunity will be critical to many of our heart patients over the coming weeks and months. Stand by for future updates as Duke partners with industry and other health systems to evaluate how this program might be a standard in cardiac rehabilitation care.
Daniel Friedman, MD, to Join Duke EP Faculty, Summer 2021
Daniel J. Friedman, MD, will be returning to Duke University this summer to join the Cardiac Electrophysiology faculty in the Duke Heart Center. Dr. Friedman completed his internal medicine training at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and completed his cardiology and cardiac electrophysiology fellowships here at Duke. He is also a graduate of the Duke Clinical Research Institute Fellowship Program. He is presently an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Yale School of Medicine.
Clinically, Friedman is focused on the care of patients with complex heart rhythm disorders, especially those with atrial fibrillation and heart failure. He is an active clinical investigator with special interests in physiologic pacing (His & left bundle branch pacing), cardiac resynchronization therapy, subcutaneous defibrillator therapy, and the invasive treatment of atrial fibrillation. He has more than 70 publications in the field of heart rhythm medicine. His research has appeared in leading journals, including JAMA, JAMA Cardiology, JACC, and HeartRhythm. His practice in the Duke Health System will be split between Duke University Hospital and Duke Raleigh Hospital and Clinics. In addition, he will be an active member of the EP Section at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, where he will be focusing on the development of a left atrial appendage occlusion program for our veterans.
The Duke EP Faculty are thrilled to have Dr. Friedman returning to our program. We are confident that Dr. Friedman will make significant contributions to all aspects of our mission, including the delivery of state-of-the-art clinical care to the people of Wake County and North Carolina. We are also excited to see him continue his impressive track-record in the conduct of innovative and impactful clinical research.
Welcome the new member of the Nanna Family!
Giovanni “Gianni” Daniel Nanna was born 7 lbs, 3 Oz at 2:05 am today. Mike reports that they are already working on his baseball swing. Mom and baby are recovering and doing great! Congratulations to them and this is a special time to enjoy.
Shout-Out to Abraham!
Shout-out to Dennis Abraham – in a note from Lisa Clark Pickett, we learned of a great compliment DUHS received about him from a patient:
“Dr. Abraham is one of the most compassionate physicians I have encountered”
Pickett added that she was, “Delighted to read this lovely compliment about you on our Patient Satisfaction Survey. Thank you for providing such excellent, compassionate care!!!”
Way to go, Dennis!
Shout-out to Corley & Narcisse!
We learned this week of a challenging patient case in the ED earlier in the week; Ali Corley and Dennis Narcisse were there to troubleshoot. In a note to Anna Lisa Crowley:
“I wanted to let you know how awesome two of your fellows were last night. 
“We had a patient in the ED with high concern for a type a dissection who had an anaphylactic allergy to contrast preventing us from getting a CTA chest, pacemaker/ICD incompatible with MR for MRA chest and there were no ICU fellows or attendings in the hospital who were able to perform a TEE.
“Both Dennis and Ali spent no less than two hours helping troubleshoot and advocate for the 
patient. They documented benefits>>risks for disabling the device for the MRA and one of them went to radiology with the patient in order to get the study done. They also helped with a bedside TTE looking for an arch dissection and helped interrogate the device to sort out a wide-complex tachycardia with aberrancy when the patient’s morphology changed and [the patient] dropped from severely hypertensive on arrival, to controlled with esmolol, to severely hypotensive off it.
This was one of the most stressful and logistically complicated cases I’ve had in residency that was littered with systems issues but they both really stepped up and our ED team appreciated how much they did. I suspect the patient and their family felt the same way.” — Pat Kelly, EM PGY2
Wow! Great job, Ali and Dennis!
Incoming Cardiology Fellow Awarded with Duke Golden Apple
We learned this morning in a message to Anna Lisa Crowley from Saumil Chudgar, the Assistant Dean for Clinical Education in the Duke School of Medicine, that incoming first-year Cardiology fellow (and current Internal Medicine resident) Lonnie Sullivan, MD, was awarded the resident Duke Golden Apple award during the annual Duke SOM student faculty show, which was held virtually this year due to the pandemic.
The Golden Apple award is voted on annually by the Duke medical students to recognize resident, pre-clinical and clinical faculty for their teaching excellence and commitment to the Duke medical students.
The remaining Golden Apple awards were presented to:
- Clinical Faculty – Aimee Chung, MD
- Preclinical Faculty – John Roberts, MD
In the note to Crowley and the awardees this morning, Chudgar added: “We have such passionate and amazing trainees and faculty in the DOM, so it was great to see them recognized for their teaching excellence and their commitment to our students. Thank you to the awardees for all they do for our students.”
Way to go Lonnie!
Reminder: Vote! Best Hospitals Survey Open Through 26th
Voting for U.S. News Best Hospitals is open in Doximity through March 26, 2021. To vote, physicians can visit Doximity.com or the survey page on Doximity.com. The survey will display until the physician votes or the survey closes.
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
Mar. 23: If You Build It… (They) Will Come – Advanced Therapies in ACHD with Jonathan Menachem of Vanderbilt University Medical Center. 5 p.m., Webex.
March 30: TBD
April 6: Management of POTS with Camille Frazier-Mills. 5 p.m., Webex.
April 13: Advancing Gender Equity in Global Cardiovascular Health Outcomes with Zainab Samad of Aga Khan University. 7:15 a.m., Webex.
April 20: Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection with Esther (Soo Hyun) Kim of Vanderbilt University Medical Center. 5 p.m., Webex.
April 27: Cardio-Oncology: Moving Forward in 2021 with Daniel J. Lenihan, Director, Cardio-Oncology Center of Excellence, Washington University in St. Louis. 5 p.m., Webex.
Upcoming (Virtual) 2021 Duke Heart CME
We have dates set for three upcoming virtual symposia; registration is not yet available.
May 14: Duke Sports Cardiology & Sudden Death in Athletes Symposium. Course directors are Jim Daubert and Bill Kraus.
October 8: Duke Advanced Heart Failure Symposium. Course director is Richa Agarwal
November 5: 13th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium. Course directors are Terry Fortin and Jimmy Ford (UNC).
Six-Part Mental Health Webinar Series Available Through April
Mar. 31: Understanding and Preventing Suicide in Adults. 4-4:30 p.m. Hosted by the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and led by associate professor Nathan Kimbrel, PhD (Link below)
This is the fourth in a six-part webinar series, “Taking Care of Yourself and Your Loved Ones,” for all Duke University and Duke Health community members and their families. The 30-minute topical webinars provide practical expert advice on topics including emotional wellness, substance misuse, suicide prevention, and mental health for children, adolescents and teens.
The webinar series runs through April 27. Learn more, watch past webinars and join upcoming webinars: http://bit.ly/DukeMHSeries.
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 12 — Vanessa Blumer
tctMD
Women Treated for Acute HF Report Worse QoL Than Men
https://bit.ly/3lDwY8P
March 12 — Ann Marie Navar, Matthew Engelhard and Michael Pencina
tctMD
To Predict Mortality After MI, Machine Learning Needs Better Intel
https://bit.ly/3c1RdK7
March 12 — Brian C. Mac Grory (neurology)
Healio/Cardiology
AHA: Symptom recognition, data on treatment of central retinal artery occlusion lacking
http://bit.ly/3tIwOzZ
March 15 — Manesh Patel
WRAL NBC-5
Heart condition linked to COVID is sidelining otherwise healthy young athletes
https://bit.ly/3vJdJzh
March 16 — L. Kristin Newby
tctMD
Invasive Approach Best for Cocaine-Linked NSTEMI, but DAPT Is Key
https://bit.ly/30ZofnV
March 18 — Harry Severance
VNExpress.net
‘Vaccine passports’ shouldn’t be a passport to undue risk: experts
http://bit.ly/3s5fJzK
Duke Heart Week ending March 14th 2021
50th DCD Heart Transplant Performed at Duke Health
The Duke Heart Transplant team performed their 50th Donation after Circulatory Death (DCD) heart transplant late last weekend at Duke University Hospital. The device used in the transplant procedure is the Transmedics Organ Care System (OCS), a device that circulates warm, oxygenated blood through organs. The OCS Heart system has not yet been approved by the FDA; it is still under investigational use at approximately 18 sites in the U.S.
“We are really happy to be at the forefront of research and innovation in heart transplantation and to be able to get our patients access to high quality organs despite not being in one of the larger U.S. metropolitan areas – like Los Angeles or New York City — where there are more donors and a much larger population,” said Adam DeVore, medical director of Duke’s Heart Transplant Program. “This means we are able to offer transplant to patients in a variety of statuses here in Durham and give them access to high quality organs earlier.”
Earlier access to a heart transplant could mean a better outcome for the patient – the sicker they get, the longer and potentially more difficult the recovery time for many patients.
The Duke team is a leader both in DCD heart transplant volume as well as enrollment into the EXPAND trial and DCD trial, both of which are in Continued Access Protocol (CAP) status, according to DeVore. The Duke team was the first in the U.S. to transplant an adult heart via the DCD donor method in December 2019 as part of the DCD clinical trial.
“We have now done 50 successful DCD heart transplants in 16 months, proving that we can expand the donor pool and transplant a good heart faster into patients who need them to survive,” said Jacob Schroder, surgical director of Duke’s Heart Transplant Program. “[In the past] we’ve talked about heart transplant as a supply-limited endeavor; that there are not enough donors. We believe, with DCD, the future is going to be demand limited.
“This should hopefully open up eligibility for heart transplant so that people who were passed over because they weren’t the “perfect” or ideal candidate can be considered for this life-saving therapy.”
DeVore credits a strong team dedicated to getting patients the care they need. “The absolute elbow grease, work and sweat that goes into this is incredible. We would not have gotten here without the work of Carmelo Milano and Chet Patel; and we have surgeons – Ben Bryner, Milano and Jacob Schroder – as well as research and perfusion team members — flying all over the place to get access to organs that can save lives. We have figured out how to do this and how to do it well, and it has been deeply rewarding.”
Congratulations to our Heart Transplant and Advanced Heart Failure team members – we are so proud of the work you’re doing!
Book Review: “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Stockholm”
Having worked for Bob Lefkowitz, I was not surprised to hear he had created the autobiography, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Stockholm. Working with Randy Hall, Lefkowitz chronicles life events from childhood through to the present. I was not surprised because Lefkowitz is a superb story teller and it seemed natural, that at some point, he compile his many stories into a novel. I found the book to be captivating and humorous, and enjoyed it immensely (just as I have enjoyed listening to his many stories over the years). On one level, the book describes the many scientific discoveries in the world of receptor biology, which Lefkowitz accomplished as he progressed from the National Institutes of Health, through the Harvard system and finally to Duke University.
For example, he describes in detail his scientific activity during 1986 when, in a single year, nine different G-protein-coupled receptors and an important regulatory kinase were cloned and characterized. He credits luck and his research fellows frequently for the discoveries, yet it is apparent that his keen intellect, competitive spirit and tireless focus were the critical drivers. More generally, this is a walk through a very dynamic time for biochemical science in general, as the discovery of the structure of DNA and the genetic code enable a much more in-depth study of most processes. Indeed, the reader realizes that science does not reveal itself in a linear manner but rather in episodic periods of exponential growth — and Lefkowitz was very much at the center of one of the most productive periods. All of this culminates with his selection for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2012. However, if the book were to only describe his scientific accomplishments and progressive ascent to the Nobel Prize, it would not be as interesting as it is.
For one thing, the book spends time discussing failures and frustrations that Lefkowitz experiences along the way. Some of these events relate to his scientific career, but many others are uniquely personal (and relevant to all of us). These sections are captivating as the reader does not expect to see this side of a Nobel Laureate. He gives the reader sound advice for dealing with life’s challenges. The Lefkowitz recipe for overcoming and persisting despite life challenges includes pragmatism, humor and reliance on strong friendships. Furthermore, the book is also a good read for future leaders. While his personal accomplishments are, of course, legendary, his ability to recruit, drive and develop young talent is an even a greater achievement. The book reveals many strategies to motivate and inspire greatness in others. These approaches are valuable for anyone developing a high performance team.
Also, it is fascinating that a premier basic scientist would devote so much discussion to clinical medicine. Indeed, many sections of the book describe clinical care scenarios that Lefkowitz encountered, most of which occurred before he became focused on basic science. He even at times laments his career turning away from direct patient care. These sections are entertaining and reinforcing for those of us who have remained in the doldrums of patient care, and don’t dream much of the Nobel Prize. Furthermore, a great deal of discussion relates to his own health conditions and those of his parents. These sections are particularly interesting since we get to see health care from the patient perspective where anxiety and depression can compound physical ailment. In this reading, health care workers can appreciate that they are brokering a precious commodity. Perhaps this attention on health care is not surprising as these memoirs suggest that our health remains the greatest prize of all.” – Carmelo Milano, MD
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Stockholm, The Adrenaline Fueled Adventures of an Accidental Scientist by Robert Lefkowitz with Randy Hall was published in early February by Pegasus Books.
Murillo Awarded 2021 TSF Fellowship
Alejandro E. Murillo, one of our cardiothoracic surgery residents, has been named the 2021 recipient of the Thoracic Surgery Foundation’s (TSF) Resident Research Fellowship Award for his project, Identification of Protein Biomarkers to Predict Cardiac Allograft Dysfunction after Ex-Vivo Normothermic Perfusion Storage. The fellowship provides support of up to $30,000 per year for up to two years. Murillo is a member of Carmelo Milano’s research lab. The TSF is the charitable arm of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
Congratulations, Alejandro!
AHA Triangle Heart Ball, March 19
The American Heart Association’s Triangle Heart Ball will take place virtually on Friday, March 19 at 7:30 p.m. The annual fundraiser features a silent auction and the AHA “Open Your Heart Appeal.” Tickets are free, but registration (secured with a credit card) is required so that you can bid on auction items and/or make an open donation. The silent auction opens Tuesday, March 16 at 8 a.m. and closes Friday, March 19 at 9 p.m.
To register, please visit: https://event.gives/triangleheartball and make sure to list Duke Heart as your company. This event is sponsored locally by Duke Heart, UNC Health and LeithCars.com.
Reminder: Vote! Best Hospitals Survey Open Through 26th
How to Vote: Voting for U.S. News Best Hospitals is open in Doximity through March 26, 2021. To vote, physicians can visit Doximity.com or the survey page on Doximity.com. The survey will display until the physician votes or the survey closes.
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
Mar. 16: Advanced Cancer is also Heart Failure Syndrome: Cardio-Oncology Including and Beyond Cardiotoxicity with Stefan Anker, Professor of (Tissue) Homeostasis in Cardiology & Metabolism at Charite Berlin. 7:15 a.m., Webex.
Mar. 23: If You Build It… (They) Will Come – Advanced Therapies in ACHD with Jonathan Menachem of Vanderbilt University Medical Center. 5 p.m., Webex.
March 30: TBD
April 6: Management of POTS with Camille Frazier-Mills. 5 p.m., Webex.
April 13: Advancing Gender Equity in Global Cardiovascular Health Outcomes with Zainab Samad of Aga Khan University. 7:15 a.m., Webex.
April 20: Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection with Esther (Soo Hyun) Kim of Vanderbilt University Medical Center. 5 p.m., Webex.
April 27: Cardio-Oncology: Moving Forward in 2021 with Daniel J. Lenihan, Director, Cardio-Oncology Center of Excellence, Washington University in St. Louis. 5 p.m., Webex.
Six-Part Mental Health Webinar Series Available Through April
Mar. 17: Understanding Adolescent Alcohol and Substance Use. 4-4:30 p.m. Hosted by the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and led by associate professor David Goldston, PhD. (Link below)
This is the third in a six-part webinar series, “Taking Care of Yourself and Your Loved Ones,” for all Duke University and Duke Health community members and their families. The 30-minute topical webinars provide practical expert advice on topics including emotional wellness, substance misuse, suicide prevention, and mental health for children, adolescents and teens.
The webinar series runs through April 27. Learn more, watch past webinars and join upcoming webinars: http://bit.ly/DukeMHSeries.
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 8 — Duke University Health System
Gaston Gazette
‘BUSINESS North Carolina’ ranks CaroMont Health as third best in the state
http://bit.ly/3bCtShZ
March 9 — Adrian Hernandez
Bloomberg Government
HEALTH CARE BRIEFING: Study Offers Look at How Vaccines Compare
http://bit.ly/3tnD2VR
March 9 — Brian Mac Grory (Neurology)
Cardiovascular Business
‘A cardiovascular problem disguised as an eye problem’: Why CRAO requires immediate treatment
http://bit.ly/3vaQHBj
March 9 — Jill Engel
CTSNet
http://bit.ly/3bEEtZC
March 9 — Adrian Hernandez and Rob Califf
Bloomberg Law
Real-World Study to Offer Look at How Covid-19 Vaccines Stack Up
https://bit.ly/3qD5ZeC
March 10 — Michael Pencina and DCRI
Medpage Today
Machine Learning Adds Little to MI Prognostication
http://bit.ly/38AruGr
Division of Cardiology Publications Indexed in PubMed March 4–10, 2021
Arshad V, Samad Z, Das J, Almas A, Rashid N, Virani SS, Bloomfield GS, Jafar TH, Ahmed B. Prescribing Patterns of Antihypertensive Medications in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review. Asia Pac J Public Health 2021;33(1):14-22. PM: 33084371.
Brezitski KD, Goff AW, DeBenedittis P, Karra R. A Roadmap to Heart Regeneration Through Conserved Mechanisms in Zebrafish and Mammals. Curr Cardiol Rep 2021;23(4):29. PM: 33655359.
Dong OM, Bates J, Chanfreau-Coffinier C, Naglich M, Kelley MJ, Meyer LJ, Icardi M, Vassy JL, Sriram P, Heise CW, Rivas S, Ribeiro M, Jacobitz R, Rozelle S, Chapman JG, Voora D. Veterans Affairs Pharmacogenomic Testing for Veterans (PHASER) clinical program. Pharmacogenomics 2021;22(3):137-144. PM: 33403869.
Fernandes F, Moreira CHV, Oliveira LC, Souza-Basqueira M, Ianni BM, Lorenzo CD, Ramires FJA, Nastari L, Cunha-Neto E, Ribeiro AL, Lopes RD, Keating SM, Sabino EC, Mady C. Galectin-3 Associated with Severe Forms and Long-term Mortality in Patients with Chagas Disease. Arq Bras Cardiol 2021;116(2):248-256. PM: 33656072.
Harrington RA, Ohman EM. Risk Stratification Science Goes to a New Level. JAMA Cardiol 2021;6(3):314-315. PM: 33295937.
Hartiala JA, Han Y, Jia Q, Hilser JR, Huang P, Gukasyan J, Schwartzman WS, Cai Z, Biswas S, Trégouët DA, Smith NL, Seldin M, Pan C, Mehrabian M, Lusis AJ, Bazeley P, Sun YV, Liu C, Quyyumi AA, Scholz M, Thiery J, Delgado GE, Kleber ME, März W, et al. Genome-wide analysis identifies novel susceptibility loci for myocardial infarction. Eur Heart J 2021;42(9):919-933. PM: 33532862.
Puffer ES, Healy EF, Green EP, Giusto AM, Kaiser BN, Patel P, Ayuku D. Family Functioning and Mental Health Changes Following a Family Therapy Intervention in Kenya: a Pilot Trial. J Child Fam Stud 2020;29(12):3493-3508. PM: 33664559.
Rosenberg P, Zhang H, Bryson VG, Wang C. SOCE in the cardiomyocyte: the secret is in the chambers. Pflugers Arch 2021;473(3):417-434. PM: 33638008.
Speakman JR, Yamada Y, Sagayama H, Berman ESF, Ainslie PN, Andersen LF, Anderson LJ, Arab L, Baddou I, Bedu-Addo K, Blaak EE, Blanc S, Bonomi AG, Bouten CVC, Bovet P, Buchowski MS, Butte NF, Camps SGJA, Close GL, Cooper JA, Creasy SA, Das SK, Cooper R, et al. A standard calculation methodology for human doubly labeled water studies. Cell Rep Med 2021;2(2):100203. PM: 33665639.
Tsai CF, Smith JS, Eiger DS, Martin K, Liu T, Smith RD, Shi T, Rajagopal S, Jacobs JM. Mass Spectrometry-Based Proteomics for Analysis of Hydrophilic Phosphopeptides. Methods Mol Biol 2021;2259:247-257. PM: 33687720.
Varma N, Cygankiewicz I, Turakhia M, Heidbuchel H, Hu Y, Chen LY, Couderc JP, Cronin EM, Estep JD, Grieten L, Lane DA, Mehra R, Page A, Passman R, Piccini J, Piotrowicz E, Piotrowicz R, Platonov PG, Ribeiro AL, Rich RE, Russo AM, Slotwiner D, Steinberg JS. 2021 ISHNE/ HRS/ EHRA/ APHRS collaborative statement on mHealth in Arrhythmia Management: Digital Medical Tools for Heart Rhythm Professionals: From the International Society for Holter and Noninvasive Electrocardiology/Heart Rhythm Society/European Heart Society. Ann Noninvasive Electrocardiol 2021;26(2):e12795. PM: 33513268
Weissler EH, Gutierrez JA, Patel MR, Swaminathan RV. Successful Peripheral Vascular Intervention in Patients with High-risk Comorbidities or Lesion Characteristics. Curr Cardiol Rep 2021;23(4):32. PM: 33666765.
Zhang S, Breitner S, Cascio WE, Devlin RB, Neas LM, Ward-Caviness C, Diaz-Sanchez D, Kraus WE, Hauser ER, Schwartz J, Peters A, Schneider A. Association between short-term exposure to ambient fine particulate matter and myocardial injury in the CATHGEN cohort. Environ Pollut 2021;275:116663. PM: 33581627.
Duke Heart Week Ending March 7th 2021
Highlights of the week:
Heart Highlights: Duke Heart Failure
To continue our celebration of accomplishments made throughout the past year, this week we are pleased to share highlights from the Duke Heart Failure team.
The Duke Heart Failure (HF) team has had a productive year across the clinical, research and educational domains. We wanted to share some important highlights from the overall group as well as the work of specific team members. Like each of the other sections, our team rose to the challenge of caring for our patients during the COVID pandemic. We reached the important milestone of completing 1500 heart transplants since the program’s inception; 104 of those were performed in the past year alone — which is a record for our program. The team also implanted 100 LVADs. Thank you to our LVAD and transplant coordinators, social workers and case managers as well as our world-class surgical team members for all their work this year.
The site-based research team, including Stephanie Newbold, Kim Biever, Lacey Taylor and Gayle Challinor, had an outstanding year of recruitment, retention and high-quality data. With Tracy DeWald as the site PI and Kim Biever as the lead CRC for TRANSFORM-HF, the Duke team is the trial leader for recruitment. The HF research group also leads the country in recruitment for SPIRRIT. The team has enjoyed working with the various site PIs and wanted to highlight Chris Holley’s interesting HAMR trial investigating cell free DNA and additional pathology staining to predict AMR.
Also on the research side, our basic/translational teams (located in the Cardiovascular Research Center) have excelled this year.
- Sudar Rajagopal’s lab had a productive year including the discovery of a novel paradigm of signaling by GPCRs in a high-impact publication in Science (DOI: 10.1126/science.aay1833).
- Dennis Abraham was involved with multiple important research efforts and publications this year aimed at investigating pathogenic molecular mechanisms in HFpEF.
- Chris Holley has had an excellent year leading his basic science lab focused on the role of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) in CV disease, including a fruitful collaboration with Neil Freedman in the atherosclerosis space. Holley has also branched out into translational studies in heart transplantation, including the HAMR study noted above and a project working with Lauren Truby and Svati Shah to study the etiology of primary graft dysfunction.
- Paul Rosenberg’s research group has continued their focus on a novel calcium-signaling pathway called store operated-calcium entry (SOCE). Notably, work published this year identified how SOCE supports a novel conduction pathway in coronary sinus cardiomyocytes. Elimination of the SOCE pathway in cardiomyocytes predisposes mice to atrial fibrillation (Cell Calcium 2020: 87:102163-9) and (Pflugers Arch. 2021 Feb 27:1-18).
Jonathan Stiber’s research continues to focus on the role of the protein Drebrin in smooth muscle phenotype switching and atherosclerosis. He has been instrumental in enhancing the HF presence and clinical care at the Durham VA.- Ravi Karra’s research group has made important progress in their research focused on the intersection of regenerative biology with cardiovascular disease. They have recently discovered a myovascular niche that regulates growth and regeneration. In collaboration with the UK Biobank, they have pioneered the application of Mendelian randomization to regenerative biology and have provided the first evidence that regenerative factors can regulate human cardiac growth. Ravi has been instrumental in leading a number of clinical efforts to apply precision medicine to patients with CV disease, such as those with amyloid and sarcoid.
On the clinical research side, a number of faculty have led important clinical trial and outcomes research projects.
- Adrian Hernandez became the Executive Director of the Duke Clinical Research Institute and led a number of efforts focused on the organization’s strategic vision, innovation and inclusivity. He was on the leadership team for multiple HF trials including the global VICTORIA trial of vericiguat, which recently received FDA labeling.
- Mike Felker became the leader of the CV Therapeutic Area at DCRI, co-led Transformation Team efforts at DCRI and was on the leadership team for multiple HF trials that reported over the past year including the global GALACTIC-HF trial of omecamtiv mecarbil.
- Steve Greene and Mike Felker were recently awarded funding from Novartis for an investigator-initiated pilot randomized trial testing whether sacubitril/valsartan can decrease risk of cardiac injury following COVID-19. This exciting trial, named PARACOR-19, aims to kick off in the coming weeks, and will help inform whether entresto may offer cardioprotection for post-COVID patients.
- Rob Mentz began serving as the HF Section Chief in January where he has worked hard to help improve strategic planning and communication broadly within the group. He has helped lead a number of clinical trials including TRANSFORM, HEART-FID and PARAGLIDE and also became the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Cardiac Failure in December.
- Adam DeVore transitioned into the role of Medical Director of the Cardiac Transplant program with tremendous growth in clinical volumes and research initiatives. He also led multiple large clinical research programs through the DCRI. One notable highlight was serving as PI and completing enrollment for CONNECT-HF, a large-scale, pragmatic, cluster-randomized trial of 161 sites and 5647 patients evaluating heart failure quality improvement initiatives.
- Richa Agarwal has led a number of clinical and educational efforts that have improved the formal didactic curriculum in HF
Richa Ajarwal and enhanced the trainee experience. She serves as a clinical research mentor for several CV and Advanced HF fellows, and has enjoyed an expanding role with resident education in the Department of Medicine. She is highly supportive of DEI efforts to improve the training environment for all. She will transition into a role as the Advanced HF Fellowship Program Director from Mike Felker on July 1, and looks forward to preserving the Duke tradition of excellence in developing future leaders in HF and Transplant. She is an educational consultant for Abbott, and recently joined the Editorial Board at the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplant. She is site co-PI for the ARIES study in LVAD patients to determine the safety of an antiplatelet-free regimen in the HM3.
In addition to the diverse contributions related to research and clinical activities noted above, the HF faculty have contributed substantially to efforts that have improved patient care throughout the region.
- Joe Rogers led critical efforts focused on the DUHS COVID-19 response as Duke’s Chief Medical Officer. He has also served as President of the International Society for Heart & Lung Transplantation during this time.
- Jason Katz has helped lead important efforts for the CICU expansion with enhanced focus on improved patient care and comprehensive educational efforts. He also co-led the important work to improve the clinical care of our LVAD patients.
- Stu Russell has led remarkable progress to improve collaboration in HF care at Wake Med. This has resulted in 66 patients receiving either LVADs or transplants in the 3 years that he has been at Wake Med. He also co-led quality improvement initiatives to improve the clinical management of our patients with LVADs. He continues to do research with the ARIC and WHI investigators.
- Chet Patel helped lead efforts that yielded the highest transplant volumes for the program to date with important innovations including use of the Transmedics Organ Care System and Donation after Circulatory Death hearts (Duke became the first U.S. program to transplant a DCD heart in December, 2019). With these advances, in October, the program crossed an important milestone of 1500 heart transplants. Patel is leading a number of initiatives across the Department of Medicine focused on care delivery, quality and practice alignment across divisions and throughout the health system.
- Mike Blazing is continuing efforts on planning a move to the new clinic space at Arringdon as well as facilitating adaptive strategies to optimize patient interactions with providers with televisits and safety protocols at the clinics. He also continues to meet weekly with the communications center to address scheduling, triage and message handling issues.
- Michel Khouri has helped lead cardio-oncology efforts to improve cardiovascular risk stratification of cancer patients and
enhance the referral and management processes for clinicians. He has helped establish Duke as a regional leader in cardiac amyloidosis care and research. - Kishan Parikh has led efforts at Duke Raleigh focused on pulmonary hypertension and heart failure care. More broadly across Duke University Health System, he has led efforts to create an unexplained dyspnea program. He has also helped lead research efforts focused on EHR-based identification of patients with HFpEF, TR, and pulmonary hypertension.
Our nurse leaders in the outpatient clinics have really elevated to the challenges of this year with Karol Harshaw-Ellis and Midge Bowers increasing clinical volumes while leading important patient-centered efforts on HF care outside of the traditional healthcare settings and leading educational efforts locally and on the national stage. Carolyn Lekavich has been busy on the clinical side while also launching a productive research career focused on deep-phenotyping in HFpEF.
Marat Fudim joined the faculty in July and has launched a number of new initiatives. The heart failure group started a new heart failure remote monitoring clinic and as part of Marat’s efforts in the cath lab, we have expanded the hemodynamic investigation of patients with suspected or confirmed heart failure. Marat aims to expand site-based research in the heart failure and cath cluster with a focus on early phase device and diagnostic modalities. In an acknowledgement of his achievements to date he will receive the 2021 Zipes Award from the ACC at this year’s Scientific Sessions.
Steve Greene became a faculty member in July and has joined the Same-Day Access Clinic leadership team where he has helped lead efforts involving a data-driven approach to improved medication titration for guideline-directed medical therapies. He has also worked to increase utilization of the Same-Day Access clinic by engaging multiple groups within Duke Health, including the hospitalist services and the emergency departments at Duke University and Duke Regional hospitals.
Our nurse clinicians Jennifer Lewis and Martha Anders have gone above and beyond with extraordinary care during the challenges of this past year. Their superb clinical care, attention to detail and stellar communication skills have helped countless patients and remain pivotal to our program’s success. We also welcomed Leilani Gomez to the team who has quickly gotten up to speed to help enhance outpatient HF care. Many other nurse clinician and PA leaders have helped effectively provide exceptional patient care this year including Mike Strub and Kathryn Hord. Kudos to the 2F/2G nursing team as well as the nurse leaders at South Durham and Duke Raleigh.
Notably, Doug Schocken recently retired from Duke with a tremendous legacy of clinical care, education and research. Author or co-author of more than 200 papers, abstracts, books chapters and two books, he is usually quite modest about his contributions. He has been a mentor to trainees and faculty nationwide. When queried about his favorite professional accomplishments, Doug cited his role as Chair of the first AHA Scientific Statement on Prevention of Heart Failure (2008), his service to AHA at many levels of leadership, his term as President of DUCCS (1997-1999), his Presidency of the American Society of Preventive Cardiology (2006-2008), creating the Cardio-Oncology Clinic at Moffitt Cancer Center (1995), and presenting and moderating many sessions at HFSA annual meetings since the inaugural event in Baltimore (1994). In addition to these important achievements, he received the AHA National Scientist/Volunteer of the year in 2002 and the AHA Science Advocate of the year in 2007. He may be ‘retired’ but will continue with activities involving the section and division.
Our APP teammates have been critical to the clinical care, research and educational work this year. Stephanie Barnes has 
taken on the role as the Clinical Director for Advanced HF Services. She is working closely with the HF team to help led efforts focused on improving the quality of care for our HF patients and focusing on programmatic development for the VAD program. Barnes also served on a committee for AAHFN. Notably, the Cardiology APPs are currently partnering with CEPD to revise the HF educational offerings. Sara Black and Rio Landa have been teaching HF classes for nursing staff. Black revised the HF orientation pathways and education documents for inpatient Cardiology APPs, highlighting important advances in the field and reflecting current research and best practices.
Many inpatient cardiology APPs published HF specific papers or presented HF topics at local or national meetings including Stephanie Barnes, Jaime McDermott, Callie Tennyson, Todd McVeigh and others. In fact, “Sodium–Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors for Heart Failure: The New Kid on the Block,” by McDermott, Tennyson and Elizabeth Bell-McClure, was just published this weekend in the Journal for Nurse Practitioners. Also on the nursing leadership side, Bradi Granger has helped lead mentorship for nurse trainees performing research and has collaborated with the team on QI efforts.
Mara Watson with the pharmacy team has been working with James Henderson (cardiology pharmacist), Alexis Nanni (PGY1 Pharmacy Transplant Resident), and Adam DeVore on a research project, “Effect of Time-to-Therapeutic (TTT) Tacrolimus Range on Early Rejection and Renal Dysfunction after Heart Transplant.” Cody Carson has been getting involved with more research and QI projects with the HF group. Most notable thus far, she has been assisting with the creation of the Epic Heart Failure Dashboard and providing pharmacy insight for the ongoing QI project aimed at improving HF GDMT prescribing for patients admitted to non-cardiology Services. She is also coordinating the annual Cardiology Pearls Noon Conference CE presentation to educate non-cardiology pharmacists and pharmacy learners on updates in cardiology pharmacotherapy. Kristen Fischer (PGY2 Cardiology Pharmacy Resident) is currently completing a study evaluating warfarin requirements post-discharge in newly implanted LVAD patients, which James Henderson and Cody Carson are precepting.
Finally, we have to thank our three incredible advanced HF fellows this year: Rahul Loungani, Amanda Coniglio and Hirak Shah. They have been exceptional partners. It seems inappropriate to group them all together with a description, but they each have such tremendous knowledge and clinical acumen. They are top notch team players and it has been a true pleasure to work with them. Rahul will join the Piedmont HF team, Hirak will join the University of Kansas, and Amanda will complete her last year of clinical and research training (having been involved with her HF year early). Thank you for your hard work thus far (and through the end of June).
In closing, we thank the entire HF Section for their efforts across the different domains of clinical care, education and research over the past year. Outstanding work!
Kisslo Dissection Course Held
During February, the annual two-part Kisslo cardiac dissection course was held. Joe Kisslo and several sonographers, including Danny Rivera and Alicia Armour, have taught this course 1-2 times per year for more than 20 years! The sessions are attended by cardiac anesthesia, pediatric cardiology, veterinary cardiology (from NC State), occasional UNC cardiology fellows as well as our cardiology fellows and biomedical engineering students. Dr. Kisslo also teaches this course at other institutions in the U.S. and internationally.
In Dr. Kisslo’s words, “These are not just four valves and four chambers, but are in-depth explorations of anatomy and function… and application of these findings to cardiac surgical procedures. Nothing like holding a heart in your hands! Most of all, they are tons of fun.”
Shown here are four of our cardiology fellow attendees, Matt Carlisle, Cara Hoke, Dan Loriaux, and Sarah Snow. On behalf of our cardiology fellows, Dan writes:
“Although it will be impossible to fit an adequate thank you into a single paragraph, we all wanted to take a moment to highlight the tremendous effort that went into making this year’s dissection possible. From Dr. Kisslo’s leadership, Danny’s dissection skills, and all of the preceptors who volunteered their weekends to teach us through Zoom-linked and socially-distanced classrooms, the preparation and planning that went into orchestrating this course in the midst of COVID was truly exceptional. We honestly cannot thank Dr. Kisslo and the full dissection team enough! It was an incredible course. THANK YOU from everyone who was fortunate enough to attend the heart dissection course this year!”
Great work, everyone!
Kudos to Valencia and the Landa’s!
Duke Raleigh offered their first “Pop-Up” Covid-19 vaccine clinic last weekend for the Latinx population in Raleigh. The Duke Raleigh outreach team was in need of Spanish-speaking providers to assist with vaccinations. Diane Sauro put out the SOS to the team and Kelly Valencia from Cardiology and Rio Landa, team lead in Cardiology (as well as Israel Landa, MD, at Duke Regional) answered the call. Although Rio ultimately was unable to join in helping, Kelly and Israel were both able to go on behalf of our team. Both reported enjoying their time helping the community. Big kudos to them as this was 100 percent volunteer driven.
Well done, team!
AHA Triangle Heart Ball, March 19
The American Heart Association’s Triangle Heart Ball will take place virtually on Friday, March 19 at 7:30 p.m. The annual fundraiser features a silent auction and the AHA “Open Your Heart Appeal.” Tickets are free, but registration (secured with a credit card) is required so that you can bid on auction items and/or make an open donation. The silent auction opens Tuesday, March 16 at 8 a.m. and closes Friday, March 19 at 9 p.m.
The Triangle AHA team is providing a curated party box to the first 200 guests who register no later than Wed., March 10. The party box will be delivered to your home. To register, please visit: https://event.gives/triangleheartball and make sure to list Duke Heart as your company. This event is sponsored locally by Duke Heart, UNC Health and LeithCars.com.
Annual Security Awareness Training
Last year, Duke’s Information Technology Security Office developed Annual Security Awareness training, which can be found in the Duke Learning Management System (LMS). It is mandatory for all Duke Health staff and will be required on a yearly basis. The training takes 10 minutes and easily digestible, and helps Duke meet a lot of requirements for our contractual obligations and regulatory compliance. Please encourage your teams to go into the LMS and complete this training as soon as possible. Monthly reminder emails are being sent to staff who have not yet completed the training. Thank you!
Reminder: Best Hospitals Survey Now Open
The U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals annual survey is open in Doximity. Voting is a great way to celebrate how Duke is leading the way in patient care, education and research, so be sure to log into Doximity by March 26th and VOTE!
Results from the reputation survey are an important component of the scoring U.S. News & World Report uses to rank the nation’s top hospitals, along with all of the work we do to provide the best care for our patients. We hope all survey-eligible team members will consider showing your pride in Duke Heart and voting for all three of Duke’s hospitals as part of your “top 5” for “Best Hospitals for Cardiology and Heart Surgery.”
How to Vote: Voting is open through March 26, 2021. To vote, physicians can visit Doximity.com or the survey page on Doximity.com. The survey will display until the physician votes or the survey closes.
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
Mar.9: Epidemiological Research in Cardio-Oncology – Focus on Atherosclerosis with Avirup Guha of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. 7:15 a.m., Webex.
Mar. 16: Advanced Cancer is also Heart Failure Syndrome: Cardio-Oncology Including and Beyond Cardiotoxicity with Stefan Anker, Professor of (Tissue) Homeostasis in Cardiology & Metabolism at Charite Berlin. 7:15 a.m., Webex.
Mar. 23: If You Build It… (They) Will Come – Advanced Therapies in ACHD with Jonathan Menachem of Vanderbilt University Medical Center. 5 p.m., Webex.
March 30: TBD
April 6: Management of POTS with Camille Frazier-Mills. 5 p.m., Webex.
April 13: Advancing Gender Equity in Global Cardiovascular Health Outcomes with Zainab Samad of Aga Khan University. 7:15 a.m., Webex.
April 20: TBD
April 27: Cardio-Oncology: Moving Forward in 2021 with Daniel J. Lenihan, Director, Cardio-Oncology Center of Excellence, Washington University in St. Louis. 5 p.m., Webex.
Six-Part Mental Health Webinar Series Available Through April
Mar. 17: Understanding Adolescent Alcohol and Substance Use. 4-4:30 p.m. Hosted by the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and led by associate professor David Goldston, PhD. (Link below)
This is the third in a six-part webinar series, “Taking Care of Yourself and Your Loved Ones,” for all Duke University and Duke Health community members and their families. The 30-minute topical webinars provide practical expert advice on topics including emotional wellness, substance misuse, suicide prevention, and mental health for children, adolescents and teens.
The webinar series runs through April 27. Learn more, watch past webinars and join upcoming webinars: http://bit.ly/DukeMHSeries.
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 1 — Robert Lefkowitz
The Times of Israel
How a Nobel-winning ‘accidental scientist’ changed the world by saving himself
http://bit.ly/3edjrmI
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