Highlights of the week:

Chmielewski Retiring Sept. 30 after 29 Years of Service

Carl Chmielewski, administrative assistant in the division of cardiology, will retire from Duke Heart this week on Sept. 30. He has worked with the division for 29 years.

We had the opportunity to speak with Carl about his Duke experience over the years. “It has been an amazing ride that is for sure,” he said.

Chmielewski, who started at Duke as a temporary file clerk was assigned to Duke’s division of cardiology to help with the purging of old files “back when all we used were paper records,” he says. He was soon brought into an administrative role that would basically evolve over the years into something akin to ‘chief troubleshooter’.

One of the things Chmielewski says he has enjoyed the most about working for the division is that things never got stale. “It has always been something new every day, or what might work today will not work tomorrow, so the days have always been challenging.”

Most who know Carl recognize him for his superb troubleshooting skills; most of us have either uttered or heard the refrain, “Go ask Carl,” when some administrative complexity could not be figured out. Over the course of 29 years, he has certainly worked on a very large number of projects, but the ones that stand out the most for him are those that have arguably made the greatest difference to others by making their lives a bit easier.

“My motto has always been, ‘work smarter, not harder’ so when people would come to me with issues or ideas – especially the staff, I started documenting them so that we could share these great tips,” Chmielewski says.

All cardiology administrative staff is likely familiar with the Help Documents folder, now in Box. Carl created that as a centralized means of sharing knowledge throughout the group. “Every time a staff member came up with an idea that was a shortcut or something, I put it on there for everybody to look at. It might not apply to everybody, but it will apply to a lot of them.”

Another long-term project he enjoyed working on is related to Duke Cardiology’s historical records. Inevitable in any academic medical center is the accumulation of important records, papers, photographs, instruments, illustrations and other artifacts. Chmielewski has helped various faculty members over the years, including Tom Bashore, by ensuring the Duke Medical Center archives team had access to older materials that could be of historical value.

Chmielewski was also instrumental in working with cardiology leadership to develop the PODS system and an improved wording grid for paging operators to use for reaching cardiologists.

At one time, Carl was actively involved with Cardiology Grand Rounds and helping to plan the travel and itinerary for guest speakers. Through his involvement there, he found he enjoyed listening to the CGR recordings and learning more about what the faculty and fellows were working on.

The project he is most proud to have worked on, however, is the implementation of QGenda, which allowed him to work with faculty members like Jimmy Tcheng in order to take faculty scheduling fully electronic, with greater accessibility to key contact information. It was a project that many would agree was transformative.

Chmielewski refers to retirement as his 4^th and final career change. Prior to Duke, Carl’s family had been based in Michigan. His first career was in mobile home repair, but when he and his wife began to have children, the extremely long work days he had been putting in were no longer satisfying. He moved to the lumber industry, working for a local lumber company. During this time he honed enough skills to build his own home, which he says took him six months to do, but it was something he had always dreamed of doing.

Michigan happens to be a hot spot for the ballooning industry, which was his next career move. While at the lumber company, he met a customer who was launching his own balloon manufacturing company. The two hit it off and Carl was brought on board first to help build the plant, and then to build hot air balloons. He stayed on for 10 years – helping to manufacture special shaped balloons for Disney World and other major companies, but also for the private sector, including individuals such as Malcolm Forbes (they built him one in the shape of a Harley-Davidson).

Chmielewski’s wife Kathleen expects to retire from Duke early next year. The two are passionate about boating and, with the pandemic continuing, expect to hang out quite a bit on their 27-foot pontoon boat, grill out with family members and continue to entertain their grandchildren. The two have also become avid e-bicyclists and have found the trail system in the Triangle to be ideal for local rides. They plan to stay fully active and enjoy living.

When asked if there will be anything he misses, Carl says he will miss his colleagues the most — as well as the challenges of helping to support a very fast-paced cardiology team. He encourages all of us to keep in mind what a great team we are a part of and, to ‘work smarter, not harder’.

For the past few years, Carl has reported to Chris Morgenstern, administrative manager for the division. “It has been an honor and privilege to work alongside Carl for these past few years,” Morgenstern says. “It was clear to me when I first started that Carl was an invaluable resource to the division of Cardiology. Without Carl’s assistance through my time here at Duke, I know for certain that I wouldn’t have been as successful as I have been. I can’t thank him enough for all his hard work, and I know that I, and the Division, will miss him dearly.”

Thank you, Carl, for all the great work you have done in supporting the faculty and staff over the years. We wish you all the best in retirement!

New CMS ICD-10 code I5A Going Live October 1

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) recently released the diagnosis code files for 2022. The new codes go into effect on Friday, Oct. 1.

Included is a new cardiology diagnosis code, I5A, specific to non-ischemic myocardial injury (non-traumatic). This is an important development and something each provider and all coders need to be aware of. The updated code allows providers the opportunity to more correctly label patients who have an elevation of high sensitivity troponin who are not having a myocardial infarction. Stay tuned for more information — Drs. Jimmy Tcheng, Kristin Newby, Manesh Patel, Jennifer Rymer and Andrew Wang are working on a package of information to distribute to all care teams.

CICU Expansion Set for October 1

On Friday, October 1, 2021, the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit located on 7E in Duke Medical Pavilion will expand from 20 beds to our full operational capacity of 24 beds under the medical directorship of Drs. Jason Katz and Kristin Newby, and nurse manager Greg Flynn, BSN. The additional beds will allow us to better support the Duke Heart mission of providing high-quality, excellent cardiac care to our patients and their families. The team has worked diligently to onboard new staff members for the expansion, including nurses, advanced practice providers, and an additional rounding pharmacist. The medical coverage model has added advanced practice providers to the current structure of residents, fellows, and attendings.

VAD Joint Commission Survey Completed

Thank you to all faculty and staff for their support and participation during the recent VAD Joint Commission Survey at Duke University Hospital. Your preparedness and enthusiasm was greatly appreciated! Shown here are team members Da-Vida Clark, Jill Engel, Heather Pena, Laura Blue, Stephanie Barnes, Mary Lindsay and Laura Dickerson after the completion of the survey.

 

 

 

Heart Faculty Life Support Training Event Held

On Wednesday, Sept. 22, the biannual Life Support training event was held for 23 Heart faculty members. Special thanks to our instructors Kristen Newby, Jill Engel, Mary Lindsay, and Laura Dickerson. Administrative assistant support was provided by Sara Yarboro and Caleb Smith, shown here.

Kudos to Cardiology Fellows

This week, multiple unexpected challenges arose in the cardiology fellowship. Anna Lisa Crowley, program director, would like to recognize and thank the following fellows who went above and beyond by volunteering to cover their co-fellows in need on short notice during this time:

• Ali Corley
• Josephine Harrington
• Shahzeb Khan
• Mark Kittipibul
• Manasi Tannu

Great team work, everyone!!!!

 

Granger & Gersh Discuss ESC

Chris Granger along with Bernard Gersh of the Mayo Clinic were our special guests for Cardiology Grand Rounds on Tuesday, Sept. 21. They led a lively discussion recapping the European Society of Cardiology’s 2021 Congress.

Many thanks to all who joined us!

Duke Heart Seeks Team Captains, Walkers for Heart Walk

The Triangle Heart Walk is scheduled for Sunday, October 10 and we’d love see more members of the Duke Heart faculty and staff sign on as team captains or walkers. It is not too late! Registration is quick and easy – you can start your own team or join an existing one: simply visit triangleheartwalk.org/dukehealth2021. Looking for a team to join? Manesh Patel and Jill Engel are both team captains and would be happy to have you join them! If you have any questions or need help, feel free to email Kimberly Burrows, senior director of development for the Triangle AHA, at kimberly.burrows@heart.org.

Due to pandemic circumstances, the event will not take place at PNC arena. Instead, the American Heart Association will have “pop-up” starting lines at various locations throughout the Triangle:

• NC State Campus – LexisNexis, 1801 Varsity Dr. in Raleigh, NC 27606
• Healthy Mile – Holton Trail, 401 N. Driver St. in Durham, NC 27703
• Healthy Mile – Northgate Park Trail, 302 W. Club Blvd. in Durham, NC 27704
• Shelley Lake Loop, 1400 W. Millbrook Rd. in Raleigh, NC 27612
• Worthdale Park, 1001 Cooper Rd. in Raleigh, NC 27610

Or, you can choose to walk on your own, wherever is most convenient to you. Too busy to walk? You can support any Duke Heart team by making a general donation to a walker to support their fundraising efforts.

Thanks for considering. We appreciate every dollar!

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Cardiology Grand Rounds

September 28: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Guidelines and Treatment Update with Andrew Wang. 7:15 a.m., Webex.

October 5: Critical Care Cardiology in the 21^st Century with Anthony Carnicelli. 5 p.m. Webex.

October 12: Lessons from ADAPTABLE and PREVENTABLE: Is Pragmatism the Answer? with Schuyler Jones. 5 p.m. Webex.

Upcoming Duke Heart CME

October 8: Duke Heart Failure Symposium: The Leading Edge of Heart Failure Management. Course directors are Richa Agarwal and Robert Mentz. 12 – 4:30 p.m. Zoom Webinar. To learn more and to register, please visit: http://duke.is/Q1sBtf

November 5: 13^th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium. Course directors are H. James Ford (UNC) and Terry Fortin. 8:30 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. Morning case-based workshops will be live, in person at Durham Convention Center (subject to change pending pandemic conditions). Masks and COVID vaccination required. Afternoon portion will be held via Zoom. For more information and to register, please visit: https://bit.ly/3DrZwuv.

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:

September 17 — Manesh Patel

tctMD

AHA Announces Fully Virtual Meeting in Light of Surging COVID-19 Numbers

http://duke.is/iXT98J

September 17 — Harry Severance

The Columbian

In Our View: Appreciate workers by slowing virus’s spread

http://duke.is/hK6X7x

September 20 — Harry Severance

Healthgrades

7 Reasons Doctors Are Leaving Medicine

http://duke.is/iRJ11X

September 21 — Marat Fudim and Manesh Patel

HCPLive

New Heart Failure Data from ESC 2021 with Marat Fudim, MD

http://duke.is/Fm1rh4

September 22 — Duke University Hospital

Becker’s Hospital Review

5 recent ‘firsts’ in cardiology

http://duke.is/wrJ53t

September 23 — Geeta Swamy and Adrian Hernandez

WRAL NBC-5

U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s decision to endorse giving booster doses

http://duke.is/twztyN

Division of Cardiology Publications Indexed in PubMed Sept 16-23, 2021

Abou Assi H, Rangadurai AK, Shi H, Liu B, Clay MC, Erharter K, Kreutz C, Holley CL, Al-Hashimi HM. 2′-O-Methylation can increase the abundance and lifetime of alternative RNA conformational states. Nucleic Acids Res 2020;48(21):12365-12379. PM: 33104789.

Alba GA, Samokhin AO, Wang RS, Zhang YY, Wertheim BM, Arons E, Greenfield EA, Lundberg Slingsby MH, Ceglowski JR, Haley KJ, Bowman FP, Yu YR, Haney JC, Eng G, Mitchell RN, Sheets A, Vargas SO, Seo S, Channick RN, Leary PJ, Rajagopal S, Loscalzo J, et al. NEDD9 Is a Novel and Modifiable Mediator of Platelet-Endothelial Adhesion in the Pulmonary Circulation. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2021;203(12):1533-1545. PM: 33523764.

Beijnink CWH, van der Hoeven NW, Konijnenberg LSF, Kim RJ, Bekkers SCAM, Kloner RA, Everaars H, El Messaoudi S, van Rossum AC, van Royen N, Nijveldt R. Cardiac MRI to Visualize Myocardial Damage after ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: A Review of Its Histologic Validation. Radiology 2021;301(1):4-18. PM: 34427461.

Goli S, Sakita FM, Kweka GL, Tarimo TG, Temu G, Thielman NM, Bettger JP, Bloomfield GS, Limkakeng AT, Hertz JT. Thirty-day outcomes and predictors of mortality following acute myocardial infarction in northern Tanzania: A prospective observational cohort study. Int J Cardiol 2021;342:23-28. PM: 34364908.

Herrera AF, Ahn KW, Litovich C, Chen Y, Assal A, Bashir Q, Bayer RL, Coleman M, DeFilipp Z, Farhadfar N, Greenwood M, Hahn T, Horwitz M, Jacobson C, Jaglowski S, Lachance S, Langston A, Mattar B, Maziarz RT, McGuirk J, Mian MAH, Nathan S, Phillips A, et al. Autologous and allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma-type Richter syndrome. Blood Adv 2021;5(18):3528-3539. PM: 34496026.

Kereiakes DJ, Feldman RL, Ijsselmuiden AJJ, Saito S, Amoroso G, Zidar JP, Wong SC, Stella P, Yakubov S, Lasala J, Cohen DJ, Doros G, Cutlip DE, Rao SV. Safety and Effectiveness of the SVELTE Fixed-Wire and Rapid Exchange Bioresorbable-Polymer Sirolimus-Eluting Coronary Stent Systems for the Treatment of Atherosclerotic Lesions: Results of the OPTIMIZE Randomized Study. Circ Cardiovasc Interv 2021;14(9):e010609. PM: 34353122.

Krishnamoorthy V, Temkin N, Barber J, Foreman B, Komisarow J, Korley FK, Laskowitz DT, Mathew JP, Hernandez A, Sampson J, James ML, Bartz R, Raghunathan K, Goldstein BA, Markowitz AJ, Vavilala MS, et al. Association of Early Multiple Organ Dysfunction With Clinical and Functional Outcomes Over the Year Following Traumatic Brain Injury: A Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in Traumatic Brain Injury Study. Crit Care Med 2021;49(10):1769-1778. PM: 33935162.

Mahle RE, Suchindran S, Henao R, Steinbrink JM, Burke TW, McClain MT, Ginsburg GS, Woods CW, Tsalik EL. Validation of a Host Gene Expression Test for Bacterial/Viral Discrimination in Immunocompromised Hosts. Clin Infect Dis 2021;73(4):605-613. PM: 33462581.

Makkar RR, Yoon SH, Chakravarty T, Kapadia SR, Krishnaswamy A, Shah PB, Kaneko T, Skipper ER, Rinaldi M, Babaliaros V, Vemulapalli S, Trento A, Cheng W, Kodali S, Mack MJ, Leon MB, Thourani VH. Association Between Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement for Bicuspid vs Tricuspid Aortic Stenosis and Mortality or Stroke Among Patients at Low Surgical Risk. JAMA 2021;326(11):1034-1044. PM: 34546301.

Picard F, Bhatt DL, Ducrocq G, Ohman EM, Goto S, Eagle KA, Wilson PWF, Smith SC, Elbez Y, Steg PG. Generalizability of the REDUCE-IT trial and cardiovascular outcomes associated with hypertriglyceridemia among patients potentially eligible for icosapent ethyl therapy: An analysis of the REduction of Atherothrombosis for Continued Health (REACH) registry. Int J Cardiol 2021;340:96-104. PM: 34450192.

Salah HM, Khan MS, Fudim M. Summary of new trials presented at the 2021 American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Pharmacother 2021;7(5):e79-e80. PM: 34156461.

Smith JS, Pack TF, Inoue A, Lee C, Zheng K, Choi I, Eiger DS, Warman A, Xiong X, Ma Z, Viswanathan G, Levitan IM, Rochelle LK, Staus DP, Snyder JC, Kahsai AW, Caron MG, Rajagopal S. Noncanonical scaffolding of G and β-arrestin by G protein-coupled receptors. Science 2021;371(6534):eaay1833. PM: 33479120.

Wang Z, Rankine L, Bier EA, Mummy D, Lu J, Church A, Tighe RM, Swaminathan A, Huang YT, Que LG, Mammarappallil JG, Rajagopal S, Driehuys B. Using hyperpolarized Xe gas-exchange MRI to model the regional airspace, membrane, and capillary contributions to diffusing capacity. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2021;130(5):1398-1409. PM: 33734831.

 

Highlights of the week:

Excellent Duke Showing at HFSA 2021 Scientific Sessions

Duke Heart had a great showing at the Heart Failure Society of America’s 2021 Annual Scientific Sessions, held Sept. 10-13 in Denver, CO. This was a hybrid event due to the pandemic. Duke faculty and fellows were involved in lots of great discussions and had numerous achievements recognized throughout the weekend

Robert Mentz started off the sessions on Saturday, Sept 11, discussing “Novel Care Models to Improve Value and Address Disparities in HF.” During this session he highlighted the innovative steps Duke has taken towards bridging in-hospital and outpatient quality of care in heart failure, featuring quality outcomes research led by Anthony Carnicelli; novel clinical programs including an in-hospital virtual e-consult service across DOM and an EHR Dashboard led by Vishal Rao; outpatient Same Day Access and titration clinic led by Stephen Greene, and multidisciplinary palliative care programs centered on heart failure.

He also highlighted milestones and innovative work during his last year serving as Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Cardiac Failure.

Marat Fudim moderated an FDA Special Session entitled “Focus on HFSA Research Network.” This session featured Duke alums Christopher O’Connor and Mona Fiuzat as they discussed methods to improve health of heart failure patients through high value clinical research. Marat also gave oral presentations entitled “Emerging Devices and Procedures for Heart Failure” , “When CRT is Not an Option: Barostim for HFrEF with Narrow QRS” , “HeartLogic™ Clinical Data and Integration Into Clinical Practice,” and highlighted Duke’s growing remote monitoring and invasive hemodynamics and heart failure neuromodulation programs.

Adam DeVore presented on methods to improve HF quality care through hospital and patient engagement by highlighting key results in the CONNECT-HF trial.

Susan Dent presented on “Anti-HER2 Therapy – Safe for Use with Mildly Reduced LVEF and Who Should Receive Primary Prevention” during a special Cardio-Oncology session, bringing forth novel research led by Duke faculty.

Vanessa Blumer, an invited speaker, co-led the Hands-On Workshop on Acute Management of Cardiogenic Shock and served as a presenter on the session of Biventricular Failure/Cardiogenic Shock.

Duke Faculty and Fellows stole the show during the last day at HFSA:

 

 

Josephine Harrington was recognized for her excellent work during the JNC New Investigator Award session as the Runner-up for her abstract entitled “Angiopoietin 2 Predicts Clinical Outcomes and Recovery of Ventricular Function in Heart Failure”.  Mentors included Ravi Karra and G. Michael Felker.

The Late-Breaking Clinical Trials session highlighted the evolving role of digital health technologies in heart failure care, and had a special Duke flavor to end the sessions:

Vishal Rao presented the key ancillary study of the CONNECT-HF trial, entitled “The Association Of Digital Tool Use And Heart Failure Care: Insights From The CONNECT-HF Trial” under mentorship by Adam DeVore and Adrian Hernandez. The study demonstrated that a mobile app intervention plus the usual care may improve HF quality of care by improving patients’ own self-care after hospitalization for acute heart failure.

Michael Felker presented the key results from the TARGET-HF-DM trial, entitled “A Mobile Health Intervention To Increase Physical Activity In Patients With Heart Failure And Diabetes: The Target-HF-DM Randomized Controlled Trial.” This work demonstrated that a mobile health intervention that included texts with feedback and updated personalized physical activity goals improved physical activity, quality of life and metabolomic profiling in patients with HF and diabetes.

Special recognition during the Poster Presentations:

• Fourth year medical student Evan Murray presented during moderated poster sessions under mentorship by Robert Mentz and Stephen Greene. Two moderated posters are entitled, “Rehabilitation Therapy In Older Patients Hospitalized With Acute Heart Failure And Comorbid Diabetes: Insights From REHAB-HF” and “Unsupervised Machine Learning To Define Acute Hfpef Phenotypes: Findings From ASCEND-HF”

• Bradi Granger presented a poster entitled “Performance On Guideline Directed Medical Therapy Remains Low In A Cluster-randomized Trial: Results From CONNECT-HF”
• Third year medical resident Brittany Chapman presented poster entitled “Use Of Sacubitril-valsartan And Associated Outcomes By Race And Ethnicity In Patients With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction: Data From CHAMP-HF” under mentorship by Adam DeVore.
• Vishal Rao presented poster entitled “Electronic-based Characterization And Outcomes Of Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction” under mentorship by Michael Felker and Kishan Parikh.

In conclusion, we’d like to recognize Rob Mentz for his extraordinary leadership as Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Cardiac Failure (JCF). We are very proud of the work he has done. He is shown here at the JCF Editorial Board meeting, which was held during the HFSA last weekend. We understand that everyone pictured here spoke up to thank him for the work he has done – his leadership was praised and his many accomplishments applauded throughout the conference. Well deserved!

Many thanks to Vanessa Blumer, Vishal Rao and Josephine Harrington for their excellent summary for Pulse!

 

VAD Joint Commission Visit This Week

Duke University Hospital has received notification of an upcoming Virtual VAD Joint Commission Visit on Monday, Sept. 20 and Tuesday, Sept. 21. We appreciate the groups who have worked hard to prepare. The surveyor will be rounding via iPad and the survey team will be wearing bright vests.

Please notify Stephanie Barnes, Clinical Director for Advanced Heart Failure Services,

with any questions or concerns. Thank you!

Lefkowitz Kicks Off CGR

We had a terrific Cardiology Grand Rounds with Robert Lefkowitz, MD on Tuesday, Sept. 14. His talk, A Few Things I’ve Learned Along the Way, was filled with insights – from his ‘10 Golden Rules of Mentoring,’ to his thoughts on the keys to success in science – it was an engaging hour for all attendees. Many thanks to all who joined us!

 

Duke Heart Seeks Team Captains, Walkers for Heart Walk

The Triangle Heart Walk is scheduled for Sunday, October 10 and we’d love see more members of the Duke Heart faculty and staff sign on as team captains or walkers. Registration is quick and easy – you can start your own team or join an existing one: simply visit triangleheartwalk.org/dukehealth2021. If you have any questions or need help, feel free to email Kimberly Burrows, senior director of development for the Triangle AHA, at kimberly.burrows@heart.org.

Due to pandemic circumstances, the event will not take place at PNC arena. Instead, the American Heart Association will have “pop-up” start lines at various locations throughout the Triangle (locations yet to be announced) or you can choose to walk on your own, wherever is most convenient to you.

 

Thanks for considering!

 

High 5 for Hall

Congratulations to Keryn Hall, Patient Service Associate for Duke Cardiology of Raleigh. She received a High 5 this week from Gina Sypliwtchak, also of Duke Cardiology of Raleigh:

“Keryn is one of the best of the best here at Duke Cardiology of Raleigh! She connects with patients, is always willing to help out and provides the best all-around service each and every day. We appreciate all she does and all she strives for! You rock, Keryn!”

Nicely done!

 

Reminder: Flu Vaccination Update

Duke University Health System (DUHS) requires all healthcare workers to comply with our Healthcare Worker Flu Vaccination policy by either being vaccinated annually against the flu or receiving an approved exemption. This is in alignment with our core value of “caring for our patients, their loved ones and each other.” Annual policy compliance is a condition of employment for all DUHS team members. Annual vaccination or policy compliance is also a condition of access to Duke Health facilities, including information systems, for those holding clinical privileges in a Duke Health facility and learners who wish to train in our facilities.

Please note these key dates for the upcoming flu vaccination season:

• ​Launch of Flu Vaccination Season is Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021.
• Applications for Medical or Religious Exemption should be submitted before Monday, Nov. 1, 2021. This will allow sufficient time for review and for communication of the review decision. Please note: Due to the availability of an egg-free formulation of the flu vaccine, egg allergy is not a reason for a medical exemption.​
• Policy compliance through vaccination or granted medical or religious exemption by Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021, at 10 a.m.
• More info available here: https://bit.ly/3lm5XXR
  

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Cardiology Grand Rounds

September 21: ESC 2021 Recap with Bernard Gersh (Mayo Clinic) and Christopher Granger. 5 p.m., Webex.

September 28: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Guidelines and Treatment Update with Andrew Wang. 7:15 a.m., Webex.

October 5: Critical Care Cardiology in the 21^st Century with Anthony Carnicelli. 5 p.m. Webex.

October 12: Lessons from ADAPTABLE and PREVENTABLE: Is Pragmatism the Answer? with Schuyler Jones. 5 p.m. Webex.

 

Upcoming Duke Heart CME

October 8: Duke Heart Failure Symposium: The Leading Edge of Heart Failure Management. Course directors are Richa Agarwal and Robert Mentz. 12 – 4:30 p.m. Zoom Webinar. To learn more and to register, please visit: http://duke.is/Q1sBtf

November 5: 13^th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium. Course directors are H. James Ford (UNC) and Terry Fortin. 8:30 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. Morning case-based workshops will be live, in person at Durham Convention Center (subject to change pending pandemic conditions). Masks and COVID vaccination required. Afternoon portion will be held via Zoom. For more information and to register, please visit: https://bit.ly/3DrZwuv.

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:

September 9 — Nick Andersen

WRAL

New organ preservation technology offers hope for young transplant candidates

http://duke.is/S4g8Tg

September 9 — Duke University Hospital (Peds DCD story)

WNCN-RAL(CBS)

CBS 17 News at 11*

http://duke.is/RStnYT

*clip begins at 23:18:54

September 12 — Robert Califf

Medpage Today

Heart Failure’s ‘Golden Moment’ Not Translating into Better Health

http://duke.is/GvXcv9

September 12 — William Kraus

NBCNews.com

How many steps a day should you take? Study finds 7,000 can go a long way

http://duke.is/g583WZ

September 12 — William Kraus

Telemundo.com

¿Cuántos pasos hay que dar al día? Un estudio revela que 7,000 pueden ser suficientes para obtener beneficios

http://duke.is/vY1SQf

September 13 — G. Michael Felker

Medpage Today

Transplant Docs Are Sticking With Invasive Biopsies After Heart Transplants

http://duke.is/mmm9cB

September 13 — Neha Pagidipati

Medscape/Reuters Health

GLP-1 Receptor Agonists a Good Treatment Choice for Type 2 Diabetes

http://duke.is/BV2bEM

September 13 — Renato Lopes

Pharmacy Times

Cardiovascular Safety of Prostate Cancer Treatments Still Undecided

http://duke.is/YSIA4P

September 14 — Vishal Rao

tctMD

Digital App Improves HF Quality-of-Care Metrics: CONNECT-AF

http://duke.is/5FDmgT

September 14 — Nick Andersen

WTVD – ABC 11

Doctors at Duke University Hospital perform new type of heart transplant on 14-year-old

http://duke.is/91wzrB

September 15 — Nick Andersen

Spectrum News 1

N.C. teen gets new heart after first-of-its kind surgery at Duke University Hospital

http://duke.is/Eaz7hY

September 15 — G. Michael Felker

tctMD

In HF and Diabetes, Mobile Health App Modestly Boosts Physical Activity

http://duke.is/9XCWnn

September 15 — Vishal Rao

Healio/Cardiology

Digital health app may improve self-care after acute HF hospitalization

http://duke.is/nZbPds

September 15 — G. Michael Felker

Healio/Cardiology

Mobile health intervention improves physical activity, quality of life in HF, diabetes

http://duke.is/hTy7qr

September 15 — Nick Andersen (Peds DCD story)

WXLV – ABC 45

News at 11 p.m.*

http://duke.is/Sdw3vA

*clip begins at 23:08:41

September 16 — Robert Califf

Infection Control Today

Massive Study of Long COVID Launched

http://duke.is/Ny6LDT

September 16 — G. Michael Felker

MDEdge

Texts boost activity, quality of life in patients with heart failure and diabetes

http://duke.is/ECk1Kw

September 16 — Nick Andersen, Jacob Schroder, Ben Bryner & Joseph Turek

Spectrum News 1

Duke performs first U.S. pediatric heart transplant using new method

http://duke.is/dCyD6C

September 16 — Nick Andersen, Jacob Schroder, Ben Bryner & Joseph Turek

Becker’s Hospital Review

Duke performs US’ 1st pediatric heart transplant using new method

http://duke.is/h1LXVA

Division of Cardiology Publications Indexed in PubMed September 9-15, 2021

Barrett TJ, Cornwell M, Myndzar K, Rolling CC, Xia Y, Drenkova K, Biebuyck A, Fields AT, Tawil M, Luttrell-Williams E, Yuriditsky E, Smith G, Cotzia P, Neal MD, Kornblith LZ, Pittaluga S, Rapkiewicz AV, Burgess HM, Mohr I, Stapleford KA, Voora D, et al. Platelets amplify endotheliopathy in COVID-19. Sci Adv 2021;7(37):eabh2434. PM: 34516880.

Clarke JD, Piccini JP, Friedman DJ. The role of posterior wall isolation in catheter ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2021;32(9):2567-2576. PM: 34258794.

Cosiano MF, Tobin R, Mentz RJ, Greene SJ. Physical Functioning in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction. J Card Fail 2021;27(9):1002-1016. PM: 33991684.

Jackson LR, Schrader P, Thomas L, Steinberg BA, Blanco R, Allen LA, Fonarow GC, Freeman JV, Gersh BJ, Kowey PR, Mahaffey KW, Naccarelli G, Reiffel J, Singer DE, Peterson ED, Piccini JP. Dosing of Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Patients with Moderate Chronic Kidney Disease in US Clinical Practice: Results from the Outcomes Registry for Better Informed Treatment of AF (ORBIT-AF II). Am J Cardiovasc Drugs 2021;21(5):553-561. PM: 33786798.

Jenista ER, Jensen CJ, Wendell D, Spatz D, Darty S, Kim HW, Parker M, Klem I, Chen EL, Kim RJ, Rehwald WG. Double spectral attenuated inversion recovery (DSPAIR)-an efficient fat suppression technique for late gadolinium enhancement at 3 tesla. NMR Biomed 2021;34(10):e4580. PM: 34251717.

Lala A, Mentz RJ. Overcoming Inertia: Announcing Double Blinded Reviews at JCF. J Card Fail 2021;27(9):923-924. PM: 34507804.

Lekavich CL, Abraham D, Fudim M, Green C, Mentz RJ, Harshaw-Ellis K, Bowers M, Kelsey A, Parikh K, Truong T, Barksdale D, Kraus WE. Early Identification of Patients at Risk for Incident Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction: Novel Approach to Echocardiographic Trends. J Card Fail 2021;27(9):942-948. PM: 33965536.

Mehran R, Cao D, Angiolillo DJ, Bangalore S, Bhatt DL, Ge J, Hermiller J, Makkar RR, Neumann FJ, Saito S, Picon H, Toelg R, Maksoud A, Chehab BM, De la Torre Hernandez JM, Kunadian V, Sardella G, Thiele H, Varenne O, Vranckx P, Windecker S, Zhou Y, Krucoff M. 3- or 1-Month DAPT in Patients at High Bleeding Risk Undergoing Everolimus-Eluting Stent Implantation. JACC Cardiovasc Interv 2021;14(17):1870-1883. PM: 34503737.

Nissen SE, Hutchinson HG, Wang TY, Ballantyne CM, Travis S, Morris M, Miller W, Hynson J, Wolski K, Ridker PM. Technology-Assisted Self-Selection of Candidates for Nonprescription Statin Therapy. J Am Coll Cardiol 2021;78(11):1114-1123. PM: 34503680.

Pagidipati NJ, Peterson ED. Should Cardiovascular Preventive Therapy Be Over-the-Counter? J Am Coll Cardiol 2021;78(11):1124-1126. PM: 34503681.

Pandey A, Shah SJ, Butler J, Kellogg DL, Lewis GD, Forman DE, Mentz RJ, Borlaug BA, Simon MA, Chirinos JA, Fielding RA, Volpi E, Molina AJA, Haykowsky MJ, Sam F, Goodpaster BH, Bertoni AG, Justice JN, White JP, Ding J, Hummel SL, LeBrasseur NK, Taffet GE. Exercise Intolerance in Older Adults With Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction: JACC State-of-the-Art Review. J Am Coll Cardiol 2021;78(11):1166-1187. PM: 34503685.

Piccini JP, Fudim M, Black-Maier E. Can catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation reverse heart failure with preserved ejection fraction? J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2021;32(9):2368-2370. PM: 34379342.

Vogel B, Baber U, Cohen DJ, Sartori S, Sharma SK, Angiolillo DJ, Farhan S, Goel R, Zhang Z, Briguori C, Collier T, Dangas G, Dudek D, Escaned J, Gil R, Han YL, Kaul U, Kornowski R, Krucoff MW, Kunadian V, Mehta SR, Moliterno D, Ohman EM, Sardella G, et al. Sex Differences Among Patients With High Risk Receiving Ticagrelor With or Without Aspirin After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Subgroup Analysis of the TWILIGHT Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Cardiol 2021;6(9):1032-1041. PM: 33991416.

Weissler EH, Clare RM, Lokhnygina Y, Buse JB, Goodman SG, Katona B, Iqbal N, Pagidipati NJ, Sattar N, Holman RR, Hernandez AF, Mentz RJ, Patel MR, Jones WS. Predicting major adverse limb events in individuals with type 2 diabetes: Insights from the EXSCEL trial. Diabet Med 2021;38(10):e14552. PM: 33690915.

White HD, O’Brien SM, Alexander KP, Boden WE, Bangalore S, Li J, Manjunath CN, Lopez-Sendon JL, Peteiro J, Gosselin G, Berger JS, Maggioni AP, Reynolds HR, Hochman JS, Maron DJ. Comparison of Days Alive Out of Hospital With Initial Invasive vs Conservative Management: A Prespecified Analysis of the ISCHEMIA Trial. JAMA Cardiol 2021;6(9):1023-1031. PM: 33938917.

 

Highlights of the week:

We all spent the week and weekend remembering 9-11 and all of the Heros, first responders, and brave Americans that have subsequently supported our country at home and abroad.  We will always remember the sacrifice and impact on the lives of so many. We hope you all had time this weekend to be with family and friends and reflect on this moment.

Next week we will have updates from our colleagues presentations at the National Heart Failure Society meeting.

Duke Performs First Pediatric DCD Heart Transplant in U.S.

Surgeons at Duke University Hospital successfully performed a “donation after circulatory death” (DCD) heart transplant in a pediatric patient, demonstrating the potential expansion of eligible donor hearts for children with heart failure.

The transplant occurred Aug. 31 and is the first pediatric patient in the U.S. to undergo a DCD transplant using the organ preservation technology developed by Transmedics. A small number of children received early versions of DCD transplant — which uses organs that are retrieved from donors with no cardio-respiratory function — starting in the 1980s, but the method had limitations.

The organ preservation technology, which maintains the heart’s pumping action, received FDA approval this week for adult heart donations after brain death. For their 14-year-old patient, Duke surgeons received a special compassionate use approval from the FDA to use the technology for the DCD transplant.

“This is a landmark achievement for children with end-stage heart failure,” said Joseph Turek, M.D., Ph.D., chief of pediatric cardiac surgery at Duke who, along with Benjamin Bryner, M.D., retrieved the donated organs. Nick Andersen, M.D., and Jacob Schroder, M.D., led the eight-hour surgery, which also included a team of nurses, perfusionists and anesthesiologists.

“Children are, unfortunately, an underserved population when it comes to innovation, adaptation of technology and clinical trials,” Turek said. “It is our duty to advocate for them and to continue to advance the care in pediatric medicine.”

Duke has been a leader in DCD transplantation. In 2019, Duke surgeons performed the first adult DCD heart transplant in the United States and led the nation in DCD heart transplants as part of a clinical trial that contributed to the company’s FDA application for approval.

“This case highlights how Duke is uniquely suited to pioneer innovations in pediatric heart transplantation, due to our close collaboration and teamwork with the renowned adult heart transplant team,” Andersen said.

While the DCD technology cannot yet be used for the smallest children, it could potentially be adapted to older youngsters. At Duke alone, the method could be indicated for as many as five children a year. Having this option could significantly reduce the amount of time children spend waiting for a donor heart.

“It’s heartbreaking that children die while waiting for a heart transplant, and every advancement that makes more hearts available is one that saves lives,” said Schroder, director of Duke’s heart transplant program. “We are eager to explore all options that give children and their families hope.”

The pediatric patient, Jaynzra “Nae” Rice, is a 14-year-old who was born with a gene deletion syndrome and can’t verbally communicate what she’s experiencing. Hospitalized at Duke earlier this year with breathing difficulties, she received an LVAD – a left ventricular assist device that helps the heart pump – and spent three months in the hospital.

Nae’s mother, Brandaline Rice, said she feared not knowing what was going to come next for her daughter. But about three months after the hospital discharge, the family received word Nae was eligible for the first pediatric DCD heart transplant.

Since the Aug. 31 procedure, Nae continues to improve. While the teen still has a long journey ahead with rehab, her mom has faith in her fighting spirit. The family looks forward to Nae getting back to riding the bus to school and enjoying time with her 10-year-old sister.

“God grants second chances,” Brandaline said of her daughter’s journey to become the first child to receive this kind of procedure.

 

2021 Quality Awards from AHA

We are very excited to share with you the following American Heart Association 2021 Quality Awards recently achieved by our teams at Duke University Hospital, Duke Raleigh Hospital and the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The awards are based on 2020 data.

Duke University Hospital

• GWTG AFIB, Bronze
• Mission: Lifeline STEMI, Gold Receiving Plus
• Mission: Lifeline NSTEMI, Gold
• GWTG Heart Failure, Gold Plus
• GWTG Heart Failure, Target HF Honor Roll
• GWTG Heart Failure, Target Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
• GWTG Stroke, Gold Plus
• GWTG Stroke, Target Stroke Elite Honor Roll
• GWTG Stroke, Target Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

Duke Raleigh Hospital

• GWTG Stroke, Gold Plus
• GWTG Stroke, Target Stroke Elite Honor Roll
• GWTG Stroke, Target Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

Durham VAMC*

• Mission: Lifeline NSTEMI, Silver

*Currently, there are nine VA Hospitals across the U.S. participating in at least one GWTG program. Just one of them is participating in GWTG CAD, and that is the Durham VAMC.

Congrats to Sunil Rao, his team at the VA, and to all Duke Heart team members for the work you do each day to help us achieve these award levels. Great job!

 

Shout-out to Mall

We received the following note this week regarding Anna Mall, clinical lead in the cath lab:

“Thank you for staying late last night to help get the final cases completed. I think that you showed true leadership by pitching-in and doing whatever it took to move things forward. Your “can do” good natured attitude was not lost on the staff nor me for that matter. Also, being thoughtful enough to provide food was even more special as everyone was clearly tired and hungry, but willing to work with a good attitude; I think that was a reflection on you! Great Job.” — Larry Crawford

Way to go, Anna!

 

CGR Kick-off with Lefkowitz, Sept. 14

Don’t miss Robert Lefkowitz, MD as our opening presenter of Cardiology Grand Rounds (CGR) on Tuesday, Sept. 14 at 5 p.m. The title of his talk is, A Few Things I’ve Learned Along the Way. The event will be held via Webex. This will be an hour well spent!

SingHealth Duke-NUS Scientific Congress

The 6th SingHealth Duke-NUS Scientific Congress will be held Sept. 17-18 on a virtual platform. Geoffrey Ginsburg will give the keynote lecture, The Forefront of Precision Medicine: Local and Global Opportunities. Ginsburg is also scheduled to speak during the Genomics Symposium, Precision Medicine: The New Paradigm during the event. He is presenting Harnessing Host Response Genomics for Early Detection and Diagnosis. For the full program and to learn more, please visit: https://bit.ly/3tAXjZ1.

 

ESC Congress Follow-up

Renato Lopes presented several high profile sessions during the recent European Society of Cardiology Congress. Lopes presented on the PRONOUNCE trial in the Late-Breaking Clinical Trials session and discussed both the Envisage-TAVI and Amulet-IDE trials, also during LBCT sessions. He provided the following photos for Pulse –he was one of only a few Americans to join the Congress in person this year.

Also during the LBCT sessions, Jon Piccini presented on the Micra Coverage with Evidence Development (CED) Study, the largest evaluation of leadless pacemakers to date, which showed the Micra Transcatheter Pacing System was associated with a 38 percent reduction in reinterventions and a 31 percent reduction in chronic complications at 2-years compared with traditional transvenous pacemakers.

“There is considerable evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of leadless pacemakers, but limited data evaluating their long-term outcomes compared to traditional pacemakers in a real-world setting,” said Piccini. “The results from this study further support the connection of a lower risk of complications with leadless pacing compared with traditional transvenous single chamber pacing. These data should help guide physicians as they determine the best pacing options for their patients.”

Pam Douglas gave several important talks on the future of cardiac imaging including the role of AI and ways in which anatomic imaging will be dominant.

We had terrific representation this year at ESC — great work by all Duke presenters!

 

2021 Heart Walk Seeking Team Captains, Walkers

The Triangle Heart Walk is scheduled for Sunday, October 10. Recruitment of team captains and walkers for Duke Health is underway. Start your own team or join an existing one. Registration is quick and easy: simply visit triangleheartwalk.org/dukehealth2021. If you have any questions or need help, feel free to email Kimberly Burrows, senior director of development for the Triangle AHA, at kimberly.burrows@heart.org.

Due to pandemic circumstances, teams and walkers will decide their own walking path. The American Heart Association will have “pop-up” start lines at various locations throughout the Triangle (locations yet to be announced) or you can choose to walk on your own, wherever is most convenient to you.

We are looking for more teams to represent Duke Heart! Please join us!

 

Flu Vaccination Update

Duke University Health System (DUHS) requires all healthcare workers to comply with our Healthcare Worker Flu Vaccination policy by either being vaccinated annually against the flu or receiving an approved exemption. This is in alignment with our core value of “caring for our patients, their loved ones and each other.” Annual policy compliance is a condition of employment for all DUHS team members. Annual vaccination or policy compliance is also a condition of access to Duke Health facilities, including information systems, for those holding clinical privileges in a Duke Health facility and learners who wish to train in our facilities.

Please note these key dates for the upcoming flu vaccination season:

• ​Launch of Flu Vaccination Season is Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021.
• Applications for Medical or Religious Exemption should be submitted before Monday, Nov. 1, 2021. This will allow sufficient time for review and for communication of the review decision. Please note: Due to the availability of an egg-free formulation of the flu vaccine, egg allergy is not a reason for a medical exemption.​
• Policy compliance through vaccination or granted medical or religious exemption by Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021, at 10 a.m.
• More info available here: https://bit.ly/3lm5XXR

Timeline Reminder:  COVID vaccination

Whitted Retirement Celebration Held

Thanks to all who were able to join us in celebrating with Lorraine Whitted. Her last day at Duke was Thursday, September 9, 2021. Lorraine is retiring after 44 years of service at Duke. We wish her all the best!

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Cardiology Grand Rounds

September 14: CGR Kick-off event: A Few Things I’ve Learned Along the Way with Robert J. Lefkowitz, MD, James B. Duke Professor of Medicine; Professor of Biochemistry and Chemistry; Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute. 5 p.m., Webex.

September 21: ESC 2021 Recap with Bernard Gersh (Mayo Clinic) and Christopher Granger. 5 p.m., Webex.

September 28: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Guidelines and Treatment Update with Andrew Wang. 7:15 a.m., Webex.

October 5: Critical Care Cardiology in the 21^st Century with Anthony Carnicelli. 5 p.m. Webex.

October 12: Lessons from ADAPTABLE and PREVENTABLE: Is Pragmatism the Answer? with Schuyler Jones. 5 p.m. Webex.

 

Upcoming Duke Heart CME

October 8: Duke Heart Failure Symposium: The Leading Edge of Heart Failure Management. Course directors are Richa Agarwal and Robert Mentz. 12 – 4:30 p.m. Zoom Webinar. To learn more and to register, please visit: http://duke.is/Q1sBtf

November 5: 13^th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium. Course directors are H. James Ford (UNC) and Terry Fortin. 8:30 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. Morning case-based workshops will be live, in person at Durham Convention Center (subject to change pending pandemic conditions). Masks and COVID vaccination required. Afternoon portion will be held via Zoom. For more information and to register, please visit: https://bit.ly/3DrZwuv.

 

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:

September 1 — Andrew Landstrom

tctMD

Genetic Testing for CVD in Children: AHA Statement Suggests Focus on Multidisciplinary Care

http://duke.is/u8Kb7p

September 1 — Edward Chen

Duke Chronicle

‘He’s done so well’: Recipient of first new generation heart transplant is recovering as expected

http://duke.is/GwrQre

September 2 — Manesh Patel

Charlotte Observer

Delta surge is hitting NC hospitals hard. I saw it as an ER heart patient.

http://duke.is/MQQeMT

September 3 — E. Magnus Ohman

Medscape

Antiplatelets and Anticoagulation Post-PCI: More on MASTER DAPT

http://duke.is/pticuD

September 3 — Jonathan Piccini

Medscape

Micra Leadless Pacemaker Holds Up at 2 Years in Real-World Use

http://duke.is/iXLqWr

September 4 — Vanessa Blumer

WUVP-TV 17 (Univision, Philadelphia, PA)

Duke esta desarrollando el estudio COVID mas grande a nivel nacional, la meta es poder estudiar en este ano mas de 15.000 pacientes

No link available

September 7 — Neha Pagidipati

Healio/Cardiology

Web app for self-prescription of statins 96% concordant with physician reviewers

http://duke.is/eC7xvR

September 7 — Neha Pagidipati

Medpage Today

‘Self-Service’ Statin Prescribing? Study Suggests It’s Possible

http://duke.is/tnrXzV

September 8 — Jacob Schroder

Impact Lab

First Successful Transplant of a Robotic Heart

http://duke.is/JAQ2vJ

September 8 — Adrian Hernandez

Wired

Better Data on Ivermectin Is Finally on Its Way

http://duke.is/WFjyhB

September 8 — Jacob Schroder

Cardiovascular Business

FDA approves new solution for preserving hearts before transplantation

http://duke.is/WRZ96S

September 8 — Michelle Kelsey

U.S. News & World Report

AHA News: How a Simple Tape Measure May Help Predict Diabetes in Black Adults

http://duke.is/ZdD57d

Division of Cardiology Publications Indexed in PubMed September 2‒8, 2021

Califf RM, Zarin DA. Monitoring the Pediatric Clinical Trials Enterprise. Pediatrics 2021;148(3):e2021051589. PM: 34465589.

Carnicelli AP, Clare R, Hofmann P, Chiswell K, DeVore AD, Vemulapalli S, Felker GM, Sarocco P, Mentz RJ. Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction After a Recent Worsening Heart Failure Event. J Am Heart Assoc 2021;10(17):e021276. PM: 34472362.

Chouairi F, Fuery M, Clark KA, Mullan CW, Stewart J, Caraballo C, Clarke JD, Sen S, Guha A, Ibrahim NE, Cole RT, Holaday L, Anwer M, Geirsson A, Rogers JG, Velazquez EJ, Desai NR, Ahmad T, Miller PE. Evaluation of Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Cardiac Transplantation. J Am Heart Assoc 2021;10(17):e021067. PM: 34431324.

Fanaroff AC, Yang L, Nathan AS, Khatana SAM, Julien H, Wang TY, Armstrong EJ, Treat-Jacobson D, Glaser JD, Wang G, Damrauer SM, Giri J, Groeneveld PW. Geographic and Socioeconomic Disparities in Major Lower Extremity Amputation Rates in Metropolitan Areas. J Am Heart Assoc 2021;10(17):e021456. PM: 34431320.

Gerstein HC, Sattar N, Rosenstock J, Ramasundarahettige C, Pratley R, Lopes RD, Lam CSP, Khurmi NS, Heenan L, Del Prato S, Dyal L, Branch K. Cardiovascular and Renal Outcomes with Efpeglenatide in Type 2 Diabetes. N Engl J Med 2021;385(10):896-907. PM: 34215025.

Greene SJ, Khan MS. Practical and Evidence-Based Approaches to In-Hospital Decongestion for Heart Failure: Are We There Yet? JACC Heart Fail 2021;9(9):649-652. PM: 34246608.

Gumus Balikcioglu P, Ramaker ME, Mason KA, Huffman KM, Johnson JL, Ilkayeva O, Muehlbauer MJ, Freemark M, Kraus WE. Branched-Chain Amino Acid Catabolism and Cardiopulmonary Function Following Acute Maximal Exercise Testing in Adolescents. Front Cardiovasc Med 2021;8:721354. PM: 34485418.

Ibrahim NE, Felker GM. Don’t Be So Fast to Discard That Clean Catch! JACC Heart Fail 2021;9(9):624-626. PM: 34246605.

Johnson CS, Shively C, Michalson KT, Lea AJ, DeBo RJ, Howard TD, Hawkins GA, Appt SE, Liu Y, McCall CE, Herrington DM, Ip EH, Register TC, Snyder-Mackler N. Contrasting effects of Western vs Mediterranean diets on monocyte inflammatory gene expression and social behavior in a primate model. Elife 2021;10:10.7554/eLife.68293. PM: 34338633.

Lopez-Ayala P, Nestelberger T, Boeddinghaus J, Koechlin L, Ratmann PD, Strebel I, Gehrke J, Meier S, Walter J, Rubini Gimenez M, Mutschler E, Miró Ò, López-Barbeito B, Martín-Sánchez FJ, Rodríguez-Adrada E, Keller DI, Newby LK, Twerenbold R, Giannitsis E. Novel Criteria for the Observe-Zone of the ESC 0/1h-hs-cTnT Algorithm. Circulation 2021;144(10):773-787. PM: 34376064.

Moeller S, Hansen CM, Kragholm K, Dupre ME, Sasson C, Pearson DA, Tyson C, Jollis JG, Monk L, Starks MA, McNally B, Thomas KL, Becker L, Torp-Pedersen C, Granger CB. Race Differences in Interventions and Survival After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in North Carolina, 2010 to 2014. J Am Heart Assoc 2021;10(17):e019082. PM: 34431375.

Pillsbury MKM, Mwangi E, Andesia J, Njuguna B, Bloomfield GS, Chepchumba A, Kamano J, Mercer T, Miheso J, Pastakia SD, Pathak S, Thakkar A, Naanyu V, Akwanalo C, Vedanthan R. Human-centered implementation research: a new approach to develop and evaluate implementation strategies for strengthening referral networks for hypertension in western Kenya. BMC Health Serv Res 2021;21(1):910. PM: 34479556.

Ruchman SG, Delong AK, Kamano JH, Bloomfield GS, Chrysanthopoulou SA, Fuster V, Horowitz CR, Kiptoo P, Matelong W, Mugo R, Naanyu V, Orango V, Pastakia SD, Valente TW, Hogan JW, Vedanthan R. Egocentric social network characteristics and cardiovascular risk among patients with hypertension or diabetes in western Kenya: a cross-sectional analysis from the BIGPIC trial. BMJ Open 2021;11(9):e049610. PM: 34475172.

Shah P, Agbor-Enoh S, Tunc I, Hsu S, Russell S, Feller E, Shah K, Rodrigo ME, Najjar SS, Kong H, Pirooznia M, Fideli U, Bikineyeva A, Marishta A, Bhatti K, Yang Y, Mutebi C, Yu K, Kyoo Jang M, Marboe C, Berry GJ, Valantine HA. Response by Shah et al to Letter Regarding Article, “Cell-Free DNA to Detect Heart Allograft Acute Rejection”. Circulation 2021;144(10):e198-e199. PM: 34491771.

Shern JF, Selfe J, Izquierdo E, Patidar R, Chou HC, Song YK, Yohe ME, Sindiri S, Wei J, Wen X, Rudzinski ER, Barkauskas DA, Lo T, Hall D, Linardic CM, Hughes D, Jamal S, Jenney M, Chisholm J, Brown R, Jones K, Hicks B, Angelini P, George S, Chesler L. Genomic Classification and Clinical Outcome in Rhabdomyosarcoma: A Report From an International Consortium. J Clin Oncol 2021;39(26):2859-2871. PM: 34166060.

Simonin M, Rocca JD, Gerson JR, Moore E, Brooks AC, Czaplicki L, Ross MRV, Fierer N, Craine JM, Bernhardt ES. Consistent declines in aquatic biodiversity across diverse domains of life in rivers impacted by surface coal mining. Ecol Appl 2021;31(6):e02389. PM: 34142402.

Varshney AS, Minhas AMK, Bhatt AS, Ambrosy AP, Fudim M, Vaduganathan M. Contemporary Burden of Primary Versus Secondary Heart Failure Hospitalizations in the United States. Am J Cardiol 2021;156:140-142. PM: 34315568.

Wang T, Douglas PS, Reza N. Gender Gaps in Salary and Representation in Academic Internal Medicine Specialties in the US. JAMA Intern Med 2021;181(9):1255-1257. PM: 34251403.

Weissler EH, Naumann T, Andersson T, Ranganath R, Elemento O, Luo Y, Freitag DF, Benoit J, Hughes MC, Khan F, Slater P, Shameer K, Roe M, Hutchison E, Kollins SH, Broedl U, Meng Z, Wong JL, Curtis L, Huang E, Ghassemi M. Correction to: The role of machine learning in clinical research: transforming the future of evidence generation. Trials 2021;22(1):593. PM: 34488840.

 

In Memoriam: Roger Gammon, MD

We were deeply saddened to learn of the passing last weekend of Dr. Roger Gammon, an interventional cardiologist who trained at Duke and spent his career in Austin, TX. Prior to his retirement earlier this year, he served as director of the Center for Advanced Cardiovascular Research at Austin Heart. Gammon died in Austin on Sunday, August 29 after a brief illness. He was 61 years old.

Gammon did his clinical cardiology fellowship and interventional cardiovascular fellowship training at Duke from 1988 to 1992. He then went into practice at Austin Heart where he had been recruited by Dr. George Rodgers.

Born in Paola, KS, Gammon excelled as a scholar and athlete. He went on to become valedictorian of Drexel High School’s class of 1978 having lettered in three sports, serving as class president, band president and president of the National Honor Society. Gammon entered the University of Missouri – Kansas City where he would complete a B.A. in biology, become a University Scholar and go on to attend UM-Kansas City School of Medicine. His internship and residency were completed at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Dallas, Parkland Memorial Hospital, where he also served as chief resident prior to joining the Duke fellowship.

A letter of recommendation for his entry to Duke’s fellowship program mentions, “He is quiet, but not shy, very practical, down to earth and effective in dealing with people. He is well read and knowledgeable and is generally regarded as one of the very best residents in his group.”

During his training at Duke, Gammon spent dedicated research time in the laboratory of Richard S. Stack, MD, professor emeritus at Duke and president of Synecor, LLC.

“Roger stood out as one of the most outstanding fellows that I ever had the privilege of training. Not only was he incredibly skillful in performing interventional procedures, but he also spent a dedicated year with me in my research laboratory developing the first bioabsorbable stent in the world,” said Stack. “Further, we took that to the discovery of placing drugs into the polymer that would prevent restenosis. Importantly, this research led directly to the use of polymers on metal stents that were used to deliver antiproliferative drugs that were applied directly to one of the most popular and successful drug-eluting stents of all time. This research was combined with the engineering efforts of Guidant Corporation to result directly in the development of the Xience stent, which by the end of last year, had been placed in 50 million people in the U.S. and around the world.”

We extend our sincere condolences to his wife, Laura (a former Duke CCU nurse), their children and extended family members, and to his many friends and colleagues, particularly those at Austin Heart.

Dr. Gammon was an active member of DUCCS and is remembered fondly by many Duke alums – here and throughout the U.S.

Here are some of their thoughts:

“Roger was just a great human being. Kind, generous, really funny. I have some really good Gammon stories. He was very generous to the new fellows in the cath lab, including myself, in terms of his time and his teaching. He was really excellent, technically, and a very good physician. I would run into him every so often at various investigator meetings and at the professional society meetings. He always had a big smile and was always happy to reconnect. He enjoyed what he did and was very good at it. He truly was all the things that are good about being a Duke fellow. He had all of the characteristics: he worked hard, was smart, collegial, collaborative, and he had a really great sense of humor. He always lightened the situation.” – Robert A. Harrington, MD, Arthur L. Bloomfield Professor of Medicine and Chair, Department of Medicine at Stanford University

“I entered my training a little before Roger did, but we overlapped here at Duke and I remember him well. I recall Roger as a great team player. He was always there to support his fellows. His patient care was impeccable. He was truly committed to his patients and provided excellent care – some of the best I’ve seen. Not only was he a gifted clinician, he was just a great guy.” – Mike Sketch, MD

“I remember him as one of the nicest and most competent interventional fellows ever.  He was a favorite among his peers and with the staff in general. What a tragic loss.” — Thomas Bashore, MD

“Roger came to Duke as a cardiology fellow in 1988, as one of the early stars from UT Southwestern, where he had been chief resident. We remember him as soft spoken, friendly, and an astute clinician. He also was an excellent actor in the cath lab fellow skit, where he cut quite a figure in tights! He completed his fellowship in 1992 and returned to Texas, where he stayed active and loyal as a Duke alumnus. He was a beloved member of the Duke Cardiology family, and we will miss him.” — Christopher Granger, MD

 “Roger was very quiet, a gentle person – understated. He always did the right thing. He did some really innovative research while working under Richard Stack. What was interesting to me was he went into private practice after his fellowship, but he actually continued to do high level phase 3 research. He recruited another one of our fellows, Frank Zidar, to his practice later on and the two of them worked really hard together keeping up with academic research work and clinical trials. Roger was always participating in the DUCCS meetings and remained active in DUCCS throughout his career. I really enjoyed working with him in the cath lab during his training. He was a really terrific guy.” – E. Magnus Ohman, MD

Service/memorial information for Dr. Gammon was not available at the time of this posting, but we will share more when we are able to do so.

 

Lorraine Whitted Retirement; 44 Years of Service in Heart Care

Lorraine Whitted, administrative assistant/Health Unit Coordinator for Duke Heart, will be retiring on September 9 after 44 years of service at Duke. Lorraine has worked in Heart services since 1977 in varying roles including Health Unit Coordinator (HUC), HUC Supervisor, Unit Service Coordinator, Staff Specialist, and her most recent role of Administrative Assistant/HUC Supervisor.

Throughout her time at Duke, she coordinated many Heart Center related projects, assisted with grant writing, and served on the Duke Hospital HUC Council. She was nominated three times for the highly esteemed Susan B. Clark Administrative Leadership award.

Lorraine is known for her positive approach to work, willingness to help others, and serving as an expert resource internally and externally to Heart Services. Congratulations, Lorraine and thank you for your many years of service at Duke! You will be missed!

 

2021 HF Collaboratory/HFSA Research Awards Announced

Congratulations to the Duke Heart Failure Research Cluster and the following individuals for receiving 2021 HF Collaboratory/HFSA Research Awards! These awards recognize top Research Sites, Principal Investigators and Site Coordinators and will be presented during the HFSA Annual Scientific Meeting in Denver on September 11.

Top Principal Investigators

• Tracy DeWald, PharmD for TRANSFORM – HF

Top Site Coordinators

• Kim Biever for TRANSFORM – HF, REHAB-HF
• Inneke Johnson for Splanchnic Nerve Blockage in Acute HF and Splanchnic Nerve Blockage in Chronic HF

Top Research Sites

Duke University

PI: Tracy DeWald, PharmD

TRANSFORM-HF, CONNECT-HF

Site Coordinator: Kim Biever

Duke University

PI: Robert Mentz, MD; Intervention Leader: Amy Pastva, PhD

REHAB-HF

Site Coordinator: Kim Biever

Duke University

PI: Kishan Parikh, MD

SPIRRIT-HFpEF

Site Coordinator: Kim Biever

Wow!!! Great work, everyone!

 

Loring Selected for NIH/SBIR Grant Funding

Congratulations to Zak Loring, a fellow in our Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology training program! We learned that he has received official notification that a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant that he submitted to the National Institutes of Health, in partnership with a company called Huxley Medical, Inc., has been funded. The grant title is Non-invasive hemodynamic sensor patch for remote, early detection and prevention of heart failure with left bundle branch block and will be a prospective study cross-validating a novel, multi-modal patch sensor against echocardiography to identify upstream predictors of cardiomyopathy development in left bundle branch block patients.

Loring petitioned the School of Medicine and has been granted PI status for the project as well. Great work, Zak, way to go!

 

Lefkowitz to Kick-off CGR on Sept. 14

We are pleased to welcome Robert Lefkowitz, MD as our opening presenter of Cardiology Grand Rounds (CGR) on Tuesday, Sept. 14 at 5 p.m. The title of his talk is, A Few Things I’ve Learned Along the Way. The event will be held via Webex. All are welcome and encouraged to attend!

“We are so excited to have Dr. Lefkowitz make the opening pitch to kick off another season of cardiology grand rounds,” said Nishant Shah, MD, assistant professor of medicine in cardiology and one of the co-leaders of Cardiology Grand Rounds. “He is an inspiration to many and has made amazing contributions to the field of medicine. We couldn’t be more honored to have him share his experiences and insights on advancing cardiovascular research, particularly in the current times.”

Shah is stepping in this year to co-lead CGR with Jenn Rymer, MD. Together, they thank Chris Holley for all he has done in the past to support CGR. If you have suggestions for speakers or topics you would like to see at upcoming CGRs this year, please email Nishant and Jenn.

We look forward to seeing you (virtually) on Sept. 14!

 

Cardiac Ultrasound Program Celebrates First Commencement

The Duke Cardiac Ultrasound Certificate Program celebrated their first commencement on Saturday, August 28, at the Trent Semans Center for Health Education. Speakers included Anita Kelsey, medical director of the program, and Richard Palma, director and clinical coordinator of the program. Guest speakers included Manesh Patel, Joseph Kisslo and two members of the graduating class — Jamie Falcha and Karl Hofmeister.

Hofmeister received the outstanding student award, which was renamed the Joseph Kisslo, MD Outstanding Award. The renaming of the award was announced during the commencement ceremony when Kisslo was presented with an award for his dedication to teaching.

Ashlee Davis, Brenda Sedberry and Jon Owensby – Duke sonographers – each received recognition awards for “outstanding service to sonographer education”.

In addition to Falcha and Hofmeister, program graduates included Patricia Derozier, Michelle Garvey, Erica Guerra, Aliyah Jordan and Brianna Lubrano.

Congratulations to all!

 

Duke Heart Grows by One!

Congratulations to Kasey Williams and her family on the birth of their baby girl, Julia Mae, this past week. She weighed 8 lbs., 4 oz., and measured 21 inches long. All are doing well and we look forward to meeting her!

 

2021 Heart Walk Seeking Team Captains, Walkers

The Triangle Heart Walk is scheduled for Sunday, October 10. Recruitment of team captains and walkers for Duke Health is currently underway – please consider joining us! You can start your own team or join an existing one. Registration is quick and easy: simply visit triangleheartwalk.org/dukehealth2021. If you have any questions or need help, feel free to email Kimberly Burrows, senior director of development for the Triangle AHA, at kimberly.burrows@heart.org.

This is not a mass gathering event. Due to pandemic circumstances, teams and walkers will decide their own walking path. The American Heart Association will have “pop-up” start lines at various locations throughout the Triangle (exact locations to be announced at a later date) or you can choose to walk on your own, wherever is most convenient to you.

The Heart Walk is a great way to set activity goals and put yourself and your health first while engaging in friendly competition among other teams and walkers.

 

DHTS Deploying Zscaler to all Duke Health Computers

This month, DHTS will deploy Zscaler to all Duke Health computers to combat increasing threats and cyberattacks that occur regularly to the Duke Health network. Zscaler is a software service that provides additional protection from computer malware, viruses and ransomware. The software protects Duke Health computers from accessing malicious internet sites and provides an extra layer of security when accessing commonly used sites (e.g., social media, external email, third-party email marketing platforms, etc.)

Once Zscaler is installed on computers, users will see the log in screen (example appears in the image shown here) and must enter their NetID and password in order to activate the software. Access to the network and internet will be denied if users do not login to Zscaler when prompted. Users should only have to login once following software installation, and will not be prompted to login again in the future.

Watch this video for more information about Zscaler.

 

 

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Cardiology Grand Rounds

September 14: CGR Kick-off event: A Few Things I’ve Learned Along the Way with Robert J. Lefkowitz, MD, James B. Duke Professor of Medicine; Professor of Biochemistry and Chemistry; Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute. 5 p.m., Webex.

September 21: ESC 2021 Recap with Bernard Gersh (Mayo Clinic) and Christopher Granger. 5 p.m., Webex.

September 28: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Guidelines and Treatment Update with Andrew Wang. 7:15 a.m., Webex.

Upcoming Duke Heart CME

October 8: Duke Heart Failure Symposium: The Leading Edge of Heart Failure Management. Course directors are Richa Agarwal and Robert Mentz. 12 – 4:30 p.m. Zoom Webinar. To learn more and to register, please visit: http://duke.is/Q1sBtf

November 5: 13^th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium. Course directors are H. James Ford (UNC) and Terry Fortin. 8:30 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. Morning case-based workshops will be live, in person at Durham Convention Center (subject to change pending pandemic conditions). Masks and COVID vaccination required. Afternoon portion will be held via Zoom. For more information and to register, please visit: https://bit.ly/3DrZwuv.

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our Duke Heart family. Please call with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged.

Duke Heart in the News:

August 28 — Renato Lopes

tctMD

ENVISAGE-TAVI AF: Edoxaban Disappoints in TAVI Setting

https://www.tctmd.com/news/envisage-tavi-af-edoxaban-disappoints-tavi-setting

August 28 — Renato Lopes

Medpage Today

Edoxaban: A Mixed Bag for TAVR Patients Needing Anticoagulation

https://www.medpagetoday.com/meetingcoverage/esc/94264?vpass=1

August 28 — E. Magnus Ohman

Medpage Today

One Month of DAPT Reasonable in Patients at High Bleeding Risk

https://www.medpagetoday.com/meetingcoverage/esc/94265

August 28 — E. Magnus Ohman

HCP Live

Single Month of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy Noninferior to Continued Therapy After PCI

https://www.hcplive.com/view/single-month-dual-antiplatelet-therapy-noninferior-continued-therapy-after-pci

August 28 — E. Magnus Ohman

Healio/Cardiac/Vascular Intervention

DAPT for 1 month after PCI safe, effective in patients at high bleeding risk: MASTER DAPT

https://www.healio.com/news/cardiac-vascular-intervention/20210828/dapt-for-1-month-after-pci-safe-effective-in-patients-at-high-bleeding-risk-master-dapt

August 28 — Renato Lopes

Medscape

‘Less Is More’ for Edoxaban in Post-TAVI Anticoagulation: ENVISAGE-TAVI AF

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/957466

August 30 — Renato Lopes

MDedge

Although inconclusive, CV safety study of cancer therapy attracts attention

https://www.mdedge.com/familymedicine/article/244979/acute-coronary-syndromes/although-inconclusive-cv-safety-study-cancer

August 30 — Renato Lopes

Medscape

Amulet Bests Watchman for LAAO But Not for Bleeding: AMULET-IDE

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/957571

August 30 — Renato Lopes

Healio/Cardiology

CV safety of prostate cancer therapies ‘remains unresolved’: PRONOUNCE

https://www.healio.com/news/cardiology/20210830/cv-safety-of-prostate-cancer-therapies-remains-unresolved-pronounce

August 30 — James Blumenthal

Healio/Psychiatry

Escitalopram reduces anxiety and depression in patients with CHD

https://www.healio.com/news/psychiatry/20210830/escitalopram-reduces-anxiety-and-depression-in-patients-with-chd

August 30 — Renato Lopes

tctMD

PRONOUNCE: No Difference in CVD Risks With Degarelix and Leuprolide for Prostate Cancer

https://www.tctmd.com/news/pronounce-no-difference-cvd-risks-degarelix-and-leuprolide-prostate-cancer