Chief’s message: American College of Cardiology Meeting 2021 and Spring Events:

This weekend highlighted the spring virtual American College of Cardiology Presentations. At the time of this email we have had several of our Faculty and fellows present.  This year Duke Cardiology, DCRI, and Duke Heart with many of our collaborators will account for 87 presentations at the ACC 2021 meeting, with several late breaking clinical trials, young investigator awards, and overview of hot topics.  We also have our heart center leadership council meeting coming up this week and will share updates from that next week.  Finally, with some of the CDC and some of the School of Medicine policy changes, we are planning some outdoor graduation events for our wonderful fellows.  I was fortunate enough to see some of the ACC and still make it to my daughter’s Indian Dance Performance in Midtown Raleigh and son’s track meet.  One of few benefits of virtual conferences is that they have allowed us to balance clinical work, scientific meetings, and family life. Hopefully, you all got some time to enjoy the weekend and potentially catch up on some of the great science being presented.

Highlights of the week:

Duke Highlights, ACC 2021

We are pleased to share information on two late-breaking clinical trials presented this weekend at the American College of Cardiology’s Scientific Sessions. Congratulations to Schuyler Jones and the ADAPTABLE team and Rob Mentz and the REHAB-HF team! Renato Lopes is presenting the ACTION trial evaluating anticoagulation in SARS-COV2 today and we will have information on that in upcoming weeks. Further below, we highlight Marat Fudim and the Doug Zipes Distinguished Young Investigator award… although we have previously reported on this, now that the time has finally arrived, we’re celebrating once again! We will have more ACC.21 coverage next weekend.

ACC.21: Lower- and Higher-dose Aspirin Achieve Similar CVD Protection, Safety

People with cardiovascular disease (CVD) taking aspirin to lower their chances of suffering a heart attack or stroke experienced similar health benefits, including reduced death and hospitalization for heart attack and stroke, whether they took a high or low dose of aspirin, according to a study presented at ACC.21, the American College of Cardiology’s 70th Annual Scientific Session and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

CVD—and atherosclerosis, in particular, which is a narrowing and hardening of the arteries—is a leading cause of death for men, women, and most racial and ethnic groups in the United States, with estimated direct costs of $214 billion, according to the American Heart Association. Millions of Americans with CVD take recommended aspirin therapy to help reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke, a decades-long practice that has, until now, lacked definitive research studying the doses that work best for patients and minimize potentially serious side effects, such as major bleeding.

“We found that both doses had similar effectiveness and safety, and while there were differences in dose switching between the groups, generally patients with heart disease should take low-dose aspirin given its tolerability and no clear benefit with higher doses of daily aspirin,” said Schuyler Jones, MD, associate professor of medicine in cardiology and the study’s principal investigator at the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI).

The study, called ADAPTABLE, is the first large-scale study of aspirin dosing to be embedded in real-world practice and the first randomized controlled trial to be conducted using PCORnet®, the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network. PCORnet is a national resource developed with funding support from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to enable more efficient patient-centered clinical research by tapping into real-world health data collected during routine care. PCORI funded ADAPTABLE both to demonstrate the capacities of PCORnet and to fill an important evidence gap regarding cardiovascular care.

Researchers followed 15,076 people with CVD who were identified via electronic health records and randomized to self-administer either 81 mg or 325 mg of daily aspirin for a median of 26.2 months. Participants were engaged at 40 health centers across the nation and a health plan engaged in the PCORnet network. Most follow-up to obtain patient-reported information occurred via a patient portal, with the rest occurring via telephone calls.

While the researchers found no significant difference between the two doses in safety or effectiveness, they noted the higher dose group was much more likely to switch doses during the study. The patients in this group also were slightly more likely to discontinue the use of aspirin, for reasons including tolerability and participant and clinician preferences, among others.

“ADAPTABLE provides useful evidence to inform patients and clinicians who advise them on aspirin dosing decisions,” noted PCORI Executive Director Nakela L. Cook, MD, MPH. “Sometimes health care is based on years of routine practice and when rigorous studies are conducted, we can evolve that practice from common sense to evidence based. That is why PCORI funds studies like ADAPTABLE that aim to enhance decision making with useful evidence.”

Cook added, “ADAPTABLE demonstrated the capacities that PCORnet offers to conduct large-scale patient-centered research more efficiently utilizing a rich data infrastructure and provides valuable lessons learned as the first randomized controlled trial conducted via the network. The generation of real-world evidence to enhance and extend beyond the evidence generated through studies conducted in specialized research settings is so important to improving health outcomes for all populations in all settings around the nation.”

According to the researchers, ADAPTABLE provides a demonstration that randomized trials can leverage electronic health data, direct-to-participant methods and participant-reported outcomes to address important, patient-centered questions.

“ADAPTABLE provides a blueprint for how research can be improved in the future,” added Jones. “The pragmatic structure of the PCORnet network enabled remote follow-up and streamlined processes and made it easier for sites and participants to take part. We also benefited from continuous engagement with patient partners who raised questions at every touchpoint that made us all think how ADAPTABLE and future research could be done differently.”

More information on ADAPTABLE can be found at theaspirinstudy.org, which includes a plain-language summary of the results and a town hall discussion on lessons learned through the study. More information on PCORnet is available at pcornet.org.

ACC.21: Tailored Cardiac Rehab Program Improves Function and Quality of Life in Older Heart Failure Patients

Older patients hospitalized with acute heart failure who participated in a novel 12-week cardiac rehabilitation (rehab) program tailored to address their specific physical impairments had significant gains in physical functioning, quality of life and depression compared with those receiving usual care, regardless of their heart’s squeezing ability (ejection fraction), according to a new study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 70th Annual Scientific Session. Participation in the program, however, did not significantly reduce rehospitalizations during the six-month follow up.

Heart failure, which happens when the heart can’t pump blood the way it should because it is too weak or stiff, is the leading cause of hospitalizations in people 65 and older. Many of these patients are never able to return to their previous level of functioning—resulting in reduced independence and increased risk of returning to the hospital or dying.

“These patients have persistently poor outcomes with frequent rehospitalizations, poor quality of life, high rates of dying and high health care costs,” said Dalane W. Kitzman, MD, professor of cardiovascular medicine and geriatrics/gerontology at Wake Forest School of Medicine and the study’s lead author. “Despite many efforts to improve outcomes in these patients, most studies testing a wide range of medications, devices and strategies have been negative. This suggested to us that we were overlooking an important factor contributing to these poor outcomes, and we suspected the missing factor might be severe physical dysfunction, which is generally not addressed in heart failure management.”

In an earlier pilot study, Kitzman and colleagues found that older patients admitted to the hospital with acute heart failure had profound deficits in all domains of physical function, including their balance, mobility and strength, not just in endurance, which would have been expected. Nearly all of these patients (97 percent) were considered frail or prefrail.

“Even before they are hospitalized, these patients already have lower physical functioning due to both aging and their chronic heart failure, and when their heart failure worsens, their physical function deteriorates further and this can then be exacerbated by the hospital experience and bed rest,” Kitzman said. “This sequence of events leading to marked impairments in all domains of physical function and its impact on patient outcomes has been largely overlooked.”

With these insights, the REHAB-HF rehabilitation intervention was developed and designed to correct deficits in balance, mobility and strength. REHAB-HF seeks to enhance effectiveness and avoid injuries that can occur when frail older persons undertake traditional cardiac rehab programs that are more focused on endurance. The program was tailored to each patient’s specific needs and adjusted to their ability level as they progressed. Unlike traditional cardiac rehab programs that typically start six weeks after a hospitalization, the REHAB-HF program started early—during the patient’s hospital stay if possible—and transitioned to three outpatient sessions per week for 12 weeks following hospital discharge. The aim of the current REHAB-HF trial was to evaluate whether this novel rehabilitation program could improve physical function (primary outcome) and rehospitalizations (secondary outcome) compared to usual care which could include physician-ordered physical therapy or traditional cardiac rehab.

A total of 349 patients across seven different hospitals, including four community hospitals, were enrolled in the study. Patients ranged in age from 60-99 years; over half were women and 49 percent were from underrepresented racial or ethnic minority groups. Notably, 53 percent had heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Overall, they had an average of five comorbidities, most commonly high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, lung disease and kidney disease, which may also contribute to declines in physical function.

At the three-month follow-up, compared with participants randomized to receive usual care, those in the intervention group had notable and significant improvements in physical functioning and quality of life across all the assessments used. For example, the Short Physical Performance Battery, a standard measure of physical function in older adults, improved by 1.6 units—more than twofold greater than the minimum amount that is meaningful to patients. On the six-minute walk test, they were able to walk 34 meters farther, a large improvement compared to very low function at baseline. Participant scores on the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire, which measures the patient’s perception of their health status, and a separate depression survey also showed large improvements. The improvements in physical function in the REHAB-HF intervention group were even greater when compared to the subset of usual care patients who had received traditional physical therapy and/or cardiac rehab as part of their physician’s orders, further supporting the effectiveness of the REHAB-HF intervention.

At six months, 83 percent of patients were still doing their exercises, which Kitzman said bodes well for long-term adherence. However, there were no statistically significant differences in clinical events, including rates of readmission for any reason, with 194 and 213 rehospitalizations occurring in the intervention group and usual care control group, respectively. Heart failure-related hospitalizations were also no different (94 vs. 110) at six months. There were numerically more deaths among people in the rehab group (21 vs. 16), but this was not statistically significant; researchers said this result may have been due to chance.

“The study was not large enough to really look at clinical events. But patient preference surveys show that older patients often value improved function and quality of life independently of rehospitalization and death,” Kitzman said. “By improving quality of life and physical functioning, the patient feels better, which is a positive outcome for patients.”

Kitzman and his collaborators, including David Whellan, Pamela Duncan, Amy Pastva, Robert Mentz, Gordon Reeves, M. Benjamin Nelson, Haiying Chen, Bharathi Upadhya, Shelby Reed, Mark Espeland, LeighAnn Hewston and Christopher O’Connor are now investigating whether certain subgroups of patients (for example, those with HFpEF) saw more benefits, which could inform a subsequent larger trial powered to definitively examine effects on clinical events.

This study was simultaneously published online in the New England Journal of Medicine at the time of presentation. It was funded by the National Institute on Aging.

 

ACC.21: Fudim Presented with Zipes Award

Marat Fudim received the 2021 Douglas P. Zipes Distinguished Young Scientist Award. He is the first Duke nominee to receive the honor. The Zipes award is presented annually at the ACC Scientific Sessions to recognize a young scientist who has made outstanding contributions to the field of cardiovascular medicine and who has amassed an impressive body of scientific research in either the clinical or basic domain. The pre-recorded award session featured Doug Zipes and JoAnn Lindenfeld; it ran this morning during the Sessions.

Congratulations, Marat!

Samsky CGR presentation

Marc Samsky was our presenter for Cardiology Grand Rounds on Tuesday. Samsky discussed cardiogenic shock and the difficulties in conducting clinical trials for these patients. His research has focused on developing new ways to streamline research on patients with shock, leading to the design of two studies: an AHA Cardiogenic Shock Registry, and the BEST-SHOCK Trial. The trial, which has been submitted as a PCORI grant, would be an RCT to study Impella CP vs vasopressors/IABP. Marc also highlighted the fact that most of the work in cardiogenic shock has focus on patients with AMI and not those with acute on chronic heart failure, so it is difficult or impossible to apply the results from the AMI population to our HF pts.

You can find his recorded presentation here: https://bit.ly/3ybyuFd.

 

Heart Center Communications Updates

Since the start of COVID, the Heart Center Communications (HCC) volume of communications and the length of calls have increased while staffing has been down, at times, during staff transitions. Additionally, the majority of HCC staff have been working effectively from home in order to maintain social distancing requirements.

Over the last year, the HCC team has experienced employee turnover for a variety of reasons ranging from retirements to the passing of a beloved team member in September. For those familiar with the team, turnover is quite rare – this is a group that has forged close connections and operates more like a family in the way they care for one another.

The HCC now has four new nurses who are actively learning their roles: Kendell Hill, Carroll Enterkin, MJ Chapman and Alicia Snyder. We are very glad to have them on the team!

HCC has two talented financial analysts supporting charge capture processes for DUH cardiology invasive labs: Pat Clarke and Jon Boylan. They truly have a heart for service and continually look for ways to best support patient, provider and clinical staff needs. Heart Center Financial Administration (HCFA) supports DUH cardiac invasive labs by monitoring WQ’s, performing regular audits, reconciliations, financial reporting, charge corrections and communicating with clinical staff and medical providers as needed. By providing financial support, this allows the clinical team to focus more time on patients. The HCFA team has partnered with the cardiology invasive labs at DRH and DRAH, to provide them with this high level of support.

Finally, about a year ago, Duke Heart Center partnered with PRMO to add a dedicated Service Access Manager (SAM) to support Cath/EP, CDU and CMRI. The HCC was able to recruit the highly talented La Chandra Chavis, who role models our Duke Values and demonstrates great leadership. She has been a true asset to the team.

Great work, HCC! Hat tip to Greg Shelton for providing us with this update!

McKinney, NTI Poster Submission

Congratulations to Heather McKinney, MSN, RN, NE-BC! Her poster entitled MenTIR: Mentoring to Improve Retention Study will be exhibited at the National Teaching Institute Conference sponsored by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, May 24-27, 2021. The poster highlights the successful outcomes, including a reduction in nurse turnover, achieved by implementation of a mentorship program on Duke North Unit 3100.

Way to go, Heather!

 

Celebrating Nurses!

Congratulations to Missy Sturdevant, RN and Kamie Pedler, NCA of the Duke Heart 3100 Unit in Duke University Hospital who were both nominated during the Department of Medicine’s Celebrate Nursing Campaign! Their nominator(s) had this to say:

 

“Kamie is one of the hardest working, most compassionate coworkers I have had the honor of working with. She cares deeply about working with patients and exemplifies all of the Duke Values. She deserves all the praise in the world!” – Name withheld

“Missy has been such a dependable, integral and inspiration of a nurse on 3100. She goes above and beyond to share her knowledge and provide the best possible care for her patients. I learned so much from her and hope that Duke realizes how lucky it is to have her caring for our patients.” – Name withheld

Congrats, Missy & Kamie!

Shout-out to Yankey, Loriaux & Flores Rosario!

More great feedback on members of our fellowship program was received this week – in a note to Anna Lisa Crowley, we learned:

“I am writing to recognize three of your outstanding fellows: Dr. George Sipa Yankey, Dr. Daniel Loriaux, and Dr. Karen Flores Rosario. These three fellows volunteered several hours of their time to teach first-year Duke medical students basic cardiac ultrasound. I had the privilege of teaching alongside them, and I was so impressed with their educational skills. The students LOVED learning from them and are still raving about the experience.

We are so lucky to have such gifted educators willing to volunteer their time for our students.” — Julian Hertz, Assistant Professor of Surgery & Global Health, Course Director, Longitudinal Point-of-care Ultrasound Curriculum

Great job, Sipa, Daniel and Karen!

Nursing Gala Held; Celebration of FON Awards

The 32nd Gala Celebration of Excellence, hosted by the Duke Friends of Nursing Board of Advisors was held last night, May 15. The online event honored all Duke nurses and celebrated the nominees and winners of the FON Excellence Awards. A very special congratulations to the following Duke Heart nurses who were recognized: Stephanie Barnes, Allison Dimsdale, Mollie Kettle, Elaine Milton, Brenda Smith, Courtney Stierwalt and Katie Toy. We are so happy for each of you!

 

Duke Box Update

Good news for those of us who use Box, Duke’s cloud-based storage and collaboration service. Starting Monday, May 17, Box will have new and improved features. The new features include:

• Infinite scroll – Scroll down to view files and folders rather than clicking through pages of content
• Collections – Organize files and folders in ways that make sense to you

You may also notice a slight branding change on the Box interface. This short video provides an overview of the changes: https://warpwire.duke.edu/w/taIFAA/

If you would like to learn more about Box, please visit box.duke.edu.

COVID-19 Updates:

All the latest official DUHS information regarding coronavirus/COVID-19 response at the following locations:

• Recommended Eye Protection
• PDC intranet site
• Duke Health intranet site
• Well-Being Resources

Upcoming Opportunities/Save the Date:

Proctors Needed: MaryAnn Black Virtual Summer Internship Program

The MaryAnn Black Virtual Summer Internship Program is in need of volunteer proctors to cover about 12 hours during the virtual program. Coverage times are as small as one hour between June 15 and June 30. Proctors will provide active supervision, listen during sessions, and observe to ensure minor participants (ages 15-18) are behaving appropriately. If you’re interested and willing to help out, please contact Darla Wohlfarth.

To learn about the program, please visit: https://community.duke.edu/program/duke-internships/

This year’s program will be completely virtual and will highlight dozens of healthcare careers and healthcare supportive careers. The internship will begin June 7 and end June 30, 2021. The first week will be devoted to structured training and orientation. The remaining weeks will give the student an overview of the many career opportunities that make up the fabric of Duke Health.

Thank you for considering!

Have news to share?

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

Duke Heart in the News:

May 6 — Cameron Prigge (neurobiology)

AAMC.org

Basic medical research took a hit during the pandemic. It might take years to recover

https://bit.ly/3o9y11F

May 6 — Brigit Carter (Duke SON)

health.usnews.com

Why Representation in Nursing Matters

https://bit.ly/3eFdz5u

May 9 — general interest

The Washington Post

An app that swiftly sends CPR volunteers to heart attack sufferers has made a big difference in Denmark. Could this be copied in the U.S.?

https://wapo.st/3w8QlL7

May 10 — Adrian Hernandez

WRAZ/Fox 50

There’s one side-effect to watch for when children receive the COVID-19 vaccine

https://bit.ly/3y0Pxtv

Note: clip begins at 10:04:10

May 10 — E. Magnus Ohman

Medscape

Patient-Focused Revisit of ISCHEMIA Bolsters Conservative Message in Stable CAD

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/950875https://bit.ly/3es0tZr

 

Chief’s message: Happy Mother’s Day

Hopefully you all got some time to spend celebrating mother’s day either with your mother, or with family remembering your mothers.  Springtime in the triangle is notable for a good weather and school graduations, many of which are appropriately on mother’s day weekend.  Graduations serve as a reminder of all the hard work and love, compassion, and grace that mothers have in raising and supporting their kids and families.  At graduations commencement speakers frequently ask our young colleagues to often look forward and look at the opportunity they will have to shape the world, and it is fitting that doing that with thoughts of the ways in which our mothers helped us all will serve as a continued guiding light.

Highlights of the week:

Celebrating National Nurses Week, May 6-12

It’s National Nurses Week! As we take time to celebrate our nurses, we also pause to consider the sacrifices and losses many nurses and frontline workers have endured due to Covid-19. At Duke Heart and across the Health System, we have seen remarkable dedication and courage from all of our teams over the past year. It hasn’t been easy and there are still challenges ahead. Yet we know that our nurses will continue to help lead the way through their outstanding care for patients and through their commitment to excellence, education, compassion, and to one another. Thank you to all Duke nurses – especially those on each of our Heart units, in each of our clinics and those in the research space and elsewhere. Thanks for all that you do!

Reminder: The Department of Medicine Well-Being Committee is hosting Celebrating Our Nurses. Through May 12, all members of the Department of Medicine can use this link to nominate nurses for their contributions and describe how they emulate the Duke Health values of Excellence, Integrity, Teamwork, Respect, and Innovation.

There is no limit to the number of nurses one person can nominate, and you can nominate a nurse from any location (i.e. clinic, inpatient, research).

This year more than any other, it is important to recognize the inspiring work done by our nursing colleagues and their important role in the care of our patients.

 

Women in the Heart of Cardiology Symposium Held

The first “Women in the Heart of Cardiology” international symposium was held virtually on Wednesday, May 5^th.

The program was organized by the Brazilian Clinical Research Institute (BCRI) in partnership with the Duke Clinical Research Institute and Stanford University with the goal of promoting discussion around gender disparities in cardiology, in cardiovascular health outcomes and quality of care around the world, and strategies to minimize them. The symposium featured discussions on the still low representation of women participating in clinical trials and as well as the paucity of women selected to lead clinical trials.

The symposium featured male and female thought-leaders from across the cardiovascular space. The presentations and discussions were informative, engaging and featured a number of current and former Duke faculty members including Tracy Wang, Renato Lopes, Jennifer Rymer, Adrian Hernandez, Manesh Patel, Robert Harrington, Lesley Curtis and Robert Califf, as well as Duke cardiology fellow, Vanessa Blumer.

To learn more about the event, the topics covered, and to see a full list of all presenters, please visit: https://wihc.online. Congratulations to co-chairs Renato Lopes, Robert Harrington, Tracy Wang and Ariane Macedo for planning a very successful and well-attended event. We hope to see more sessions on these critical topics in the future. Great job!

 

 

 

Swaminathan to Serve as Track Director for SCAI 2022

Rajesh Swaminathan has been appointed the Cath Lab Bootcamp Track Director for the 2022 Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) Annual Scientific Sessions, which is scheduled for May 19-22, 2022 in Atlanta. SCAI is the only professional medical society in the U.S. dedicated solely to interventional cardiology.

Duke is well represented on the SCAI Sessions planning team. In addition to Raj, former Fellow Connie Hess is part of the planning committee for the Peripheral Track of the meeting and Sunil Rao became President-Elect of SCAI as of April 28; Rao has most recently served as SCAI vice president.

Congrats, Raj!!

 

D’Amico, Tong Named to AATS Committees

Please join us in congratulating surgeons Tommy D’Amico and Betty Tong for their appointments to the following American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) committees:

• D’Amico has been appointed to the AATS Board of Directors, the governing body of the AATS, in recognition of his dedication and service.
• Tong has been appointed to the IT committee, the group charged with modernizing the AATS digital universe and its online presence.

The AATS, founded in 1917, promotes scholarship, innovation, and leadership in the field of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery; it is an international organization whose members have a proven record of distinction within the specialty and have made significant contributions to the care and treatment of cardiothoracic disease.

“These appointments are not only significant individual accomplishments, but also are extremely important for our entire Division as well as our individual faculty and residents,” said Edward P. Chen, chief of the Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery. “I am absolutely thrilled for them and ask that you join me in congratulating Tommy and Betty for their achievements.”

 

Perfusion Services Team Recognized with JECT Award

Congratulations to Travis Siffring, Amy Evans, William Dauch, Greg Smigla and David Kaemmer – all members of the Duke Perfusion Services pediatric specialty team — and to Duke medical student, Neel Prabhu. Their manuscript, Sustained Total All-Region (STAR) Perfusion: An Optimized Perfusion Strategy for Norwood Reconstruction, has been selected for the JECT Technique Article Award for 2021. The Journal of ExtraCorporeal Technology (JECT) is the official publication of the American Society of ExtraCorporeal Technology (AmSECT) and is the longest continuously published periodical in the field of perfusion.

STAR perfusion is a new technique being used at Duke during Norwood reconstruction. It combines continuous coronary perfusion, cerebral perfusion and lower body perfusion at mild hypothermic temperature for the duration of surgery to reconstruct the aorta. Norwood reconstruction is generally performed in the first weeks of life on infants born with a congenital heart defect called hypoplastic left heart syndrome – a condition where the left side of the heart has not fully developed, rendering the heart unable to pump oxygen-rich blood throughout the body.

“Before this technique we had to cool the patients and use hypothermic circulatory arrest with cerebral perfusion only in order to allow the surgeons to perform a big portion of the surgery — creation of the neoaorta,” Siffring said. “Now we can stay closer to normothermia and can perfuse the brain, the heart and the rest of the body while the surgeons are operating on the aorta.”

The perfusion team presented on this technique at the AmSECT 58^th International Conference, held in March, 2020. Their manuscript describing the technique was published in the December 2020 issue of JECT.

This award is presented annually to a perfusionist who has published an exceptional technique article in JECT. The award consists of a certificate and a modest honorarium. The JECT Award was presented last weekend during AmSECT’s 59th International Conference, which was held virtually from May 1-4.

ICYMI: Members of our pediatric heart surgery team published recently on the development and use of the STAR perfusion technique during Norwood. A manuscript by surgeons Nick Anderson and Joe Turek with medical student Neel Prabhu, Sustained Total All-Region (STAR) Perfusion for Norwood Reconstruction was published online last May in the journal Operative Techniques in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery; it appears in the autumn 2020 print issue.

Congratulations to all!

 

Passings: Carl M. Voyles, Jr., MD

We were saddened this week to learn that Dr. Carl M. Voyles, Jr., a Duke cardiology alum, died on Dec. 31, 2020. He was 98. His obituary reads, in part, “Carl was part of an accelerated medical program at Duke University Medical School during the war (WW2). He interned at Johns Hopkins and then was drafted. As part of his military training, he became a flight surgeon. After his military service, Carl returned to Duke and completed advanced medical training in Cardiology/Internal Medicine under the infamous Dr. Eugene Stead. When his specialized medical training was complete, he moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, and opened a cardiology practice with fellow Duke graduate, Dr. Charlie Rast.”

A wonderful tribute to his life can be found here. Our condolences to his wife Joan, their family and friends and his former colleagues. We know he is missed.

 

Shout-out to CT Surgery Team

We received the following note from Andrew Wang: “I would like to express my gratitude and awe for remarkable collaboration during a high risk TAVR case this past week. During the procedure being performed by Dr. Jeff Gaca and myself, there was a rare, unexpected complication that required rapid problem-solving and eventual conversion to open surgery. In addition to the prompt response from the OR staff, perfusion team and CT anesthesia, both Drs. Jacob Schroder and Ben Bryner quietly appeared and assisted in the emergent surgery which was successfully completed. In observing the many of parts of our heart center team work together at a moment’s notice, running toward the fire, it provided a real-time example that “culture eats strategy for breakfast.”  Thanks for everyone’s dedication and help.” – Andrew Wang, Vice Chief for Clinical Affairs, Division of Cardiology.

Nicely done, team!!!

 

Shout-out to Corley

We’re pleased to share the following message of praise for first year fellow Ali Corley. In a note to Anna Lisa Crowley from Durham VAMC cardiology physician assistant Kim Jones, we learned:

“Ali is the best. I told her today about the snafu with the VA ID badges here so no incoming fellows in July. She asked who would be covering her patients. I told her I would, and she said she would be available to help with any questions I had.

What impressed me was not that she said she’d help with any questions (hopefully all the fellows would) but that her first comment was “who will be taking care of my patients?” … that, priceless.

Her future patients should count themselves lucky!!!” –Kimberly Jones, PA, Durham VAMC Cardiology

We completely agree — Great work, Ali!

 

Kudos to Tong

In a note from Lisa Clark Pickett, Chief Medical Officer for Duke University Hospital, we learned of warm feedback for Betty Tong and the thoracic care team.

“Every nurse was extremely nice to me and my visitor. Dr. Tong was awesome.” – A grateful patient (name withheld)

Pickett wrote, “Betty, while reading comments on our Patient Satisfaction Survey I was just delighted to read this lovely compliment about you and your team! Thank you for always providing such excellent and compassionate care.”

 

Photo of the Week: Nafissi Wedding

Congratulations to Duke cardiology fellow Navid Nafissi and his wife, Haley, who were married April 17! The couple, along with their friends and family, celebrated at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont, NC. It was a beautiful day for a beautiful couple! Congratulations, Navid and Haley!

Newly published!

Congratulations to Carolyn Lekavich and her co-authors, Dennis Abraham, Marat Fudim, Cynthia Green, Robert Mentz, Karol Harshaw-Ellis, Margaret Bowers, Anita Kelsey, Kishan Parikh, Tracy Truong, Debra Barksdale (Virginia Commonwealth University), and William Kraus – their manuscript, Early Identification of Patients At-Risk for Incident Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF):  Novel Approach to Echocardiographic Trends was published online yesterday in the Journal of Cardiac Failure. Great job!

 

 

 

 

Triangle Go Red Luncheon – Register Now

The American Heart Association’s 2021 Triangle Go Red for Women Luncheon digital celebration will be held on Friday, May 14^th from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Join us as we celebrate the impact of Go Red for Women in the Triangle, learn tips to structure self-care into your day, participate in a series of health and wellness breakout sessions, and hear from inspiring survivors who are “Living Fierce” and not letting cardiovascular disease stand in their way. If interested, please visit https://events.bizzabo.com/301164. Registration is still open for those who would like to join. The event is free and open to all.

Registration Open for Friends of Nursing Gala, May 15

The Duke Friends of Nursing Board of Advisors cordially invites you to attend the 32nd Gala Celebration of Excellence! Hundreds of nurses, friends, supporters and community members attend the Gala each year to honor all Duke Nurses, and to recognize the nominees and winners of the Excellence Awards. While we can’t celebrate in-person this year, we are preparing for a very special virtual celebration. Join us for a virtual program celebrating our spirit of innovation, unwavering compassion, clinical excellence, and significant impact across Duke Health. We hope you will attend. There is no fee for this event. To learn more or to register, please visit: https://www.dukefriendsofnursing.org.

 

COVID-19 Updates:

All the latest official DUHS information regarding coronavirus/COVID-19 response at the following locations:

• Recommended Eye Protection
• PDC intranet site
• Duke Health intranet site
• Well-Being Resources

Upcoming Opportunities/Save the Date:

Cardiology Grand Rounds

May 11:  Cardiogenic Shock: An Outlook on the Past, Present, and Future with Marc Samsky. 5 p.m. Webex.

Have news to share?

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

Duke Heart in the News:

May 1 — Robert Lefkowitz

Endocrine News (April issue)

My Accidental Path Into Research and Thoughts on Grooming the Next Generation of Physician-Scientists

https://bit.ly/3es0tZr

May 2 — Robert Lefkowitz

Newsweek

‘I’m A Nobel Laureate, But I Still Have Regrets’

https://bit.ly/3eYveUT

Division of Cardiology Publications Indexed in PubMed April 29 – May 5, 2021

Badhwar V, Vemulapalli S, Mack MA, Gillinov AM, Chikwe J, Dearani JA, Grau-Sepulveda MV, Habib R, Rankin JS, Jacobs JP, McCarthy PM, Bloom JP, Kurlansky PA, Wyler von Ballmoos MC, Thourani VH, Edgerton JR, Vassileva CM, Gammie JS, Shahian DM. Volume-Outcome Association of Mitral Valve Surgery in the United States. JAMA Cardiol 2020;5(10):1092-1101. PM: 32609292.

Blumer V, Greene SJ, Wu A, Butler J, Ezekowitz JA, Lindenfeld J, Alhanti B, Hernandez AF, O’Connor CM, Mentz RJ. Sex Differences in Clinical Course and Patient-Reported Outcomes Among Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure. JACC Heart Fail 2021;9(5):336-345. PM: 33714746.

Breeze CE, Batorsky A, Lee MK, Szeto MD, Xu X, McCartney DL, Jiang R, Patki A, Kramer HJ, Eales JM, Raffield L, Lange L, Lange E, Durda P, Liu Y, Tracy RP, Van Den Berg D,  , Evans KL, Kraus WE, Shah S, Tiwari HK, Hou L, Whitsel EA, Jiang X, Charchar FJ. Epigenome-wide association study of kidney function identifies trans-ethnic and ethnic-specific loci. Genome Med 2021;13(1):74. PM: 33931109.

Califf RM, Hernandez AF, Landray M. Weighing the Benefits and Risks of Proliferating Observational Treatment Assessments: Observational Cacophony, Randomized Harmony. JAMA 2020;324(7):625-626. PM: 32735313.

Cavalier JS, Klem I. Using Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Evaluate Patients with Chest Pain in the Emergency Department. J Cardiovasc Imaging 2021;29(2):91-107. PM: 33938167.

Dayoub EJ, Eberly LA, Nathan AS, Khatana SAM, Adusumalli S, Navar AM, Giri J, Groeneveld PW. Adoption of PCSK9 Inhibitors Among Patients With Atherosclerotic Disease. J Am Heart Assoc 2021;10(9):e019331. PM: 33904340.

Douglas PS. Functional vs Anatomical Testing for Patients With Stable Chest Pain-Binary or Directional Thinking? JAMA Cardiol 2020;5(8):868-870. PM: 32492103.

Figueroa JF, Wadhera RK, Frakt AB, Fonarow GC, Heidenreich PA, Xu H, Lytle B, DeVore AD, Matsouaka R, Yancy CW, Bhatt DL, Joynt Maddox KE. Quality of Care and Outcomes Among Medicare Advantage vs Fee-for-Service Medicare Patients Hospitalized With Heart Failure. JAMA Cardiol 2020;5(12):1349-1357. PM: 32876650.

Garza MY, Rutherford M, Myneni S, Fenton S, Walden A, Topaloglu U, Eisenstein E, Kumar KR, Zimmerman KO, Rocca M, Gordon GS, Hume S, Wang Z, Zozus M. Evaluating the Coverage of the HL7  FHIR  Standard to Support eSource Data Exchange Implementations for use in Multi-Site Clinical Research Studies. AMIA Annu Symp Proc 2021;2020:472-481. PM: 33936420.

Greene SJ, Velazquez EJ, Anstrom KJ, Eisenstein EL, Sapp S, Morgan S, Harding T, Sachdev V, Ketema F, Kim DY, Desvigne-Nickens P, Pitt B, Mentz RJ.Pragmatic Design of Randomized Clinical Trials for Heart Failure: Rationale and Design of the TRANSFORM-HF Trial. JACC Heart Fail 2021;9(5):325-335. PM: 33714745.

Kirtane AJ, Mehran R, Navar AM, Bonow RO. Heroism in the Face of the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA Cardiol 2020;5(10):1163-1164. PM: 32558909.

Klein LW, Anderson HV, Rao SV. Performance Metrics to Improve Quality in Contemporary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Practice. JAMA Cardiol 2020;5(8):859-860. PM: 32374347.

Lowenstern A, Alexander KP, Douglas PS. Should We Simplify Computed Tomography Angiography Reporting as Black or White vs Describing All Shades of Gray?-Reply. JAMA Cardiol 2020;5(12):1450-1451. PM: 32902566.

Malik AO, Spertus JA, Patel MR, Dehmer GJ, Kennedy K, Chan PS. Potential Association of the ISCHEMIA Trial With the Appropriate Use Criteria Ratings for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Stable Ischemic Heart Disease. JAMA Intern Med 2020;180(11):1540-1542. PM: 32955575.

Mentz RJ, Rao VN. Worsening Heart Failure Events in HFpEF: Underlying Biology Not Treatment Location. JACC Heart Fail 2021;9(5):383-385. PM: 33839077.

Nanna MG, Chen ST, Nelson AJ, Navar AM, Peterson ED. Representation of Older Adults in Cardiovascular Disease Trials Since the Inclusion Across the Lifespan Policy. JAMA Intern Med 2020;180(11):1531-1533. PM: 32897289.

Okoro PC, Schubert R, Guo X, Johnson WC, Rotter JI, Hoeschele I, Liu Y, Im HK, Luke A, Dugas LR, Wheeler HE. Transcriptome prediction performance across machine learning models and diverse ancestries. HGG Adv 2021;2(2):100019. PM: 33937878.

Pagani FD, Mehra MR, Cowger JA, Horstmanshof DA, Silvestry SC, Atluri P, Cleveland JC, Lindenfeld J, Roberts GJ, Bharmi R, Dalal N, Kormos RL, Rogers JG. Clinical outcomes and healthcare expenditures in the real world with left ventricular assist devices – The CLEAR-LVAD study. J Heart Lung Transplant 2021;40(5):323-333. PM: 33744086.

Roth GA, Emmons-Bell S, Alger HM, Bradley SM, Das SR, de Lemos JA, Gakidou E, Elkind MSV, Hay S, Hall JL, Johnson CO, Morrow DA, Rodriguez F, Rutan C, Shakil S, Sorensen R, Stevens L, Wang TY, Walchok J, Williams J, Murray C. Trends in Patient Characteristics and COVID-19 In-Hospital Mortality in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA Netw Open 2021;4(5):e218828. PM: 33938933.

Shahid I, Nizam MA, Usman MS, Khan MS, Fudim M, Michos ED. Meta-Analysis Comparing the Safety and Efficacy of Dual Versus Single Antiplatelet Therapy After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation. Am J Cardiovasc Drugs 2021 May;21(3):373-376. PM: 33634434.

Spahillari A, Zhu J, Ferket BS, Hunink MGM, Carr JJ, Terry JG, Nelson C, Mwasongwe S, Mentz RJ, O’Brien EC, Correa A, Shah RV, Murthy VL, Pandya A. Cost-effectiveness of Contemporary Statin Use Guidelines With or Without Coronary Artery Calcium Assessment in African American Individuals. JAMA Cardiol 2020 Aug 1;5(8):871-880. PM: 32401264.

Steinberg BA, Li Z, O’Brien EC, Pritchard J, Chew DS, Bunch TJ, Mark DB, Nabutovsky Y, Greiner MA, Piccini JP. Atrial fibrillation burden and heart failure: Data from 39,710 individuals with cardiac implanted electronic devices. Heart Rhythm 2021 May;18(5):709-716. PM: 33508517.

Stone AT, Carlson KM, Douglas PS, Morris KL, Walsh MN. Assessment of Subspecialty Choices of Men and Women in Internal Medicine From 1991 to 2016. JAMA Intern Med 2020 Jan 1;180(1):140-141. PM: 31545349.

van Diepen S, Hochman JS, Stebbins A, Alviar CL, Alexander JH, Lopes RD. Association Between Delays in Mechanical Ventilation Initiation and Mortality in Patients With Refractory Cardiogenic Shock. JAMA Cardiol 2020 Aug 1;5(8):965-967. PM: 32432650.

Yang S, Starks MA, Hernandez AF, Turner EL, Califf RM, O’Connor CM, Mentz RJ, Choudhury KR. Corrigendum to “Impact of baseline covariate imbalance on bias in treatment effect estimation in cluster randomized trials: Race as an example” [Contemporary Clinical Trials volume 88 (2020) 105775]. Contemp Clin Trials 2021 Apr;103:106298. PM: 33578196.

 

 

Chief’s message: Transitions and Accomplishments

It’s understandable that great institutions produce faculty and fellows that garner national attention and eventually leave to lead and areas of importance in medicine around the world.  However, this fact does not make it any less bittersweet when we have one of great colleagues leave to pursue other opportunities.   This was the case this week as we had a celebration grand rounds for Joe Rogers, someone who has been a clinician scientist for Duke Heart, and a leader for our institution on many fronts including cardiovascular medicine, the department of medicine, the PDC, and most recently as CMO of the health system.  The grand rounds we had reminded me of the times we as faculty and fellows could tell stories, share accomplishments, and most importantly thank each other for the roles that we play in each other’s lives.  Hopefully as we move towards more in person interaction, we can have grand rounds and get togethers where some of that can be done again.  Joe has certainly played an important role in many lives at Duke Heart will be missed by many.

I wanted to also highlight for all of our faculty, fellows, and friends of Duke Heart that this week we will have the national American College of Cardiology meeting (virtually).  We have an enormous number of scientific presentations by our faculty and fellows, and we will ensure that next Sunday that we have a mothers’ day edition of the pulse with updates of all the great science our group is playing a role in developing and discovering.

Highlights of the week:

Rogers Celebrated During Special CGR

A special Cardiology Grand Rounds was held via Zoom on Thursday, April 29 to celebrate Joe Rogers and all he has meant to us in Duke Heart – including his many accomplishments across his 16 year career at Duke. Rogers was celebrated as an extraordinary mentor, leader, clinician, researcher, and as someone who exemplifies the very best of Duke. He was recognized as dedicated to inclusivity – as someone who helped everyone to feel welcome and that their voice mattered. We are truly blessed to have worked with him and he will be deeply missed. Stories and anecdotes from across the years were shared by Carmelo Milano, Jacob Schroder, Chet Patel, Adam DeVore, Bradi Granger, Jennifer Lewis, Mona Fiuzat, Chris O’Connor, Robert Mentz, Marc Samsky, Mike Felker, Adrian Hernandez and several others.

Joe is heading to Texas Heart Institute this month to join their team as President and Chief Executive Officer. We wish him all the best!

Perfusion Team Recognized with AmSECT’s Inaugural Pillar Award

Duke Perfusion Services has been named one of the inaugural recipients of the Pillar Award for Perfusion Excellence by the American Society of Extracorporeal Technology (AmSECT). Awardees are being recognized for their programmatic dedication to excellence as well as professional standards across four categories or “pillars” — quality, community, responsibility, and education.

“We are so fortunate at Duke to have such an outstanding team of perfusionists who support our cardiothoracic faculty at the highest level possible all while embracing the core values encompassing this award,” said Edward P. Chen, MD, Chief of the Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery. “It is a true privilege to have them on the Duke Heart Team.”

With thirty-four perfusionists, Duke Heart offers one of the largest and best trained perfusion teams in the U.S. Each member of the team is certified by the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion, licensed by the North Carolina Medical Board, and most hold advanced degrees and credentials. In addition to proficiency in cardiopulmonary bypass (operating the heart-lung machine during cardiothoracic surgery), Duke perfusionists specialize in order to support a variety of needs across the hospital. Duke offers a dedicated team of pediatric perfusionists, as well as a team to support heart surgery at Duke Regional Hospital. There is a team that specializes in Extra-Corporeal Life Support (ECLS) assisting with cannulating and retrieving patients from referring hospitals; there is a team that provides apheresis in the OR, and a team trained in use of the Transmedics Organ Care System, increasing the donor pool for Duke’s Heart Transplant program.

“Perfusionists have a distinct role,” says Desiree Bonadonna, chief of Perfusion Services at Duke. “I don’t think many people are aware of the full scope of our practice. In the operating room we run cardiopulmonary bypass which is quite complex and responsible for the patient’s circulation, respiratory function, and anesthesia and drug delivery while the surgeon is operating on the heart or lung. We have expertise in ventricular assist devices, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), really anything that involves pumping blood or perfusing organs, such as specialized chemo delivery systems used in surgical oncology cases. We are invested in education, research and quality improvement work and we are doing it in the high volume, high performance space of Duke Heart. We are very excited to be one of the first programs recognized with a Pillar award.”

Members of the Duke Perfusion team are regularly invited to present at national conferences, and a number of perfusion schools send their students here to learn from the Duke team.

“On behalf of the Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology and Critical Care faculty, I would like to extend a big round of applause and heartfelt congratulations to our Duke Perfusion family on their receipt of the inaugural 2021 AmSECT Pillar Award, said Mihai V. Podgoreanu, MD, chief of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology. “Founded on a tradition of excellence, this program has continued to expand and perform outstandingly in supporting the ever-increasing clinical needs of extracorporeal technology both in the operating rooms and intensive care units. Through leadership, patient-centeredness, innovation, ownership, meticulous attention to quality improvement and collaboration, this talented and passionate group of professionals is contributing 24/7 to life-changing procedures, shaping the next generations of perfusionists and cardiovascular physician trainees through education and simulation, and generating new research knowledge. Bravo!”

Criteria for the award included demonstration of a clear management structure; well-developed protocols and procedures; an onboarding and orientation process; quality assurance standards and processes, and a professional commitment to the field. At Duke, each member of the perfusion team is also a member of a professional organization or society for the advancement of the field of perfusion – this way they are always learning and contributing.

“The value of our perfusion team to patient care at Duke cannot be underestimated or overstated,” adds Andrew J. Lodge, MD, Medical Director of Quality and Safety for Children’s Surgery. “I have been saying for years that the Duke Perfusion team is consistently the best group of individuals with whom I have had the pleasure to work. Their various sections have been characterized by excellent leadership and outstanding clinical skills.

“To a person, the perfusionists with whom I’ve worked, particularly on the pediatric and ECMO teams, have been exemplary colleagues. Additional words I would use to describe them are compassionate, dedicated, professional, driven, and ambitious. Not only are they great educators, they are always striving to learn themselves. They are on the cutting edge of technology, and allow us to offer the best available treatments for our patients. They are tireless workers and always up for a challenge. It comes as no surprise to me that the Duke Perfusion team has received a national award for excellence. It is surely well-deserved.”

Please join us in congratulating our entire team of perfusionists on their Pillar Award for Perfusion Excellence, particularly since today launches National Perfusion Appreciation Week (May 2-8). Congratulations and keep up the great work! 

Coniglio to Serve as Chief Cardiology Fellow, 2021-2022

Amanda Coniglio has been elected by her peers to serve as Duke’s chief cardiology fellow for 2021-2022. The announcement was made Friday evening by Anna Lisa Crowley, program director for the cardiology fellowship program.

As some of you may know, Amanda grew up in Richmond, Virginia before moving to upstate New York for high school. She attended Elon University here in North Carolina for her undergraduate degree. She returned to New York for medical school at the University of Rochester. There, she met her now husband, Andrew, and they couples-matched at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill for residency. After completing residency, we were fortunate that Amanda switched to the darker blue for her cardiovascular disease fellowship training at Duke. She is completing advanced heart failure and transplant fellowship training this year before rejoining cardiovascular disease fellowship for a year of research in July. She is interested in familial cardiomyopathy and is planning to spend her research year working with Svati Shah and learning clinical genetics. Amanda is very honored to be elected as the chief fellow and is excited to work with all the fellows!

Please join us in congratulating and welcoming Amanda to this new role!

 

Shout-out to Friede!

The following message from Anna Lisa Crowley was shared with the fellows and faculty on Friday evening:

“As Amanda Coniglio transitions to her new role as chief cardiology fellow during May, I want to take an opportunity to give a big THANK YOU to Kevin Friede who has been spectacular this year during unprecedented challenges.  Kevin helped us implement new virtual lectures, end of year fellows’ banquet, recruitment, and a holiday talent show! In addition, Kevin was a clear and calm voice for the fellows. He helped us re-imagine the CICU fellow experience, arranged COVID and overnight coverage, and many other things I have not listed here.

He navigated all these new challenges while working in the lab, studying and passing the ever-shifting CV ABIM exam, and welcoming a new daughter, Celia, to his family.

We are fortunate that Kevin will stay on at Duke next year as an interventional fellow.

Please join me in thanking Kevin for his dedication to the fellowship! Attached is a photo of Kevin, his wife, Dr. Schell Bressler, and daughters Elizabeth and Celia, taken after Celia was born last fall.”

Well done, Kevin!

Kudos to Harrison, Hughes & Glower

 

In a note from Lisa Clark Pickett, Chief Medical Officer for Duke University Hospital, we learned of recent patient compliments for three of our faculty members. The compliments were submitted to Duke via recent Patient Satisfaction Surveys.

“I thank God for Dr. Glower— he saved my life. Everything about my stay was excellent. Everyone had my best interests at heart.” – Grateful patient, name withheld

“Excellent facility & hospital – best decision to use Duke.  Doctors were great and very thankful for them*.” – Grateful patient, name withheld (*Dr. Robert Harrison & *Dr. Chad Hughes)

Pickett added, “You and your team clearly made an impact on this person. Thank you for your dedication to excellence!”

Medicine Grand Rounds with Lefkowitz

For anyone who missed Bob Lefkowitz’s terrific presentation “A Tale of Two Callings” during last week’s Medicine Grand Rounds, you can view a recording of the event here: https://warpwire.duke.edu/w/tasFAA/.

 

Picture of the Week – Mike Sketch’s pen found in the Duke Cath lab

I was in the Duke Cath Lab on Friday and found this pen in the duke cath lab.  On inquiring, I learned it was Mike Sketch’s unicorn to-do list pen.  It’s a pretty cool pen and we have it kept for Mike in the lost and found.

Celebrating Our Nurses: Nominations Are Open!

In recognition of National Nurses Week (May 6-12) the Department of Medicine Well-Being Committee hosts “Celebrating Our Nurses.” From today until May 12, all members of the Department of Medicine can use this link to nominate nurses for their contributions and describe how they emulate the Duke Health values of Excellence, Integrity, Teamwork, Respect, and Innovation.

The Committee will communicate each nomination to the individual nurse and their manager, display nominations on a virtual bulletin board, and feature the campaign on the Department of Medicine Twitter feed. There is no limit to the number of nurses one person can nominate, and you can nominate a nurse from any location (i.e. clinic, inpatient, research).

This year more than any other, it is important to recognize the inspiring work done by our nursing colleagues and their important role in the care of our patients.

Registration Open for Friends of Nursing Gala, May 15

The Duke Friends of Nursing Board of Advisors cordially invites you to attend the 32nd Gala Celebration of Excellence! Hundreds of nurses, friends, supporters and community members attend the Gala each year to honor all Duke Nurses, and to recognize the nominees and winners of the Excellence Awards. While we can’t celebrate in-person this year, we are preparing for a very special virtual celebration. Join us for a virtual program celebrating our spirit of innovation, unwavering compassion, clinical excellence, and significant impact across Duke Health. We hope you will attend. There is no fee for this event. To learn more or to register, please visit: https://www.dukefriendsofnursing.org.

 

COVID-19 Updates:

All the latest official DUHS information regarding coronavirus/COVID-19 response at the following locations:

• Recommended Eye Protection
• PDC intranet site
• Duke Health intranet site
• Well-Being Resources

 

Upcoming Opportunities/Save the Date:

Virtual Town Hall

Do you have questions regarding the new clinical practice model that is being formed by the PDC, SOM, and DUHS? Join us for a virtual town hall for all members of the Duke Health community on May 3, from 5 to 6 p.m. Leaders will answer your questions about the planning process for this new clinical practice model. Panelists will include Ted Pappas, Tom Owens, and John Sampson who will share their perspectives on why change is needed now and their expectations for the path forward.

Monday, May 3^rd from 5 to 6 p.m. Join the Zoom here

The Zoom link is one-click entry, however if prompted to enter a passcode it is 505478. Access to the webinar series requires authenticated access with your NetID and password. If prompted to sign in, please select to ‘Sign in with SSO’ and enter ‘duke’ when prompted for the company domain. You will be directed to log in with your NetID and password.

Add to Calendar

Submit questions in advance to DukeFP@duke.edu. A recording of the town hall will be posted on the website the next day.

Have news to share?

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

 

Duke Heart in the News:

April 22 – Rob Califf

Club Industry

COVID-19 Patients Could Develop Chronic Health Conditions, Causing Possible Onslaught For U.S.

https://bit.ly/3gP52i5

April 27 — Duke University Hospital

WRAL

Colorful mural captures contributions of health care heroes at Duke Hospital

https://bit.ly/3vrpEkh

April 27 — Yuichiro Yano (Family Medicine)

Medpage Today

USPSTF Prioritizes Office Measurements in Hypertension Screening

https://bit.ly/3sZjMNB

April 30 — Duke Hospitals are mentioned

News & Observer

Which Triangle hospitals are the safest? Watchdog group releases latest report cards

https://bit.ly/3gQ1c86

April 30 — W. Schuyler Jones

Healio/Endocrinology

Predictive model identifies risk factors for major adverse limb events in diabetes

https://bit.ly/3xBicF3

Chief’s message: Spring Days

Spring days long days of sunlight are good for all of us.  It is notable in North Carolina that there is a yellow covering on all things – the season of pollen.  This week was notable for some more important announcements around change (see the announcement below around Dr. Fulkerson), continued teamwork by groups of faculty, fellows and staff in caring for our patients (see the photo from cath lab on Friday), and continue involvement in changing how we care for patients (ISHLT meeting 2021- lead by Joe Rogers).  We are blessed to at any given time at Duke Heart to be surrounded by great colleagues, partners, fellows, and staff, many of whom are shaping the field of cardiovascular medicine.   As we move through the ongoing change in healthcare, we will have trust and lean into working with each other to shape our future.  As I have often said, the people we get to work with make Duke Heart special.

Updates from the week:

Dr. Wiliam Fulkerson to Step Down from EVP of Duke Health December 21^st  2021

Dr. Bill Fulkerson announced this week that he will be stepping down as the Executive Vice President of Duke Health system at the end of this year.  He noted that he will be continuing to support the health system, but wanted the next person who will be shaping our future to engage in this time of transition.

Dr. Eugene Washington provide the following statement around the tremendous impact Dr. Fulkerson has had on Duke Health.

“Dr. Fulkerson’s transition as EVP will be a great loss for Duke, but we will benefit from the fruits of his superb leadership for many years to come. When Dr. Fulkerson became the second EVP of the health system back in July 2010, he was already a seasoned leader, as well as an accomplished academician. He had served as Senior Vice President of Clinical Affairs for DUHS, CEO of Duke University Hospital, Vice President of DUHS, Chief Medical Officer for both DUHS and the Private Diagnostic Clinic (PDC), and Professor of Medicine in the Duke University School of Medicine. Throughout his leadership trajectory, Dr. Fulkerson has amassed a reputation of being an outstanding physician and administrator of integrity who cares deeply, is an award-winning teacher, has a passion for excellence, and is truly committed to championing DUHS to be the best in the industry.

As EVP over the past decade-plus, he has amply demonstrated his exceptional dedication and abilities as an executive administrator, a creator of innovative programs, a builder of state-of-the-art facilities, a respected colleague and mentor, and a collaborative broker of strategic partnerships across Duke Health, Duke University, Durham and beyond.

Dr. Fulkerson’s career has not only had a substantial positive impact on Duke, but also has improved hundreds of thousands of lives, in part due to the tremendous growth that DUHS has experienced under his leadership. Today, we are 24,000 people strong compared to approximately 15,000 when he started as EVP. Scores of individuals in DUHS have been recruited and have thrived under his tutelage. Our reach in touching lives has extended locally, regionally and nationally. The number of patients we cared for across Duke Health increased nearly 50% – from approximately 550,000 in 2010 to nearly 820,000 last year. Groundbreaking multidisciplinary, multisector programs and ventures have advanced and excelled with Dr. Fulkerson at the helm of DUHS. Our DUHS and broader Duke Health Clinical Enterprise footprint and facilities have also expanded impressively with Dr. Fulkerson as a driving force.

During this period of unprecedented growth, we continued to lead in the delivery of highest-quality, patient-centered care, deservedly receiving multiple professional accolades to affirm our high standards. DUHS’ financial performance has been stellar during Dr. Fulkerson’s EVP tenure, with revenue increasing 85% – from $2.1 billion in 2010 to $3.9 billion in 2020 and an average operating margin of approximately 8%. Importantly, DUHS’ success over this period has enabled $1.5 billion in support for our academic missions, principally the Duke University School of Medicine.”

We look forward to continuing to partner with Dr. Fulkerson and work with the Health system as we engage in our future state to discover deliver health to our community.

 

Shout-Out to Samsky

Together with Aimee Zaas, the Program Director of the Duke IM residency, and Sunil Rao, we want to give a HUGE thank you to Marc Samsky who covered the VA Cardiology Consult service for multiple days last week when a significant number of residents were out sick with food poisoning.

Thank you Marc!! – Anna Lisa Crowley

Nicely done, Marc!

 

Kudos to Loungani

We’re pleased to share the following note received last week by Anna Lisa Crowley – more great teamwork shown by cardiology fellow Rahul Loungani!

“My housestaff and I responded to a nursing call that our patient had SVT. Rahul was walking by and saw the tachycardia and our interventions and stepped in to help. Over the next 1.5 hours, he hung out with us at bedside as we managed (the patient’s) arrhythmias. Ultimately he also helped us arrange transfer to the CCU. We were all at bedside until close to 8 pm.

“I really appreciate the way he saw an opportunity to help colleagues and a patient and jumped in, even if it wasn’t his responsibility. These little acts of kindness and professionalism always fill me with happiness.

“FYI- the patient did great and is coming back out of the CCU, so the story also has a good ending.” — Joanna Kipnes, MD

Great job, Rahul!

 

Esther Kim CGR SCAD Presentation

Cardiology Grand Rounds this past week was presented by Duke alumnae Dr. Esther Kim, who is Associate Professor of Medicine and Medical Director of the Vascular Labs at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She is an expert in vascular medicine and her wonderful presentation focused on spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), with particular attention to the recognition and treatment of SCAD events, as well as the links between SCAD and other systemic diseases like fibromuscular dysplasia. To see the recorded presentation of her CGR presentation, please visit: https://bit.ly/2QRDQ73.  Shown here is a screenshot of her take-home points.

Photo of the Week

A rare together at-work sighting of the Hernandez family! Photo of Adrian Hernandez and Tracy DeWald courtesy of Jon Piccini.

Triangle Go Red Luncheon – Registration Open

The American Heart Association’s 2021 Triangle Go Red for Women Luncheon digital celebration will be held on May 14^th from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Join us as we celebrate the impact of Go Red for Women in the Triangle, learn tips to structure self-care into your day, participate in a series of health and wellness breakout sessions, and hear from inspiring survivors who are “Living Fierce” and not letting cardiovascular disease stand in their way. Registration is free and open to all. If interested, please visit https://events.bizzabo.com/301164.

 

COVID-19 Updates:

All the latest official DUHS information regarding coronavirus/COVID-19 response at the following locations:

• Recommended Eye Protection
• PDC intranet site
• Duke Health intranet site
• Well-Being Resources

Upcoming Opportunities/Save the Date:

Cardiology Grand Rounds

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.

April 29: A Special celebration of Joe Rogers with Duke faculty, alumni & friends. 5 p.m., Zoom.

 

Upcoming (Virtual) 2021 Duke Heart CME

We have dates set for two upcoming virtual symposia; registration is not yet available.

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).

 

Final Mental Health Webinar in Series

Apr. 27: Mental Health in Children of Color. Noon-12:30 p.m. Led by Erikka Dzirasa, MD, MPH, consulting associate in Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences (Link below).

This is the final webinar of a six-part 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:

April 13 — Harry Severance

Chattanoogatrend.com

The COVID-19 Vaccine and Reopening the World: What might it look like?

https://bit.ly/3tJE8f4

April 15 — TransPop, MURDOCK Study mentioned

WBTV.com (Charlotte, NC)

Duke CTSI launches kidney disease study in Kannapolis for people with African ancestry

https://bit.ly/3xj2qi0

April 20 — William Kraus

EatThis.com

Genius Little Ways You Can Move More Every Single Day

https://www.eatthis.com/exercise-more-every-day/

May 2021 issue — John Alexander

Scientific American

COVID Has Pushed Medical Research into Remote Trials, Benefiting Patients and Scientists

https://bit.ly/3sIINfK

Division of Cardiology Publications Indexed in PubMed April 15-21, 2021

Birati EY, Najjar SS, Tedford RJ, Houston BA, Shore S, Vorovich E, Atluri P, Urgo K, Molina M, Chambers S, Escobar N, Hsich E, Estep JD, Alexander KM, Teuteberg JJ, Chaudhry SP, Ravichandran A, DeVore AD, Margulies KB, Hanff TC, Zimmer R, Kilic A, Wald JW. Characteristics and Outcomes of COVID-19 in Patients on Left Ventricular Assist Device Support. Circ Heart Fail 2021;14:e007957. PM: 33813838.

Blumer V, Mentz RJ, Sun JL, Butler J, Metra M, Voors AA, Hernandez AF, O’Connor CM, Greene SJ. Prognostic Role of Prior Heart Failure Hospitalization Among Patients Hospitalized for Worsening Chronic Heart Failure. Circ Heart Fail 2021;14:e007871. PM: 33775110.

Desai NR, Sciria CT, Zhao X, Piccini JP, Turakhia MP, Matsouaka R, Fonarow GC, Lewis WR. Patterns of Care for Atrial Fibrillation Before, During, and at Discharge From Hospitalization: From the Get With The Guidelines-Atrial Fibrillation Registry. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol 2021;14:e009003. PM: 33724875.

Giarraputo J, Giamberardino S, Arvai S, Maichle S, Eckstein C, Newby LK, Gregory S. Profiling serum neurofilament light chain and glial fibrillary acidic protein in primary progressive multiple sclerosis. J Neuroimmunol 2021;354:577541. PM: 33725477.

Julien HM, Stebbins A, Vemulapalli S, Nathan AS, Eneanya ND, Groeneveld P, Fiorilli PN, Herrmann HC, Szeto WY, Desai ND, Anwaruddin S, Vora A, Shah B, Ng VG, Kumbhani DJ, Giri J. Incidence, Predictors, and Outcomes of Acute Kidney Injury in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: Insights From the Society of Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology National Cardiovascular Data Registry-Transcatheter Valve Therapy Registry. Circ Cardiovasc Interv 2021;14:e010032. PM: 33877860.

Kansal A, Green CL, Peterson ED, Newby LK, Wang TY, Sendak M, Balu S, Patel MR, Fanaroff AC. Electronic Health Record Integration of Predictive Analytics to Select High-Risk Stable Patients With Non-ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction for Intensive Care Unit Admission. Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 2021;14:e007602. PM: 33757310.

Khan MS, Sreenivasan J, Lateef N, Abougergi MS, Greene SJ, Ahmad T, Anker SD, Fonarow GC, Butler J. Trends in 30- and 90-Day Readmission Rates for Heart Failure. Circ Heart Fail 2021;14:e008335. PM: 33866827.

Lee CL, Lee JW, Daniel AR, Holbrook M, Hasapis S, Wright AO, Brownstein J, Da Silva Campos L, Ma Y, Mao L, Abraham D, Badea CT, Kirsch DG. Characterization of cardiovascular injury in mice following partial-heart irradiation with clinically relevant dose and fractionation. Radiother Oncol 2021;157:155-162. PM: 33545252.

Lekavich CL, Allen JD, Bensimhon DR, Bateman LA, Slentz CA, Samsa GP, Kenjale AA, Duscha BD, Douglas PS, Kraus WE. Aerobic Versus Resistance Training Effects on Ventricular-Arterial Coupling and Vascular Function in the STRRIDE-AT/RT Trial. Front Cardiovasc Med 2021;8:638929. PM: 33869303.

Nguyen AH, Lefkowitz RJ. Signaling at the endosome: cryo-EM structure of a GPCR-G protein-beta-arrestin megacomplex. FEBS J 2021;288:2562-2569. PM: 33605032.

Sawant AC, Rizik DG, Rao SV, Pershad A. Algorithms for challenging scenarios encountered in transradial intervention. Indian Heart J 2021;73:149-155. PM: 33865510.

Shah AH, Puri R, Krasuski RA. Transcatheter Closure of Patent Foramen Ovale: Not Always an “Open or Shut” Case. Circulation 2021;143:1539-1541. PM: 33872078.

Sherwood MW, Gupta A, Vemulapalli S, Li Z, Piccini J, Harrison JK, Dai D, Vora AN, Mack MJ, Holmes DR, Rumsfeld JS, Cohen DJ, Thourani VH, Kirtane AJ, Peterson ED. Variation in Antithrombotic Therapy and Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Preexisting Atrial Fibrillation Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: Insights From the Society of Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology Transcatheter Valve. Circ Cardiovasc Interv 2021;14:e009963. PM: 33877866.

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 Rhythm. J Arrhythm 2021;37:271-319. PM: 33850572.

Chief’s message: Global Health

This past year, more than most years over the last quarter century has made all of the public and those of us in medicine look carefully at our relationship with global health and health care, and specifically at how we deliver care and train the next generation.  With this background, we were blessed to have one of our former Duke Cardiology Faculty, Zainab Samad, now the Chair of Medicine at Aga Khan University in Pakistan, virtually give our cardiology grand rounds this week as our visiting Global Health Lecture.  Gerry Bloomfield has led the Duke Cardiovascular Global Health group partnering on work with Zainab and also colleagues at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kenya with bilateral educational exchanges with Duke and Kenyan Faculty and Students.  Zainab’s grand rounds was notable for her own journey from Pakistan to Duke for residency, fellowship, and early faculty life, and now returning to lead the Department of Medicine at Aga Khan.  Additionally, she highlighted measuring the clinical outcomes, building programs, and most notably developing specific pathways to reduce health inequities for women in Pakistan and worldwide.  This included the work she and others have instituted around training, where now over 50% of the medical students are women.  In addition to the inspiring talk and work, it was wonderful to see a colleague and friend working to make the world a healthier and more equitable place.

Highlights of the week:

Thomas to Receive Excellence in Professionalism Award

Congratulations to Kevin Thomas, MD, Associate Dean for Underrepresented Faculty Development at Duke and associate professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiology, who has been selected as the 2021 recipient of the Duke School of Medicine’s Excellence in Professionalism Award. The award recognizes a faculty member who exemplifies professionalism and personifies Duke’s guiding principles of respect, trustworthiness, diversity, teamwork and learning.

“I am incredibly honored to receive this award,” said Thomas.

The Excellence in Professionalism award is normally given during the Spring Faculty Celebration, but due to the continuing pandemic, an alternate virtual event is being planned. Since we’re unsure of when that will take place, we thought we’d share some of the comments made by colleagues in support of his nomination.

One faculty member shared, “Kevin is one of Duke’s most stalwart champions of professional equity and fairness. Work on the anti-racism committee is often emotional and requires faculty members to bring a certain amount of vulnerability ‘to the table’ in order to advance a meaningful dialogue. Kevin is tremendously adept at helping individuals share this vulnerability while creating a safe professional space for the intellectual and emotional growth that anti-racism work requires.”

Another wrote, “He leads with integrity, compassion, empathy and a palpable respect for both dismantling racism and for those with whom he labors to do so. As a respected leader, I have confided in Dr. Thomas on countless occasions over the years. His private words and actions mirror those made in public; a testament to his consistent character and a model of professionalism for the faculty at large.”

Yet another added, “In these difficult times, it has never been more important to have colleagues who embody principles of compassion, grace, and professionalism. The struggle to redefine our approach to systemic racism will particularly require engagement of faculty members with deep knowledge and commitment coupled with the ability to engage in hard conversations in a respectful manner. Kevin Thomas has all of these attributes. Moreover, at this moment where addressing racial inequality effectively is paramount for the survival of our university, I believe that Kevin is among a very small set of the most important and impactful faculty members that we have. He is richly deserving of this award, and he has my deepest support.”

Kevin, your contributions to Duke are seen, valued and deeply appreciated and will undoubtedly have a transformative and lasting impact at Duke. We congratulate you on this well-deserved recognition!

School of Medicine Awards Duke Cardiology Winners 2021:
Kevin Thomas, MD – Excellence in Professionalism

Rob Mentz, MD – Early Career Mentoring Award in Clinical – Population Science

Terry Fortin, MD – Master Clinician Award

Brock Elected Associate of the ACC

Gail Brock, one of our wonderful nurse practitioners, has been elected to Associate of the American College of Cardiology. She will take the official oath during the Convocation ceremony at the 70^th Annual ACC Scientific Sessions taking place May 15-17. The Sessions will be held virtually this year due to the ongoing pandemic.

Her nominators, Kristen Bova Campbell and Rebecca Yapejian, noted that they are pleased to see Gail receive the professional validation she deserves for her contributions to cardiology and electrophysiology. We agree! Gail, we are very happy for you – congratulations!

 

 

Butler Honored During TBJ Virtual Celebration

Kiersten Butler was honored on Thursday, April 15 during the Triangle Business Journal‘s virtual 2021 Health Care Heroes Award Ceremony. Butler is a nurse on the 7E/Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. We are so proud of you, Kiersten! Congratulations.

NC Walk for Victory Held

The North Carolina Walk for Victory to support families of Marfan patients was held yesterday at Laurel Hills Park in Raleigh. Duke Heart and the Duke Center for Aortic Disease served as the presenting sponsor with Dr. G. Chad Hughes as the medical chair for the walk. We had a great time cheering on and supporting the families who attended – from those with Marfan syndrome to those with Loeys-Dietz (LDS), Vascular Ehlers-Danlos (VEDS), and related conditions.

Thanks to all who helped support this event!

Triangle Go Red Luncheon – Registration Open

The American Heart Association’s 2021 Triangle Go Red for Women Luncheon digital celebration will be held on May 14^th from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Join us as we celebrate the impact of Go Red for Women in the Triangle, learn tips to structure self-care into your day, participate in a series of health and wellness breakout sessions, and hear from inspiring survivors who are “Living Fierce” and not letting cardiovascular disease stand in their way. Registration is free and open to all. If interested, please visit https://events.bizzabo.com/301164.

 

COVID-19 Updates:

All the latest official DUHS information regarding coronavirus/COVID-19 response at the following locations:

• Recommended Eye Protection
• PDC intranet site
• Duke Health intranet site
• Well-Being Resources

 

Upcoming Opportunities/Save the Date:

Cardiology Grand Rounds

April 20: Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection with Esther (Soo Hyun) Kim of Vanderbilt University Medical Center. 5 p.m., Webex.

April 23: A Tale of Two Callings with Robert J. Lefkowitz. Noon, Zoom. All Medicine Grand Rounds attendees will have the chance to win a signed copy of Dr. Lefkowitz’s book, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Stockholm.”

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.

April 29: A celebration of Joe Rogers with Duke faculty, alumni & friends. 5 p.m., TBD.

 

Upcoming (Virtual) 2021 Duke Heart CME

We have dates set for two upcoming virtual symposia; registration is not yet available.

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).

 

Final Mental Health Webinar in Series

Apr. 27: Mental Health in Children of Color. Noon-12:30 p.m. Led by Erikka Dzirasa, MD, MPH, consulting associate in Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences (Link below).

This is the final webinar of a six-part 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.

 

AGS/NIA Conference on Cancer & CV Disease – Application Available

The American Geriatrics Society has announced that “Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease”– the third in a three-part series of U13 Bench-to-Bedside Conferences — will be held at the Heart House – American College of Cardiology in Washington, DC on Monday, October 18 and Tuesday, October 19, 2021. A preliminary agenda for the conference can be accessed HERE.

The conference, sponsored by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the American Geriatrics Society (AGS), will provide attendees the opportunity to learn about cutting edge research developments, participate in the creation of recommendations for future research, and network with colleagues and leaders in the field. Learn more here.

The application for the conference is now available; applications are due by MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2021 and applicants will be notified if they are invited to participate by the end of July. Please review the following eligibility criteria before applying.

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

1. At least 1-2 years of research experience in a related field.
2. Hold an MD, PhD, PharmD or equivalent degree (e.g., DO, OD, DPT, DDS, Psy.D).
3. Have an academic appointment as a research fellow, instructor or faculty member.

If you are interested in participating or learning more about the conference please contact Elisha Medina-Gallagher, AGS Manager for Special Projects, egallagher@americangeriatrics.org or 212-308-1414.

 

Have news to share?

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

Duke Heart in the News:

April 7 — Sunil Rao

tctMD

Radial Superior to Femoral Access in Patients With Prior CABG

https://bit.ly/3wTTDmt

April 9 — Theresa Bayless; heart patient wedding

The New York Times

A Final Celebration of Their Life Together

April 9 — Nishant Shah

Cardiology Advisor

Managing the Interplay of Familial Hypercholesterolemia and COVID-19

https://bit.ly/3uQNBRY

April 12 — Mollie Kettle and Kelly Kester

Healthcare NOW Radio (podcast)

iPad workarounds for COVID visitation restrictions

https://bit.ly/32jAb4o

April 13 — Cary Ward

Spectrum News

Pregnancy Complications & Heart Disease

https://bit.ly/3wW2wvM

Division of Cardiology Publications Indexed in PubMed April 8-14, 2021

Carnicelli AP, Al-Khatib SM, Xavier D, Dalgaard F, Merrill PD, Wojdyla DM, Lewis BS, Hanna M, Alexander JH, Lopes RD, Wallentin L, Granger CB. Premature permanent discontinuation of apixaban or warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation. Heart 2021;107:713-720. PM: 32938772.

Gargiulo G, Cannon CP, Gibson CM, Goette A, Lopes RD, Oldgren J, Korjian S, Windecker S, Esposito G, Vranckx P, Valgimigli M. Safety and efficacy of double vs. triple antithrombotic therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation with or without acute coronary syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: a collaborative meta-analysis of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Pharmacother 2021;7:f50-f60. PM: 33119069.

Gaudino M, Di Franco A, Bhatt DL, Alexander JH, Abbate A, Azzalini L, Sandner S, Sharma G, Rao SV, Crea F, Fremes SE, Bangalore S. The association between coronary graft patency and clinical status in patients with coronary artery disease. Eur Heart J 2021;42:1433-1441. PM:33709098.

Kochav JD, Kim J, Judd R, Kim HW, Klem I, Heitner J, Shah D, Shenoy C, Farzaneh-Far A, Polsani V, Kalil R, Villar-Calle P, Nambiar L, Sultana R, Parker M, Cargile P, Khalique OK, Leon MB, Karmpaliotis D, Ratcliffe M, Levine R, Zoghbi WA, Devereux RB, et al. Ischemia-Mediated Dysfunction in Subpapillary Myocardium as a Marker of Functional Mitral Regurgitation. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging 2021;14:826-839. PM: 33744130.

Malik J, Loring Z, Piccini JP, Wu HT. Interpretable morphological features for efficient single-lead automatic ventricular ectopy detection. J Electrocardiol 2021;65:55-63. PM: 33516949.

Povysil G, Chazara O, Carss KJ, Deevi SVV, Wang Q, Armisen J, Paul DS, Granger CB, Kjekshus J, Aggarwal V, Haefliger C, Goldstein DB. Assessing the Role of Rare Genetic Variation in Patients With Heart Failure. JAMA Cardiol 2021;6:379-386. PM: 33326012.

Sullivan K, Doumouras BS, Santema BT, Walsh MN, Douglas PS, Voors AA, Van Spall HGC. Sex-Specific Differences in Heart Failure: Pathophysiology, Risk Factors, Management, and Outcomes. Can J Cardiol 2021;37(4):560-571. PM: 33383166.

Urban P, Gregson J, Owen R, Mehran R, Windecker S, Valgimigli M, Varenne O, Krucoff M, Saito S, Baber U, Chevalier B, Capodanno D, Morice MC, Pocock S. Assessing the Risks of Bleeding vs Thrombotic Events in Patients at High Bleeding Risk After Coronary Stent Implantation: The ARC-High Bleeding Risk Trade-off Model. JAMA Cardiol. 2021;6:410-419. PM: 33404627.

Weissler EH, Aboyans V, Bauersachs R, Brodmann M, Nikol S, Debus S, Patel MR, Jones WS. The Role for Combined Antithrombotic Therapy With Platelet and Coagulation Inhibition After Lower Extremity Revascularization. JACC Cardiovasc Interv 2021;14:796-802. PM: 33826501.

 

Chief’s message: Good Outcomes

Like most health systems, we have discussed at great length both in our clinics and hospital rounds what are desired clinical outcomes.  Focused on delivering patient centered care that leads to improved patient health and experiences is not a new consideration, and in fact in the era of big data, public reporting, and registries there is importantly more transparency on the care we provide.  I believe a remaining large hurdle in providing more patient centered care and reducing health inequity is the science around shared decision making and understanding patient preferences.  Despite tremendous work in some parts of cardiovascular medicine, the art of medicine is still critical to shared decision making in which understandable best available information on medical care is provided to the patient, and the patient provides back their preferences based their values informed by their cultural, social, and religious beliefs. Although this construct sounds straight forward, the actual practice is often complicated with wonderful and knowledgeable patients asking what we would recommend if they were our family member.  It is with this background, that many were struck by the story in the New York Times this weekend  https://nyti.ms/3uUoBcD  of Jeffrey Benesch, a person with advanced congestive heart failure, who got married while receiving palliative care at Duke Hospital.  The story highlights the couple’s relationship and wishes, and is a testament to the Duke Staff and teams that cared for him.  As with many Heart Centers we focus on our mortality rates, the number of patients that get transplants, left ventricular support devices, and the critical care and teams-based CV procedures for our advanced heart patients.  However, in the coming years we will also continue to work to measure the  ‘good outcomes’ that our patients and their families want by investing in the ways in which we can better capture their preferences, values, and decisions on the care we provide.

Highlights of the week:

Mentz to Receive SOM Research Mentoring Award

Congratulations to Robert Mentz, MD, chief of the Heart Failure Section in the Division of Cardiology, who has been selected as the 2021 recipient of the School of Medicine’s Early Career Mentoring Award in Clinical/Population Health Science. The Research Mentoring Awards honor outstanding research mentors in the Duke SOM. Winners of the award demonstrate excellence in numerous aspects of mentoring, including accomplishments of individual mentees, programs implemented by the mentor, or by exceptional creativity in mentoring.

The award was announced by Dr. Ann Brown, Vice Dean for Faculty, who shared the news in an email to Mentz, Dr. Kathleen Cooney, Chair of the Department of Medicine, and Dr. Mary Klotman, Dean of the SOM. The award is typically given during the Spring Faculty Celebration, but due to the continuing pandemic, an alternate virtual celebration is being planned.

“I am very honored by this recognition,” said Mentz. “I appreciate the nomination and support I’ve received from the division.”

Congratulations, Rob, this is well deserved!

Greene Selected for DOM Chair’s Award

We are pleased to share that the review committee for the Department of Medicine Chair’s Awards has selected

Stephen Greene’s research proposal, “Use and Effectiveness of Outpatient Intravenous Diuretics for Worsening Heart Failure” for funding. The Chair’s Award is a one-year award for $95,000 and will begin on July 1, 2021. Dr. Kathleen Cooney, Chair of the Department of Medicine and the George Barth Geller Distinguished Professor of Medicine, formally announced the award in a letter to Greene earlier this week.

“I’m very honored to receive this award and truly appreciate the Department’s support,” said Stephen Green, MD, assistant professor in the division of cardiology. “I look forward to a productive and rewarding year.”

Congratulations, Steve!

 

Granger & SON Study Team Receive Alpha Phi Foundation Award

Congratulations to Bradi Granger and the Duke School of Nursing study team who were selected as the recipient of the Alpha Phi Foundation Heart to Heart award for their proposal, “Improving the Visibility of Women: Patients as Partners in Management of Uncontrolled Hypertension.”

The research project, led by Dr. Bradi Granger and Dr. Holly Biola, in conjunction with Awanya Caesar, RN at Lincoln Community Health Center, will use a community-based intervention that will identify and reduce disparities and inequities among women with high blood pressure, resulting in an increase in the proportion of women with hypertension under control.

“Community-based interventions using peer partners and existing social-cultural infrastructure, such as barbershops, have been effective for reducing blood pressure in [Black] men,” says Granger. According to the principal investigators, 43 percent of all women in the United States are affected by uncontrolled blood pressure, which is a significant contributor to heart attack, heart failure, stroke, and death. Duke University School of Nursing seeks to tailor a similar intervention to women, especially Black women who make up 42.9 percent of the affected population.

Hypertension disproportionately affects women of differing racial and socioeconomic backgrounds, and proper support in health education is essential to preventing further cardiovascular disease. Looking closely at disparate populations in the Raleigh-Durham area, specifically among women of color, the team at Duke is focusing on teaching local women how to integrate heart-healthy care into their everyday activities through their peers.

Granger, Biola, and Caesar will be training “Hypertension Heroes,” a group of volunteers who will serve as community health workers aiding in patients’ hypertension treatment and maintenance. Volunteers will be paired with members of their local communities who need assistance in maintaining healthy blood pressure. Using skills-based training with blood pressure cuffs, physician-prescribed medications, and other interventions, these women will help one another gain control over their health.

Awarded annually, the Heart to Heart Grant of $100,000 funds research and educational programs that support the advancement of women’s heart health and cardiac care.

Congratulations, Bradi and team!

Bradi and Team have also been invaluable partners in our AHA Life is Why campaign in which Duke Heart has partnered with community members to raise awareness and measure Blood Pressure across our community.

 

Heart Bedflow Update

As you know, Paul Clausing retired officially on March 31, 2021.  We wanted everyone to know that his duties have a seamless transition to a core group of charge nurses in 7E CICU who covered for Paul in the past. The day shift CICU bedflow CN is ONLY covering bedflow and does not have any additional responsibilities. To ensure a smooth transition to the night shift CICU CN, the day shift bedflow coverage has expanded to 7 p.m. There have been NO changes to any processes or job duties; all duties have transitioned to the CICU bedflow CN. The pager and phone number remain the same:

• Mobile: 919-812-6340
• Pager: 919-970-2508

If you have any delays in response, please notify Kelly Kester, COD, at 919-812-0331 or Pager 919-970-6517. You can also escalate to Mary Lindsay, pager 919-970-6575 or Jill Engel at 919-407-9753.

 

Marfan NC Walk for Victory, April 17

The North Carolina Walk for Victory to support families of Marfan patients is coming up next weekend. 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.

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

DukeHeart On The Go: Latest PAD/CAD CME Modules Now Available

The fourth and final program in our CAD/PAD educational series has launched on the DukeHeart On The Go and MedEd On The Go educational platforms. Take a look and learn: Improving Clinical Outcomes in Patients with CAD/PAD – A Case-based Review on Discharge Planning, Compliance and Adherence in the Ambulatory Patient. The CME/CNE certified program, developed in collaboration with the Society for Vascular Medicine and Society for Vascular Surgery, aggregates up-to-the-minute perspectives on important milestones in PAD/CAD patient care.

Please share widely. The courses are available for free.

AGS/NIA Conference on Cancer & CV Disease – Application Available

The American Geriatrics Society has announced that “Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease”– the third in a three-part series of U13 Bench-to-Bedside Conferences — will be held at the Heart House – American College of Cardiology in Washington, DC on Monday, October 18 and Tuesday, October 19, 2021. A preliminary agenda for the conference can be accessed HERE.

The conference, sponsored by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the American Geriatrics Society (AGS), will provide attendees the opportunity to learn about cutting edge research developments, participate in the creation of recommendations for future research, and network with colleagues and leaders in the field. Learn more here.

The application for the conference is now available; applications are due by MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2021 and applicants will be notified if they are invited to participate by the end of July. Please review the following eligibility criteria before applying.

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

1. At least 1-2 years of research experience in a related field.
2. Hold an MD, PhD, PharmD or equivalent degree (e.g., DO, OD, DPT, DDS, Psy.D).
3. Have an academic appointment as a research fellow, instructor or faculty member.

If you are interested in participating or learning more about the conference please contact Elisha Medina-Gallagher, AGS Manager for Special Projects at egallagher@americangeriatrics.org or 212-308-1414.

 

COVID-19 Updates:

All the latest official DUHS information regarding coronavirus/COVID-19 response at the following locations:

• Recommended Eye Protection
• PDC intranet site
• Duke Health intranet site
• Well-Being Resources

 

Upcoming Opportunities/Save the Date:

Cardiology Grand Rounds

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 23: A Tale of Two Callings with Robert J. Lefkowitz. Noon, Zoom.

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.

April 29: A celebration of Joe Rogers with Duke faculty, alumni & friends. 5 p.m., TBD.

 

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. (*PUSHED TO 2022)

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

Apr. 14: Understanding and Preventing Youth Suicide. 4-4:30 p.m. Led by assistant professor Angela Tunno, PhD, MS (Link below).

This is the 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:

April 2 — Duke University Hospital/Heart patient wedding

WSOC-TV 9 (Charlotte, NC)

Final wish: Patient marries fiancee at North Carolina hospital week before his death

https://bit.ly/3uCCRXb

April 5 — Duke University Hospital/Heart patient wedding

WSET.com/ABC-13 (Lynchburg, VA)

Martinsville woman mourns loss of husband days after wedding at hospital

https://bit.ly/2OC7WLi

April 5 – Piers Barker and Joe Turek

DukeStories

At the Heart of Research and Medicine

https://bit.ly/39Trgek

April 6 — Robert Califf

SciTechDaily.com

Tsunami of Chronic Health Conditions Expected as a Result of COVID-19 Pandemic – Will Affect Society for Decades

https://bit.ly/3d51ypc

April 6 — J. Antoinio Gutierrez

Healio/Cardiology

COVID-19 confers elevated VTE risk in veterans

https://bit.ly/3fX5Fpm

April 7 — Vanessa Blumer

Cardiovascular Business

How prior hospitalizations affect a heart failure patient’s chances of survival

https://bit.ly/2QbsXNn

Division of Cardiology Publications Indexed in PubMed April 1-7, 2021

Alenezi F, Rajagopal S. The right atrium, more than a storehouse. Int J Cardiol 2021;331:329-330. PM: 33548383.

Anastasius M, Maggiore P, Huang A, Blanke P, Patel MR, Nørgaard BL, Fairbairn TA, Nieman K, Akasaka T, Berman DS, Raff GL, Hurwitz Koweek LM, Pontone G, Kawasaki T, Rønnow Sand NP, Jensen JM, Amano T, Poon M, Øvrehus KA, Sonck J, Rabbat MG, Mullen S, De B. The clinical utility of FFR stratified by age. J Cardiovasc Comput Tomogr 2021;15:121-128. PM: 33032976.

Chan AT, Dinsfriend W, Kim J, Yum B, Sultana R, Klebanoff CA, Plodkowski A, Perez Johnston R, Ginsberg MS, Liu J, Kim RJ, Steingart R, Weinsaft JW. Risk stratification of cardiac metastases using late gadolinium enhancement cardiovascular magnetic resonance: prognostic impact of hypo-enhancement evidenced tumor avascularity. J Cardiovasc Magn Reson 2021;23:42. PM: 33814005.

Cunningham LC, Fonarow GC, Yancy CW, Sheng S, Matsouaka RA, DeVore AD, Jneid H, Deswal A. Regional Variations in Heart Failure Quality and Outcomes: Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure Registry. J Am Heart Assoc 2021;10(7):e018696. PM: 33759546.

Fudim M, Patel MR, Boortz-Marx R, Borlaug BA, DeVore AD, Ganesh A, Green CL, Lopes RD, Mentz RJ, Patel CB, Rogers JG, Felker GM, Hernandez AF, Sunagawa K, Burkhoff D. Splanchnic Nerve Block Mediated Changes in Stressed Blood Volume in Heart Failure. JACC Heart Fail 2021;9(4):293-300. PM: 33714749.

Goldstein SA, Sorenson L, Chapa JB, Krasuski RA. Pregnancy in a woman with congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries. Cleve Clin J Med 2021;88(4):228-236. PM: 33795247

 

Chief’s message:

Hope Springs Eternal. This expression coined by Alexander Pope in a poem (An Essay on Man, 1732) quickly became proverbial and is often used around the Spring and Easter time.

Hopefully all of you have found some time to be with family and friends this Easter weekend.  This spring is thankfully in contrast to a year ago when were in the midst of the COVID pandemic’s first wave with so much illness and unknown.  We have learned over the year that some of our foundations of belief in science, research, and health care are essential and with continued work we can follow them as bellwethers for progress.  Yet, we have also been faced again with the tremendous social injustice and health inequities in our communities.  So, as we look forward with continued cautious optimism that our communities can continue to be vigilant and start to open up more from the pandemic, we also take time this spring to start to do the heavy lifting of re-organizing and doing the internal and external work to confront the health inequities and social injustices that are all too present.  As with most things, these changes occur due to the people.  It’s the people, the friends, colleagues, and members of Duke Heart that constantly provide me with the belief and hope the we will serve the greater good to make a difference in our communities and each others lives.

Highlights of the week:

Seven Duke Heart Nurses Receive FON Excellence Awards

Duke’s 2021 Friends of Nursing Excellence Awards were announced this week by Mary Ann Fuchs, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, Vice President of Patient Care and System Chief Nurse Executive, Duke University Health System.

We are pleased to share with you that seven of the 38 FON awardees are nurses on the Duke Heart team:

Stephanie G. Barnes, MSN, AGPCNP-C, PCCN

Nurse Practitioner

Clinical Director for Advanced Heart Failure Services

Duke Heart Center

Duke University Hospital

Nan & Hugh Cullman Heart Center Award for Excellence in Nursing Practice

Allison W. Dimsdale, DNP, NP-C, AACC, FAANP

Associate Vice President

Private Diagnostic Clinic

Nurse Practitioner

Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine

Duke University School of Medicine

Clinical Associate Faculty

Duke University School of Nursing

Nan & Hugh Cullman Heart Center Award for Excellence in Nursing Practice

Mollie Kettle, BSN, RN, CCRN-CSC

Clinical Lead

Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit, DMP 7 West

Duke University Hospital

The Fuchs Family Award for Excellence in Innovation

 

Elaine Milton, BSN, RN, PCCN

Clinical Nurse III

Cardiac Telemetry Unit 5-2

Duke Regional Hospital

Duke Regional Hospital Medical Staff Award for Excellence in Nursing Practice

 

Brenda Smith, RN-BC, FHRS, AACC

Clinical Services Nurse III

Electrophysiology Clinic

Duke University Hospital

Wilma Minniear Award for Excellence in Nursing Mentorship

 

Courtney Stierwalt, BSN, RN, PCCN

Clinical Lead

Cardiothoracic Surgery Stepdown Unit 3300

Duke University Hospital

Heart Center Award for Excellence in Cardiovascular Nursing in Recognition of Mary Ann Peter

 

Katie Toy, BSN, RN, CCRN

Clinical Nurse III

Cardiac Intensive Care Unit DMP 7 East

Duke University Hospital

Ernestine Davis & Edward L. Cole Award for Excellence in Coronary Care Unit Nursing

 

In a message sent via Nursing Update, Fuchs said:

“Over the past several weeks, I have had the honor of announcing the winners of the 2021 Friends of Nursing (FON) Excellence Awards, one by one, across our health system and the Private Diagnostic Clinic. Our tradition is to surprise the winners in person during their shift. This year, we also joined virtual meetings or huddles to share the news.

I am pleased to announce the 38 winners of the 2021 FON Excellence Awards. However, I am sad to say that one of the winners is being honored posthumously. Edward Lavoie, BSN, RN, CNOR, a former CNIII in the orthopaedic OR at Duke University Hospital, passed away in a tragic accident this past August. For the announcement on Ed’s unit, we invited his family to participate, and were so pleased that his wife, Rebecca Padilla, also a Duke Nurse, attended, along with other family members.

I also congratulate all of the nurses nominated this award cycle. It is an honor to be nominated for an award! FON received more than 275 nominations, and many of those included one or more letters of support. And, thank you to everyone who took the time and effort to nominate a colleague.

We have much to celebrate in 2021, because of the extraordinary contributions of Duke Nurses over the past year. As always, thank you for everything you do to care for our patients, their loved ones and each other.”

Please join us in congratulating Stephanie, Allison, Mollie, Elaine, Brenda, Courtney and Katie!

Karpurapu Named 2021 Goldwater Scholar

We are thrilled to share with you that Anish Karpurapu, a Duke undergraduate student working in Ravi Karra’s lab, has been named a 2021 Goldwater Scholar.

Karpurapu has been working with Karra in the Duke Cardiovascular Research Center (CVRC) to identify and model growth niches in the heart that underlie heart regeneration. In the future, he plans to pursue an MD/PhD and direct his own research program focused on drug discovery through stem cell biology. He is from Vienna, VA and is majoring in both Biomedical Engineering and Computer Science.

The announcement was made by Peggy Goldwater Clay, chair of the Board of Trustees of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation, in partnership with the Department of Defense Education Programs.

The Goldwater Scholarship Program is one of the oldest and most prestigious national scholarships in the United States and seeks to identify undergraduates that are poised to become members of the next generation of research leaders.

Karpurapu is one of 410 college students nationwide to be selected as a Goldwater Scholar. From an estimated pool of more than 5,000 college sophomores and juniors, 1256 natural science, engineering and mathematics students were nominated by 438 academic institutions to compete for the 2021 Goldwater scholarships.

Congratulations, Anish!

Clausing Retirement Celebration Held

A small retirement celebration was held Tuesday morning, March 30 to thank Paul Clausing for his many years of service to Duke Heart. Thank you to all who joined us!

Heart Team Helps Patient Fulfill Wedding Wish

Jeffrey Benesh and Sarah Myler were married at Duke University Hospital last Friday evening.  Jeffrey and Sarah, who are from Martinsville, VA, have spent the past nine years together and knew they wanted to get married. Jeffrey’s heart disease and ongoing hospitalizations have kept the couple from having the wedding they hoped for. Jeffrey learned late last week that he has only days to live and the one thing he wanted to do before dying was to marry the love of his life.

Staff members from DUH 7300, including Tenita Sawyer, Jennifer Hill, Valentina Amponsah and Monica Harper, along with Sarah and her family were able to arrange the wedding within 24 hours. Duke chaplain Theresa Bayless married the couple. Music was provided by William Dawson, musician-in-residence for Duke Arts & Health. Robert Moss and Francine Clark of Duke’s gift shop provided balloons, decorations, chocolate and roses. Nicholas Walter and Dustin Voltz provided valet parking passes for members of the family.

We thank everyone for pulling this together for this couple. Well done, team! (Please see news coverage, below.)

Marfan NC Walk for Victory, April 17

Join us for the 2^nd 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.

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:

• Recommended Eye Protection
• PDC intranet site
• Duke Health intranet site
• Well-Being Resources

Upcoming Opportunities/Save the Date:

Cardiology Grand Rounds

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

Apr. 14: Understanding and Preventing Youth Suicide. 4-4:30 p.m. Led by assistant professor Angela Tunno, PhD, MS (Link below).

This is the 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 25 — Stephen Greene

tctMD

Patient-Reported Outcomes Beat NYHA Class for Tracking Gains in HFrEF

https://bit.ly/3rIBx33

*also carried by Practical Cardiology

 

March 25 — Manesh Patel and Robert Harrington

Medscape

COVID and the Athlete’s Heart

https://wb.md/3mhvJg4

March 26 — Manesh Patel

Medscape

Long COVID Brings Welcome Attention to POTS

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/948174

March 28 — Adam DeVore

WNCN News (Durham/CBS17.com)

Years after pregnancy-related heart failure, mom receives life-saving transplant at Duke

https://bit.ly/3cITKJG

*also carried by WGHP FOX-8, Greensboro

March 28 — William Kraus

MSN.com

Psst…A 10-Minute Walk Could Be as Good for You as a 50-Minute Run

https://bit.ly/3uga7TV

March 29 — Stephen Greene

Physician’s Weekly

Heart Failure: KCCQ A Better Predictor of Outcome Than NYHA Class

https://bit.ly/3dA7w0y

March 29 — Stephen Greene

HCP Live

KCCQ-OS Superior Model in Classifying Cardiovascular Conditions

https://bit.ly/3uv5SnN

*also carried by MD Magazine

March 29 — Duke University Hospital/Heart patient wedding

WSLS News (Roanoke, VA)

Martinsville couple gets married at Duke University Hospital amid heart disease battle

https://bit.ly/3wpfIt5

March 29 — Duke University Hospital/Heart patient wedding

WSET News (Lynchburg, VA)

‘We wanted this memory:’ Martinsville couple marries as groom receives end-of-life care

https://bit.ly/39DmLoa

*also carried by 5 additional outlets

March 30 — Duke University School of Medicine

U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report Announces 2022 Best Graduate Schools

https://bit.ly/3wmSOT3

March 30 — Duke University Hospital/Heart patient wedding

WRAL.com

However long we have, it’s forever for us

https://bit.ly/3dmVnvu

March 30 — Duke University Hospital/Heart patient wedding

WTVD/ABC-11

Couple marries at Duke University Hospital amid battle with heart disease

https://abc11.tv/3uimqix

March 30 — Duke University Hospital/Heart patient wedding

Martinsville Bulletin

Martinsville couple vows to have a ceremony

https://bit.ly/2PxeAmv

March 31 — Duke University School of Medicine

News & Observer

UNC, Duke and NC State universities earn top US News rankings for graduate programs

https://bit.ly/3uv5zt9

April 1 — Duke University Hospital/Heart patient mentioned

WECT News (Wilmington)

‘It’s forever for us’: Dying patient marries fiancée at NC hospital

https://bit.ly/3mqUlDb

*also carried by 187 additional outlets

April 1 — Karen Alexander

Killeen Daily Herald

Study to look at drug’s effect on dementia

https://bit.ly/31V01vL

April 1 — Rob Mentz

Medpage Today

Language Matters During This ‘Exciting Time’ in Heart Failure

https://bit.ly/3sHKYB8

April 2 — John Alexander

Scientific American

COVID Showed How Trials for New Drugs Could Be Faster and Better

https://bit.ly/3rNLJY9

Division of Cardiology Publications Indexed in PubMed March 25-31, 2021

Atkins J, Fudim M, Tedford RJ. Turning Pressure Into Success: Preload Restriction in HFpEF? JACC Basic Transl Sci 2021;6(3):199-201. PM: 33779658.

Bick AG, Weinstock JS, Nandakumar SK, Fulco CP, Bao EL, Zekavat SM, Szeto MD, Liao X, Leventhal MJ, Nasser J, Chang K, Laurie C, Burugula BB, Gibson CJ, Niroula A, Lin AE, Taub MA, Aguet F, Ardlie K, Mitchell BD, Barnes KC, Moscati A, Fornage M, Redline S. Author Correction: Inherited causes of clonal haematopoiesis in 97,691 whole genomes. Nature 2021;591(7851):E27. PM: 33707633.

Coetzee T, Ball MP, Boutin M, Bronson A, Dexter DT, English RA, Furlong P, Goodman AD, Grossman C, Hernandez AF, Hinners JE, Hudson L, Kennedy A, Marchisotto MJ, Myers E, Nowell WB, Nosek BA, Sherer T, Shore C, Sim I, Smolensky L, Williams C, Wood J, et al. Data Sharing Goals for Nonprofit Funders of Clinical Trials. J Particip Med 2021;13(1):e23011. PM: 33779573.

Dorling JL, Ravussin E, Redman LM, Bhapkar M, Huffman KM, Racette SB, Das SK, Apolzan JW, Kraus WE, Höchsmann C, Martin CK. Effect of 2 years of calorie restriction on liver biomarkers: results from the CALERIE phase 2 randomized controlled trial. Eur J Nutr 2021;60(3):1633-1643. PM: 32803412.

Geurink K, Holmes D, Ezekowitz MD, Pieper K, Fonarow G, Kowey PR, Reiffel JA, Singer DE, Freeman J, Gersh BJ, Mahaffey KW, Hylek EM, Naccarelli G, Piccini JP, Peterson ED, Pokorney SD. Patterns of oral anticoagulation use with cardioversion in clinical practice. Heart 2021;107(8):642-649. PM: 32591363.

Kanwar MK, McIlvennan CK, Lohmueller LC, Bailey SH, Rogers JG, Teuteberg J, Cowger J. Defining Optimal Outcomes in Patients with Left Ventricular Assist Devices. ASAIO J 2021;67(4):397-404. PM: 32701625.

Nurmohamed NS, Navar AM, Kastelein JJP. New and Emerging Therapies for Reduction of LDL-Cholesterol and Apolipoprotein B: JACC Focus Seminar 1/4. J Am Coll Cardiol 2021;77(12):1564-1575. PM: 33766264.

Salah HM, Fudim M, Al’Aref SJ, Khan MS, Almarzooq ZI, Devabhaktuni SR, Mentz RJ, Butler J, Greene SJ. Meta-Analysis of Efficacy of Sacubitril/Valsartan in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction. Am J Cardiol 2021;145:165-168. PM: 33529619.

 

 

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 2^nd 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:

• Recommended Eye Protection
• PDC intranet site
• Duke Health intranet site
• Well-Being Resources

 

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

TBJ Plus: Top Duke doctor takes new role in Texas; $110M project complete in Durham; Another $1B raise for Epic Games?

http://bit.ly/318kTiw

 

March 24 — Stephen Greene

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 26^th

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:

• Recommended Eye Protection
• PDC intranet site
• Duke Health intranet site
• Well-Being Resources

 

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

50^th DCD Heart Transplant Performed at Duke Health

The Duke Heart Transplant team performed their 50^th 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 26^th

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:

• Recommended Eye Protection
• PDC intranet site
• Duke Health intranet site
• Well-Being Resources

 

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

CTSNet To Go Podcast Episode: Straight Talk With APPs: Current Hot Topics and Trends in Practice and CT Surgery

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.