Chief’s message:
This memorial day we wanted to thank and recognize the women and men that continue to protect, serve, and sacrifice for the safety, freedom, and liberty of our nation and our allies. Please be sure to thank all of the service members and recognize the sacrifices they and their families make everyday.
Updates from the week of the week:
Patel to serve as DUHS Physician VP for Heart & Vascular Services
Manesh R. Patel, MD, the Richard S. Stack Distinguished Professor and division chief of cardiology at Duke, will serve as the Duke University Health System physician vice president for Heart and Vascular Services, effective May 15th, 2024.
In this role, Patel will oversee cardiovascular care for Duke, working closely with Carmelo Milano, MD, chief of cardiothoracic surgery, Dawn Coleman, chief of vascular and endovascular surgery, and Mihai Podgoreanu, chief of cardiothoracic anesthesiology. Our cardiovascular service line leadership team, including Jill Engel, vice president, and Mary Lindsay, associate chief nursing officer, will work together with Manesh to continue to advance cardiovascular care across Duke Health.
Patel will work closely with DUHS leadership and clinical department chairs to develop innovative initiatives that improve access to care and support the Duke Health strategic plan. His responsibilities will encompass quality and outcomes, budgetary and financial oversight, operations, and management of Duke Heart Network and affiliations. As part of this work, Manesh will lead a Health AI clinical testing lab within the Duke Heart Innovation Hub, partnering with Michael Pencina, Jeff Ferranti, and Duke AI Health.
This change reflects Duke’s commitment to the tremendous team across Duke Health who aim to discover and deliver extraordinary team-based cardiovascular care for patients as a leading Heart and Vascular Center.
Patel completed his medicine residency and fellowships in cardiology, interventional cardiology, and clinical research at Duke and Duke Clinical Research Institute. He has served as the division chief of Duke Cardiology since 2017. He was selected by the American Heart Association in 2023 as AHA Physician of the Year.
Upon this transition, Patel will report to Greg Pauly, group president of Acute Care Services for Duke University Health System, and vice dean for Clinical and Academic Integration with the School of Medicine.
Duke EP Well Represented at Heart Rhythm 2024
Members of our electrophysiology (EP) and cardiology faculty and several EP staff were very busy at the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) 2024 meetings, held May 16-19 in Boston. There were many Duke abstracts and presentations, too many to fully recount, but here are some highlights provided by Jonathan Piccini, MD, MHS, professor of medicine in cardiology and director of cardiac electrophysiology at Duke:
Bill Cockfield, Amber Stohl, Gail Brock, Sana Al-Khatib, and Kristen Campbell found some time to snap a quick picture before a roundtable session.
Dr. Kevin Thomas received the distinguished and very prestigious James Youngblood Excellence in Leadership Award from the Heart Rhythm Society
While at the meeting Dr. Thomas delivered invited lectures on “Diversity in EP Clinical Studies – Challenges and Opportunities” and “Addressing Disparities in Sudden Cardiac Death.”
Kristen Campbell was named to the Heart Rhythm Society Board of Trustees! She is the first-PharmD to achieve this distinction, a true reflection of her commitment to heart rhythm care. She chaired several sessions on antiarrhythmic therapy at the HRS meetings.
Dr. Kelly Arps presented her work with Dr. Al Sun on outcomes associated with emergent extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and catheter ablation for ventricular tachycardia in the setting of cardiogenic shock.
Dr. Al Sun served as distinguished faculty at the HRS 2024 EP Fellows Symposium alongside Duke EP alumni Dr. Eric Prystowsky and Dr. Doug Packer. He also participated in an expert panel on managing unexplained sudden cardiac arrest.
Dr. Larry Jackson delivered an invited lecture on “Overcoming Healthcare Delivery Gaps – Walking the Talk”. He also served as one of the judges along with Jon Piccini in the AHA-HRS Shark Tank competition at the scientific sessions.
Dr. Camille Frazier-Mills presented an invited lecture on the role of pharmacotherapy and pacing in persons with cardioinhibitory vasovagal syncope. She also led a session on the optimal management of cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) alerts and advisories as well as a session on diversity and EP leadership. She also delivered the invited commentary on the long-awaited one-year outcomes from the dual chamber leadless pacing study that was presented in the late-breaking science session.
Dr. Ilya Shadrin presented his research on left bundle branch area pacing with Dr. Daniel Friedman, including an abstract reporting on the relationship between septal scar and pacing.
Dr. Daniel Friedman (below, far right) delivered an invited lecture on “How to Predict the Response of LBBP-CRT?”
Dan Friedman and Jon Piccini were among a team of investigators presenting our pre-clinical work on a balloon-based ablation catheter to deliver pulse field ablation in a canine model.
Dr. Sara Coles reported the Duke EP experience with the stylet-driven Ingevity+ lead for left bundle branch area pacing, the largest experience reported to date in the field.
Dr. Kevin Jackson delivered an invited lecture on the Optimization of Programming in Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in the “One Stop
Shop for All Things Device Programming” session at HRS. He also delivered the commentary on the FARAPULSE registry data presented at the late-breaking science sessions.
Dr. Jon Piccini presented on the use of LuxMed hyperspectral imaging and biofluorescence to assay ablation lesion efficacy and myocardial characterization at the Stanford Biodesign meeting at HRS.
Dr. James Daubert Delivered an invited lecture on patient selection and optimal use of implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) therapy in persons with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, and a lecture on programming of ICDs in competitive athletes.
Dr. Andrew Landstrom presented invited lectures at the meetings on innovative approaches to evaluating VUSs associated with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathies and an “Introduction to Cardiovascular Genomic and Precision Medicine.”
Dr. Monique Starks presented an invited lecture on “Drone-delivered Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs): Improving the Chain of Survival in the US.”
Dr. Sana Al-Khatib had a very busy HRS this year as she continues on the executive leadership team for the Heart Rhythm Society. She was a key architect of the HRS 2024 meeting, as she served as the abstract chair. At the meeting, she participated in a featured debate on the use of cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemakers (CRT-P) vs cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-D) in persons with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy.
Congrats to our EP team — exceptional work and representation at HRS!
McVeigh Represents Duke Heart at AAPA 2024
Duke cardiology physician assistant Todd McVeigh, PA-C, gave two podium poster presentations at the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) 2024 annual meeting held last weekend (May 18-22, 2024) in Houston, TX.
His presentations were entitled, “Introduction of a PA into a Heart Failure Remote Monitoring clinic” and “Introduction of Home-applied Subcutaneous Furosemide to Treat Heart Failure Exacerbations”.
Way to go, Todd!
Cox Earns DAISY Award
Congratulations to ventricular assist device (VAD) nurse practitioner Kevin Cox! Cox was awarded the 2024 DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Educators through the Duke School of Nursing (SON). He was nominated by former MSN Student Sonia Lai, his former preceptee.
His notification letter included the following:
“It is my honor to advise you that you were nominated by MSN student Sonia Lai and have been selected by the Institute for Education Excellence DAISY Awards Committee to receive a 2024 DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Educators in recognition of the super-human work that you do for students!” — Jacqui McMillen-Bohler, director of IEE, Duke SON.
Cox was recognized during the annual DUSON Faculty & Staff Awards ceremony held on May 22. He is shown here receiving the award from Duke SON Interim Dean Michael Relf.
Congratulations, Kevin – well-deserved!
Ramos Earns DNP
Congratulations to critical care nurse practitioner Dayana Ramos, DNP! Dayana graduated with her Doctor of Nursing Practice on May 11. She is shown here with her sister, Natassha Blakeslee, a nurse practitioner at the University of Miami, who graduated alongside her.
Ramos and Blakeslee completed their studies at Missouri State University. Ramos did her DNP project here at Duke University Hospital. Her project consisted of creating a discharge protocol to improve discharge times for the post-acute care (PAC) service.
The duo, who are Panamanian, wore sashes that were hand-made by a woman who belongs to the Kuna Indians of Panama. Dayana’s sash features the Panamanian golden frog (rana dorada), which is indigenous to and found only in Panama. Her sister’s sash features the Harpy Eagle, the national bird of Panama. They wanted to incorporate symbols from their native country and represent their culture.
Congratulations, Dayana & Natassha!
Shout-out to Biever
A shout-out to Kimberly Biever from the cardiology clinical research unit!
“She identified and approached a patient for an inpatient study. Because the patient wanted more time (to consider), she returned back to the hospital to consent and initiate study procedures on a Sunday. Kim goes again and again beyond the call of duty, due to her passion for research and love of patients. It is a pure delight to work with coordinators like her, which is what makes Duke great.” — Marat Fudim
Great work, Kim!
Kudos to Granger & 7E Staff
We received a note this week from David Gallagher, MD, chief medical officer for Duke University Hospital regarding feedback he received from a grateful patient:
“Chris, we received this nice feedback (from Press Ganey HCAHPS) about the great care you and your team gave to a patient at Duke University Hospital. Thank you for the high quality and compassionate care you provide to patients!” – David Gallagher, MD
“I would like to thank Dr. C. Granger & the entire 7E ICU staff for giving me the best care ever. They made the most traumatic thing in my life a whole lot easier with excellent care!” – a grateful patient
Great job, team!!!!
Team Member Appreciation Month: Spirit Week
Our team members are what make Duke Health such a special place to work and to heal. This year, Duke is elevating how we recognize and thank everyone for their incredible work through our inaugural Team Member Appreciation Month.
It’s week 4, the final week: Spirit Week
Monday: Team Mixtape—Start a collaborative playlist with your team to jam to! Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube have collaboration features to make a shared playlist. You can also amp up the festivities with a virtual team music party to take a break during your busy day – be sure to share your dance moves by uploading your photos and videos here! Note: Please be respectful and only use clean and appropriate music.
Tuesday: Crazy Socks Day—Wear your favorite socks to work – yes, those super fun ones
Wednesday: Spread Smiles with Kudos & Kindness—Seize the day and spread smiles with some of these ways to keep kindness top of mind:
- Send a Kudos Kard (or five!)
- Let a colleague know why you’re proud of them
- Celebrate something/someone that doesn’t get normally recognized enough
- Give a high five
- Greet three strangers while walking the hallways
- In Huddle/team meeting, take a moment to share a team win
- Send a story to be shared across Duke Health
- Make a team birthday and/or work anniversary calendar and create a plan to celebrate them
- Have lunch with someone out of your normal routine
- Give three people compliments (only one can be about looks!)
- Let someone know when something reminds you of them and it made you smile
- Take a moment to connect/check in with someone that you haven’t in a while
- Sign up to do some community service
- Give someone a fun sticky note or Teams message
- Invite someone to join you in practicing self-care at work
- Share a story with teammate that they are a part of that always makes you smile when you think of it
- Surprise your team with a kind gesture
Thursday: Chalk the Sidewalk—Take a moment to go outside and draw on the sidewalk! Be sure to share your masterpiece via photos and videos here!
Friday: Show Your Duke Pride Day—Wear your favorite Duke gear or blue attire! Note: Dress code policies are still in place – be sure to check the Policy Center to find your entity’s policy.
Learn more about Team Member Appreciation Month on Duke Health Now.
Thank You for Participating in Culture Pulse
Dear Colleagues,
Thank you for participating throughout the Culture Pulse 2024 survey period. We heard from more than 23,000 team members (63 percent) and are working to bring valuable feedback to you in the coming weeks. Everyone worked hard to ensure the voices of Duke team members were heard.
As we begin to look at the data, make plans for sharing the results, and focus on our action-planning process, we look forward to partnering with you as we adapt to improve our work together. There’s more to come, so stay tuned!
Thank you again — Ian Lee Brown, Vice President and Chief Employee Experience Officer, DUHS
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
- May is American Stroke Month and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
- May is Duke Health’s inaugural Team Member Appreciation Month
- Save the Date: June 12, 4-5 p.m., State of the School Address (SOM)
Cardiology Grand Rounds
May 28: The Ross Operation — The Ultimate Aortic Valve Replacement? with Ziv Beckerman. 5 p.m., DN2002 or via Zoom.
June 4: The Science and Community of Critical Care Cardiology with Balim Senman. 5 p.m., DN2002 or via Zoom.
All Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:
NET ID and password required. Enjoy!
CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference
May 29: DHP Case Presentation with Husam Salah. Noon, DMP 2W96 (in-person only).
May 31: Echo Math with Cara Hoke. Noon, Zoom only.
DCRI Research Forum Series
June 11: The Duke Clinical Research Institute is excited to welcome Duke Football Coach Manny Diaz as their June guest for the next DCRI Research Forum, which will close out the 2023-2024 series.
What: A Fireside Chat with Coach Manny Diaz
When: Tuesday, June 11, from Noon-1 p.m. ET
Where: DCRI Research Forum: A Fireside Chat with Manny Diaz via Zoom
We hope you’ll consider joining this virtual event!
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. Submissions by Noon, Wednesdays, to be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
May 16 — Duke Heart for Honduras
Iconos Magazine (Honduras/Hn)
Fundación Lady Lee y Duke Heart for Honduras se unen en cirugías cardiovasculares
May 18 — Sana Al-Khatib
Medpage Today
Removing Conduction System Pacing Leads: Good Success So Far
May 18 — Duke Heart for Honduras
El Heraldo (Hn)
Banco Atlántida honra a la brigada médica Duke Heart for Honduras
May 21 — Duke Heart for Honduras
La Tribuna (Hn)
May 21 — Aferdita Spahillari
tctMD
Treatment Gaps Abound in Heart Failure but Can Be Closed, Studies Show
May 21 — Nina Nouhravesh
SciTech Daily
New Research Suggests That Eggs Might Not Actually Be Bad for Your Heart
May 23 — Marat Fudim
Fierce Healthcare
Cadence finds reduced cost and better outcomes for heart failure patients through remote monitoring
May 23 — Senthil Selvaraj
Aframnews.com
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