Home » Uncategorized » Duke Heart Pulse — October 20, 2024

Duke Heart Pulse — October 20, 2024

By Tracey Koepke in Uncategorized on October 20, 2024.

Chief’s message: Fall Changes

Hopefully you all had some time to experience the fall changes to the weather and trees in our area. This time of year is marked with the shorter days with less light, North Carolina State Fair, nearing the end of our cardiology fellowship recruitment (nearly 1000 applicants for our 10 spots) and lots of great sporting events including the start of Duke Basketball and this year the Duke Football team some recent key wins and a 6-1 record. Unfortunately, this time of year also sees an increase in cardiovascular events in our community and an uptick in hospital care needs. Our teams lean on each other even more in these busy times. We have a photo included from a “rodeo” themed get-together at the Granger house this weekend with our visiting professor Bernard Gersh and the CICU team members.

You will also see story below of the passing of Scott Braswell. We are saddened by the loss of such a great supporter of the Heart mission, but more importantly – the loss of such a great member of our community – someone who was engaged in supporting North Carolina and our people in so many ways. Our thoughts are with his family.

Lastly, we received news of Dr. Allan Kirk deciding to step down as the Chair of the Department of Surgery. Over the last 10 years, Allan has led the remarkable growth in the research and surgical care of patients at Duke, the creation of several new departments of surgery, and elevated the surgical research group to be the leading NIH-funded research program in the country. He has also supported many innovative initiatives that will have long lasting impact. Over the next several months there will be a national search for his successor, and we will have several opportunities to help celebrate his contribution to Duke Health. From the Duke Heart perspective, I will note that Allan has been a north star for our teams, always putting patients, trainees and faculty at the forefront of our decision-making and thought process, looking and working to identify solutions that help our team achieve our highest potential. When you see him, please thank him for his service to Duke Health.

Updates of the week:

In Passing: HCLC Member, Scott Braswell

We are deeply saddened this weekend by the passing of Scott Braswell, a member of our Heart Center Leadership Council. Braswell, who died Tuesday, was an enthusiastic supporter of Duke Heart and one of the newest members to join our HCLC. We appreciated getting to know and work with him — he will be missed.

Services are planned for Saturday, Oct. 26. Visitation for family and friends is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Nashville Methodist Church, Nashville, NC. A Memorial Service will follow at 2 p.m. Rev. Scott Dodson and Rev. Luke Whitehead will officiate.

The family has requested that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Appalachia Service Project (Johnson City, TN), Nashville Methodist Church (Nashville, NC), or Samaritan’s Purse (Boone, NC). A full obituary has not yet been posted online, but a tribute page and all service information are available here.

Our thoughts are with Scott’s family, friends, colleagues, and our HCLC team.

Kirk Stepping Down as Chair, Dept. of Surgery

After more than a decade of service, Allan D. Kirk, MD, PhD, will be stepping down as chair of the Department of Surgery effective June 30, 2025. Kirk will continue at Duke as the David C. Sabiston, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Surgery. The news was announced this week by Mary E. Klotman, MD, executive vice president for health affairs at Duke and Dean, Duke University School of Medicine, and Craig Albanese, MD, MBA, chief executive officer, Duke University Health System.

Dr. Kirk’s career began at Duke, where he earned his MD and PhD in immunology. He completed his surgical residency at Duke and a multi-organ transplant fellowship at the University of Wisconsin. His pioneering work in co-stimulation blockade and personalized immune management has been instrumental in advancing the field of organ transplantation. Throughout his career, Dr. Kirk has held numerous prestigious positions, including chief of transplant research for the Armed Services Transplant Service and chief of the intramural organ transplant program at the National Institutes of Health. Before returning to Duke in 2014 as chair of the Department of Surgery, he served as vice chair for surgical research at Emory University.

During his tenure as chair, Dr. Kirk has led the Department of Surgery through unparalleled clinical and academic growth. Under his visionary leadership, the department has recruited numerous esteemed surgeons and scientists, building nation-leading clinical programs in specialties such as organ transplantation and cardiac surgery. He fostered the creation of several new departments, including Neurosurgery, Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences, Urology, and Emergency Medicine, and expanded Duke Surgery to the Greensboro area through a partnership with Central Carolina Surgery. He oversaw the creation of the perioperative clinical service line, standardizing surgical and anesthesiology leadership across Duke Health. He led the department through transformative events including the COVID-19 pandemic and the creation of the Duke Health Integrated Practice.

Dr. Kirk elevated the Duke surgical research program to lead the nation in NIH funding, fostering multidisciplinary collaboration and significantly growing research infrastructure. He established numerous programs to support the career development of surgeon scientists, resulting in multiple prestigious awards and fellowships for surgical trainees. Additionally, he launched innovative initiatives incorporating artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies into surgical practice, including the Surgical Black Box and the Surgical Artificial Intelligence and Innovation Lab.

Gary Faerber, MD, chair of the Department of Urology, will lead a committee through a national search to identify Dr. Kirk’s successor. Dr. Kirk has graciously agreed to stay on as chair longer, if needed, to ensure a smooth transition in leadership. In their message, Klotman and Albanese expressed their deepest gratitude to Dr. Kirk for his extraordinary leadership and dedication to advancing surgical science and practice. We all look forward to his continued contributions to our community and the field of surgery.

Shout-out to Swaminathan!

Congratulations to Rajesh Swaminathan – we learned this week he was selected as the Collaborating Physician of the Year by physician assistants at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center during PA Week.

Well-deserved, Raj!!! Way to go!

Kittipibul Earns Mario Award

We are excited to share the great news that cardiology fellow Mark Kittipibul has been awarded one of two Mario Family Foundation Award for his project, Leveraging Exercise Stress Echocardiography for Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction. His project aims to determine the prevalence of undiagnosed HFpEF in patients undergoing exercise stress echo and to evaluate the impact of systemic HFpEF probability assessment during exercise stress echo and tailored recommendations on HFpEF diagnosis and management. His faculty mentor is Marat Fudim.

The Mario Family Foundation Award supports two patient-oriented research proposals (clinical or translational) from fellows in training within any of the Divisions in the Duke Department of Medicine. The total one-year funding for all proposal expenses is $35,000.

About the Mario Family Foundation

Ernest Mario, PhD, founded the Mario Family foundation, a private charitable organization, in 1997. Dr. Mario is a native of New Jersey. He received a bachelor of science in Pharmacy from Rutgers University, and Masters and PhD degrees in Physical Sciences from the University of Rhode Island. During his distinguished career, he held a variety of leadership roles in several pharmaceutical companies. In recognition of his leadership in the pharmaceutical industry and support for the school, the Rutgers school of pharmacy was renamed the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy in 2002. Dr. Mario served on the Duke Board of Trustees, and he was chairman of the Duke University Health System board of directors. He was named Trustee Emeritus of Duke University in 2007, and is the second longest serving trustee in the school’s history. He was awarded The University Medal in 2009, Duke’s highest recognition of service to the school.

Congratulations, Mark!

Annual Cardiovascular Research Symposium

Our Cardiovascular Research Symposium is now a four-institution event and will be hosted this year by Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City. The Symposium will be held Dec. 3-4, 2024 at Weill Cornell’s Belfer Research Building, 413 East 69th Street, NYC.

The keynote speaker this year is Anthony Fauci, MD. Previous Duke Cardiology faculty member Geoff Pitt is the Cornell host for the December event, and Howard Rockman is the Duke organizer. Current Duke Cardiology faculty speaking include Conrad Hodgkinson, Rockman, Ching Zhu, and Sudarshan Rajagopal.

The Duke Cardiovascular Research Center and the Cardiovascular Institutes of Stanford and Penn are partnering to present the Symposium, which will rotate locations each cycle.

Registration and additional information can be found here.

Respiratory Care Week

It’s Respiratory Care Week 2024 (Oct.20-Oct.26) — time to recognize our respiratory therapists! Each October the American Association for Respiratory Care uses this week to advance the work of respiratory therapists in healthcare. It’s an opportunity to recognize the tremendous dedication and impact of respiratory therapists on patient care and improved outcomes.

Our RT team at Duke is amazing — thank you for everything you do!!

National Healthcare Quality Week

It’s also Healthcare Quality Week (Oct 20-26), a recognition period for celebrating and raising awareness of the positive impact those working in healthcare quality and safety have in their organizations and communities. Our quality and safety teams play a vital role in improving patient outcomes, enhancing organizational efficiency, and fostering a culture of excellence within healthcare.

Healthcare Quality Week was established in 1985 by the National Association of Healthcare Quality to recognize and celebrate the contribution of healthcare quality experts in their various organizations.

Thank you to all members of our team who specifically focus on quality and safety improvement each and every day!

Last Call for Open Enrollment!

Open Enrollment is underway and ends at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 25. This is your opportunity to review your medical, dental, vision, and reimbursement account benefit elections for the coming year and to make any changes necessary to ensure your choices continue to meet your needs.

Full information can be found on Duke’s Open Enrollment 2025 website.

Duke Health Baxter IV Fluid Update

Thanks to all who are assisting in our conservation strategies!

Physical command centers have closed.
To order IV fluids, call the Fluid Distribution Center at 919-681-6851. The center remains open 24/7.
Please continue to follow all previously communicated conservation strategies.
Updates on this situation can be found on Duke’s Baxter Operational Updates page on Sharepoint.

Voting Resources

Early voting is underway through Nov. 2, including at Karsh Alumni Center (for Durham County residents).

Hours are as follows:

Monday – Saturday: 8 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Sundays: 2 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
2: 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Same-day voter registration will also be available during this time.

Before heading to the polls, make sure to bring an acceptable form of photo identification, which can include a North Carolina driver’s license, an approved Duke ID card (students only), and others. Duke Votes is an excellent resource for non-partisan voting information and resources for voting here in North Carolina or in your home state if you are not a North Carolina resident.

To allow Duke employees flexibility in casting their vote, Duke University and Duke Health encourage supervisors to cancel nonessential meetings on November 5 and be flexible with scheduling to enable staff members who are unable to vote outside normal work hours to do so before, during, or after their assigned shifts. On Election Day, Karsh will not be a polling location, so you will need to cast a ballot at your assigned polling place.

Thank you for participating in our democracy!

Duke Health Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts

You can join our support efforts in several ways:

Check for updates on the Duke Health intranet page (NET ID required)
Sign up to volunteer with our SMAT team to deploy to provide disaster relief.
Make a financial donation to the American Red Cross.

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Oct. 17-Nov. 2: Early voting period, November 2024 General Election.

Oct. 20-Oct.26: Respiratory Care Week

Oct. 20-Oct.26: Healthcare Quality Week

Cardiology Grand Rounds

Oct. 22: In the Fall of the Sparrow: Neuroprognosis in Cardiac Arrest with Matthew Luedke, MD. 5 p.m. Zoom only.

Oct. 29: Working Towards Elimination of Rheumatic Heart Disease in Our Lifetime with Andrea Beaton, MD. 5 p.m. DN 2002 or via Zoom.

All Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:

2024 CGR Recordings

NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

October 23: HF/Txp Fellows’ Case Conference with Mike Cosiano. Noon, DMP 2W96

October 25: No conference. Interview Day.

October 30: Board Review with Paula Rambarat and Nishant Shah. Noon, DN 2001

November 1: HF/Txp Fellows’ Case Conference with Jawan Abdulrahim. Noon, via Zoom.

Duke Heart Fall 2024 CME Courses

Upcoming symposia:

November 1: the 16th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium at Durham Convention Center, 8:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Course directors are Dr. Terry Fortin and Dr. Jimmy Ford (of UNC).

Questions? Contact Christy Darnell.

DIHI – Innovation Projects RFA 2025

The Duke Institute for Health Innovation (DIHI) announces the next emerging ideas and innovation funding cycle. Applications are open to faculty, staff, trainees and students of Duke University and Duke University Health System. Proposed innovation projects should address actual and important problems encountered by care providers, patients and their loved ones in our clinical enterprise and represent urgent health challenges nationally.

For the 2025 funding cycle, priority will be given to ideas aligned with the thematic area of improving provider and staff experience, the patient journey, and clinical outcomes using advanced technology solutions.

Due Date: Proposals are due by 11:59 p.m., October 25, 2024.

The application packet can be found here.

Up to ten applications will be selected for support. Most proposals are expected to request funding in the range of $25,000 to $60,000 over one year.

Questions? Please email DIHIrfa@duke.edu.

Call for Nominations: MLK Humanitarian Award

Nominations are now open for Duke’s first Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award. This initiative is inspired by Dr. King’s enduring legacy and will celebrate Duke Health faculty and staff who embody his vision of “It starts with me…” The award will honor those who have gone above and beyond in their dedication to a nonprofit’s mission in keeping with the principles of Dr. King.

Nominations will be accepted through October 29. The awards will be announced during Duke’s annual recognition of the MLK holiday in January.

Learn more about the award here.

SOM Leadership Development Programs

Applications for the 2025 SOM Leadership Development Programs are now open. This includes the ADVANCE-UP, ALICE, DCLP, and LEADER programs.

Applications are due by Friday, Nov. 1. To learn more, click here. Programs are hosted by the SOM Office for Faculty.

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular 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 team. Please call with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.

Duke Heart in the News:

October 11 — Mark Kittipibul and Robert Mentz

Endocrinology Advisor

Semaglutide Lowers Heart Failure Risks in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, CKD

October 11 — Duke University Hospital (BiVACOR)

Becker’s Hospital Review

The titanium heart keeping transplant patients alive

October 13 — Adam DeVore and Donavon Harbison

WTVD-TV (Durham, NC)

Titanium heart implant pioneers treatment to help patient make it to transplant

October 14 — Adam DeVore, Carmelo Milano, and Donavon Harbison

KUMV-TV (Minot, ND)