Chief’s message: American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 100th year
This weekend we had the AHA Scientific Sessions meeting with our cardiology, CT and vascular surgery faculty and fellows
presenting. The session have highlighted by the amazing innovation in CV care and opportunity to improve health. There were important sessions on new therapies for heart failure, more data on the weight loss therapies, and some important and amazing data on possible gene editing for cardiomyopathies. There was also the puppy booth – a favorite place to rechard among many of the session goers.
Highlights of the week:
NP’s Celebrated!
We hope all of our NPs had a wonderful Nurse Practitioner Week! The week of November 10-16 celebrates the NP profession nationally and the many contributions NPs make to Duke Heart and Duke Health. We want to take this opportunity to express our deepest gratitude for your unwavering dedication, compassion, and expertise. Your commitment to providing exceptional care to our patients is truly inspiring. Each day you make a profound difference in the lives of those you serve and your hard work does not go unnoticed.
Thank you for being the heart of our Heart team. Your contributions are invaluable, and we are incredibly fortunate to have such a talented and caring group of nurse practitioners.
Califf Delivers DOM Annual Eugene Stead Memorial Lecture
Cardiologist Robert Califf, MD, Commissioner, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, delivered the Duke Department of Medicine’s annual Eugene Stead Memorial Lecture on Friday, Nov. 15 in the Great Hall of the Trent Semans Building.
His lecture, “Seeing the World of Health and Healthcare through an Orthogonal Lens: Enduring Lessons from Dr. Stead,” was formally hosted by the Chair of the Department of Medicine, Kathleen Cooney, MD, the George Barth Geller Distinguished Professor of Medicine. The event honors the legendary Dr. Eugene Stead, who served as chair of the Department of Medicine from 1947 to 1967.
Dr. Stead’s leadership lead to the formation of the Duke Databank for Cardiovascular Diseases, which grew into the Duke Clinical Research Institute (once led by Dr. Califf); he also launched a new profession when he created the role of ‘physician assistant’ (PA). Duke’s PA program was the first in the country and is currently the top PA program in the nation. We honor Dr. Stead’s legacy each year by inviting a visiting professor to speak on health policy, innovation in health care, or another pressing topic in internal medicine. The Stead Lecture is held each November at Duke Health in conjunction with the School of Medicine’s Medical Alumni Weekend.
Shout-out to Othman & Team
We received the following message this week regarding care provided by Islam Othman, MD, and his team to an elderly patient who passed away recently.
“My 94-year-old mother was a patient of Dr. Othman, a superior cardiologist. When she died this past week, Dr. Othman called me to express his sadness at learning of her passing. He said he always looked forward to seeing her when she had an appointment. I was touched by his concern and genuine sadness at her passing. Dr. Othman is an outstanding physician; as a cardiologist, he does his best to heal hearts. As a cardiologist with a heart, his phone call to me started the healing process of my broken heart. He is a gem.” — a grateful family member
The message continued with a comment from Tamara in Patient Relations:
I spoke with the patient’s daughter this morning to express condolences and to acknowledge and appreciate the time she took to forward such incredibly kind words and an outstanding recognition of you. She reiterated the sentiments in the above compliment during our conversation and shared great appreciation for you. Thank you for all you do for your patients and their families and all of us at Duke Health. —Tamara Griffin, Duke Health Integrated Practice, Patient Relations
You lead by example, Izzy – and we are so glad you’re a member of our team!
Shout-out to Keenan & Team
This week, we received the following message from a grateful patient regarding surgery performed by Jeffrey Keenan, MD, just over one year ago and the care the patient received while in recovery at Duke Hospital.
**Please note: the following letter has been edited to protect patient privacy.
“Last year, you performed bypass open heart surgery on me at Duke University Hospital. My wife and staff told me the following: My surgery went fine, I was sent to ICU to recover and then in a few days would be sent home. However, my heart had other ideas as it started to go into V-Fib. I was placed on ECMO and received an Impella device. I was in the ICU for about 40 days but I recovered very well.
I completed cardiac rehab this past summer and met with my cardiologist for a follow-up. Testing showed a normal ejection fraction and my cardiologist is very pleased with my recovery.
I am very grateful and thank you for your help in my recovery from heart failure. I would also like to thank all the surgical staff, nurses, ICU nurses, and everybody involved with my surgery.
I just wanted you to know that I chose Duke University Hospital over other places like Wake Med. Several years ago my wife had a [health issue] that required urgent care. I took her to Duke Urgent Care and then to Duke Raleigh for surgery, and she fully recovered. I was very impressed with Duke’s care of my wife. She went home the next day.
I have no memory loss from my surgery and can do all the normal things in life one would want to do. While many bad things could have happened to me they did not. Overall it was a very positive experience for me and my family.
I had the right Doctor to operate on me at Duke. Once again, thank you for all your help and the incredible staff at Duke Medical.
Miracles don’t just happen.
They happen because of the wonderful people in the world like you.” — a grateful patient
Bystanders More Likely to Perform CPR with Instructions from 911 Operators
Women are less likely to receive CPR from a bystander than men when stricken with a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital, Duke Health researchers found. This disparity was eliminated, however, when 911 operators guided an emergency caller through CPR steps, helping ease apprehensions about administering chest compressions to women.
When guided by a 911 operator, bystanders performed CPR on women 44% of the time and on men 40% of the time. Without this guidance, bystander CPR dropped to 9% for women and 11% for men.
The findings were presented at the American Heart Association’s Resuscitation Science Symposium on Nov. 11. Researchers say it offers significant insight into improving the 10% rate of survival for people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital.
“Prompt delivery of CPR doubles a patient’s chance of survival from out of hospital cardiac arrest,” said Audrey Blewer, PhD, the study’s lead author and assistant professor in the Departments of Family Medicine and Community Health and Population Health Sciences at the Duke University School of Medicine.
“What encourages me from a research standpoint is that there are so many opportunities to increase that number, and that’s really a matter of everybody working together and working towards the chain of survival from cardiac arrest,” Blewer said.
To arrive at the findings, the team examined a database of nearly 2,400 emergency calls for cardiac arrest in North Carolina. They found that CPR was administered in 52% of all calls; of the cases where CPR was performed, 911 operators provided assistance 81% of the time.
The data for this study comes from the RACE CARS Trail, a seven-year collaboration between Duke Clinical Research Institute and other hospitals and emergency medical agencies across North Carolina, funded by the National Institutes of Health, and aimed at improving survival rates for cardiac arrest.
The study builds off previous research where Blewer and her colleagues found women were less likely to receive CPR no matter what neighborhood they were in.
“We know, based off of prior qualitative studies, some of the reasons why people are hesitant to do CPR on women center around the fear of being perceived as touching them inappropriately,” said Blewer.
“There’s also that aspect of frailty,” Blewer said, adding that the average age of a person in need of CPR is around 63. “Some women are smaller. There are concerns, especially when the person in need of CPR is elderly, that whoever is performing CPR on them may be breaking the ribs, hurting them, harming them.”
Blewer points to CPR training as another area for potential revision, with the anatomy of the manikin remaining largely the same over the past 30 years. She hypothesizes that training on manikins with breasts may improve CPR delivery for women.
In addition to Blewer, study authors include Konstantin A. Krychtiuk, Harman Yonis, Monique A. Starks, Hayden B. Bosworth, Carolina Malta-Hansen, Stephen Lee Powell, Lisa Monk, Lisa A. Kaltenbach, Hussein R. Al-Khalidi, Steve Vandeventer, Bryan McNally, Sana M. Al-Khatib, Daniel Mark, and Christopher B. Granger.
The study received funding from the RACE-CARS Trial (5UH3HL146935) and BIRCWH (K12AR084231).
Duke Hospitals Again Earn ‘A’ Grades for Patient Safety in Leapfrog Survey
For 13 consecutive grading periods, Duke University Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital, and Duke Raleigh Hospital, a campus of Duke University Hospital, received top scores for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group.
The “A” scores for Leapfrog’s fall 2024 survey are part of the group’s Hospital Safety Grades Assessment, issued to hospitals every six months. This is the only hospital ratings program focused exclusively on preventable medical errors, infections, and injuries that kill more than 500 patients a day nationally.
Duke Health’s three hospitals were among nearly 3,000 hospitals surveyed across the country. Only 30% of hospitals nationwide achieved “A” hospital safety grade for the fall 2024. In North Carolina, Duke University Health System hospitals were among 43 hospitals to achieve the grade.
The Leapfrog Group is an independent nonprofit organization led by the nation’s leading employers and private health care experts. Twice each year, it collects and analyzes data based on more than 30 national performance measures of errors, accidents, injuries, and infections, as well as systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm. The letter grades assigned to hospitals help people make informed decisions to protect themselves and their families.
Comparisons of hospital scores locally and nationally are available here.
Duke Implements Enhanced Online Security Measures
As online threats continue to evolve, Duke continues to review and adapt its cybersecurity measures to protect users and safeguard data. As a result, several changes will be implemented over the next several months. These updates will focus on Duo Mobile, Duke Unlock, and 1Password. Click here to learn more.
Reflect and Connect During the Holiday Season
The holiday season can be a busy, stressful, and isolating time for many. Duke Personal Assistance Service (PAS) is hosting three “Reflection and Connection” sessions that will use storytelling as a means of reducing stress and creating a stronger sense of connection with yourself and others.
The sessions will be held remotely via Zoom. Participants will be guided through practices of a mini-mental makeover and expressive writing to reflect and nurture empathy and a sense of meaning in response to stress – whether personal, professional, or related to current events or the stress and pressures (and joys) of the holiday season.
Writing exercises are for the sole use and benefit of participants, who are not required to share anything they write. Registration is required. You can attend any/all of the sessions offered.
Dates:
- Tuesday, Nov. 26, from 4–5 p.m.
- Tuesday, Dec. 17, from 4–5 p.m.
- Tuesday, Jan. 14, from 4–5 p.m.
Duke Health Baxter IV Fluid Update
Thanks to all who continue to assist in our conservation strategies!
- 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.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
Nov. 18-22: Grief Awareness Week
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Nov. 19: Spirals, Paradigms, and the Progression of Heart Failure with Piotr Ponikowski. 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 are required. Enjoy!
CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference
November 20: TBD. Noon, DN 2001.
November 22: Right-sided Valve Guidelines with Bharathi Upadhya. Noon, Zoom.
November 27: DHP Conference with Jemi Galani. Noon, DN2001.
November 29: NO CONFERENCE. Happy Thanksgiving!
Grief Symposium, November 20
Duke Health will hold the 2024 Grief Symposium on Wednesday, November 20. The event is hosted by the DUHS Employee Experience team. The keynote speaker will be Rebecca Feinglos, founder of Grieve Leave, will present “Grief in Healthcare.” The symposium will also include a panel discussion on how to communicate immediately after a loss and a discussion with Dr. Tony Galanos on re-entry into the workplace after a significant loss.
Grief Symposium – Wednesday, November 20
- Education Event | 8:30 – 10:30 a.m.
- Grief Circles | 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Both in-person and virtual opportunities are available. Click here to register.
Cardiovascular Research Symposium
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, Sudarshan Rajagopal, and Sreekanth Vemulapalli.
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.
Cardio Sim Creator Competition
The ACC is accepting submissions for the Cardio Sim Creator Competition, a prestigious recognition for outstanding innovation in the field of cardiac simulation.
The submission deadline is Friday, Dec. 6 at 11:59 p.m. To learn more, please visit this link.
2025 Duke Safety & Quality Conference Date Announced
The Duke Safety & Quality Conference will be held on April 17, 2025. Abstracts are due Sunday, January 5, by 5 p.m.
Click here to learn more and to review submission criteria.
Duke Health Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts
You can join our support efforts in a number of 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.
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:
November 8 — Susan Dent (oncology)
Oncology News Central/Supportive Care Podcast
Cardiology’s Growing Place in Cancer Treatment, with Dr. Susan Dent
November 11 — Duke University Hospital and Donovan Harbison
WPTF-AM Raleigh
Update: Artificial Heart Patient Recovering
November 11 — Audrey Blewer (Family Medicine)
WTVD Durham
New study finds that bystanders are more likely to perform CPR with instructions from 911
November 11 — Audrey Blewer
AHA Newsroom
911 dispatcher assistance improved chances of receiving bystander CPR
November 11 — Audrey Blewer
Health Day
Bystanders More Readily Perform CPR If 911 Operator Instructs
November 11 — Duke University Hospital
Mix 99.5 (Triad, NC)
North Carolina Hospital Crowned ‘Best In State’ For 2025
November 12 — Robert Mentz
CardioNerds
November 14 — Renato Lopes
Medical Dialogues
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