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Duke Heart Pulse — May 25, 2025

By Tracey Koepke in Uncategorized on May 25, 2025.

Chief’s message:

Happy Memorial Day weekend

We appreciate all of you in our armed forces and those who have supported our troops and families through the years. We take a moment to reflect, remember, and honor those who have made the sacrifices and served our country.

Highlights of the week:

Bloomfield, Frazier-Mills & Landstrom Receive 2025 SOM Faculty Awards

The School of Medicine 2025 Faculty Awards were presented on Monday, May 19th at a reception held in the Great Hall of the Trent Semans Center. The faculty awards honor outstanding contributions in teaching, research, clinical care, professionalism, and service, celebrating the excellence and dedication of faculty members who embody the School’s mission and values. We are thrilled to share the following Duke Heart awardees:

Gerald Bloomfield, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine in cardiology, received a Research Mentoring Award for Mentoring Excellence in Health Services Research. This award recognizes excellence in mentoring across clinical, translational, population health, and basic sciences. Bloomfield is associate director for research at Duke Global Health Institute.

Camille Frazier-Mills, MD, professor of medicine in cardiology, was awarded a Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award, which honors faculty who demonstrate compassion, clinical excellence, and respect in patient care. Frazier-Mills is an electrophysiologist and serves as vice-chief in the division of cardiology.

Andrew Landstrom, MD, PhD, associate professor of pediatrics in cardiology, received the Ruth and A. Morris Williams Jr. Faculty Research Prize, which honors faculty who demonstrate compassion, clinical excellence, and respect in patient care. Landstrom is a principal investigator in the Duke Cardiovascular Research Institute and serves as director of the Duke Pediatric Research Scholars Program for Physician-Scientist Development.

For a full list of awardees, please visit: https://duke.is/9/4t8v

Congratulations, Camille, Jerry, and Andrew, on these well-deserved awards!

Study Suggests Dosing of Heart Failure Medication Can Be Safely Simplified

An estimated 32 million people globally have heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, a condition where the lower left chamber of the heart does a poor job of pumping blood to the rest of the body.

While there are approved medications for the condition, not all providers escalate patient doses to target levels, increasing the risk of adverse events, hospitalizations and death.

In a study led by a Duke scientist – presented at a late-breaking research session on May 17 at the 2025 European Society of Cardiology conference and to be published May 20 in the European Journal of Heart Failure – researchers found patients could safely start vericiguat (a medication for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction) at a dose of 5 mg instead of the conventional 2.5 mg starting dose, streamlining the process to reach target dosing from three steps to two.

The study was funded by Bayer AG and Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. Both companies are makers of vericiguat.

Stephen Greene, MD, is the corresponding author of the study and associate professor of medicine in cardiology in the Duke University School of Medicine. He said reducing the steps to target dosing could help overcome clinical inertia.

“In real-world practice, most patients never achieve the target doses of recommended heart failure medications,” Greene said. “Despite clinic visit after clinic visit, medication changes are relatively rare. If titration of heart failure medications is rare in clinical practice, then it stands to reason that reducing the number of titration steps would give our patients a better chance to ultimately achieve target dosing.”

The study enrolled 106 patients across seven countries who started the 5 mg dose of vericiguat over the course of two weeks. The researchers compared safety and tolerability of the higher dose group with those of study participants receiving the current dosing standard. The study found safety measures for both groups to be comparable, with more than 9 out of 10 patients safely tolerating initiation of vericiguat at the higher 5 mg starting dose.

“I think simplicity is the key when we talk about implementation of heart failure medications in clinical practice,” Greene said. “Real-world settings come with logistical challenges, and oftentimes clinics are very busy with limited appointment availability and limited available time per patient. These factors unfortunately set a stage for clinical inertia and for patients to go without important medication changes. Simplifying the way that we initiate and titrate heart failure medications may help overcome this and improve the quality of care our patients receive.”

In addition to Greene, study authors include Stefano Corda, Ciaran J. McMullan, Giovanni Palombo, Christina Schooss, Vanja Vlajnic, Katrin Walkamp, and Michele Senni.

Patel Interviewed by Dean Klotman on Role of Philanthropy

Dean Klotman recently spent time interviewing Manesh Patel, MD for a School of Medicine video related to how philanthropy has helped to support cardiovascular research and care throughout Duke Heart. Check it out here!

CRU Celebrates Clinical Research Day & Launches List of Studies

The Heart Center Clinical Research Unit (CRU) celebrated Clinical Trials Day on May 20th. Clinical Trials Day is an opportunity to pause in reflection, recognition, and admiration of all that has been accomplished thanks to clinical trials and the people behind them. We are grateful for and appreciate all the hard work done to give our patients the opportunity to participate in clinical trials at Duke.

L-R: Lacey Taylor; Marat Fudim; Vera George; Megha Gupta; Gayle Challinor, and Oksana Zakharova

L-R: Josh Stablien, Lizzie Riley, Jen Andrews, Katie Voss, Macy Le, and Jessye Davis

L-R: Aubrie Coburn, Krista Camuglia, Samira Dixon, and Matt Radzom

Additionally, the Heart Center CRU has created a Currently Enrolling Research Studies list to deliver providers with the most up-to-date information about research studies in the Heart Center. Arranged primarily by therapeutic area, providers can click in that area and see a list of all currently enrolling studies with a short description, the principal investigator, and upcoming studies. Descriptions will eventually include key inclusion/exclusion criteria listed as well as the primary coordinator’s name and contact information.

We hope this will provide more enrollment opportunities for patients, in addition to ensuring our Heart Center providers know all the research clinical trial options available. You can access the list by scanning the following QR code or following this link. Providers will soon start seeing this QR code in patient care areas.

The Heart CRU team is excited to share this information with everyone in order to increase our research opportunities. If you have any questions, please reach out to Krista Camuglia.

Annette Winkler Retiring Effective May 30

After 33 years of service at Duke Health, Annette Winkler has announced her plans to retire at the end of May. Annette first joined the Duke Cardiology Intensive Care Unit in 1992 after moving from Michigan. She provided top-notch clinical care, established herself as a leader, and won the Friends of Nursing Award in 2005. She has given presentations at the Premier Health Care Conference, American Heart Association Get With the Guidelines Conference, Duke Quality & Safety Conference, National Cardiovascular Data Registry National Conference, and American College of Cardiology STEMI Simulation.

Since 2007, Annette has worked with the Center of Excellence as the STEMI coordinator and Transcatheter Valve Therapy database manager. She has served as a Team Lead, building knowledge and serving as a resource across all heart registries. She has been a driving force in our STEMI processes and has overseen TAVR data since the beginning of the program in 2012.

As Dr. Chris Granger recently said at Annette’s last STEMI committee meeting, “Annette has led collaborative, constructive, interdisciplinary quality improvement around an opportunity to save lives.”

She has brought professionalism and humor to all her efforts. When you pass by the stained glass art near the 7^th floor elevators at Duke North, take a moment to think of Annette who helped craft the piece.

We thank Annette for all her contributions and will truly miss her!

Kudos to Cath Lab Early Start Teams!

Kudos to our Cath Lab team at Duke Hospital! Over the past several months, a number of team members have volunteered to come in for “Early Start” days in order to complete cases ahead of the usual shift. We recognize that team members are going above and beyond in order to care for patients and help with the case load — many of these instances occurring in addition to our Saturday Caths pilot program.

We are deeply appreciative of the many staff members and attendings who have participated to support exceptional and timely patient care and we are proud of the team and how they work together. A very special hat tip to Tony Van for coordinating care across rooms — no easy feat. Thank you, all!

Thomas Presents at Duke Health Leadership Summit

Dr. Kevin Thomas served as a presenter on May 19, 2025 at the LeadForward Summit for Duke Health leaders titled Our Duke Health Pledge.

Nenadic Wood wins EP Course Jeopardy

Ivan Nenadic Wood, one of our second-year cardiovascular disease fellows, attended an EP mapping course in Minneapolis, MN last weekend. He learned a lot and shared that there was a Jeopardy competition at the end. Ivan’s team ended up winning with a question Ivan answered correctly about a chest x-ray of a patient with persistent left SVC syndrome and a pacemaker.

He attributes getting the correct answer because he saw a similar case in clinic with Kevin Jackson.

Way to go Ivan!

Yamanaka, Osude Presented CGRs

Thank you to everyone who joined us on Monday and Tuesday evening last week for Cardiology Grand Rounds. We had two excellent presentations!

Monday’s presenter was Shinya Yamanaka, MD, PhD, senior investigator at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease and the L.K. Whittier Foundation Investigator in Stem Cell Biology at the University of California, San Francisco. He presented on Recent Progress in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPS) Cell Research and Application. Tuesday’s presenter was Duke cardiovascular fellow Nkiru Osude, MD, who presented All Hands on Deck: The Necessary Path Toward Improving Quality in Healthcare.

Thanks for the excellent presentations!

This Week: CGR Presenter will be Manasi Tannu, MD

Please join us on Tuesday, May 27 at 5 p.m. for Cardiology Grand Rounds with Manasi Tannu, MD. Her topic is Post MI Inflammation and Emerging Therapies.

DUHS Leadership & Campus Updates:

Carter Appointed President, COO, of Duke Regional

Jason Carter has been named President and Chief Operating Officer of Duke Regional Hospital (DRH), effective immediately. The announcement was made on May 19th by Greg Pauly, MHA, Group President, Duke University Health System and President of Duke University Hospital.

“Jason has served as interim president and COO of Duke Regional for the past six months and done so with tremendous steadiness, focus, and care,” Pauly said. “His thoughtful, people-first leadership and clear operational insight have helped guide DRH forward, and I’m excited he’ll continue in this role permanently.”

Carter joined Duke Health in November 2023 as COO of DRH and quickly became an integral part of the leadership team. He brings 20 years of health care leadership experience and a deep understanding of what it takes to lead high-performing teams in complex systems. He’s passionate about creating an environment where every team member feels supported, valued, and equipped to deliver outstanding care.

“Stepping into this role permanently is both a humbling and inspiring moment for me.” Carter shared. “Every day, I’m reminded of the strength, heart, and resilience of our DRH teams, and I’m energized by the opportunity to shape our future together. As we enter a new chapter together, my vision is to build on what we’ve achieved and stay rooted in the values that define us: collaboration, innovation, and unwavering service to our community.”

Congratulations, Jason!

Page Retiring; Perrier Named AVP HR

On Friday, May 23, Greg Pauly, president of Duke University Hospital announced that Deborah Page, chief human resources officer for DUH, will retire effective June 30. Deborah has been a vital leader and an unwavering champion of compassionate care within our hospital for more than 25 years. Her dedication, insight, and steadfast commitment have left a lasting impact on our community and culture. Deborah will be deeply missed by colleagues and friends alike. Please join us in wishing her all the best as she embarks on this exciting new chapter of her life.

Anita Perrier will be joining Duke University Hospital as the associate vice president of human resources, effective June 1. In this vital leadership role, Anita will strategically organize and lead the delivery of HR services across DUH operations, providing critical support that empowers our leaders to put our people first and provide an exceptional team member experience. She will work in close collaboration with our DUH HR business partners, entity HR leaders, and DUH senior leadership to help align HR solutions with key business initiatives—supporting volume growth, building culture, and developing our team members. She is joining us from Mass General Brigham, where she most recently served as their vice president of human resources, patient care services & operational excellence.

Please join us in congratulating Deborah on her well-earned retirement and in warmly welcoming Anita to Duke University Hospital and the Duke Health team. We look forward to the leadership, insight, and collaborative spirit Anita will bring as we continue to advance excellence in patient care, research and education.

Campus Road and Utility Projects, Summer 2025

Ongoing utility and building projects will bring adjustments for pedestrians, motorists and Duke Transit this summer. Much of the work is related to upgrades and renovations to decades-old buildings funded largely through philanthropic donations. Here’s a look at the road and utility work Duke Facilities Management will oversee this summer and how it will affect vehicular and pedestrian traffic on campus: Duke Today story.

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

May is: American Stroke Month, Jewish Heritage Month, and National Asian Pacific American Month

May is also: Celebrating Each Other month at Duke

June is Men’s Health Awareness Month

June 9-15: Men’s Health Week

Cardiology Grand Rounds

May 27: Post MI Inflammation and Emerging Therapies with Manasi Tannu, MD. 5 p.m., Zoom only.

If you missed any of our CGR’s from the past year, 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

May 28 & 30: No Core Curriculum Conferences will be held.

June 4: HF/Tx with Aubrie Carroll. Noon, DMP 7E39.

June 6: EP Case Presentation with Hannah Schwennesen and Jemi Galani. Noon, Zoom.

June 11: DHP with Mugdha Joshi. Noon, DMP 7E39.

June 13: Program Review with Anna Lisa Chamis. Noon, Zoom.

June 18: Board Review with Paula Rambarat and Nishant Shah. Noon, Hybrid: DMP 7E39 and Zoom.

June 20: No conference

June 25: TBD.

June 27: Returning Fellows Orientation with Anna Lisa Chamis. Noon, Zoom.

Upcoming Duke Heart CMEs

The following CME activities, sponsored by Duke Heart, have been scheduled. Registration coming soon; now open for June 7^th symposia.

June 7, 2025: Duke Heart Failure Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center in Durham). Registration is required.
October 4, 2025: Duke Cardiac Sonography Symposium (live event at Trent Semans Center)
October 31, 2025: 17th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center)

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please 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:

May 16 — Stephen Greene

HCP Live/Don’t Miss a Beat podcast (Apple podcasts)

Navigating the ATTR-CM Care Landscape, with Ahmad Masri, MD

May 16 — Junjie Yao (Biomedical Engineering)

AOL.com

New light-activated heart tissue revolutionizes heart repair

May 17 — Audrey Blewer (Family Medicine/Community Health)

EMS1

CPR confidence fills in the missing link in cardiac arrest survival

May 19 — Stephen Greene

HCP Live