Chief’s Message: This is the Moment – transitions, partnerships and lessons from summer reading.

This week we had another busy week at Duke Heart as we prepared for our new fellows and residents to join us while we continued our celebrations of the fellows finishing their training.  Find some photos of our interventional fellow graduation dinner here – where we are lucky to continue to train the next generation of cardiovascular leaders – in this case in the field of interventional cardiology.  The dinner and celebration were a testament to our faculty and the leadership that helps train and support these fellows education.  We are excited to see their next steps in their career.

Additionally, we welcomed colleagues from Red Cell Partners to help us consider and build the future of CV care and beyond as we work to imagine systems to bring data to life for our patients. We had a robust meeting with our health system leaders and the Red Cell to envision how we can work to bring AI and transformative access to therapies to improve the workflow and operations of our practice and improve cardiovascular health of our community, state, and country.  The speed of change in the way data and information will be brought to our clinicians is quite substantial and we are lucky to have the commitment of such an important partner and a health system looking to innovate.   A photo from that meeting is included here.  The next 12 months provide us with a clear moment and opportunity to help transform the CV health care and research enterprise as we lean in and learn how to better deliver CV care and discover the next therapies in a sustainable model.  Over the coming weeks we hope to crystalize this opportunity and come back to our entire community to engage in working to innovate care and research.

Dean Klotman also gave her state of the union speech this week for the school of medicine.  As always it was impressive how many in the school and health system have stepped up to meet these challenging times by increasing ways in which we collaborate, develop new ways to do research, and develop systems to support our trainees and faculty.  The talk especially highlighted our administrative professionals and leaders that have helped moved the school, departments, and divisions quickly to meet this need.  Perhaps most encouraging from the discussion was the numerous examples (with several in heart) of teams innovating and making an impact through discovery of new ways to do things to improve health.

 

 

Finally, I provide the next summer reading review – “Healing Children: A Surgeon’s Stories from the Frontiers of Pediatric Medicine” by Dr. Kurt Newman.  I was lucky enough to meet Kurt as we kicked off our Made for This philanthropy campaign – and he was nice enough to give me a copy of his book.  The lessons from the book, a compelling and quick read, seem even more timely this time of year.

The book opens with Kurt sharing a story from 40 years ago working as a third year medical student in Nobel Prize winner and Duke Cardiology Faculty member Dr. Bob Lefkowitz’s lab.  He shares how he felt a thyroid mass while looking in a microscope and knew that he had thyroid cancer – and through his care at Duke as a medical student – resolved to become a surgeon.  He shares the stories of his care and observations as a patient going through the system then and as a physician caring for children for years to come.

In fact, “Healing Children” is a compelling narrative that offers an insider’s perspective into the world of pediatric surgery from the viewpoint of Kurt – even questioning and sharing a heartfelt exploration of the challenges and triumphs in treating young patients and their families. It is both a memoir and a manifesto advocating for the importance of specialized pediatric care at many points throughout the book.  Even more pertinent to our times, Kurt presents the strength of mentoring from Dr. Randolph early in his career, the lessons of system and quality improvement by looking standardize the operative care, and multiple stories and lessons on the strength of multi-disciplinary care in the outcomes of pediatric patients.

Through many of these narratives, he highlights the unique medical, emotional, and ethical challenges faced when treating children. He seamlessly weaves his personal experiences with broader discussions on healthcare policy and the need for dedicated pediatric resources.  At a time that Duke and UNC are working to build the Children’s Hospital of North Carolina – this is a timely memoir on the work at Children’s National Hospital.

Key Themes:

The Unique Nature of Pediatric Care: Kurt Newman emphasizes that children are not just small adults; they require specialized care tailored to their physical and emotional development. He argues for the necessity of pediatric-trained surgeons and facilities, underscoring how such specialization leads to better outcomes.

The Emotional Impact of Pediatric Surgery: The book delves into the emotional roller coaster experienced by both families and healthcare providers. He shares poignant stories of hope, despair, and resilience, giving readers a glimpse into the human side of medicine.

Advocacy for Pediatric Healthcare: A significant portion of the book is dedicated to advocating for better healthcare policies and funding for pediatric research. He calls for systemic changes to ensure that children receive the best possible care, highlighting the disparities that exist in access to pediatric specialists.

The Interdisciplinary Nature of Pediatric Medicine: As noted through various anecdotes, he illustrates the collaborative nature of pediatric care, involving surgeons, nurses, therapists, and families. He stresses the importance of teamwork in achieving successful outcomes for young patients.

Impact of Philanthropy and Leadership.  Dr. Newman shares how he learned from a key donor who had a child cared for by their team.  He is pushed to move this vision forward and learns how to effect change and eventually become CEO and lead Children’s Hospital of Washington.

My Take Home Message:

This is an engaging and meaningful read to see and hear the stories of specific patients that Dr. Newman cared for and how it impacted his thoughts and actions to lead a multi-disciplinary team at Children’s Hospital of Washington.  There are many analogies to the care we provide for cardiovascular patients – and his lessons on how to improve and move towards the community from a surgical center are quite relevant today.  I personally found his voice, the stories, and ability to translate those to larger lessons in health care both impactful and important for our health care work today.  If you get a chance – you can take a bit of time and hopefully find some meaning in this book from a past Duke Medical Student.

Chief Message: Summer Reading Program

Hope you are all well.  Our Duke Heart Pulse may look different over the next 3 -4 weeks.

The reason for this is that some of you may know that Tracey Koepke, communications director for Duke Heart, was diagnosed with breast cancer in November. She has an excellent care team at DCI, has done well through the first phase of her treatment, and is recovering from the next phase – a surgery.  She has been amazing in supporting our teams – and we are supporting her and making sure she knows our thoughts are with her as she works to recover.  She is comfortable with my sharing of this information – so keep her in your thoughts and if you get a chance send her a brief note.

While she is out of office (anticipated from till mid July), I have been thinking how to share more with our community.  Given the summer time – my sense was to share detailed but concise reviews of things that I am reading – scientific and otherwise, a “summer reading list” if you will.  The intention is to provide some thoughts and hopefully stir discussion amongst our community on topics of interest.  This weekend I have been on call for our cath lab – so as with several cases and the energy of working with our teams and fellows near the end of their year of training – I wanted to share some thoughts on a book I recently read.

So first – the book that I wish to have you all consider is Super Agers by Eric Topol.  As with everything Eric Topol does – it is a factual, easy to read, and informative book on some key themes that I believe will play a bigger role in all of medicine.

First, Eric Topol is a well known cardiologist (with many ties to Duke Faculty) and a history of working on some of our initial clinical trials in cardiovascular medicine, coronary revascularization – as I contemplate where we are with acute MI care this weekend and work with our team at Duke to carry out many of the lessons that Drs. Topol, Califf, Stack, Phillips, Granger, Ohman, Newby, Mark, and countless others have taught us.  He is currently the founder and directly of the Scripps Research Translational Institute and still practices cardiology.   He is also know as a digital health expert and broad thinker. He was previously also Director of the Cleveland Clinic Heart and Vascular Institute.

The concept for Super Agers he notes came from a study he performed on a cohort of 80 year old and above people with no medications and no signs of systemic disease.  They did whole genome sequencing looking for the key genomics as their first hypothesis on what will be different for these people.  And found that they are mostly healthy based on a serious of environmental and behavioral findings – and there was nothing in the genome sequences they could find to distinguish these peoples good aging.

These “Super Agers”—individuals who not only live longer but also maintain remarkable cognitive abilities, physical health, and emotional resilience well into their later years seem to have several findings.  As noted – the answer is not in their genes.  In fact, many had family members with many more clinical issues.

Fundamentally, Topal notes the big three (Cardiovascular disease, Cancer, and Neurodegenerative disease) are the keys to work on achieve Super Aging.  In fact, he notes that all of these conditions often “inclubate” for 10- 20 years before clinically manifesting.  Herein lies the greates opportunity with new science, technology – when added to routine daily behaviors.

Some Key Themes from the book:

1. Defining Super Agers:
   • Topol defines Super Agers as those who exhibit exceptional cognitive abilities and emotional well-being in their later years (above 80). They often outperform their peers in memory tests and maintain strong social connections.
2. Biological and Environmental Factors:
   • The book explores the interplay between genetics, lifestyle choices, and environmental influences on aging. Topol emphasizes the importance of diet, exercise, social interaction, and mental stimulation in promoting healthy aging.
3. The Role of Technology:
   • Topol is a strong advocate for the integration of technology in healthcare. He discusses how digital health tools, such as wearable devices and telemedicine, can empower individuals to take charge of their health and monitor their well-being.
   • He highlights how the confluence of AI, omics, Lifestyle +plus (resistance / muscle training / diet / GLP-1), cells, and drugs and vaccines will lead to many more super agers.
4. Neuroscience of Aging:
   • The author examines advances in neuroscience that shed light on how the brain changes with age. He discusses neuroplasticity and the potential for the brain to adapt and grow, even in older adults.
5. Real-life Examples:
   • The book is enriched with stories of Super Agers and insights from researchers in the field of gerontology. Many of these story serve to help understand the work.  Importantly – many of the chapters have great tables and all have references.
   • Topol provides actionable recommendations for readers to enhance their cognitive and physical health. This includes adopting a Mediterranean diet, engaging in regular physical activity, maintaining social relationships, and pursuing lifelong learning.

Key Biologic Insights:

As is often the case with Eric Topol – he has summarized an amazing amount of information.  He covers the GLP-1 and Gut-Brain axis, the biology of aging and three peaks for proteins that work to age, he covers gene editing and beyond, and ends with providing the overall impact of high computational biology and Agentic AI.  These parts of the book provide what is likely the processes that we all will see explored to make breakthrough or continue those in diagnosis, immune reprogramming, and measures of biologic age.  The book provides over 300 references.

My Take Home Message:

This is one of the next big frontiers for us to consider and conquer in how we move from caring for patients with existing and clinical disease to true prevention of cardiovascular, cancer, and neurodegenerative disease. Many of the process and underpinnings are similar, the technology and data for individual personalization are upon us.  Hopefully we can all play a part in building trust in the scientific community and process to ensure these breakthrough reach all in our community.

The book is worth a read if you have the time and interest.   Now for me –  back to call with our great interventional fellow and team to ensure we can help those with urgent needs while we strive for a better world of prediction and care.  Hope you all have a good week and I am open to any other summer reading suggestions from our Duke Heart Community.

Chief’s message: Fellow Graduation and Happy Father’s Day!

Dear Duke Heart Community: We hope you all got to spend time with family celebrating father’s day.  We also hope all the fathers and father figures on our team are having a wonderful day today, especially all those who are celebrating for the first time.

This weekend we also celebrated the general fellows graduation.  We were able to have a fun gathering celebrating all the amazing fellows who have gone through our fellowship, their supportive families, and the village of people including faculty, staff and colleagues who help us train the next generation. We are especially appreciative at this time of those in our communities that support our fellowship – and we had the pleasure of having Malbert and Alisa Smith join us.  Their Academic Cardiology Excellence award and support joins our other awards and support that include the Greenfield award, the Cassel-Saperstein Award, and the Brandt and Belinda Louie award.  All of these and other support is much appreciated as we continue to work to keep the fellowship program the best we can make in the country.  Please find some photos from the evening included

 

DCRI Welcomes New Co-Chief Fellows & Incoming Fellows

The Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) Fellowship Program leadership team has announced that Allison “Allie” Levin, MD, MSc (Cardiology) and Henry Foote, MD (Pediatrics) will be the co-chief fellows during the 2025-2026 academic year. Beginning this July, they will step into the positions currently filled by co-chief fellows Mark Kittipibul, MD, and Annette Roberts, MD. Both Levin and Foote bring a wealth of experience and a passion for advancing medical research and patient care.

“I really look forward to working with Allie and Henry in the upcoming academic year,” said Sana Al-Khatib, MD, professor of medicine in cardiology at Duke and DCRI Fellowship Program Director. “As co-chief fellows, they will undoubtedly be committed to supporting their peers and to taking our program to new heights.”

Henry Foote, MD

Henry Foote grew up outside of Boston before attending Yale University for undergraduate training, where he majored in mechanical engineering and molecular biophysics and biochemistry. He earned his medical degree from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine while conducting cell biology research at Duke University. Foote then returned to Duke for residency, where he completed his combined Internal Medicine-Pediatrics training. Foote is currently pursuing his fellowship training as a Pediatric Cardiologist and Pediatric Critical Care Medicine fellow. He is also working on his master’s in clinical research degree through Duke’s Clinical Research Training Program. His research interest is in improving outcomes in critically ill children.

 

Allie Levin, MD, MSc

Levin grew up in northern New Jersey and earned her bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Columbia University. She went on to pursue a master’s degree in biostatistics at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health while concurrently serving as the research coordinator for the institution’s mechanical circulatory support program. Levin subsequently earned her medical degree from Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, where she was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. She was also selected by faculty to receive the Janeway Award, presented to the graduating student with the highest achievement and abilities in the graduating class.

Following her many years in New York, Levin completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. She is now a third-year Duke general cardiology fellow and in the first of two years of the Duke Clinical Research Institute Fellowship Program. She plans to pursue an advanced fellowship in Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology, with a special interest in the intersection of heart failure and adult congenital heart disease.

Congratulations, Allie and Henry!

The incoming DCRI fellows from cardiology for 2025-2026 are Jonathan Hanna, Seamus Hughes, Anthony Lin, Joshua Rushakoff, Husam Salah, and Aarti Thakkar. Their fellowships begin on July 1. Continuing fellows include Allison Levin and Paula Rambarat.

 

From Data to Decisions: A Model for Returning Individual Results to Research Participants

Returning individual research results to clinical study participants has not historically been the norm, even for participants with abnormal findings. The paradigm, though, is shifting, with return of results becoming not only a scientific responsibility but also an ethical imperative. However, best practices haven’t been established yet.

A team of Duke researchers led by Svati  H. Shah, MD, MS, Ursula Geller Distinguished Professor of Research in Cardiovascular Diseases, and Neha Pagidipati, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine in cardiology, have developed a model using the Project Baseline Health Study (PBHS) for how to effectively communicate results to patients and help empower them towards their health and medical choices. The study also detailed the large number of abnormal results that were returned to participants, highlighting the need to consider these processes early in study design. Results were published in the American Journal of Medicine Open.

As scientific research shifts to emphasize transparency, participant empowerment, and the democratization of data, this model demonstrates the feasibility and value of a comprehensive, systematic approach to returning clinically significant findings in a research context.

Project Baseline launched in 2017 to create a comprehensive reference point, or “baseline,” of good health and to build a robust data platform for studying how health transitions to disease. Over 2,500 participants across three sites, including Duke and Stanford, enrolled and completed assessments conducted by the study team that included a wide range of health data, like clinical, genetic, behavioral, and environmental information, through baseline eye, heart and lung imaging and annual visits, wearable devices, surveys, and biospecimen collection.

Among the 2,002 participants analyzed, nearly 40% would receive at least one result that required immediate or urgent attention. In some cases, individuals received as many as eight separate findings, again highlighting the need to return results to study participants to help them manage and be in control of their health choices. The participants had abnormal results returned to them for a variety of conditions, including vital signs, clinical laboratory testing, chest CT scans and X-rays, electrocardiograms, echocardiograms, and ophthalmologic assessments.

To accomplish this task, a Return of Results (RoR) Committee was established early in the study to oversee the return of findings. They developed a systematic, ethical, and clinically informed process for returning individual-level urgent and emergent results to participants and detailed determination for what types of results should be returned and within what time period.

Some results were more pertinent to get to participants faster than others, given potential clinical implications of the abnormal findings, so the team developed a color-coded flag system to prioritize and categorize results:

Red flag: Emergent, requiring immediate clinical attention

Orange flag: Urgent, but less time-sensitive

Yellow flag: Actionable or uncertain results

Green flag: Within expected clinical range

Participants had their results returned to them by site principal investigators — practicing physicians — or their designees.

However, with that many results to return, there is also a strong need for a streamlined process to alleviate the burden placed on health care professionals. So, the Project Baseline team also developed a predictive model using widely available clinical and demographic variables, like age, sex, body mass index, blood pressure, smoking status, and history of chronic conditions, which helped identify which participants were most likely to have actionable results.

As the research community continues to evolve its approach to participant engagement, the Project Baseline study offers a robust framework for returning results ethically and effectively. It also raises important questions for future studies, such as how to define “urgent” findings and how to balance return policies with participant preferences, and the need to consider design and funding for return of results prior to study initiation.

Project Baseline is a groundbreaking initiative between Duke University, Stanford University and Verily Life Sciences. The Duke Clinical Research Institute serves as the coordinating center. Story by Alissa Kocer for Duke School of Medicine.

 

IM Resident Works to Raise Awareness of ‘Resi-teering’ Opportunities

Victor Ayeni, MD, a PGY-1 Duke Internal Medicine Resident who is currently interning with electrophysiologist Camille Frazier-Mills, MD, is working to raise awareness of community engagement opportunities throughout Durham for Duke IM residents (and others) who might have time to volunteer with organizations that need some support.

His latest ‘resi-teering’ outreach message:

This is Victor again with more community engagement opportunities for June! Many thanks to people who came out last month, especially those who came and danced with the kiddos of Bull City Fit. As a reminder, the goal of these events is to help people know and love the Durham community for as long as we’re here and hopefully create a lot of fun activities that let residents bond with each other too!

 

 

Here’s what we have for the coming month:

Root Causes: Fresh Produce Program

Take a driving tour of Durham and help Root Causes, a Duke organization fighting food insecurity in Durham, by driving groceries to families around the city! They’re in desperate need of help, especially during the summer months. Volunteers are also needed to help pack groceries.

Time: Every Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. (for packing) or 10 a.m. to Noon (drivers)

Location: Uncle Harry’s General Store (1925 Yearby Avenue)

Sign-Up: select a time slot at this link

Contact: Scott Brummel (419-708-4569, scott.brummel@duke.edu)

 

Durham Refugee Day

Come and celebrate Durham’s refugee and immigrant communities at Durham Refugee Day 2025!

Time: Saturday, June 21 from 3-6 p.m.

Location: Durham Central Park

Sign-Up: You can just drop by and celebrate, but they’re also in need of volunteers and you can sign up for that here!

Contact: None but please let Victor Ayeni– 678-894-5948, victor.ayeni@duke.edu know if you plan to attend so he can get a group together!

 

Duke Memorial Mobile Market

This opportunity courtesy of Matt Wood, husband of Jenny Van Kirk, MD. Join one of many local groups fighting food insecurity in Durham as you load and organize food for distribute to our neighbors in Durham.

Time: Saturday, June 20 from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. (but happens every third Saturday)

Location: Duke Memorial (504 W Chapel Hill St)

Sign-Up:  Here (there are multiple sign-up times with various tasks to choose from!)

Contact: Matt Wood at 828-301-9703

 

Finally, for those who can’t make it to these events but want to help out, the group we’ve chosen to highlight for donations this month is CWS Durham. In the spirit of celebrating Durham’s rich refugee and immigrant community, CWS is a major organization in Durham for helping refugee families get resettled. The group helps incoming families with everything from finding housing to getting jobs to providing legal aid. Even more, under the “Get Involved” tab of their site, they have concrete action steps to advocate for refugee populations asynchronously, which hopefully empowers those who want to make a change but don’t know where to start.

As always, these events are either suggested or led by members of the IM residency. If you have any ideas at all about community volunteering events, or about happenings in Durham that could help others get to know the city better, reach out to victor.ayeni@duke.edu to get it added to the next email.

Way to go, Victor! Special thanks to Camille for sharing this with us. We love highlighting the excellent work being done by members of the Duke team members in support of our Durham community!

 

AAHFN 2025 Update

The American Association of Heart Failure Nurses annual meeting was held June 11-14 at the Westin Savannah Harbor in Savannah, Georgia.

Duke was well-represented with presentations from Stephanie Barnes, Midge Bowers, Mike Felker, Steve Greene, Rob Mentz, and Ashlee Davis, as well as a poster presentation by Johana Fajardo.

Allison Fox and Krystan Coble developed and facilitated a simulation session for physical examination of the heart failure patient. Laura Blue moderated the Mechanical Circulatory Support pre-conference. 

Duke had representation from patients, as well! 

Heart failure care is multidisciplinary and the role of nurses from bedside through advanced practice and nursing research was highlighted throughout the meeting.

Kudos to all!

 

DUHS Leadership & Campus Updates:

Duke Health Breaks Ground on Cary Expansion

Duke Health broke ground on a new facility on Thursday, June 12, that adds hospital services at its existing Duke Health Cary location, providing access to health care closer to the homes and workplaces of the community’s rapidly growing population.

The new facility will include phase one of a new inpatient hospital campus, including an emergency department, surgical services, imaging, and a small number of inpatient beds, as well as gastro-intestinal endoscopy, cancer care, and other infusion services in the same building. The building housing these services is expected to be completed in 2027.

“At Duke Health, we strive to provide hope, health, and healing by bringing high-quality care closer to where our patients live and work,” said Craig Albanese, MD, chief executive officer of Duke University Health System. “Cary, and the broader Wake County community, is one of the fastest-growing areas in North Carolina. We want to grow together by providing greater access to the world-class care Duke Health is known for.”

The new hospital services are part of a broader plan for the 85-acre campus at Duke Health Cary. The health system has already received state approval for 40 hospital beds at the location. When fully built, the Cary hospital campus is projected to employ about 1,600 people.

“In 2022, we were excited to open Duke Health Cary with several clinics including primary care, pediatric care, and urgent care,“ said Morgan Jones, chief strategy officer for Duke University Health System. “This next phase of the campus provides a convenient option for emergency and inpatient care. We envision adding more specialized services in the future to round out the needs of the local community. As a live-work-play-care campus, Duke Health Cary will provide high quality, convenient healthcare in a vibrant, mixed-use community and drive further economic development.”

For Cary residents needing hospital services and emergency care, these new services will reduce travel time, which studies show saves lives. Providing Cary residents with convenient, accessible care is aligned with Duke University Health System’s goals for our patients, including:

• Improved adherence: Reduced travel time can enhance patients’ ability to adhere to treatment schedules.
• Lower financial burden: Decreased travel expenses can alleviate the financial strain on patients and their families.
• Enhanced quality of life: Less time spent traveling allows patients more time for rest and recovery, potentially improving overall health.

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

June is Men’s Health Awareness Month and Pride Month

June 19 is Juneteenth

Cardiology Grand Rounds

June 17:  Updates from HRS 2025: What does the cardiology community need to know? with Jonathan Piccini, MD. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.

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:

• 2025 CGR Recordings
• 2024 CGR Recordings

NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

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 is coming soon.

• 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)

 

DCRI Research Forum

The Duke Clinical Research Institute will welcome Durham Mayor Leo Williams as their guest for the final DCRI Research Forum of the 2024-25 season. We hope you’ll join us for this fireside chat from Noon-1 p.m. on Tuesday, June 24. 

What: DCRI Research Forum: A Fireside Chat with Durham Mayor Leo Williams

When: Noon-1 p.m., Tuesday, June 24.

Where: Zoom: https://duke.zoom.us/j/99974125544?pwd=UvTBQn3QOeF2JYXfwQJ4QmfU89XMpf.1

Webinar ID: 999 7412 5544

Duke School of Medicine Events

State of the School Address

Thursday, June 26, 12 p.m. — 12:45 p.m.; Great Hall, Trent Semans Center for Health Education

More information

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: 

June 1 — Harry Severance

Emergency Physicians Monthly

Add Another Year to Physician Residency Training?

June 6 — Craig Albanese

Triangle Business Journal

Battling Bed Shortage

June 6 — Duke University Hospital

HIT Consultant

Avant-garde Health Reveals the Top 13 Research Hospitals in the U.S.

June 6 — Stephen Greene

HCP Live/Podcast

Don’t Miss a Beat: CONFIDENCE Trial and Combination T2D, CKD Therapy at Heart in Diabetes 2025

June 7 — Stephen Greene

HCP Live

Contemporary Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy Underused in Heart Failure

June 7 — Neha Pagidipati

HCP Live

Improving Evidence-Based Cardiometabolic Care, with Neha Pagidipati, MD, MPH

June 8 — Robert Califf

HCP Live

Confronting Cardiology’s Data Accessibility Problem, with Robert Califf, MD

June 9 — Adrian Hernandez

NBC News

As ivermectin goes over the counter, some pharmacists worry about a lack of guidance

June 10 — Scott Gibson

Duke Chronicle

How the School of Medicine plans to cut $125 million by next year

June 12 — Duke University & Duke CTSI

NC Newsline

HHS budget cuts threaten America’s health and innovation—including in NC

 

 

Highlights of the week:

Dzau Awarded Order of the Rising Sun by Emperor of Japan

The government of Japan announced in April that Victor J. Dzau, MD, Chancellor Emeritus and James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Medicine at Duke, and president of the National Academy of Medicine, has been awarded one of its highest honors — the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon — bestowed by the Emperor of Japan for his contributions to the promotion of academic exchange, global health and mutual understanding between Japan and the United States.

The Order of the Rising Sun was founded in 1875 by Emperor Meiji and is bestowed on foreigners for significant contributions to Japan.

Dzau, a cardiologist and principal-investigator with the Duke Cardiovascular Research Center, has made a significant impact on medicine through his seminal research in cardiovascular medicine and genetics and his leadership in healthcare innovation. His work on the renin angiotensin system (RAS) paved the way for the contemporary understanding of RAS in cardiovascular disease and the development of RAS inhibitors as widely used lifesaving drugs. He also pioneered gene therapy for vascular disease, and his work on stem cell paracrine mechanisms and the use of microRNA in direct reprogramming has provided insight into stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. Dzau has actively contributed to the G20 Health Task Force during his presidency at NAM, and has co-led the Japan-U.S. Global Health Dialogue, which brings together government officials, academics, and industry leaders from the fields of international health in Japan and the U.S.  He is also a member of the prestigious Japan Academy, and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science’s Program Committee of the Japan World Premier International Research Center Initiative. The initiative brings together global university presidents, Nobel laureates, industry experts, and other prominent leaders to steer Japan’s efforts to become a world-class research center.

“I am proud to contribute to efforts to advance excellence in Japan’s scientific and medical enterprise and help it build lasting connections with the global health community,” said Dzau.  “I am honored to receive this recognition from the Japanese government and look forward to continuing this important work of mutual benefit to both Japan and the U.S.”

Other spring 2025 recipients of the award include the former Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsieh Loong, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, and U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty, former U.S. ambassador to Japan.

Congratulations, Dr. Dzau!

 

DCRI Fellowship Program Graduates Eight Researchers, Recognizes Excellence

On May 8, the Duke Clinical Research Institute hosted a celebration at the University Club in Durham to honor eight graduates of the DCRI Fellowship Program.

The event gathered fellows, mentors, leaders, and family members to recognize the accomplishments of the 2025 graduates of the fellowship program.

Sana Al-Khatib, the program director, along with associate directors Neha Pagidipati and Adam Goode, presented awards and shared personal congratulations with the fellows.

“To our remarkable fellows, you have consistently impressed us with your commitment to this program and your passion for advancing patient care,” Al-Khatib said. “We are immensely proud of all you have accomplished during your time with us and excited to see the impact you will continue to make in your careers.”

Rachel Greenberg received the Robert M. Califf Award for Outstanding Mentorship. This award recognizes a DCRI faculty member who has demonstrated excellence in mentorship activities for DCRI research fellows. Current DCRI fellows select the award through nominations, discussion, and voting.

Veraprapas “Mark” Kittipibul, 2024-2025 co-chief fellow, was presented with this year’s Robert A. Harrington Excellence in Fellowship Award, which recognizes a graduating DCRI research fellow who has contributed the most to the program during his or her tenure. It recognizes excellence in academic accomplishment, participation in clinical research operations, and peer-to-peer mentoring.

The Karen S. Pieper Teaching and Fellowship Support Award was awarded to Jenny Jackman in recognition of a non-faculty colleague at the DCRI who a consistent contributor to the education of fellows and a strong supporter of the fellowship program has been.

 

This year, two Eric D. Peterson Manuscript Awards were presented, one to Andrew Andreae and the other to Jeeyon “Grace” Rim. This honor is awarded to a graduating DCRI research fellow whose writing excellence is demonstrated in an impactful and novel article, as well as for their superior writing skills and potential impact on the field.

This year’s DCRI Fellowship Citizenship Award recipient is 2024-2025 co-chief fellow Annette Roberts. Awardees are graduating DCRI fellows chosen for their strong character and leadership, devoted service to the institution, acceptance of responsibilities and duties, and positive attitude towards peers, the DCRI, and the medical community. The recipients of this award are also recognized for demonstrating an eagerness to learn, showing care for others, and helping when needed.

 

Congratulations to this year’s awards recipients and the following 2025 graduating fellows:

Andrew Andreae, MD, specialty: cardiology, mentor: Jonathan Piccini

Benjamin Catanese, MD, specialty: nephrology, mentor: Daniel Edmonston

Pishoy Gouda, MB, BCH, BAO, MSC, specialty: cardiology, mentor: Schuyler Jones

Veraprapas “Mark” Kittipibul, MD, Co-Chief Fellow, specialty: cardiology, mentors: Robert Mentz, Marat Fudim

Nkiru “KiKi” Osude, MD, MS, specialty: cardiology, mentor: Neha Pagidipati

Jeeyon “Grace” Rim, MD, specialty: pulmonary/critical care, mentors: Jamie Todd, Scott Palmer

Annette Roberts, MD, MPH, Co-Chief Fellow, specialty: pediatrics/gastroenterology, mentors: Rachel Greenberg, Brian Smith

Manasi Tannu, MD, MPH, specialty: cardiology, mentor: Schuyler Jones

 

Heart Failure Symposium Held

Duke Heart held its annual Duke Heart Failure Symposium yesterday, June 7, 2025, at the Durham Convention Center. It was a resounding success – our largest so far with more than 255 registrants and 25+ industry sponsors. This year’s theme was Leading Edge in Medical Management.

We had broad representation from across NC and SC, making this a truly regional conference. We also had external speakers, including former Duke fellow Josephine Harrington, MD who joined us from Colorado, and Carlos Santos Gallegos who joined us from NYC.

A special shout out to Christy Darnell, who did a tremendous job both in planning and execution of the symposium, as well as Anthony Doll who ensured excellence with audio and visual presentations.

Congratulations to the entire Duke Heart Failure team – keep up the amazing work!

 

Cardiac MRI Reaccredited by IAC

Duke Heart’s Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging team has received renewed three-year Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) accreditation for demonstrating excellence and documenting quality care in the field of Cardiovascular MRI.

IAC accreditation is a means by which MRI facilities can evaluate and demonstrate the level of patient care they provide.

Congratulations to the entire cMRI team and thank you for your skill and dedication to ensuring this distinction of quality for all Duke Health patients!

 

Moore Reaches Career Milestone!

Congratulations to Annette Moore, Health Center Administrator for cardiology at Duke Health Center Arringdon who is celebrating 40 YEARS with Duke! This is an amazing achievement and a tremendously important career milestone. We are grateful for her support, commitment, and unwavering leadership throughout her time at Duke Health. She is a leader that people trust and follow, and she has truly left her mark on Duke Heart. 

Annette, congrats on 40 years of making a difference to our patients and to your teammates, and for directly impacting so many people!

 

Teves Appointed NM, Operations 7100, Effective June 9

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Melissa Teves, BSN, RN, CCRN, as Nurse Manager of Operations for the Cardiology Stepdown Unit 7100 at Duke University Hospital, effective June 9th. We also acknowledge the significant contributions Ashley Frazier made to Duke Heart patients and staff during her service as the 7100 Nurse Manager. We wish her well with her future endeavors!

Melissa earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Hawaii Pacific University in 2001. She began her nursing career in Hawaii as a GenMed/MICU nurse before joining Duke Health in March 2003. Her first role at Duke was in the Trauma/Surgical Stepdown Unit (formerly 2300, now 6DCT), and she soon transitioned to the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (6W), where she served as an Assistant Nurse Manager.

While in the SICU, Melissa played a pivotal role in advancing safety, quality, and educational initiatives. Notably, she co-created and presented the SICU Core Classes and participated in a range of leadership activities both within her unit and across the broader nursing community. During this time, she also became a Clinical Ladder Advisor.

In January 2023, Melissa transitioned into hospital administration as an Operations Administrator. In this role, she continued to demonstrate her leadership through active participation in the Schedule, Standard Work, and Orientation Committee. She has also been a contributor to the Workplace Violence Committee and the Behavior Concern Flag Oversight Committee.

Melissa’s leadership extends beyond Duke. She is actively engaged in the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), serving in local and national roles. Most recently, she served as co-president of the Triangle Chapter and as a national Beacon Reviewer. She also completed a three-year term as Chapter Advisor (CAT) for Region 5, covering North and South Carolina. Through her work with AACN, Melissa has become an enthusiastic advocate for Healthy Work Environments and a commitment to wellness and excellence.

Please join us in congratulating Melissa on her new role!

 

Quote of the Week

“The Pacers have a really fast-paced game, but I think Jalen Brunson’s the real deal. My prediction is the Knicks in six.” — Sunil Rao, director of interventional cardiology, NYU Langone. (Quoted in The New Yorker article “Knicks in Six? Ask Fran Lebowitz, Alison Roman, and Spike Lee”)

 

Save the Dates: Upcoming SOM Events

Two notable events for Duke School of Medicine are scheduled for this month. Please save the dates and consider attending.

June 10: School of Medicine Leadership Town Hall: Financial and Operational Strategy Updates

12 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. via Zoom.

 

June 26: School of Medicine State of the School Address

12 p.m. — 12:45 p.m.; Great Hall, Trent Semans Center for Health Education

More information

 

DUHS Leadership & Campus Updates:

June is Pride Month

As we enter the month of June, we take the opportunity to recognize Pride Month and celebrate the strength, resilience, and contributions of the LGBTQ+ community – both within our organization and beyond.

At Duke Health, we are deeply committed to fostering an environment where every individual is safe, respected, and valued. We believe that delivering exceptional care, groundbreaking research, and top-notch education requires us to stand for values and actions that promote health for all communities.

Pride Month is not only a time of celebration, but also a time for reflection and continued commitment to lead with compassion, cultural humility, and a steadfast dedication to treating all people with dignity and respect.

We take pride in each other – this month and every month. Thank you for being part of a community that champions dignity, humanity, and respect for all.

 

Register Now for the 2025 Duke Health Juneteenth Celebration

Everyone is invited to attend the 2025 Duke Health Juneteenth Celebration on Tuesday, June 17 from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. The hybrid event will take place in the Great Hall of the Trent Semans Center (registration is full) and virtually.

The guest speaker will be Christopher Wolfe, a West Point graduate and Bronze Star recipient. He served in the U.S. Army before earning an MBA from Duke. He later pursued an MFA at Columbia University, where he was selected as the inaugural Artist-in-Residence at the Eric H. Holder Jr. Initiative for Civil and Political Rights, teaching creative writing at Columbia and at Rikers Island through the university’s Justice-in-Education Initiative.

 

The Duke Children’s Health Center Turns 25!

The Duke Children’s Health Center (CHC) is celebrating 25 years since its doors first opened. To celebrate, CHC team members gathered for remarks from Clinical Operations Director, Kristen Ammon who spoke on the history of CHC and recognized team members who have been with the CHC from the beginning. Frozen treats followed and to ensure everyone could celebrate, Kristen Ammon, Heather Harrison, and Kristin Parker delivered treats and commemorative pens to each floor of the CHC.

Congratulations on this milestone, Duke CHC!

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

June is Men’s Health Awareness Month and Pride Month

June 9-15: Men’s Health Week

 

Cardiology Grand Rounds

June 10: Revascularization for Ischemic Cardiomyopathy: Disproving the 45-year-old Concept of Hibernating Myocardium with Aman Kansal, MD. 5 p.m., Zoom only.

June 17: Updates from HRS 2025: What Does the Cardiology Community Need to Know? with Jonathan Piccini, MD. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.

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:

• 2025 CGR Recordings
• 2024 CGR Recordings

NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!

 

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

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

June 13: Annual Duke Cardiovascular Disease fellowship 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 is coming soon.

• 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)

 

2025 Duke Health Juneteenth Celebration

Everyone is invited to attend the 2025 Duke Health Juneteenth Celebration on Tuesday, June 17 from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. This in-person event will take place in the Great Hall of the Trent Semans Center. Team members can also attend virtually.

The guest speaker will be Christopher Wolfe, a West Point graduate and Bronze Star recipient. He served in the U.S. Army before earning an MBA from Duke. He later pursued an MFA at Columbia University, where he was selected as the inaugural Artist-in-Residence at the Eric H. Holder Jr. Initiative for Civil and Political Rights, teaching creative writing at Columbia and at Rikers Island through the university’s Justice-in-Education Initiative.

 

2025 Duke Caregiver Community Event – Register Now!

The annual Duke Caregiver Community Event provides education, support, and valuable resources for those who are navigating the complex journey of caring for others. Attend informative presentations from experts in caregiving and wellness and visit our exhibit hall to connect with representatives from more than 100 organizations to discover tools that can assist in every aspect of caregiving.

The event will be held on September 3 and 4 from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel in Durham. You can attend one or both days. Learn more and register here.

 

Duke School of Medicine Events

Leadership Town Hall: Financial and Operational Strategy Updates

Tuesday, June 10, 12 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. via Zoom.

 

State of the School Address

Thursday, June 26, 12 p.m. — 12:45 p.m.; Great Hall, Trent Semans Center for Health Education

More information

 

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 31 — Dawn Coleman

Vascular Specialist

Taking the lead: The vascular surgeon in the pediatric vascular surgical space

June 2 — Duke University Hospital

Cardiovascular Business

The top 25 heart hospitals in the United States (#15)

June 2 — Susan Faye Dent (formerly DCI)

Pharmacy Times

ASCO 2025: Expert Insights on Endocrine, Cardiac, Ocular, and Dermatologic Toxicities in Breast Cancer Care

June 3 — Mitch Krucoff

tctMD

Words of Wisdom for Early-Career Interventional Cardiologists

June 3 — Stephen Greene

HCP Live

Cardiology Month in Review: 2025

June 4 — Bradi Granger and Anna Tharakan (formerly with Bass Connections)

American Hospital Association Advancing Health Podcast

How Duke University Is Fighting Hypertension Through Community Collaboration

June 4 — Adrian Hernandez

Newsweek

Can Trump Tackle US ‘Chronic Disease Crisis’? Experts Weigh In

June 5 — Stephen Greene and Robert Califf

Healio/Endocrinology

What not to miss at the upcoming Heart in Diabetes meeting

June 6 — Joseph Turek

The Charlotte Observer

After mystery staph infection, heart surgery, Charlotte girl is back on her feet

Chief’s message:  End of Year events and looking back to see the future

Hopefully you all are having a wonderful weekend.  This month marks the end of the school year and full spring in North Carolina.  We will have our end of year fellow events and see our graduates off into the world of cardiovascular medicine – charged with the skills, will, and drive to improve cardiovascular health in our communities and those they practice in around the world.  We will highlight those events in the upcoming weeks.  There were also high school and college graduations in the last weeks.  For those of you with graduates – congratulations – the time, love and energy to get to these moments is amazing and worth celebrating.

Finally, we are also rely on our own past, culture, and work to see how we can move forward to continue to improve and change science and health.  Perhaps no one has been as much a part of that culture in Duke Cardiology and Duke Heart as Rob Califf, for whom there was a celebration this weekend.  We will share more photos as they become available – but Rob was remembered by colleagues near and far (including collaborators, trainees, and many of our own cardiovascular team members) that came to the Granger’s Farm to celebrate Rob. The evening was filled with funny stories, memories, and most of all a testament to the culture and commitment to science, truth, data, and patient care that Rob Califf has instilled over 40 years at Duke.  Whatever the challenges we face to improve the lives of people with cardiovascular disease, we are blessed by the people, teams and culture of discovery and excellence in care over the years. 

 

Congratulations to Rob and we look forward to his continued leadership and direction on our journey of continual improvement in CV health.

 

Highlights of the week:

Adult Cardiac STS Results Through December 2024

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) has released analyzed results for Harvest 1 2025, which include the three-year period from January 2022 through December 2024. The data are from the STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (ACSD) and announced by STS as part of their public reporting initiative.

Duke received 3-star (Better than Expected) ratings for isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures, isolated aortic valve replacement (AVR) surgery, and isolated mitral valve replacement or repair (MVRR) surgery; and 2-star (As Expected) ratings for AVR+CABG and MVRR+CABG.

A new Multiprocedural Overall rating has been added to the latest analysis by STS, and we are pleased to announce Duke received a 3-star rating in that category. The Multiprocedural cases include CABG, AVR, AVR+CABG, MVRR, MVRR+CABG, AVR+MVRR, and AVR+MVRR+CABG.

The STS star rating system is one of the most sophisticated and highly regarded overall measures of quality in health care, rating the benchmarked outcomes of cardiothoracic surgery programs in the U.S. Star ratings are calculated using a combination of quality measures for specific procedures performed by an STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (ACSD) participant.

Great job, everyone!

 

Mobile Cath Lab Opens at Duke Raleigh

The Duke Raleigh Hospital’s cardiac catheterization team has opened a temporary mobile cath lab space while their Cath Lab Room 1 is being upgraded. The mobile unit was placed in April and several weeks were spent securing and equipping the space for approval by the NC Division of Health Service Regulation (DHSR).

The team shut down Cath Room 1 on May 22 and moved into the new mobile space. Their first cath patient was in the mobile unit the next day.

 

Construction to Room 1 is expected to last about six months. The newly upgraded space should be operational in November.

Julie Yamadi, director of Heart and Procedural Services for Duke Raleigh expressed, “special thanks to Kyarra Rogers from hospital operations; the Facility, Planning, Design and Construction team; Materials Management — especially Kevin Lawson, the supply chain team lead; to J.P., our cath lab nurse manager and to the entire cath team, and Dr. James Mills, who is supportive of everything we do.”

Great progress, Raleigh team!

 

McDermott Named VAD Team Lead, Effective July 1

We are excited to share that Jaime McDermott, DNP, will become the Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Team Leader starting July 1. Jaime has been with our VAD team since 2024 and previously was a valuable member of the Cardiology Advanced Practice Provider team at Duke University Hospital.

Jaime is well respected by her peers and colleagues. Her passion for supporting teams and the patient experience, coupled with her past involvement in VAD program development and quality and process improvement, make her a wonderful choice for this role.

Congratulations, Jaime!

 

 

 

Leadership Changes within Cardiology APP Team, Effective July 1

Allison Lindgren, PA-C, will be stepping down from her role as Co-Team Leader of the Cardiology APP team at the end of June. While her leadership in this capacity will be missed, we are pleased that she will continue to be with the APP team as a provider.

“I want to take a moment to sincerely thank Allison for her dedication, hard work, and the thoughtful leadership she brought to her role,” said Diane Sauro, director, Advanced Practice for Duke Heart. “Her contributions have made a lasting impact, and her commitment to excellence has helped shape the strong, collaborative team we are today. Please join me in expressing our heartfelt appreciation to Allison for all she has done, and in looking forward to the continued opportunity to work alongside her.”

 

Nicolena D’Sola, APRN, NP-C, will step into the role of Co-Team Leader for the Cardiology APP team on July 1. She will join the current Co-Team Leader Faith Williams. Nicolena has been a dedicated provider on the Cardiology APP team for the past four years.

“Throughout her time with us, she has consistently demonstrated a deep commitment to our patients and a genuine passion for supporting her colleagues,” Sauro said. “Her calm composure, thoughtful approach, and ability to foster positive relationships have made her a trusted and respected member of our team. Nicolena is a passionate advocate for our team’s well-being and success, and we are confident that her leadership will bring continued strength and unity to our group.

Congratulations, Nicolena and thank you, Allison!

 

 

 

Shout-out to Champion!

We received a wonderful compliment this week about cardiology fellow Cosette Champion, MD.

“I just wanted to put in a shout-out to what an incredible doctor Cosette is. I have been on echo with her for several days over the past few weeks and she always goes above and beyond for patient care (including escorting a chest wall patient to the bathroom; going to check on a gen med patient with endocarditis to make sure they were well enough for the floor; always knowing patient histories thoroughly). A truly empathetic and caring doctor!” — Svati Shah, MD, MHS

Way to go, Cosette!

 

Boyd Named to Chron15 List

Congratulations to Thoracic Surgery resident Rebekah Boyd, MD! She was named this week to the 2024-2025 Chron15: Duke’s icons, leaders, pioneers list by the Duke Chronicle. At the end of each academic year, The Chronicle names five icons, five leaders and five pioneers. Boyd made the ‘Icons’ list along with Cooper Flagg, Manny Diaz, Ed Sheeran, and Luis Alonso Juárez.

Nominated by Chronicle readers and selected by a committee of Chronicle staff, this year’s Chron15 members are both individuals and groups who have built community and rallied around a cause. The article states, “They’re people who have dedicated themselves to making the Duke community a more welcoming place to be. They are people who have inspired us all, and they are people who make Duke, Duke.”

Read all about it here. Congratulations, Rebekah!

 

Tannu Presented CGR on May 27

Thank you to everyone who joined us on Tuesday evening last week for Cardiology Grand Rounds. If you missed this CGR, Manasi Tannu’s presentation, Post MI Inflammation and Trials of Emerging Therapies, can be found in Warpwire: https://warpwire.duke.edu/w/I-AIAA/

 

This Week: CGR Presenter will be Andrew Andreae, MD

Please join us on Tuesday, June 3 at 5 p.m. for Cardiology Grand Rounds with Andrew Andreae, MD. He will present Leadless Pacemakers: Are We Ready to Cut the Cord? The location will be DN 2002, or you can join via Zoom. See your calendar invitation for the link.

 

Save the Dates: Upcoming SOM Events

Two notable events for Duke School of Medicine are scheduled for this month. Please save the dates and consider attending.

June 10: School of Medicine Leadership Town Hall: Financial and Operational Strategy Updates. 12 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. via Zoom.

June 26: School of Medicine State of the School Address. 12 p.m. — 12:45 p.m.; Great Hall, Trent Semans Center for Health Education. More information

 

Submissions for Pulse, June 16-July 11

Please send any news content for Pulse directly to Manesh Patel from June 16 – July 11. Our communications director will be on leave during this time. Thank you!

 

DUHS Leadership & Campus Updates:

Thomas Appointed Chief FEOO

Robin Thomas has been appointed Chief Facilities, Engineering & Operations Officer, Medical Center & Duke Health, effective immediately. The news was announced on Thursday by Tom Owens, MD, executive vice president and chief operating officer of DUHS, and Scott Gibson, executive dean for administration of the Duke SOM.

Many of you have had the opportunity to work with Robin over the past several years in her role as Executive Director of Engineering & Operations for Duke Health. In that time, she has demonstrated exceptional leadership, integrity, and a deep commitment to our teams and facilities. Her ability to drive meaningful transformation while building strong, collaborative relationships has positioned her as a trusted and respected partner across our health system.

In her new role, Robin will provide strategic and operating leadership for the Engineering & Operations (E&O), Facility, Planning, Design & Construction (FPDC), and Occupational & Environmental Safety Office (OESO) teams who support our Duke Health facilities, including Duke University Health System hospitals and clinics, and the Duke University Schools of Medicine and Nursing. 

Robin is a certified general contractor, has a PMP certificate, LEED AP BD+C, EIT Certification, and has completed Lean Six Sigma Green Belt training. She will work closely with leaders across DUHS, SOM, SON, and Duke University to support our long-term strategic priorities and ensure our physical environment continues to serve as a strong foundation for discovery, healing, and learning.

Congratulations, Robin!

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

June is Men’s Health Awareness Month

June 9-15: Men’s Health Week

 

Cardiology Grand Rounds

June 3:  Leadless Pacemakers: Are We Ready to Cut the Cord with Andrew Andreae, MD. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.

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:

• 2025 CGR Recordings
• 2024 CGR Recordings

NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!

 

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

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)

 

Duke School of Medicine Events

Leadership Town Hall: Financial and Operational Strategy Updates

Tuesday, June 10, 12 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. via Zoom.

 

 

 

 

State of the School Address

Thursday, June 26, 12 p.m. — 12:45 p.m.; Great Hall, Trent Semans Center for Health Education

More information

 

 

 

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 25 — Duke University Hospital

The Signal (Santa Clarita Valley, CA)

Ventura family in SCV awaits life-saving transplant for newborn

May 28 — Robert Califf

Spectrum News Central NC

Changes on COVID vaccine recommendations – how do agencies interact on health policy?

May 28 — Adjoa Boateng Evans (Anesthesiology)

Woman’s World

Broken Heart Syndrome Symptoms Can Mimic a Heart Attack—What You Need to Know to Stay Safe