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Duke Heart Pulse — November 23, 2025

By Tracey Koepke in Uncategorized on November 23, 2025

Chief’s message: Gratitude and Community

Dear Duke Heart community, this time of year allows for some reflection and certainly some continued work on our hope to improve the lives and health of our community. I wanted to send a note before this thanksgiving break extending our sincere gratitude for the entire Duke team – including our staff, faculty, residents, fellows, nurses, researchers, Heart Center leadership council, all of our ambassadors, supporters, and most importantly our patients who allow us the privilege of caring for them. As the complexity of healthcare and research increases at Academic Medical Centers, we can sometimes lose site of the immense opportunity and privilege we have in working as part of our cardiovascular team. Everyday, as we work in the clinics, hospitals, research labs, we see the continued dedication and effort. I am grateful for the tremendous resilience, grit, and spirit of the cardiovascular team and focus on the mission of improving health outcomes, and making the journey of health care better for our patients and teams while we develop a sustainable model to continue to do research and make meaningful discoveries. Perhaps most gratifying is the opportunity to be part of this Duke Heart community and the ability to live a life of purpose and service. We want to specifically, thank those of you who will be working over the holiday times to ensure we continue to care for our patients. Hopefully, all of you will get some time with family and friends over the upcoming thanksgiving holiday or weeks to come.

We were personally lucky to get to travel to Spartanburg South Carolina this weekend to see the Division 3 Cross Country National Championship races. Pictured is our son, Sanju, who is a junior at UChicago, part of the men’s team that finished 12th overall. He placed high enough to win All-American honors – something he has been striving for several years. We were blessed to be present for the race. I believe the team will be shaving the mustache’s for the holidays but that is yet to be seen.

Highlights of the week:

First-of-Its-Kind U.S. Study Launched; Drones Now Delivering AEDs During 911 Calls

Every minute counts when someone’s heart stops. In the U.S., more than 350,000 people suffer cardiac arrest each year, and fewer than 10% survive. Most of these emergencies happen at home, far from lifesaving equipment.

Now, for the first time in the United States, a coalition of researchers, public safety agencies, and community partners – led by Duke Health and coordinated through the Duke Clinical Research Institute – is testing a new way to save lives.

Drones carrying automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are being dispatched during real 911 calls in Forsyth County, North Carolina. The effort is part of a clinical trial that aims to see if drones can deliver AEDs to patients faster than traditional emergency services.

“This study represents a major step forward in how we respond to cardiac arrest in the United States,” said Monique Starks, MD, principal investigator and associate professor of medicine in cardiology at Duke. “By integrating drone technology into emergency care, we’re working to close the critical gap between cardiac arrest and treatment, and that has the potential to save thousands of lives.”

According to previous research, if an AED can be used within 2 to 3 minutes of cardiac arrest, survival rates can jump to 70%. But EMS often takes 8 to 10 minutes to arrive. That’s where drones come in.

The study is happening in Clemmons, NC, where the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office was already using drone technology as part of its law enforcement operations.

When a 911 call comes in for cardiac arrest in Clemmons, a drone carrying an AED is launched immediately. At the same time, the standard of care is still in place and EMS is also deployed.

The 911 dispatcher coordinates with a drone pilot who launches the drone to fly autonomously to the location of the cardiac arrest. The drone flies at 200 feet, lowers to 100 feet, and winches the AED safely to the ground. The 911 dispatcher then guides the bystander on getting and using the device.

“Launching drone-delivered AEDs is a promise to our citizens that their safety and quality of life are paramount,” said Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough, Jr. “When seconds matter, this technology gives us the ability to reach people in need faster than ever before. It’s about saving lives, building trust, and showing our community that we will always lead with care and commitment.”

The research team hopes to reduce AED delivery time to under five minutes for more than half the population in the study area. The trial also includes James City County, Virginia.

The work is supported by the American Heart Association and involves more than a dozen partners, including University of Washington, Hovecon Consulting, Emory University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and University of Toronto.

“This project is laying the groundwork for what we hope will become a large, multi-center randomized clinical trial,” said Joseph Ornato, MD, co-principal investigator on the study and professor of emergency medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University. “That future research will help us understand critical questions about how well this works, what it costs, and how we can get AEDs to people as quickly as possible whether they live in a city or rural community.”

“Forsyth County Fire/EMS 911 is proud to partner with Duke Health and the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office in this groundbreaking drone AED project, which has the potential to save lives by delivering critical care faster than ever before,” said James Fore, director of Forsyth County 911 Fire/EMS. “By integrating this technology into our emergency response system, we are strengthening our ability to serve the community when every second counts.”

“Our teams have worked tirelessly to set a new standard in cardiac arrest care by integrating drone delivery of AEDs during 911 calls,” said Stephen Powell, MD, assistant professor of emergency medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and member of the study team. “This collaboration between telecommunicators and drone pilots—built through extensive planning and drills—aims to save precious minutes and, ultimately, lives. It’s incredible to see what’s possible when dedicated people come together for a single purpose.”

“While much of the excitement around drone delivery has centered on faster packages and e-commerce convenience, today marks a pivotal shift,” said Basil Yap, vice president of Hovecon. “This program is about life-saving deliveries of critical medical equipment in the form of AEDs, and we have achieved that only by making rigorous safety and full regulatory compliance the foundation of everything we do.”

“Drones can meaningfully shorten the most critical moments between collapse and care,” said Betsy Sink, battalion chief at James City County Emergency Medical Services. “They won’t replace traditional response systems, but they can strengthen them by placing lifesaving equipment in the hands of bystanders when it matters most. This project allows us to better understand how far this innovation can go in improving survival and will shape the future of emergency medicine.”

“We’re excited about the potential drones bring to public safety,” said Sgt. Tiara Suggs, specialized response team commander with the James City County Police Department. “Whether it’s delivering AEDs, locating missing persons, or getting eyes on a scene faster than we ever could before, drones help us respond smarter and faster. In rural areas especially, where access can be limited, they’re a force multiplier that’s helping us save lives and protect our communities in ways we couldn’t just a few years ago.”

(Media coverage appears below)

Applefield Selected for 2026 ACC Emerging Faculty Academy

Congratulations to Willard Applefield, MD! We learned this week that he has been selected for the 2026 American College of Cardiology’s (ACC) Rick Nishimura, MD, MACC and Patrick T. O’Gara, MD, MACC Emerging Faculty Leadership Academy.

The program is designed to develop early career faculty in cardiology who have shown promise as educators. It aims to enhance participants’ skills as ACC educators and prepare them for leadership roles within the ACC organization.

Well-deserved, Willard!

Visiting Scholar Wraps Up Time with Duke Heart Team

We are pleased to have recently welcomed Diego Diaz, MD, of Colombia, South America, to Duke Heart and Vascular Services. Diaz practices electrophysiology and heart failure, and was here to spend some time rounding with and interacting with our team. Diaz arrived at Duke on November 10^th for a two-week visit. He is shown here with Marat Fudim, MD.

His visit is part of a long-standing relationship via Alex Barbagelata, MD, adjunct professor in the Duke Department of Medicine, who helps facilitate our annual hosting of physicians from South America.

We enjoyed having Diego with us!

Clarivate’s Most Highly Cited Researchers 2025

Thirty-one researchers from across Duke are named to Clarivate’s Most Highly Cited Researchers list for 2025. Of the 31, four are faculty members within the Duke Heart & Vascular team. Those making the list rank in the top 1 percent of their field for publication citations.

Congratulations to Chris Granger, Adrian Hernandez, Renato Lopes, and Bill Kraus!

For the full Duke Today article, please visit https://today.duke.edu/2025/11/duke-scholars-featured-highly-cited-researchers-2025-list.

Cardiology APPs Gather

Our cardiology APP team held a social event for cardiology ambulatory APPs, nurses, and Heart Center staff to meet new people and foster enhanced working relationships across the disciplines. The team gathering was held on Nov. 16 at Hi-Wire in Durham.

Hat tip to Julie Marshall, APP team lead, for sharing this photo with us!

DUH Serving Up Appreciation at Thanksgiving

We are deeply grateful for the incredible dedication of all our Duke University Hospital team members, and we are especially thankful for those who will be serving our patients and team members on Thanksgiving Day.

Your commitment ensures that our patients receive exceptional care every day of the year, and we couldn’t be more thankful for your service and compassion. To show our appreciation, Duke Hospital administration is offering a complimentary meal at the Atrium Café in Duke North for all staff working on Thanksgiving Day. Learn more about the schedule and meal options here.

Nov. 24: Clinical & Translational Research Town Hall

“Demystifying Clinical Research Administration” is the third installment of the School of Medicine’s research town hall series with the objective of engaging directly with research faculty on relevant and/or emerging research resources, services, and needs. This is intended to provide a forum for bi-directional discussion and will leverage case examples to highlight challenges and solutions to conducting research at Duke.

All clinical and translational researchers are invited to join the SOM on Monday, November 24, 4-5 pm for TED-style presentations followed by a 30-minute panel discussion including Q&A.

Please join us in person in the Trent Semans Great Hall or participate via Zoom (link available upon registration).

Event Details

Register

Please contact the SOM at somclinicalresearch@duke.edu if you have questions about the event.

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Cardiology Grand Rounds

Nov. 25: No CGR/holiday.

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

Nov. 26: No conference/holiday

Nov. 28: No conference/holiday

Dec. 3: Match Day Review with Anna Lisa Chamis. Noon. DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.

Dec. 5: SVT with Jon Piccini. Noon. Zoom only.

Dec. 10: EP Case Presentation with Mugdha Joshi and Chad Kloefkorn. Noon. DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.

Dec. 12: Board review with Nishant Shah and Anthony Lin. Noon, via Zoom.

Dec. 17: DHP Case Presentation with Verda Arshad. Noon. DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.

Dec. 19: DHP Case Presentation with Harriet Akunor. Noon, Zoom only.

MMCVI Grand Rounds

Multi-Modality Cardiovascular Imaging Grand Rounds: A multi-imaging approach to cardiovascular disease cases. Thursdays, Noon to 1 p.m., via Zoom.

Nov. 27: NO CONFERENCE (Thanksgiving)

Dec. 4: Echo Imaging to Optimize Cardiac Resynchronization Pacing with Josh Sink

Dec. 11: RV Failure or Pericardial Disease TBD with Cosette Champion

Dec. 18: TBD with Vincent Delgado

Dec. 25: NO CONFERENCE (Christmas)

Upcoming CME Activities:

Duke Cardiovascular MR Practicum & Board Review – December 8-12

The Fall 2025 course will be held December 8-12 in the Penn Pavilion at Duke University. For more information, contact Michele Parker. The full course brochure and registration link are available here.

2026 Duke Heart CMEs Announced

The dates for the following 2026 Duke Heart symposia have been set. We will announce others as they are added.

Duke Heart Failure Symposium – Saturday, June 6, 2026. Course directors are Marat Fudim, Rob Mentz, Richa Agarwal, and Stephanie Barnes. Location: Durham Convention Center, Durham, NC.
18^th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium – Friday, October 30, 2026. Course directors are Terry Fortin, Sudar Rajagopal, and Jimmy Ford. Location: Durham Convention Center, Durham, NC.

Please save the dates!

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 me 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 17 — Manesh Patel

NBC News

New heart disease calculator predicts 30-year risk for young adults

November 18 — Manesh Patel

Hindustan Times

Can young adults be at risk of heart disease? Here’s what new calculator says

November 18 — Manesh Patel

La Opinion

Nueva calculadora de riesgo en línea puede predecir enfermedades cardíacas desde 30 años antes

November 19 — Manesh Patel

Medscape