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Yearly Archives: 2025
Duke Heart Pulse — October 12, 2025
Chief’s Message:
It was great to see so many of the Duke Health and Duke Heart team our yesterday morning for the AHA Heart Walk. See the pictures and note below. The impact we make in our community and in our patients lives was on full display and hopefully you all will get a chance to see some of that in the stories we share about patient care, research, and training our fellows, residents, and community members in CPR and heart healthy lifestyles. You will also see HTN champions work at the Lincoln clinic and multiple different groups working with our AHA and Duke Teams to raise awareness around cardiovascular disease.
We also had the cardiac imaging symposium last weekend with great turnout. Again we provided relevant and engaging cases based discussions with advanced and routine cardiovascular imaging in ways that our local groups of patients and clinicians can appreciate.
Highlights of the week:
Triangle Heart Walk Held Yesterday
The 2025 Triangle Heart Walk took place yesterday, October 11 at Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek in Raleigh, NC. Thank you to all who joined us! We are so proud of each of our entity leaders, team captains, and walkers who committed time to work on behalf of raising these important funds. Combined, Duke Health’s teams raised $120,074 as of this morning for the American Heart Association and was the leading Health system and the #2 company behind Xylem,Inc. in the areas for fundraising for the AHA – great work, everyone! A special thanks to Katie Norcross and Stephanie Galloway of Duke Health marketing for arranging our activation tent, a “reflections experience” that dovetailed nicely with the launch of our new marketing campaign this past week!
Cardiac Imaging Symposium Success!
The Duke Cardiac Imaging Symposium was held Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, at the Trent Semans Center. We had more than 150 people register to join us — nearly double from last year! Twelve companies exhibited, and we had a wide range of learners – cardiac sonographers, MDs, PAs, nurses, NPs, fellows, residents, and students. The annual symposium is dedicated to exploring the latest advancements and techniques in echocardiography through engaging presentations, interactive discussions, and hands-on learning opportunities.
The agenda and a full list of all the speakers can be found on the event website. A big shout-out to Sreek Vemulapalli, Anita Kelsey, Richie Palma, Ashlee Davis, Alicia Armour, and Christy Darnell for working to plan a very successful CME event!
Burkett, McGugan Presenters at Piedmont PA Conference
Melissa Burkett, PA-C, Team Leader of the Duke Aortic Center APPs and Lynn McGugan, NP in the CTICU 7W presented at the Piedmont Association of Physician Assistants Annual Fall Seminar on Saturday, Oct. 11. The duo shared their expertise on how APPs provide continuity of care for aortic surgery patients. The conference was held at Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center in Winston Salem, NC.
Way to go!
Arringdon Service Access Lead Wins Impact Award
Congratulations to Tevin Wilson, Service Access Team Lead at Duke Cardiology Arringdon! Wilson is a co-winner of the 2025 Sharon L. Davis Vision Award as part of the Impact Awards given annually by the Duke Patient Revenue Management Organization (PRMO). Wilson was nominated by Sergio Membreno. His co-winner is Alison Ervin.
This year’s awards were presented on September 25, during a ceremony at Trent Semans Hall. The awards celebrate the extraordinary achievements of individuals and teams aligning with Duke Patient Revenue Management Organization’s (PRMO) focus areas and demonstrating Duke’s values.
More than 115 people were nominated for the 2025 awards, and the top three finalists from each category were invited to the event with their nominators. Keith Stover, Vice President, Finance and Chief Revenue Cycle Officer for PRMO, kicked off the program by welcoming guests. Tom Owens, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer, DUHS, joined to give the keynote address, highlighting the vital role PRMO team members play in shaping the patient experience at Duke Health.
Guests were also welcomed by Christie Bowes, Director of Hospital Billing & Collections and Executive Champion of the awards committee, along with emcees Paula Allard, Director, Professional Coding, and Todd Beedy, Manager, Coding Operations.
Tevin is shown here with Keith Stover.
A full list of winners can be found on the Duke Sharepoint site at this link.
Congratulations, Tevin!!!
Did you know? Tidbits about Duke’s Impact on Durham
Over the past two decades, Duke University and Health System has helped create more than 1,000 affordable homes and units and invested more than $22 million with trusted local financial institutions such as Latino Community Credit Union, Mechanics and Farmers Bank, and Self-Help to provide capital for affordable housing developers and local small businesses.
By working at Duke Health, you make a difference not only in the health of people we treat, but with a collective impact throughout our community. Go Duke!
DUHS Updates:
Reminders: Open Enrollment is underway through October 24. Please review your 2026 elections for medical, dental, vision, and reimbursement accounts. Duke’s annual flu vaccination campaign is also underway. The deadline for compliance is Nov. 18. Thank you!
Mitchell Named Health System Operations Center Director
As of Oct. 1, Diane Mitchell, MHA, BSN, RN, has been named Health System Operations Center Director. In this new role, Diane will oversee the team of operations administrators and coordinators across all Duke Health acute care hospitals. This transition is part of a broader DUHS initiative to centralize and unify patient flow link operations across all entities and their respective operations centers.
Since joining Duke Raleigh in 1996, Diane has held a variety of key positions—starting as a bedside nurse and progressing to her current role as director of operations administration. Join us in congratulating Diane on this leadership role expansion and thanking her for her almost three decades of service at Duke Health.
Congratulations, Diane!
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
September 15-October 15: Hispanic Heritage Month
October 6-24: Open Enrollment period for 2026 medical benefits
October 9: Flu vaccination season launch
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Oct. 21: Bridging the gap between physician and patient: a view from the other side with Christopher Kontos. 5 p.m. DN 2002 or via Zoom.
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.
Oct. 16: Quality in the Echo Lab with Ashlee Davis
Oct. 23 Topic TBD with Tess Allan
Oct. 30: Cardiovascular Imaging in Pregnancy with Nish Shivakumar
AHA.25 Duke Annual Reception
The annual Duke reception at the upcoming American Heart Association Annual Scientific Sessions will be held on Nov. 8. (Please see email from DCRI for your official invitation.)
The upcoming Sessions will be held Nov. 7-10, 2025, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. This year’s theme is The Future of Cardiovascular Science Starts Here.
We look forward to seeing you!
Reminder: Please let Tracey Koepke know if you are making a presentation at Sessions so that she can plan to include your findings in Pulse. Thank you!
CME Activities:
17th Annual NC RTP Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium — October 31
This symposium will explore optimal diagnostic strategies for treating patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, treatment selection, and timely referrals to specialized PH centers. Clinically challenging presentations, including CTD-PAH, CPPC PH, CTEPH, PH associated with ILD, COPD, portopulmonary hypertension, and PH in end-stage renal disease, will be addressed — with a focus on frontline providers — through interactive lectures and robust case-based discussions. Durham Convention Center. Register here.
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.
Community Events:
Dr. Thomas Bashore Collection Opening – October 29
The collection opening celebration is scheduled for October 29 at 4:30 p.m. in the Holsti Anderson Family Assembly Room, Room 153, Rubenstein Library, Duke University, West Campus.
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:
October 3 — Stephen Greene
Consultant Live
Expert Perspectives: Top News in Heart Failure from HFSA Annual Scientific Meeting 2025
October 6 — Stephen Greene
AJMC/Commentary
Aggressive Therapy Recommendations Following the STRONG-HF Trials: Stephen J. Greene, MD
October 6 — Duke Health (Duke Children’s #3)
Cardiovascular Business
The best children’s heart hospitals in the US
October 7 — Neha Pagidipati
AARP
99 Percent of Heart Attacks and Strokes Are Linked to Modifiable Risk Factors
October 9 — Robert Califf
tctmd
What’s Going to Be Hot at TCT 2025
October 10 — Neha Pagidipati
Medscape
Considering Cardiovascular Risk Factors: Are There Fewer SMuRF-less Patients Than We Thought?
Duke Heart Pulse — October 5, 2025
Highlights of the week:
To Those Observing Recent Holidays
We hope all who observed Yom Kippur this past week had a meaningful and peaceful fast. A belated happy new year to all who celebrated Rosh Hashana Sept. 22-24. May this season foster renewal, peace and rejuvenation within you and your family.
Duke Health, Trase Systems Partner to Develop AI Health Care Tools
Duke Health and Trase Systems have entered a strategic partnership to create advanced AI agents aimed at reshaping health care delivery.
Trase Systems is a developer of agentic artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, a type of AI that can that make choices and act on its own to reach goals. Duke Health and Trase Systems plan to build a comprehensive AI-powered ecosystem that integrates automation ensuring data is brought to action for clinical care to improve outcomes and reduce cost.
The aim of the agentic AI technology is to streamline administrative assignments and optimize the allocation of resources, while also enhancing clinical functions such as patient scheduling requests, care coordination, and access to clinical studies.
Duke Heart staff will co-develop and test agentic AI products with Trase Systems aimed at enhancing clinician workflows, elevating the patient care experience, and improving health outcomes. The first phase of development will begin at the Duke Heart Center, which treats more than 65,000 people with heart disease every year.
“At Duke Health and Duke Heart, we are committed to advancing health care through innovation and research,” said Manesh R. Patel, MD, Chief of the Division of Cardiology at the Duke University School of Medicine.
“AI has the potential to help our doctors, nurses, and researchers maximize the use of information to personalize cardiovascular care for our patients,” said Patel. “We strive to develop proven and trusted tools that will improve health outcomes and create a better experience for patients and care teams alike.”
Clinical leaders will be working to see whether integrating AI into everyday workflows will allow care teams to better understand each patient’s unique health history, lifestyle, and biology and lead to more personalized care.
In addition to more personalized care, the AI-powered ecosystem aims to reduce administrative burden. In a recent survey by the American Medical Association, 75% of physicians said AI could make their work more efficient, and more than half believed AI could help with stress and burnout.
“AI holds enormous potential to transform health care—whether by automating time-intensive administrative tasks, improving patient care and outcomes, or streamlining hospital workflows—yet industry-wide adoption has been slow,” said Grant Verstandig, CEO of Red Cell Partners (incubator of Trase systems), and co-founder and CEO of Trase Systems. “By collaborating directly with the doctors, nurses, and administrators of Duke Health, we’ll be rapidly developing the agents they want and that deliver the highest value. We are excited to be pushing the boundaries of what AI can achieve so we can get that much closer to realizing its transformative impact on health care.”
ICYMI: SOM Leadership Town Hall Recording
Dean Klotman hosted a School of Medicine Town Hall: Financial and Operational Strategy Updates on Tuesday, Sept. 30. If you were unable to join us you can view the recording right here.
More from HFSA
We received more great photos from Heart Failure Society of America attendees this week, enjoy!
Above, left, Haya Aziz, MD, former AHFTC fellow, now AHFTC cardiologist at McGill University, presented a poster on a project she worked on with Karen Flores Rosario, MD. They are joined by Benjamin Trichon, MD, in the next photo, above right.
Above left, Jacob Schroder presenting to HFSA attendees; above center and right, Duke team members connecting! Photos courtesy of Stephanie Barnes and Karen Flores Rosario.
Campaign Launching this Week
As mentioned last month, Duke Health will launch an Access Campaign this week with three commercial spots – two of them dedicated to orthopedic and cardiovascular care. You can see the spots here: General Access; Heart, and Ortho.
AHA.25 Duke Annual Reception
The annual Duke reception at the upcoming American Heart Association Annual Scientific Sessions will be held on Nov. 8. (Please see email from DCRI for your official invitation.)
The upcoming Sessions will be held Nov. 7-10, 2025, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. This year’s theme is The Future of Cardiovascular Science Starts Here.
We look forward to seeing you!
Reminder: Please let Tracey Koepke know if you are making a presentation at Sessions so that she can plan to include your findings in Pulse. Thank you!
DUHS Updates:
Agreement reached with Aetna
On Friday, Duke Health and Aetna®, a CVS Health company, announced a new multi-year agreement that provides Aetna Commercial and Medicare Advantage members continued in-network access to high-quality, affordable care at Duke Health. This agreement includes all Duke Health locations and providers and reflects a shared commitment to putting patients and members first.
“Throughout this negotiation, we have remained committed to our nonprofit mission of serving the best interests of our patients and community,” said Thomas A. Owens, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Duke University Health System. “We came to the table together to reach an agreement that covers the cost of care. Our agreement with Aetna prioritizes efficiency, promotes high-quality care, and helps drive down health care costs.”
“Duke Health is a valued partner in delivering high-quality, convenient care to Aetna members in North Carolina,” said Amelia Lee, Aetna Vice President of Network, Southeast Region. “We look forward to continuing to work together to meet the needs of our shared members and patients.”
With this new agreement, both organizations look forward to continuing their partnership to provide high-quality health care while exploring new, innovative opportunities that focus on population health, value-based care, and other areas to benefit the health of members and patients in North Carolina.
“We came together to do what is best for patients and worked together to make this positive outcome possible,” said Owens. “Patients and families will continue to have access to the Duke Health doctors and care teams they know and trust.”
Patients who may have rescheduled or canceled any appointments are encouraged to call their provider’s office to resume care.
Pencina Heading to UnitedHealthcare
Dean Mary Klotman announced this week that Michael J. Pencina, PhD, chief data scientist for Duke Health and vice dean for data science, director of Duke AI Health, and professor of biostatistics and bioinformatics at the Duke University School of Medicine, will be leaving Duke to take a position with UnitedHealthcare as their chief AI scientist.
Pencina joined the Duke faculty in 2013. He co-founded and co-chaired Duke Health’s Algorithm-Based Clinical Decision Support (ABCDS) Oversight Committee and served as co-director of Duke’s Collaborative to Advance Clinical Health Equity (CACHE). He spearheaded Duke’s role as a founding partner of the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI), whose mission is to increase trustworthiness of AI by developing guidelines to drive high-quality health care through the adoption of credible, fair, and transparent health AI systems.
We wish him all the best in his new role – he will be missed here at Duke!
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
September 15-October 15: Hispanic Heritage Month
October 6-24: Open Enrollment period for 2026 medical benefits
October 9: Flu vaccination season launch
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.
Oct. 9: RV Guidelines with Fawaz Alenezi
Oct. 16: Quality in the Echo Lab with Ashlee Davis
Oct. 23 Topic TBD with Tess Allan
Oct. 30: Cardiovascular Imaging in Pregnancy with Nish Shivakumar
CME Activities:
17th Annual NC RTP Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium — October 31
This symposium will explore optimal diagnostic strategies for treating patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, treatment selection, and timely referrals to specialized PH centers. Clinically challenging presentations, including CTD-PAH, CPPC PH, CTEPH, PH associated with ILD, COPD, portopulmonary hypertension, and PH in end-stage renal disease, will be addressed — with a focus on frontline providers — through interactive lectures and robust case-based discussions. Durham Convention Center. Register here.
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.
Community Events:
2025 Triangle Heart Walk – October 11 at Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, 3801 Rock Quarry Rd, Raleigh, NC 27610. Festivities begin at 7:30 a.m.; Duke Health Team Photo will be at 8:15! The welcome program will begin at 8:45 a.m. with the Walk immediately following. The event venue will be open through 11 a.m.
Dr. Thomas Bashore Collection Opening – October 29
The collection opening celebration is scheduled for October 29 at 4:30 p.m. in the Holsti Anderson Family Assembly Room, Room 153, Rubenstein Library, Duke University, West Campus.
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:
September 28 — Stephen Greene
HCP Live/Don’t Miss a Beat podcast
Don’t Miss a Beat: Debating Oral Diuretic Intensification as an Endpoint in Heart Failure Trials
September 28 — Stephen Greene
HCP Live
Understanding Residual Risk and Hyperkalemia in Heart Failure, With Steve Greene, MD
September 29 — Neha Pagidipati
STAT News
Warning: Serious cardiovascular events don’t come out of the blue
September 29 — Sreekanth Vemulapalli
The Cardiology Advisor
Idorsia Collaborates With Stanford, Duke to Update Difficult-to-Treat Hypertension Care
September 30 — Adam DeVore
Becker’s Health IT
Digital health boosts medication adherence: Duke study
September 30 — Duke Health
Medpage Today
Constipation and CVD; Lp(a) Testing Still Rare; New Echocardiography Guideline
September 30 — Duke Heart
Becker’s Health IT
Duke Health developing agentic AI tools
September 30 — Manesh Patel
Healthcare Innovation
Venture Capitalists See Big Opportunity for Agentic AI in Healthcare
October 1 — Jennifer Rymer
European Medical Journal
ACS Unplugged: PCI and Antiplatelet Therapy
October 2 — Monique Starks, Christopher Granger, and Lisa Monk
The Clemmons Courier
October 2 — Michael Pencina
Stat News
UnitedHealth taps Duke scientist to lead AI efforts
October 3 — Stephen Greene
Medscape
Duke Heart Pulse — September 28, 2025
Chief’s message: Heart Failure Society Meeting with HFDA Presidential Address from Mike Felker
Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. For those of you not watching the Ryder Cup or other sporting events – this
weekend also marked the Heart Failure Society of America Meeting with several key cardiovascular faculty and fellows presenting. Perhaps the most notable was Mike Felker – President of HFSA giving the presidential address on 5 trends in Heart Failure and cardiovascular care. He highlighted many of the trends we have discussed around personalization, importance of emerging therapies based on these features, and the increasing ability to remotely monitor our patients and manage their health. Rob Mentz joined as Editor of JCF and provided some insights from his perspective. Below you will see other Science that was lead by our teams including Adam DeVore. Included are some pictures courtsey of people at the meeting that included a standing room only session on Devices and heart Failure that Marat Fudim was an integral part of. We will have more in upcoming weeks but congratulations to all who continue to help us improve the science around our HF patients.
Highlights of the week:
HFSA: Remote Health Care Helps Heart Failure Patients Get the Right Medications Faster
For millions of Americans living with heart failure, getting the right medications at the right doses can be a slow and frustrating process, which can lead to delayed treatment adjustments, undertreatment and risks for worsening symptoms.
A new study led by Duke Health shows that a remote digital program may offer a safe, faster way for heart failure patients to get the care they need from home.
The study, presented as a late-breaker at the Heart Failure Society of America’s Annual Scientific Meeting, highlights a critical issue in heart care access. Nearly half of U.S. counties don’t have a cardiologist, leaving many patients without expert guidance.
“We need scalable tools to reach people where they are,” said Adam DeVore, MD, associate professor of medicine in cardiology at the Duke University School of Medicine and the study’s lead author. “If you look across the roughly 3,100 counties in the United States, 46% don’t have a cardiologist.”
“People who live in areas without that access experience more heart disease and are more likely to die from heart problems,” DeVore said. “Add to that, appointments for medication titration are a real challenge in heart failure care. There are a lot of real-world barriers that make it really difficult.”
The research was funded by Innovaccer Inc., which developed Story Health, the digital care platform evaluated in the trial.
The study found patients who used the remote program to connect with care for the management of heart failure medications saw greater improvements in their regimens compared to those receiving usual care, and no increase in hospitalizations or emergency visits.
The multicenter randomized clinical trial, coordinated by the Duke Heart Center, enrolled 178 patients across seven U.S. health systems. Participants used blood pressure cuffs and scales that connected to their mobile device to track their health daily.
Their data was sent to clinicians through the secure digital platform, which also provided personalized medication recommendations. Health coaches helped patients navigate logistics like lab tests and pharmacy access, making it easier to adjust medications without needing frequent in-person visits.
The digital program improved medication use across all four foundational therapies for heart failure. Patients were more likely to reach target doses of key drugs that help manage heart failure and reduce hospitalizations (beta-blockers, ARNI, MRA and SGLT2 inhibitors.)
Dr. DeVore believes the findings offer a promising new option for clinicians and health systems looking to improve care for heart failure patients.
“A remote platform offers a scalable option for both clinicians and health systems to try to improve the care we’re already providing to patients with heart failure,” DeVore said.
“If we can get people on the right doses and the right number of medicines sooner,” DeVore said, “they have the possibility of living longer and staying out of the hospital more.”
In addition to DeVore, study authors include Cynthia L. Green, Nancy M. Albert, Amir R. Haghighat, Sunit-Preet Chaudhry, Hirak Shah, Mosi K. Bennett, Tom Stanis, Ashul Govil, Trejeeve Martyn, Jaime McDermott, Mirza S. Khan, and Andrew J. Sauer.
Kunal Patel, MD, Receives NIH K01 Research Scientist Development Award
Kunal Patel, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, has been granted a K01 Research Scientist Development Award from the National Institutes of Health for his project titled, The Post-Lung Transplant Impact of Alveolar Macrophage Senescence in Aged Donor Lungs.
The purpose of the K01 award program is to provide support and protected time for an intensive, supervised career development experience in the biomedical, behavioral, or clinical sciences leading to research independence.
Patel’s project will determine the role of senescent alveolar macrophages in allograft failure and the poor outcomes associated with aged donor lungs, which will provide the field with clinically relevant, therapeutic targets to increase the utility and viability of aged donor lungs for lung transplant.
Congratulations, Kunal!
Reminder: SOM Leadership Town Hall on Tuesday
Dean Klotman will host a School of Medicine Town Hall: Financial and Operational Strategy Updates on September 30 at 12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. All faculty, staff, students, and residents are invited to attend.
Speakers include:
• Host: Mary Klotman, MD, Executive Vice President for Health Affairs, Duke University; Dean, Duke University School of Medicine; Chief Academic Officer, Duke Health
• Panelist: Colin Duckett, PhD, Executive Vice Dean for Basic and Preclinical Science, Duke University School of Medicine
• Panelist: Heather Hamby, MPH, Executive Vice Dean for Administration, Duke University School of Medicine
• Panelist: Geeta Swamy, MD, Associate Vice President for Research, Duke University; Executive Vice Dean for Clinical Sciences and Research Administration, Duke University School of Medicine
• Panelist: Scott Elengold, JD, Associate University Counsel, Duke University
• Panelist: Catherine Liao, MSPH, Vice President for Government Relations, Duke Health
Join the Zoom webinar here. A copy of the recording will be available on the SOM website the next day.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
September 15-October 15: Hispanic Heritage Month
October 6-24: Open Enrollment period for 2026 medical benefits
October 9: Flu vaccination season launch
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Sept. 30: ESC Update (Session 2) with Jennifer Rymer. 5 p.m. DN 2002 or via Zoom.
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.
Oct. 2: Aortic Stenosis with Bharathi Upadhya
Oct. 9: RV Guidelines with Fawaz Alenezi
Oct. 16: Quality in the Echo Lab with Ashlee Davis
Oct. 23 Topic TBD with Tess Allan
Oct. 30: Cardiovascular Imaging in Pregnancy with Nish Shivakumar
CME Activities:
Duke Cardiac Imaging Symposium — October 4
This year’s symposium is designed to address emerging clinical questions in echocardiography, updated guideline recommendations, and new imaging modalities through case-based learning and practical applications. The 2025 agenda features expert-led sessions on updated ASE guidelines, coronary artery disease evaluation, strain imaging in cardiomyopathies, tricuspid valve disease, cardiac POCUS, and technical skills development through hands-on breakout sessions. Trent Semans Center, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
To register, please visit https://duke.is/b/vd87.
17th Annual NC RTP Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium — October 31
This symposium will explore optimal diagnostic strategies for treating patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, treatment selection, and timely referrals to specialized PH centers. Clinically challenging presentations, including CTD-PAH, CPPC PH, CTEPH, PH associated with ILD, COPD, portopulmonary hypertension, and PH in end-stage renal disease, will be addressed — with a focus on frontline providers — through interactive lectures and robust case-based discussions. Durham Convention Center. Register here.
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.
Community Events:
2025 Triangle Heart Walk – October 11
Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, 3801 Rock Quarry Rd, Raleigh, NC 27610. Festivities begin at 7:30 a.m.; our Duke Health Team Photo will be at 8:15! The AHA welcome program will begin at 8:45 a.m. with the Walk immediately following. The event venue will be open through 11 a.m.
Dr. Thomas Bashore Collection Opening – October 29
The collection opening celebration is scheduled for October 29 at 4:30 p.m. in the Holsti Anderson Family Assembly Room, Room 153, Rubenstein Library, Duke University, West Campus.
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:
September 23 — Harry Severance
Becker’s ASC Review
How Stark law could be keeping physicians from leadership
September 25 — Duke Clinical Research Institute (Rymer)
Diabetes.co.uk
Seasonal changing of the clocks not linked to increased heart attack risk
Duke Heart Pulse — September 21, 2025
Chief’s message: Information, Data, AI and information Networks
The fall is starting to come to North Carolina and this time of year is one of the more beautiful times in our area. Hopefully, you all are getting to spend sometime outside over the next few weeks. This week Duke Heart continues to work to accomplish our missions in an ever evolving world. We were able to collaborate on some important projects in the last week and had some clear examples of where our teams can make a difference. We are in full swing for recruiting fellows in cardiology and faculty for the upcoming years. Please take a look at some of the upcoming events including a launch of advertising for Duke Heart, the AHA Heart Walk, and APP week upcoming.
Additionally, in keeping with our reading list – if you have the chance – I would recommend consider reading the novel Nexus by Yuval Noah Harari. The book traverses a vast timeline, examining how humans have communicated 
and shared information from ancient times to the modern era, culminating in the age of artificial intelligence. The book is structured chronologically, beginning with the earliest forms of communication in the Stone Age, such as cave paintings and oral traditions. It progresses through significant historical developments, including the invention of writing, the printing press, and the telegraph, highlighting how each innovation transformed societal structures and information dissemination.As the narrative advances, Harari delves into the digital age, discussing the rise of the internet, social media, and the burgeoning influence of AI on information networks. Each chapter is rich with historical anecdotes, technological insights, and analyses of the societal impacts of these networks. The author successfully illustrates the interconnectedness of communication advancements and societal change, the role of humans in shaping and changing stories and information – making the book both enlightening and thought-provoking. His exploration of AI’s role in modern information networks is particularly relevant and timely, given current technological trends. As we continue to work on getting scientific and medical information out to our communities – this book provides an interesting and important perspective for our health systems.
These themes will help us with our work to communicate our focus on aligning our clinical growth with our research missions in cardiovascular health.
Highlights of the week:
Heart Access Advertising Campaign to Launch Oct. 6
We are pleased to announce the pending launch of an advertising campaign designed to feature the accessibility of Duke Heart services throughout our area.
Marketing research of patients in our community has found that more than half of respondents prioritize ease and accessibility when choosing specialty health care. While Duke Heart already offers same-day and next-day appointments, over the past year our team has worked to expand access through online scheduling, template changes, and new hires.
As a result of these efforts, a new multi-channel, consumer-facing marketing campaign will be launched on October 6 to highlight Duke Health’s 48-hour access to specialty care — focusing on our heart and orthopedic service lines, albeit in dedicated ads.
The campaign will run throughout our primary market through June 2026. Ads will appear at various times across an assortment of platforms, including:
- Television commercials (digital and cable), including one specifically for heart services.
- Digital ads
- Radio ads (digital and traditional)
- Outdoor advertisements in Wake county — including billboards, bus ads, and display ads in outdoor malls.
- Ads in Raleigh-Durham International Airport
- Triangle Heart Walk (Oct. 11) tie-in via the Duke Health team shirts and an ‘activation’ tent in the walker activities area.
This Access initiative aligns with Duke Health’s strategic pillars of people, access, and growth, and reflects our commitment to meeting patients where they are—both geographically and in their healthcare journey.
We know patients value efficiency and flexibility. Our marketing campaign will emphasize ease of scheduling and timely access to care across Duke Heart locations.
Thank you for the exceptional care you provide every day. Your work continues to place patients and their families at the center of everything we do. We are excited about this campaign and we appreciate your help and attention to ensuring our patients can be seen quickly throughout our clinical areas.
Celebrating APPs
This week (Sept. 22-26) is National Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Week, a celebration and awareness week honoring the contributions of Physician Assistants/Associates, Nurse Practitioners, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Certified Nurse Midwives, and Certified Anesthesiologist Assistants. The theme this year is “Racing Toward the Future: Celebrating APPs.”
We recognize and celebrate providers who are certified and licensed to assess, diagnose, treat, and manage illnesses, prescribe medications, perform clinical procedures, and conduct clinical research in the management of our patients. This important group of providers throughout Duke Health and the U.S. elevates the fields of medicine and nursing to ensure our patients and communities receive safe, high-quality, evidence-based care.
The Duke Heart APP team is filled with amazing, supportive, terrific colleagues, so be sure to thank an APP this week!
Relocation of Duke North 3300 to Duke North 6300 Completed
Duke North 3300 relocated to 6300 (31-bed unit) on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. There is no change in the patient population on this unit. 6300 was specifically chosen as the move location because of the proximity to both of our other CT step-down Units (6100 and 6E).
Thanks to everyone who helped ensure a smooth transition!
Service Line Leadership Strategic Meeting Held
The Duke Heart service line gathered our operational leaders on Friday, Sept. 19, for a strategic meeting to discuss year-end performance and an overview of our strategic growth plan. Jill Engel and Manesh Patel led the presentation.
Many thanks to our Center of Excellence team for hosting the meeting in their space!
AI at Duke Newsletter
Are you interested in learning more about how Duke is shaping the future of AI in research, teaching, and learning? AI at Duke has launched a monthly newsletter, which will share highlights about the interdisciplinary AI work happening across Duke and updates on the university’s evolving strategic framework around AI.
The first edition can be viewed here, which provides a recap of AI stories from this summer. If you would like to subscribe, click here.
As information regarding Duke Heart’s projects in AI becomes available, we may share information with the AI at Duke team for their newsletter consideration. We have several projects working with partners and will be sharing in upcoming weeks.
System Updates:
TJC Visit: DUH received a full accreditation award letter from The Joint Commission this week. Congratulations to all!
Use of Patient Transport Elevators (DUH): Please remind your teams to refrain from using patient transport elevators. New signage has been installed to indicate which elevators in DN and the DCT are designated for patient transport only and should not be used by staff for non-patient transport activities. Your support is appreciated as we work to efficiently care for each patient.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
September: National Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month
September 15-October 15: Hispanic Heritage Month
October 6-24: Open Enrollment period for 2026 medical benefits
October 9: Flu vaccination season launch
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Sept. 23: ESC Update (Session 1) with Manesh Patel. 5 p.m., 2002 DN or via Zoom.
Sept. 30: ESC Update (Session 2) with Jennifer Rymer. 5 p.m. DN 2002 or via Zoom.
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.
Sept. 25: Mitral Stenosis with Jon Owensby
Oct. 2: Aortic Stenosis with Bharathi Upadhya
Oct. 9: RV Guidelines with Fawaz Alenezi
Oct. 16: Quality in the Echo Lab with Ashlee Davis
Oct. 23 Topic TBD with Tess Allan
Oct. 30: Cardiovascular Imaging in Pregnancy with Nish Shivakumar
CME Offerings:
Duke Cardiac Imaging Symposium — October 4
This year’s symposium is designed to address emerging clinical questions in echocardiography, updated guideline recommendations, and new imaging modalities through case-based learning and practical applications. The 2025 agenda features expert-led sessions on updated ASE guidelines, coronary artery disease evaluation, strain imaging in cardiomyopathies, tricuspid valve disease, cardiac POCUS, and technical skills development through hands-on breakout sessions. Trent Semans Center, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
To register, please visit https://duke.is/b/vd87.
17th Annual NC RTP Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium — October 31
This symposium will explore optimal diagnostic strategies for treating patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, treatment selection, and timely referrals to specialized PH centers. Clinically challenging presentations, including CTD-PAH, CPPC PH, CTEPH, PH associated with ILD, COPD, portopulmonary hypertension, and PH in end-stage renal disease, will be addressed — with a focus on frontline providers — through interactive lectures and robust case-based discussions. Durham Convention Center. Register here.
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.
Other Events:
SOM Leadership Town Hall – September 30
Dean Klotman will host a School of Medicine Town Hall: Financial and Operational Strategy Updates on September 30 at 12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. All faculty, staff, students, and residents are invited to attend. A Zoom link will be available closer to the date of the event.
2025 Triangle Heart Walk – October 11
The 2025 Triangle Heart Walk will take place on October 11 at Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, 3801 Rock Quarry Rd, Raleigh, NC 27610. Festivities begin at 7:30 a.m.; a brief “Welcome” program will officially open the walk at 8:45 a.m., with the walk immediately following. The event venue will be open through 11 a.m.
New Faculty Orientation – October 13
The School of Medicine’s annual Academic New Faculty Orientation will be held Monday, October 13, 2025, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Trent Semans Center. To learn more and register, please visit https://duke.is/SOM-NFO.
Dr. Thomas Bashore Collection Opening – October 29
The opening celebration of the Bashore Collection is scheduled for October 29 at 4:30 p.m. in the Holsti Anderson Family Assembly Room, Room 153, Rubenstein Library, Duke University, West Campus.
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, 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:
September 14 — Jennifer Rymer
Breaking MED
Daylight Savings Time Not Associated with Heart Attack Rates
September 15 — David D’Alessio
Medscape
Real-World Study Finds Over 50% Stop GLP-1s Within 1 Year
September 15 — Kunal Patel and Kenneth Boccaccio
The Duke Chronicle
‘Extend the lifesaving benefit’: Duke surgeons pioneer robotic bilateral lung transplant
September 15 — Harry Severance
Newsweek
Philips exec: What the U.S. manufacturing push means for health care
September 15 — Robert Califf
The Medical Independent
RCPI meeting to explore ‘healthcare horizons’
September 15 — Dawn Coleman
Vascular News
Dawn Coleman (profile)
September 16 — Duke University Hospital
The Hearty Soul
France Introduces Artificial Heart That Could Last A Lifetime Without Donors
September 17 — Joseph Turek
The Telegraph Online (India)
The Alternative: Partial heart transplants in children and their success rate
Duke Heart Pulse — September 14, 2025
Highlights of the week:
Albanese Leaving Duke Health
The University announced this week that Craig Albanese, MD, MBA, Chief Executive Officer of Duke University Health System, will be departing Duke on Sept. 30. Albanese will serve as President of Kaiser Permanente, the largest integrated non-profit healthcare delivery system in the United States, headquartered in Oakland, California, effective October 1.
In an announcement to the Duke Health team, Albanese shared the following:
“This was an unexpected, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that came my way — one that I feel called to pursue at this point in my professional journey. Personally, it will bring my wife and me closer to our daughters and their growing families, a first time for our family to be united since they left for college.
It has been an incredible honor to serve alongside you. I will remember not just what we accomplished together, but how we did it—with respect, compassion, and a deep commitment to belonging. You’ve led with extraordinary courage through challenges, supported one another with kindness, and cared for those who come to us for hope, health, and healing with unwavering dedication. Every day, you’ve inspired me with your belief in Duke, in our patients and in each other. I hope you felt that I have, and always will, believe in you and in Duke’s extraordinary missions.
Please know that my admiration and gratitude for this organization and its people are endless. As President Price shared, he and the Board of Directors will guide the transition ahead. I have every confidence in the strength, resilience and talent of this team to continue advancing the important work we have started together. Leadership transitions can be both exciting and unsettling. There will always be unknowns. What I know with certainty, however, is that by focusing on Duke Health’s four critical missions – and living our values and cultural commitments of putting people first, adapting to improve, and being clear to empower – Duke will continue to provide hope, health and healing to one another, our patients and our communities.
While I am moving on to a new chapter, I will always carry Duke and all of you with me. The impact you’ve had on my life is immeasurable, and I will remain one of your biggest champions—forever proud to have been part of this extraordinary community.
Thank you for your trust, your support, and most of all, the privilege of serving alongside you.”
Albanese also shared a video announcement that can be viewed here: https://duke.is/c/aktw
Preparations will commence immediately for a national search for his successor, with details to be announced soon. An interim management structure for DUHS will be implemented until a new CEO is named. During this interim period, Tom Owens, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (EVP/COO) of DUHS, will report to Vincent E. Price, Duke University President. Price will be in close contact and direct coordination with the DUHS senior vice presidents, who will report either to the DUHS EVP/COO or jointly to the DUHS EVP/COO and Mary Klotman, Executive Vice President for Health Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine. Other senior leaders with dual reporting responsibilities will continue reporting to Mary Klotman, and an interim plan will be established to replace their DUHS CEO reporting line. All leaders affected by these changes will be notified and provided with details in the coming days.
Duke’s leadership is committed to ensuring a smooth leadership transition and a successful search for Craig’s replacement. Please join us in congratulating Craig and his family!
Daylight Saving Time May Not Trigger Heart Attacks After All, Study Finds
As most Americans prepare to turn their clocks back one hour on Sunday, Nov. 2, a new study is casting doubt on a long-standing belief: that daylight saving time (DST) disrupts sleep enough to trigger a spike in heart attacks.
In a sweeping analysis of nearly 170,000 patients over a decade, researchers at Duke University School of Medicine found no significant increase in heart attacks during the weeks surrounding DST transitions — in neither spring nor fall.
The findings published Sept. 9 in JAMA Network Open challenge earlier, smaller studies that suggested the spring time change, which robs people of an hour of sleep, could lead to a rise in cardiovascular events.
The only exception in the new study was a spike in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) cases following spring DST in 2020, coinciding with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a period of widespread stress, uncertainty, and disruptions to health care.
“This is the most comprehensive look we’ve had at the relationship between DST and heart health,” said lead study author Jennifer Rymer, MD, an interventional cardiologist at Duke Health and an associate professor of medicine in cardiology at Duke School of Medicine. “And the data simply don’t support the idea that changing the clocks causes a surge in heart attacks.”
The study, published using data from the American College of Cardiology Chest Pain MI Registry, examined cases from 2013 to 2022, with analysis conducted between March 2024 and May 2025.
Daylight saving time is the practice of changing clocks twice a year to take advantage of a longer day in warmer months. Lawmakers continue to debate whether to make DST permanent, or to end it altogether.
Duke, along with colleagues, compared heart attack rates during the week of DST — both spring and fall — with the weeks immediately before and after. In the spring, 28,678 patients (17.0%) were treated for AMI during the DST week, compared to 28,596 (16.9%) the week before and 28,169 (16.7%) the week after.
Fall numbers showed a similar pattern: 27,942 patients (16.5%) during DST week, 27,365 (16.2%) the week prior, and 28,120 (16.7%) the week following.
Patient demographics remained stable throughout the study, with a median age of 65 and women making up about one-third of cases.
Researchers found no meaningful differences in hospital deaths, strokes, or other outcomes tied to daylight saving time.
“Advances in post-heart attack treatment over the past decade may also explain why our study did not find statistically significant changes in outcomes, unlike earlier, smaller studies,” said Rymer, who performs procedures, such as angioplasty and stent placement, to quickly open blocked coronary arteries and stop heart attacks.
The study’s authors suggest that previous findings may have been skewed by smaller sample sizes and limited geographic scope.
The broader scope and inclusion of states like Arizona and Hawaii — where DST is not observed — in the new study helped provide a natural control group and perhaps a more accurate picture.
“There are many reasons why heart attacks might become more common during certain times of the year — like when there’s a spike in flu cases or other respiratory illnesses,” Rymer said. “So, while this study looked at heart attack rates around daylight saving time, it’s important to remember that other seasonal factors could also be playing a role.”
Sleep Still Matters
Still, the researchers caution that sleep remains a critical factor in heart health. Poor sleep and extremes in sleep duration — less than six or more than nine hours — have been consistently linked to increased cardiovascular risk.
One hour of additional sleep, studies show, can reduce the risk of heart attack by as much as 20% in short sleepers.
As work schedules have become more flexible and remote jobs more common since the COVID-19 pandemic, the one-hour shift caused by daylight saving time may no longer disrupt daily routines as much as it once did.
With fewer rigid work-hour boundaries and more digital connectivity, the time change may have less impact on sleep patterns and overall health.
While the new findings may ease fears about heart attacks, other studies have linked the time change to increased risk of stroke, car accidents, and workplace injuries.
Additional Authors include Shung Li, Karen Chiswell, PhD, Aman Kansal, MD, Michael G. Nanna, MD, Jorge Antonio Gutierrez, MD, Dmitriy N Feldman, MD, Sunil V. Rao, MD, and senior author Rajesh V. Swaminathan, MD.
Funding was provided by the American College of Cardiology. This article was written by Shantell Kirkendoll for Duke SOM’s Magnify publication.
Duke Heart Team Awarded NHLBI R01
Congratulations to Gerald Bloomfield, Svati Shah (Duke Multi-PIs) and Winstone Nyandiko (Moi University PI)! They have been awarded an R01 from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) for their project entitled: Cardiac function and proteomic biomarkers in individuals with perinatal HIV infection or exposure.
The team will follow a cohort of adolescents and young adults with perinatally-acquired HIV in Kenya to screen for subclinical cardiac dysfunction by echocardiogram, as well as proteomic biomarkers indicative of inflammation and other pathways. By comparing three groups (with HIV, never exposed to HIV, exposed to HIV in utero but without HIV), the team aims to identify the specific contributions of HIV exposure and infection to early cardiac dysfunction in a young cohort. Findings will inform early preventive interventions.
The grant is an R01 mechanism award totaling $4.8M over 5 years.
Way to go, team!
Note of Gratitude
We received a lovely note that was originally sent to James Mills regarding care provided by Deepa Upadhyaya and wanted to share it with our Pulse readers:
“Hi Jim, I am writing to share with you my gratitude and appreciation for the care Deepa extended as a care provider for my family member at DRAH. She was thoughtful and knowledgeable and went out of her way to provide amazing professional care. She went well above what was asked of her as a consultant, an old school physician combining the art and science of medicine. Having colleagues such as Deepa is so meaningful.” — All the best, Lynne Koweek, MD
We are lucky to have you on our team, Deepa!
Duke Heart Adds New Family Member
A belated congratulations to Fran Reda, nurse practitioner at Arringdon, and her husband on the birth of their daughter, Anne Douglas Reda, back on May 22! Anne weighed 8lbs 12oz and was 21 inches at birth. All are doing well!
DCRI’s Beyond the Endpoint Season Two
The Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) launched season 2 of the podcast, Beyond the Endpoint, this week with an episode on autism featuring the interim director of the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Dr. Lauren Franz. The podcast is co-hosted by Manesh Patel and Emily O’Brien (PopHealth).
Beyond the Endpoint launches every other Wednesday on major streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Topics planned for the remainder of 2025 include three ‘Beyond the Headlines’ episodes (science-grounded discussions on current headlines); a three-part series on obesity; the use of AI in medicine; colorectal cancer, and behavioral interventions in research. The season will continue through spring of 2026. Guests have been a mix of Duke experts and colleagues from beyond the university.
DUHS & SOM Updates:
Use of Patient Transport Elevators (DUH)
Please remind your teams to refrain from using patient transport elevators. Beginning Tuesday, September 16, new signage will be installed to indicate which elevators in DN and the DCT are designated for patient transport only and should not be used by staff for non-patient transport activities. Your support is appreciated as we work to efficiently care for each patient.
Duke Financial Fitness Week
Each year Duke Human Resources offers a series of free, virtual webinars designed to help you understand your benefits, make smart money moves, and to plan for the future during Duke Financial Fitness Week, Sept. 22-25, 2025. To see the full schedule and RSVP for individual Zoom sessions, please visit: https://hr.duke.edu/benefits/finance/financial-fitness/
These sessions are open to all Duke employees — staff, faculty, and anyone interested in learning more about their benefits. No matter your age or contribution status, there’s something here for you. Questions? Contact the Duke Human Resource Information Center at 919-684-5600 or email hr@duke.edu.
Open Enrollment for 2026
The Open Enrollment period for 2026 medical benefits this fall will be extended to three weeks to provide employees with more time to consider the options that best meet their needs. Open enrollment will be Oct. 6-24, 2025. Changes are coming for 2026, including the move from Aetna to Cigna Healthcare for the administration of all medical plans. To learn more, visit: https://hr.duke.edu/benefits/enrollment/oe/.
Non-Clinician Headshot Day
Huth Photo is planning a Headshot Day for non-clinicians on Sept. 23. Register Here. Appointments are still available! You can email office@huthphoto.com to be added to their distribution list so you don’t miss future headshot day announcements. Clinical provider headshots are taken by DUHS Marketing & Communications. Contact Tracey Koepke for that schedule.
SOM Town Hall
Dean Klotman will host a School of Medicine Town Hall on September 30 at 12 pm. All faculty, staff, students, and residents are invited to attend. A Zoom link will be available closer to the date of the event.
Bass Connections
Bass Connections is now accepting proposals for 2026-2027 projects that engage faculty, undergraduates and graduate/professional students in the interdisciplinary exploration of complex societal challenges. Please see the project proposal guidelines.
Climate and Health Course
Free Duke Coursera course for the Duke community: Climate and Health for Healthcare Professions.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
September: National Atrial Fibrillation Awareness month
October 9: Flu vaccination season launch
Cardiology Grand Rounds Begins
Cardiologist Bernard Gersh, MB, ChB, DPhil, adjunct professor in the Duke Department of Medicine, will kick off the Cardiology Grand Rounds on Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 5 p.m.
Sept. 16 — Changing Approaches to Risk Stratification in Chronic Coronary Syndromes and Implications for Prevention with Dr. Bernard Gersh. 5 p.m., Duke North 2002 or via Zoom.
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.
Stead Tread 5K Run/Walk – September 20
Department of Medicine Internal Medicine Residency Program annual 5K. 9 a.m., at Solite Park in Durham.
The division with the most participants gets a trophy! Register or donate HERE. Sign up by September 1 to guarantee you will get an event T-shirt! Reach out to event planner Victor Ayeni (victor.ayeni@duke.edu) with any questions.
Get that trophy, Duke Cardiology!
Duke Cardiac Imaging Symposium — October 4
This year’s symposium is designed to address emerging clinical questions in echocardiography, updated guideline recommendations, and new imaging modalities through case-based learning and practical applications. The 2025 agenda features expert-led sessions on updated ASE guidelines, coronary artery disease evaluation, strain imaging in cardiomyopathies, tricuspid valve disease, cardiac POCUS, and technical skills development through hands-on breakout sessions. Trent Semans Center, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
To register, please visit https://duke.is/b/vd87.
2025 Triangle Heart Walk – October 11
Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
3801 Rock Quarry Rd, Raleigh, NC 27610.
Festivities begin at 7:30 a.m.; “Welcome” program will begin at 8:45 a.m. with the Walk immediately following. The event venue will be open through 11 a.m.
New Faculty Orientation – October 13
The School of Medicine’s annual Academic New Faculty Orientation will be held Monday, October 13, 2025, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Trent Semans Center.
To learn more and register, please visit https://duke.is/SOM-NFO.
Dr. Thomas Bashore Collection Opening – October 29
The collection opening celebration is scheduled for October 29 at 4:30 p.m. in the Holsti Anderson Family Assembly Room, Room 153, Rubenstein Library, Duke University, West Campus.
17th Annual NC RTP Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium — October 31
This symposium will explore optimal diagnostic strategies for treating patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, treatment selection, and timely referrals to specialized PH centers. Clinically challenging presentations, including CTD-PAH, CPPC PH, CTEPH, PH associated with ILD, COPD, portopulmonary hypertension, and PH in end-stage renal disease, will be addressed — with a focus on frontline providers — through interactive lectures and robust case-based discussions. Durham Convention Center. To register, please visit: https://medicine.duke.edu/17th-annual-north-carolina-research-triangle-pulmonary-hypertension-symposium.
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.
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:
September 6 — Joseph Turek
Oman Observer via NYT syndicate
Doctors find early success with partial heart transplants
August 29 — Duke Health
Medthority
September 7 — Susan Spratt (Endocrinology)
Khaleej Times via NYT syndicate
Four surprising ways healthy heart habits benefit your whole body
September 7 — Renato Lopes
Eurasia Review
Positive Results Revealed From First Prospective Trial In Heart Failure Due To Chagas Disease
September 7 — Fawaz Alenezi
Conexiant/Cardiology
AI Accurately Flags HCM on Echo
September 8 — Sreekanth Vemulapalli
Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiology
September 9 — Jennifer Rymer
Medpage Today
Don’t Pin Heart Attacks on Daylight Savings Time, Study Says
September 10 — Robert Lefkowitz
Medical Economics
Could a doctor draft improve physician leadership, research, and U.S. health care?
September 11 — Duke University (Heart study)
Cal Coast Times
New Study Reveals Daylight Saving Time Doesn’t Raise Heart Attack Risk
Duke Heart Pulse — September 7, 2025
Highlights of the week:
Applefeld, Narcisse Named Co-Directors, Cardiology Grand Rounds
We are excited to share that Drs. Willard Applefeld and Dennis Narcisse are now serving as our newest co-directors of Cardiology Grand Rounds.
Please let them know if you have suggested topics or speakers you would like them to consider inviting to present to us over the coming year. They can be reached at willard.applefeld@duke.edu and dennis.narcisse@duke.edu.
Congratulations, Willard and Dennis!
Bernard Gersh to Present CGR Opener
Cardiologist Bernard Gersh, MB, ChB, DPhil, adjunct professor in the Duke Department of Medicine, will kick off the first cardiology grand rounds of the year on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025.
Gersh is Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and a consultant in cardiovascular diseases and internal medicine. His past positions include the W. Proctor Harvey Teaching Professor of Cardiology and Chief of the Division of Cardiology at Georgetown University Medical Center. Gersh received his MB, ChB, from the University of Cape Town in South Africa, and his Doctor of Philosophy degree from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar.
Sept. 16 — Topic TBD with Dr. Bernard Gersh. 5 p.m., Duke North 2002 or via Zoom.
Palma Re-Elected to CAAHEP Board
Congratulations to Richie Palma, director of the Duke Cardiac Ultrasound Certificate Program! Palma was recently re-elected to the Board of Directors for the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).
Palma is also serving as the President of the North Carolina Ultrasound Society.
Great news, Richie!
Celebrating the Dr. Thomas Bashore Collection
Many of you know that Professor Emeritus in cardiology, Tom Bashore, MD, is a serious collector of historical medical devices and memorabilia. Upon his retirement last year, he donated the bulk of his collection to Duke University. His collection has been curated for display in the Rubenstein Library, and we are thrilled to announce that a celebration to open the exhibit will be held on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. in the Holsti Anderson Family Assembly Room, Room 153, Rubenstein Library, Duke University, West Campus.
Please join us in celebrating Tom and the Dr. Thomas Bashore Collection!
A New Addition to Duke Heart
A belated congratulations to Cara Hoke, MD, on the birth of her daughter, Harper, on June 24th. Both mom and baby are doing well! We send our warmest wishes to Cara and her family and look forward to meeting Harper very soon!
Reminder of Cardiology E-Consent Go-live:
Electronic consents will go-live in September for all of cardiology across all three Duke hospitals. A committee that included clinical providers has worked hard to make electronic consents easy and user-friendly.
Starting on the respective go-live dates, a new cardiology consent tab (“Cardiology e-consent”) will appear in EPIC, similar to the notes and orders tab. A provider can open that tab and create a consent. The only boxes that will need to be filled out are the attending physician performing the procedure and the type of procedure; from there, all the keywording will be filled in, and then signatures can be obtained. Signatures can be obtained on a desktop, phone, or tablet.
Go-live dates will be as follows:
- September 8th — Duke Regional Hospital
- September 15 — Duke Raleigh Hospital
- September 22 — Duke University Hospital
On the go-live date for each hospital, there will be in-person training for the e-consent process as well as videos and a PDF handout. Stacey Brower and Lisa McDonald are taking the lead on training.
DOM Annual Year in Review, Sept. 12
Join Department of Medicine Chair Dr. Kathleen Cooney, Vice Chairs Drs. Scott Palmer, and Julius Wilder for the Department of Medicine Annual Year in Review. September 12, 8-9 a.m., Duke South Amphitheater.
DUHS Updates:
The Open Enrollment period for 2026 medical benefits this fall will be extended to three weeks to provide employees with more time to consider the options that best meet their needs. Open enrollment will be Oct. 6-24, 2025. Several changes are coming for 2026, including the move to Cigna Healthcare for the administration of all medical plans. To learn more, visit: https://hr.duke.edu/benefits/enrollment/oe/.
Negotiations with Aetna continue as Duke works to protect our patients’ access to Duke Health and to advocate for appropriate reimbursement for the expert, complex care we provide. If Aetna does not agree to a new, fair contract, Duke Health will be out-of-network for patients with Aetna insurance starting Monday, October 20, 2025.
Scheduling Aetna Patients
We hope to have an agreement with Aetna before the termination date, and we are continuing to schedule and deliver care to our Aetna patients. As we approach our potential contract termination date, we are developing plans to prioritize open availability and reschedule patient appointments and procedures to minimize disruption to their care. This work will begin this coming week, and we will share details as plans are finalized.
Please visit Duke Health Now for more information, FAQs, and resources for patients who have questions.
Finally, the updated DUH visitation policy took effect on September 1, with visiting hours starting at 6 a.m.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
September: National Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month
October 9: Flu vaccination season launch
Stead Tread 5K Run/Walk – September 20
Department of Medicine Internal Medicine Residency Program annual 5K. 9 a.m., at Solite Park in Durham.
The division with the most participants gets a trophy! Register or donate HERE. Sign up by September 1 to guarantee you will get an event T-shirt! Reach out to event planner Victor Ayeni (victor.ayeni@duke.edu) with any questions.
Get that trophy, Duke Cardiology!
Duke Cardiac Imaging Symposium — October 4
This year’s symposium is designed to address emerging clinical questions in echocardiography, updated guideline recommendations, and new imaging modalities through case-based learning and practical applications. The 2025 agenda features expert-led sessions on updated ASE guidelines, coronary artery disease evaluation, strain imaging in cardiomyopathies, tricuspid valve disease, cardiac POCUS, and technical skills development through hands-on breakout sessions. Trent Semans Center, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
To register, please visit https://events.duke.edu/DukeCIS2025.
2025 Triangle Heart Walk – October 11
Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
3801 Rock Quarry Rd, Raleigh, NC 27610.
Festivities begin at 7:30 a.m.; “Welcome” program will begin at 8:45 a.m. with the Walk immediately following. The event venue will be open through 11 a.m.
New Faculty Orientation – October 13
The School of Medicine’s annual Academic New Faculty Orientation will be held Monday, October 13, 2025, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Trent Semans Center.
To learn more and register, please visit https://duke.is/SOM-NFO.
17th Annual NC RTP Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium — October 31
This symposium will explore optimal diagnostic strategies for treating patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, treatment selection, and timely referrals to specialized PH centers. Clinically challenging presentations, including CTD-PAH, CPPC PH, CTEPH, PH associated with ILD, COPD, portopulmonary hypertension, and PH in end-stage renal disease, will be addressed — with a focus on frontline providers — through interactive lectures and robust case-based discussions. Durham Convention Center. To register, please visit: https://medicine.duke.edu/17th-annual-north-carolina-research-triangle-pulmonary-hypertension-symposium.
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.
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:
August 29 — Duke Health
Reuters
August 30 — Robert Califf
JAMA Cardiology/Editorial
August 30 — Gerald Bloomfield
JAMA Cardiology/Editorial
WHO STEPS and the Future of Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
September 1 — Renato Lopes
tctMD
AQUATIC: More Than 6 Months After PCI, Don’t Use Aspirin With OAC
September 1 — Renato Lopes
tctMD
PARACHUTE-HF: Sacubitril/Valsartan Effective in Neglected Chagas Cardiomyopathy
September 1 — Christopher Granger
tctMD
HI-PRO: Oral Apixaban for 1 Year Protective, Safe in Provoked VTE Patients
September 2 — Nenad Bursac
WPTF Afternoon News (92.9 FM/680 AM)
Dr. Nenad Bursac Professor of Cell Biology at Duke University
September 2 — Robert Califf
Breaking Med
Cardiovascular Hospitalizations Lower With High-Dose Flu Vaccine, Analysis Suggests
September 3 — Neha Pagidipati
Healio/Cardiology Today
Zilebesiran trial shows no significant impact on BP in high CV risk cohort
September 3 — Joseph Turek
Juta Medical Brief (Africa)
Partial heart transplant shows promise in heart disease – US study
September 4 — Duke Health (Heart)
Becker’s Hospital Review/Cardiology
Value-based care scores of US News’ top 50 heart hospitals
September 4 — Duke University (Heart)
Becker’s Hospital Review
Top 15 universities for cardiology: US News
September 4 — Manesh Patel
HCP Live
Updating the Hypertension Treatment Landscape With Manesh Patel, MD
September 4 — Tazeen Jafar (Duke-NUS Medical School)
tctMD
Home-Based Intervention Drops Blood Pressure in Rural South Africa
Duke Heart Pulse — August 31, 2025
Chief’s message: Advancing Cardiovascular Medicine
This weeks Pulse highlights the official end of summer with Labor Day and many of our families with Kids back in school. The weekend also had the European Society of Cardiology with many important presentations from our faculty that we will present in coming weeks. The Pulse this week highlights the continued work by many in the Heart center including stories on partial heart transplants/living valve transplants by our leaders in Pediatric Heart Surgery, another graduating class of cardiac ultrasound sonographers, and increasing enthusiasm as we work towards the AHA Heart Walk in October.
Highlights of the week:
Living Heart Valves Show Promise Across Multiple Pediatric Conditions
A procedure which uses living heart valves may have expanded application as a treatment for various types of pediatric heart valve conditions. The research was led by pediatric heart specialists at Duke Health. It looked at 19 children with various heart conditions who received a partial heart transplant, a procedure which uses living valves from donor hearts.
The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on August 27. It found the partial heart transplant series resulted in valves that worked across different diagnoses and grew over time, matching the child’s development.
“This study shows that partial heart transplantation is not just a one-time success – it’s a versatile option that can be used across a range of heart conditions,” said Joseph Turek, MD, PhD, corresponding author of the study and chief of pediatric cardiac surgery at Duke Health.
“We’re seeing valves that grow, function well, and require less immunosuppressant medication than a full heart transplant,” Turek said, “That’s a huge win for these kids and their families.”
The research builds on Duke Health’s pioneering work in partial heart transplantation. Duke performed the world’s first partial heart transplant in 2022 and later achieved another milestone with the world’s first living mitral valve replacement.
For this study, researchers followed 19 patients who received partial heart transplants at Duke between April 2022 and December 2024. The children ranged in age from newborns to teens and had a variety of heart conditions, including truncus arteriosus, Tetralogy of Fallot, and other diagnoses.
The team measured valve growth using ultrasound and found the valves in all 19 cases maintained healthy function with no patients needing a reoperation due to valve failure.
In one remarkable case, a child had to stop taking anti-rejection medication altogether (due to an unrelated infection) and the valve continued to grow and function normally.
“This case gives us hope that some children may not need lifelong immunosuppression,” said Douglas Overbey, MD, study author and assistant professor in the Department of Surgery at the Duke University School of Medicine.
“That’s important because these medications can cause serious side effects over time,” Overbey said. “If we can reduce or even eliminate the need for them, it’s a major step forward.”
Partial heart transplant is still a new approach. Researchers say more studies are needed to understand its long-term effects, but the early results are encouraging.
In addition to Turek and Overbey, study authors include Berk Aykut, John Kucera, Cathlyn Medina, Neeta Sethi, Piers Barker, and Erin Shea.
Preclinical research was funded by the Brett Boyer Foundation and the Graeme McDaniel Foundation.
Allen Begins Tenure as Chair of Surgery
Peter J. Allen, MD, David C. Sabiston Jr. Distinguished Professor of Surgery, this week began his tenure as the new Chair of the Department of Surgery.
All faculty, trainees, and staff are invited to learn more about Allen’s experience and vision for the department at his Grand Rounds presentation on Weds., Sept. 3, from 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. in Duke North Room 2002 or remotely via Zoom. The Zoom passcode is 2025.
Duke Cardiac Ultrasound Program Graduation Held
Congratulations to the Duke Cardiac Ultrasound Certificate Program team and graduates! Graduation was held last weekend to celebrate their nine graduates — all of whom have passed their professional registries and landed jobs! Five of them have formally joined the Duke Heart team — four of them in the adult sonography lab and one in the pediatric lab.
Avery Ongman received the Joseph Kisslo MD Outstanding Student in Cardiac Ultrasound award. Congratulations to all!
Understanding and working to improve unreliable information in healthcare:
The Aletheia Chapter at Duke is tackling the issue of unreliable health information and its impacts on our patients and communities. Join us to work with like-minded individuals, participate in consensus-building, and contribute to a healthier future. If you’re interested, please email Robert Califf at [robert.califf@duke.edu].
Annual HWH Softball Tourney Held
The 9th annual Hitting with Heart softball tournament was held last weekend at Valley Springs Park in Durham. It was another successful year — the annual fundraiser raised approximately $1000.00 for the American Heart Association’s 2025 Triangle Heart Walk! Ten teams participated in the tournament. Nine of them were from units across Duke University Hospital and one team was from Duke Raleigh.
It was an all-day double elimination tournament that went from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. On behalf of Jason Stokes, a planner for the tournament, we want to thank the 7 West Healthy Work Environment committee and their families for volunteering as scorekeepers, clean-up crews, and general support to make the day run smoothly. Duke Health Engineering & Operations took home the trophy as tournament champions for the second year in a row.
Congratulations to all!
Sanders Joins Duke Cardiology Ambulatory Leadership Team, Effective Sept. 2
We are pleased to announce that Erica Sanders MSN, RN, NE-BC, CEN, will officially join our Duke Cardiology Ambulatory leadership team on September 2. Erica will be stepping into Annette Moore’s HCA role ahead of Annette’s anticipated retirement later this year.
Erica brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the Ambulatory Heart team, according to Matt Fitzsimmons, Regional Director of Duke Cardiology Ambulatory Operations. She comes to us from her role as DPC Nurse Manager, and she also has valuable cardiovascular experience from her time at Wake Med. We have no doubt that her skills and knowledge will be a tremendous asset to the team.
Erica and her husband, Cliff, enjoy fishing, boating, and spending weekends at Atlantic Beach – their home away from home. If they are not at the beach, they can probably be found at a ball field watching a baseball game. She is stepmom to two boys, Cameron and Andrew. The family has a two-year-old golden retriever named Woody who loves kids and being on the boat.
We are excited to have you on board, Erica, and we look forward to working with you!
DUHS UPDATE: Flu Vaccination Season Begins October 9
In keeping with our core value of caring for our patients, their loved ones, and each other, we consistently strive to provide a safe clinical care and work environment. One way we do that across the Duke University Health System is through our Healthcare Worker Flu Vaccination policy. It requires all healthcare workers* to either receive a flu vaccine annually or receive an approved exemption.
Compliance with the flu vaccination policy is a condition of employment for all DUHS team members. It is also a condition of access to Duke Health facilities and information systems for those holding clinical privileges in a Duke Health facility, as well as learners who wish to train in our facilities.
Beginning October 9, vaccination clinics for faculty and staff will be available at each hospital and at select off-campus locations. These options include peer vaccination sites in clinical work areas, Employee Occupational Health & Wellness (EOHW), and pop-up vaccination sites run by EOHW. Please note, if you receive your vaccination separate from Employee Health or a peer vaccination site, you must submit proof of vaccination through the VaxTrax upload site.
Here are the key dates for this year’s flu vaccination season:
- Thursday, October 9 — Launch of flu vaccination season
- Thursday, October 30 — Deadline to apply for a medical or religious exemption
- Tuesday, November 18 at 10 a.m. — Deadline for policy compliance through vaccination or granted medical or religious exemption
*Healthcare Worker: All people who provide care, treatment, or services to or for Duke Health regardless of work location or pay status, including members of the medical staff, administrative professionals, contract employees, volunteers, vendors, health profession learners, and associated faculty/instructors.
Please note: Due to the availability of an egg-free formulation of the flu vaccine, egg allergy does not qualify for a medical exemption.
More information regarding the vaccination process will be forthcoming. If you have any questions about the flu vaccine, please contact EOHWflu@dm.duke.edu. Thank you for your commitment to keeping our patients, fellow team members, and our community safe and healthy.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
September: National Atrial Fibrillation Awareness month
Stead Tread 5K Run/Walk – September 20
Department of Medicine Internal Medicine Residency Program annual 5K. 9 a.m., at Solite Park in Durham.
The division with the most participants gets a trophy! Register or donate HERE. Sign up by September 1 to guarantee you’ll get an event T-shirt! Reach out to event planner Victor Ayeni (victor.ayeni@duke.edu) with any questions.
Go get that trophy, Duke Cardiology!
Duke Cardiac Imaging Symposium — October 4
This year’s symposium is designed to address emerging clinical questions in echocardiography, updated guideline recommendations, and new imaging modalities through case-based learning and practical applications. The 2025 agenda features expert-led sessions on updated ASE guidelines, coronary artery disease evaluation, strain imaging in cardiomyopathies, tricuspid valve disease, cardiac POCUS, and technical skills development through hands-on breakout sessions. Trent Semans Center, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
To register, please visit https://events.duke.edu/DukeCIS2025.
2025 Triangle Heart Walk – October 11
Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
3801 Rock Quarry Rd, Raleigh, NC 27610.
Festivities begin at 7:30 a.m.; Remarks will begin at 8:45 a.m. with the Walk immediately following. The event venue will be open through 11 a.m.
New Faculty Orientation – October 13
The School of Medicine’s annual Academic New Faculty Orientation will be held Monday, October 13, 2025, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Trent Semans Center.
To learn more and register, please visit https://duke.is/SOM-NFO.
17th Annual NC RTP Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium — October 31
This symposium will explore optimal diagnostic strategies for treating patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, treatment selection, and timely referrals to specialized PH centers. Clinically challenging presentations, including CTD-PAH, CPPC PH, CTEPH, PH associated with ILD, COPD, portopulmonary hypertension, and PH in end-stage renal disease, will be addressed — with a focus on frontline providers — through interactive lectures and robust case-based discussions. Durham Convention Center. To register, please visit: https://events.duke.edu/17PH2025.
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.
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:
August 21 — Susan Spratt (Endocrinology)
The New York Times
4 Surprising Ways Healthy Heart Habits Benefit Your Whole Body
August 24 — Doug Overbey
Nigerian Tribune
Doctors pioneer world-first heart repair surgeries to save children’s lives
August 25 — Marat Fudim and Kara Wegermann (Gastroenterology)
Daily Mail
The ‘silent’ disease that raises your risk of heart failure… do YOU have it?
August 26 — Marat Fudim
AHA Newsroom/heart.org
Novel virtual care program enhances at-home support for people with heart failure
August 26 — Duke Health
Becker’s Hospital Review
22 hospitals with the lowest heart failure readmission rates
August 27 — Joseph Turek
The New York Times
Doctors Find Early Success With Partial Heart Transplants
August 27 — Joseph Turek
Inside Precision Medicine
Transplanting Heart Valves Effective Option for Congenital Heart Disease
August 28 — Kara Wegermann (Gastroenterology)
Times of India
THIS ‘silent’ disease causes sudden heart failure: 3 signs that should not be ignored
August 28 — Doug Overbey
WPTF-AM (Raleigh)
Living heart valves revolutionize heart procedures for youth
August 28 — Duke Health
Becker’s Clinical Leadership
Partial heart transplants: What to know
August 28 — James Lane (Behavioral Health)
Prevention
16 Science-Backed Ways to Lower Blood Pressure Naturally, According to Doctors
Duke Heart Pulse — August 24, 2025
Chief’s message: The Beat Goes On
Hopefully all you in our Duke Heart community have had a good week and weekend. This was a another busy week for Duke Heart with some strategic planning for the future, increasing integration of new physicians, and continued start of our fellows. I was struck over the week with the amazing efforts that our faculty, fellows, residents, research staff, and clinical team members are putting into responding to the challenges of making sure we deliver and grow our clinical care while doubling down on the teamwork to innovate and continue our research mission. As is often the case, organizations and groups come down to the people – and we are blessed to have some of the best people in the world in cardiovascular medicine and surgery. Over the next several weeks – we will work on highlight some of those academic studies and innovations that we are working to bring to light. Below in this weeks pulse – you will see the research awards for the month of July which highlights continued hard won projects that will allow us to better understand how to improve cardiovascular health. This includes some large multi-center awards and some key basic and translational science. Congratulations to our investigators and teams.
Finally, this week marked the first week back to school for many parents – and we had the bittersweet joy of sending off our youngest to college. It was an important moment for us to realize the village it takes for us all to raise young kids to adults and the future they will craft. Including a picture of some important literature on this topic from Dr. Seuss that seemed appropriate for the week – both with kids going to school and Duke Heart’s continue work in our community. Keep pulling!
Highlights of the week:
Duke Earns Sarcoidosis Center of Excellence Designation
We are pleased to announce that Duke has been designated as a World Association for Sarcoidosis and Other Granulamatous Disorders (WASOG)-recognized Center of Excellence! Our team was notified of the designation yesterday, August 23, 2025.
“This is a terrific acknowledgement for the sarcoid program that we have put to together at Duke over the past few years,” said Ravi Karra, MD, associate professor of medicine in cardiology and director of the Duke Cardiac Sarcoidosis program. “We have grown to be one of the largest cardiac sarcoidosis programs in the country. Being designated as a WASOG-recognized Center of Excellence for sarcoidosis affirms our commitment to delivering comprehensive, multidisciplinary care to patients living with this complex disease. It reflects the dedication of our team to advancing clinical excellence, fostering collaborative research, and improving outcomes through innovation. This recognition not only validates the quality of care we provide but also strengthens our role as a trusted referral center for providers and for patients navigating sarcoidosis.”
Founded in 1987, WASOG works to refine and optimize the care of patients through information, education, and state-of-the-art research, to advance the knowledge of physicians, and to stimulate the development of appropriate treatments. The association is focused on interstitial lung diseases including sarcoidosis, which require a multidisciplinary approach to care. Thus, WASOG encourages the involvement of not only pulmonary physicians, but cardiologists, dermatologists, neurologists, infectious disease specialists, hepatologists, geneticists, and hematologists.
Congratulations to our entire Precision Cardiomyopathy team – with special thanks to Jay Doss and Azfar Ali for developing the program with us; Johana Fajardo for improving our operations to meet WASOG standards of care; Martha Anders and Chrissie King for ensuring high quality, multi-disciplinary visits and keeping the clinic running as we have picked up steam.
Strong work, everyone!
Electronic Consents Available September 2025 for Duke Cardiology
Electronic consents will go live in September for all of cardiology across all three Duke hospitals. A committee that included clinical providers has worked hard to make electronic consents easy and user-friendly.
Starting on the respective go-live dates, a new cardiology consent tab (“Cardiology e-consent”) will appear in EPIC, similar to the notes and orders tab. A provider can open that tab and create a consent. The only boxes that will need to be filled out are the attending physician performing the procedure and the type of procedure; from there, all the keywording will be filled in, and then signatures can be obtained. Signatures can be obtained on a desktop, phone, or tablet.
Go-live dates will be as follows:
- September 8th — Duke Regional Hospital
- September 15 — Duke Raleigh Hospital
- September 22 — Duke University Hospital
On the go-live date for each hospital, there will be in-person training for the e-consent process as well as videos and a PDF handout. Stacey Brower and Lisa McDonald are taking the lead on training.
First APEX Trial Enrollment
Congratulations to the Heart Center CRU! They recruited their first patient into the APEX Study (A Study of TX000045 in Patients With Pulmonary Hypertension Secondary to Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction) this week.
The APEX Study is a RCT testing injectable chronic Relaxin therapy in HFpEF. If you have symptomatic HFpEF patients with a pulmonary artery pressure mean over 20mmHg please let the team know. Primary clinical research nurse coordinator is Erin Campo. Lacey Taylor, Todd McVeigh, Dan Loriaux, and Jemi Galani are study team members.
“This is a group effort — we have members of the cath lab perform the screening and the follow-up right heart catheterization,” said Fudim.
Shown L-R are Dan Loriaux, Marat Fudim, Erin Campo, Lacey Taylor, and Jemi Galani
Nice job, team!
Research Funding Awards for July 2025
Congratulations to the following faculty members for receiving the following sponsored research awards in July:
Gerald Bloomfield received an award from the American Heart Association for a project entitled “2025 International Visiting Professorship Award.” Total funding will be $10,000.
Stephen Greene received an award from the University of Texas-Southwestern for a project entitled “Post-Hoc Analysis of the TRANSFORM Trial.” Total funding will be $38,000.
Katherine I. Zhou (Mentor: Christopher Holley) received an award (1F32-CA306190-01) from the National Institutes of Health for a project entitled “Mechanisms of the small nucleolar RNA Snord67 in breast cancer lymphatic metastasis.” Total funding will be $87,964.
Schuyler Jones received a sub-award (RI-VUMC-01-PS10) through Vanderbilt University for a project entitled “Phase 4 Coordinating Center Services PFA: Engagement and Public Awareness Services.” Total funding will be $1,899,999.
Neha Pagidipati received an award (1UG3-HL181434-01) from the National Institutes of Health for a project entitled “1/2 PREEMPT: Prospective RandomizEd Evaluation and Management of Premature aTherosclerosis.” Total funding will be $3,886,403. (This is the 3rd or 4th U-grant with Cardiology leadership in the last 2 years – Amazing in this funding environment and true testament to the overall faculty talent and teams doing research).
Sudarshan Rajagopal received a sub-award () through the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus for a project entitled “Targeting the PAR1/IL-17 signaling axis in Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension.” Total funding will be $217,381.
Jennifer Rymer received a sub-award (1-UG3HL171357-01A1) through the DCRI-Duke-Site for a project entitled “Low dose ColchicinE in pAtients with peripheral artery DiseasE to address residual vascular Risk: A randomized trial.”
Industry-Sponsored Awards
Richa Agarwal received an award from Abbott Laboratories for a project entitled “FY26 – Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology fellowship grant.” Total funding will be $40,000.
Agarwal also received an award from Abiomed, Inc. for a project entitled “Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardology fellowship grant.” Total funding will be $40,000.
Anna Lisa Chamis received an award from Abbott Laboratories for a project entitled “FY26 – Advanced Training in Cardiology Fellowship Grant.” Total funding will be $75,000.
Chamis also received an award from Medtronic, Inc. for a project entitled “FY26 – Advanced Training in Cardiology Fellowship Grant.” Total funding will be $28,392.
Karen Flores Rosario received an award from AskBio for a project entitled “A Phase 2, adaptive, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized, multi-center trial to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of intracoronary infusion of AB-1002 in adult subjects with New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III.” Total funding will be $462,509.
Marat Fudim received an award from Reprieve Cardiovascular, Inc. for a project entitled “Fluid management of Acute decompensated heart failure Subjects Treated with Reprieve System II.” Total funding will be $317,244.
Fudim also received an award from Novo Nordisk, Inc. for a project entitled “RESPIRE HFpEF.” Total funding will be $9,750.
Christopher Granger received an award from Amgen, Inc. for a project entitled “MarTide DMC.” Total funding will be $75,400.
Donald Hegland received an award from Abbott Laboratories for a project entitled “FY26 – Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship Grant.” Total funding will be $25,000.
Kevin Jackson received an award from Medtronic, Inc. for a project entitled “PULSED AF Post-Approval Study, an Addendum to the PulseSelect� PFA Global Registry.” Total funding will be $216,377.
Schuyler Jones received an award from Medtronic, Inc. for a project entitled “FY26 – Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Grant.” Total funding will be $7,000.
Excellent work, team!
Heart Walk Torch Journey & Rally Results
Thank you to everyone throughout Duke Heart and Duke University Health System who helped us make the American Heart Association Heart Walk Torch Journey and Rallies a success. We had an excellent two weeks! Together, we raised $14,327 and had 133 new walkers register online, with 14 new teams.
The winners of the two AHA Heart Walk challenges are:
The top fundraising team during the Torch’s visit is from the PRMO – Heart in Motion led by Omar Mincey. They raised $1,555 in just two weeks!
The winner of the registration challenge is Greg Shelton at Heart Center Communications. Yeah, Greg!!!
Thank you to all Duke coaches and walkers for your outstanding efforts and commitment to support the AHA’s mission to turn bystanders into lifesavers through CPR initiatives in the Triangle. Let’s keep the momentum going as we prepare for the Walk on October 11th.
The Top Fundraising Company will be honored onstage and receive the Torch Trophy to display all year—so let’s keep fundraising and bring it home to Duke!
To learn more about the upcoming Walk, to register as a captain or a walker, please visit: https://duke.is/HeartWalk-2025
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
DUH Blood Drive
The Duke University Hospital Administrative Fellows are hosting a Blood Drive on Wednesday, August 27, from 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Trent Semans Center. Please visit American Red Cross to schedule your donation.
Consider supporting Duke Transfusion Services and our patients through a lifesaving donation of blood or platelets. You could earn a $15 e-gift card!
Stead Tread 5K Run/Walk – September 20
Department of Medicine Internal Medicine Residency Program annual 5K. 9 a.m., at Solite Park in Durham.
The division with the most participants gets a trophy! Register or donate HERE. Sign up by September 1 to guarantee you’ll get an event T-shirt! Reach out to event planner Victor Ayeni (victor.ayeni@duke.edu) with any questions.
Go get that trophy, Duke Cardiology!
Duke Cardiac Imaging Symposium — October 4
This year’s symposium is designed to address emerging clinical questions in echocardiography, updated guideline recommendations, and new imaging modalities through case-based learning and practical applications. The 2025 agenda features expert-led sessions on updated ASE guidelines, coronary artery disease evaluation, strain imaging in cardiomyopathies, tricuspid valve disease, cardiac POCUS, and technical skills development through hands-on breakout sessions. Trent Semans Center, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
To register, please visit https://events.duke.edu/DukeCIS2025.
2025 Triangle Heart Walk – October 11
Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
3801 Rock Quarry Rd, Raleigh, NC 27610.
Festivities begin at 7:30 a.m.; “Welcome” program will begin at 8:45 a.m. with the Walk immediately following. The event venue will be open through 11 a.m.
New Faculty Orientation – October 13
The School of Medicine’s annual Academic New Faculty Orientation will be held Monday, October 13, 2025, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Trent Semans Center.
To learn more and register, please visit https://duke.is/SOM-NFO.
17th Annual NC RTP Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium — October 31
This symposium will explore optimal diagnostic strategies for treating patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, treatment selection, and timely referrals to specialized PH centers. Clinically challenging presentations, including CTD-PAH, CPPC PH, CTEPH, PH associated with ILD, COPD, portopulmonary hypertension, and PH in end-stage renal disease, will be addressed — with a focus on frontline providers — through interactive lectures and robust case-based discussions. Durham Convention Center. To register, please visit: https://events.duke.edu/17PH2025.
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.
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:
August 15 — Duke School of Medicine
Becker’s Hospital Review
65 hospitals, health systems cutting jobs
August 16 — William Kraus
LAist
Counting steps for health? Here’s how many you really need
August 18 — Stephen Greene
HCPLive Podcast/Don’t Miss a Beat
SURPASS-CVOT and Tirzepatide, a Dual GIP/GLP-1 RA, in ASCVD
August 21 — Frye Regional
WHKY (Hickory, NC)
Frye Regional Medical Center Earns National Honor For Heart-Related Procedure
August 22 — Duke University Health System
Becker’s Hospital Review
308 hospitals, health systems named best-in-state employers: Forbes
Duke Heart Pulse — August 17, 2025
Highlights of the week:
Shah Selected for ACC Accelerator Program, Receives AHA Award
Congratulations to Nishant Shah! We learned this week that he has been selected by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) for their Leadership Accelerator Class of 2026!
The ACC Leadership Accelerator is a nine-month leadership development program designed specifically for early career members of the ACC. The program equips emerging leaders with essential knowledge, skills, and practical experience to make lasting impacts across their ACC communities and their institutions. Just sixteen applicants are selected per year. Selection is based on leadership potential, engagement with ACC and commitment to growth.
The notification of his selection states, “The Selection Committee was impressed by your passion for cardiology, your dedication to ongoing education, and the determination to be a better leader for your colleagues and patients.”
We are really excited for you, Nishant!
Nishant has also received the 2025 Health System Champion Award from the American Heart Association for their Lp(a) Community Health Centers Discovery Project, given to providers that have shown leadership and dedication to advancing Lp(a) awareness and testing through education and clinical research.
Shah’s work has involved creating clinical pathways to increase testing, creating educational content on the importance of Lp(a) through webinars and podcasts, and performing clinical research in Lp(a) testing patterns through the AHA’s Get With the Guidelines program.
Lp(a) – shorthand for lipoprotein (a) — is a genetically inherited type of lipoprotein and a common independent risk factor for heart disease. Having elevated Lp(a) can increase a person’s risk of heart attack, stroke, and peripheral artery disease.
The Lp(a) Community Health Centers Discovery Project aims to nationally increase Lp(a) awareness and testing. The objectives of the program are:
- Improve the number of patients identified and screened for Lp(a)
- Improve processes and practice patterns
- Improve clinical pathways and processes to impact patient outcomes
- Improve data resources and innovate Lp(a)-focused discovery through a national Data Challenge
Way to go, Nishant!
More First Enrollments for Heart CRU
We are pleased to announce that another set of research clinical trials enrolled their first patients this week!
RECOVER-ENERGIZE: A Platform Protocol for Evaluation of Interventions for Exercise Intolerance in Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (PASC) — The focus of this protocol is to assess interventions that can improve exercise capacity, daily activities tolerance, and quality of life in patients with Long COVID, or PASC. Duke PI is Rob McGarrah. Lizzie Riley is clinical research coordinator. Mike Felker is the national co-PI. If you have Long COVID patients, send them along to Rob.
Splanchnic X trial (Splanchnic Nerve Block in Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction): The first two patients enrolled and treated. Investigators ablate the splanchnic nerve in HFrEF patients. Manesh Patel is PI. Schuyler Jones and Marat Fudim are co-investigators. Matt Gray is the clinical research coordinator. This is a 2:1 randomized trial. The team would love to see some referrals from their cardiology colleagues to keep the momentum going!
The current research studies link we shared earlier this year can now also be found on the Duke Health Heart Center Portal. This is a quick way for providers to find the current enrolling studies available in the Heart Center.
Great work, Heart CRU team!
Duke Heart Hosts AHA ‘Torch’ and Rally
Duke Heart & Vascular kicked off Heart Walk season by hosting a kick-off rally on Wednesday afternoon. The virtual rally highlighted the many ways to get involved and participate in the Triangle Heart Walk scheduled for Saturday, October 11, 2025. As part of the Rally, we also welcomed the arrival of the inaugural Heart Walk Torch trophy, which was displayed in the Heart leadership suite through Friday afternoon.
Duke Health is one of five companies selected to host the Torch Journey ahead of the Heart Walk and rallies were held at Duke Regional Hospital, Duke Raleigh Hospital, and here within Duke Heart & Vascular for Duke University Hospital. The trophy will be awarded annually at the Heart Walk to the host company that raised the most funds that year.
Thanks to all who joined us for the Rally, and thanks to Manesh Patel for leading it! To learn more about the upcoming Walk, to register as a captain or a walker, please visit: https://duke.is/HeartWalk-2025
Community Engagement Events Strengthen Durham
We’re excited about the work Victor Ayeni, MD, a PGY-2 Duke Internal Medicine resident and others are doing to raise awareness among IM residents of community engagement opportunities in Durham. Ayeni is currently interning with electrophysiologist Camille Frazier-Mills, MD, and working with Dennis Narcisse, MD, to promote the 2025 Stead Tread (see Upcoming Events, below).
Ayeni issues a monthly newsletter with a host of upcoming volunteer events. These opportunities are not just for residents! Although the events for this month have passed, there will be plenty of ways to volunteer throughout the coming months.
Donating to and/or signing up for the Stead Tread 5K is a great way to support our residents as they raise funds to support Lincoln Health Center. Please consider joining the cause. Dennis Narcisse is helping recruit runners and walkers throughout cardiology. It would be great to have the most participants out of all the DOM divisions — the division with the most takes home the trophy!
Ayeni says he would like to engage more providers from throughout the cardiology division in resi-teering efforts. If you’re interested in helping him in any way, please reach out to him at victor.ayeni@duke.edu. He can also share his newsletter with you.
Victor and his team’s efforts are an excellent reminder that even with the current federal backlash against DEI efforts, there will still be people around the health system working to uplift underserved communities in our area. Volunteers and other “free agents” can work together with or without institutional support to help others. Please support Victor and our residents if you can!
Keep up the great work, Victor!
DUH Blood Drive
The Duke University Hospital Administrative Fellows are hosting a Blood Drive on Wednesday, August 27, from 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Trent Semans Center. Please visit American Red Cross to schedule your donation.
Consider supporting Duke Transfusion Services and our patients through a lifesaving donation of blood or platelets. You could earn a $15 e-gift card!
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
Stead Tread 5K Run/Walk – September 20
Department of Medicine Internal Medicine Residency Program annual 5K. 9 a.m., at Solite Park in Durham.
The division with the most participants gets a trophy! Register or donate HERE. Sign up by September 1 to guarantee you’ll get an event T-shirt! Reach out to event planner Victor Ayeni (victor.ayeni@duke.edu) with any questions.
Go get that trophy, Duke Cardiology!
2025 Triangle Heart Walk – October 11
Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, 3801 Rock Quarry Rd, Raleigh, NC 27610.
Festivities begin at 7:30 a.m.; the “Welcome” program will begin at 8:45 a.m., with the Walk immediately following. The event venue will be open through 11 a.m.
New Faculty Orientation – October 13
The School of Medicine’s annual Academic New Faculty Orientation will be held Monday, October 13, 2025, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Trent Semans Center.
To learn more and register, please visit https://duke.is/SOM-NFO.
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.
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:
August 8 — Duke University Hospital
Becker’s Hospital Review
158 hospitals honored for cardiac care quality
August 8 — Duke University
Becker’s ASC Review
Top 10 universities for cardiology in 2025: US News
August 8 — Duke University
U.S. News & World Report
Best Global Universities for Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems in the United States
August 12 — Audrey Blewer (Family Medicine)
In the Heart of Care podcast (episode 4)
Duke Heart Pulse — August 10, 2025
Highlights of the week:
Vekstein Joins Duke CT Surgery Faculty
We are pleased to share that Andrew Vekstein, MD, joined our cardiovascular and thoracic surgery faculty as of July 1. Vekstein will focus his clinical practice on aortic and adult cardiac surgery. He completed his undergraduate education at Duke University, then attended medical school at Case Western Reserve University and was awarded AOA designation. He subsequently was accepted into the Duke Integrated 6-year CT Surgery residency and is the third graduate from the program.
He plans to complete an additional Aortic Surgery fellowship with Drs. Chad Hughes and Chandler Long, the directors of the Duke Aortic Center. He has already published extensively with more than 50 peer-reviewed manuscripts, seven book chapters, and multiple national meeting podium presentations. Consistent with his interest in clinical research, he will have membership in the Duke Clinical Research Institute and has already been awarded the Duke Heart Center Leadership Council Award to study cognitive function of patients after surgeries with circulatory arrest.
“Andrew is one of the brightest and most academically driven trainees that I have worked with, but at the same time, he is the consummate gentleman and team player,” says Carmelo Milano, MD, Joseph and Dorothy Beard Professor of Surgery and Division Chief, Cardiothoracic Surgery at Duke.
Please join us in congratulating Andrew and welcoming him to the faculty!
Al-Khatib Receives Patient Advocacy Award
Congratulations to Sana Al-Khatib! This weekend she was awarded the Eric N. Prystowsky, MD Advocate for Patients Award by StopAfib.org during their annual Get in Rhythm. Stay in Rhythm. Atrial Fibrillation Patient Conference, a symposium geared specifically to patients. The meeting is being held this weekend (August 8-10, 2025) in Dallas, TX, and via livestream.
The Eric N. Prystowsky, MD Advocate for Patients Award recognizes a healthcare professional who has demonstrated outstanding service to atrial fibrillation patients and their families. Al-Khatib is a clinical electrophysiologist as well as the fellowship program director and cardiovascular research program leader of the Duke Clinical Research Institute Fellowship Program.
Prystowsky, for whom the award is named, is considered one of the world’s foremost experts on AFib. He is currently Director of the Cardiac Arryhthmia Service at Ascension St. Vincent in Indianapolis. He completed his cardiology and clinical electrophysiology training here at Duke.
“It is a great honor to be the recipient of this special award and to be among distinguished individuals who have received this award previously including Hugh Calkins, MD; Emelia Benjamin, MD; Vivek Reddy, MD; and Andrea M. Russo, MD to mention a few,” said Al-Khatib. “I am so grateful for this recognition by an amazing patient advocacy group.”
Congratulations, Sana — well-deserved!
A Week of Firsts for Heart Center CRU: The Fast and The Furious
We are excited to share the latest updates from the Heart Center Clinical Research Unit. This week, three studies enrolled their first patients:
V-INTERVENTION: Schuyler Jones and Manesh Patel, with Erin Campo, primary research coordinator. Concept: Inclisiran in peripheral artery disease. Start-up was very fast – around three months, according to Marat Fudim. First patient enrolled within days of activation, with more in the pipeline.
This is a 1:1 randomized study of patients undergoing successful coronary or peripheral intervention. 6,000 total patients planned. Patients can be treated with other lipid-lowering therapies, including statins and ezetimibe.
“Dennis Narcisse, MD, approached and enrolled the first patient at Duke on the first day of study activation. The participant was the 2nd patient in the study nationally. Erin Campo is the primary coordinator for V-INTERVENTION. She is doing a great job – as we have 5-6 patients planned for enrollment over the next 7-10 days,” according to Schuyler Jones.
ULTRA-HFIB-REDO: Ultrasound-Based Renal Sympathetic Denervation as Adjunctive Upstream Therapy During Atrial Fibrillation – REDO Ablation Procedures: A Pilot Study: Jonathan Piccini and Schuyler Jones, with Jessye Davis, clinical research coordinator. Concept: Renal nerve ablation at the time of AFib ablation with the hope for additive benefit of this approved neuromodulation technology on AFib recurrence.
This is a 2:1 randomization to renal sympathetic denervation via ultrasound-based renal sympathetic denervation versus control after redo AF ablation in patients with hypertension. The study is actively enrolling.
Comet HF: Adam DeVore and Elizabeth McChesney, along with clinical research coordinator Kim Biever, enrolled their first patients within a few weeks of activation. Concept: Omecamtiv Mecarbil in HFrEF.
V INTERVENTION and Comet HF are both DCRI-led studies with an accelerated path to activation.
Artwork courtesy of budding AI creator Marat Fudim, MD.
Keep up the excellent work, everyone!
Reprogramming Scar Tissue to Heal the Heart: Hodgkinson Receives NHLBI R01 Award
Each year, nearly one million people in the United States experience heart attacks that leave permanent damage to cardiac muscle. Once the heart forms scar tissue in response to injury, there are few options to reverse the loss of function. But what if that scar tissue could be transformed back into healthy, contractile heart muscle?
That is the question driving the research of Conrad Hodgkinson, PhD, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiology. With a new R01 award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health, totaling close to $2 million, Dr. Hodgkinson is working to bring cardiac regeneration closer to clinical reality.
The NHLBI-funded project, titled Novel approaches for cardiac reprogramming: Exosome delivery of reprogramming miRNAs and repressor targeting siRNAs, focuses on a strategy called cellular reprogramming. The goal is to convert fibroblasts, cells that form scar tissue after a heart attack, into cardiomyocytes —the cells responsible for generating force and maintaining the heartbeat.
“We are essentially reprogramming scar tissue to regenerate the heart,” Hodgkinson said. “There’s no real cure for a heart attack today. You can stop it, you can prevent more damage, but there’s no way to replace the muscle that’s lost. Our work is about changing that.”
Hodgkinson and his colleagues were the first to demonstrate that a set of four microRNAs—collectively dubbed “miR combo”—could convert fibroblasts into cardiomyocytes in vitro. While early results were promising, recovery of heart function in animal models remained partial.
To improve outcomes, the team is now addressing three key barriers: inefficient delivery of the reprogramming signals, resistance within the fibroblasts themselves, and the challenge of applying these techniques beyond the early post-injury window.
One part of the solution lies in exosomes—tiny lipid vesicles naturally released by cells. Hodgkinson’s lab identified a type of exosome derived from C166 cells that preferentially targets cardiac fibroblasts. By packaging miR combo into these exosomes, they’ve developed a delivery system that sends the reprogramming instructions exactly where they’re needed, without affecting other cell types in the heart.
“Instead of delivering RNA to every kind of cell in the heart, which dilutes the effect and increases risk, we’re focusing it directly on fibroblasts,” Hodgkinson said. “That’s where the scar is, and that’s where the healing needs to happen.”
The second innovation involves the inclusion of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) that target a specific set of transcriptional repressors, including Cbx1, PurB, and Sp3. These proteins act as molecular brakes, preventing fibroblasts from activating cardiac genes. By inhibiting them, the team enhances the fibroblasts’ ability to become functional heart cells.
Preliminary studies in mice showed striking improvements in heart function. When both the miR combo and siRNAs were delivered via exosomes, cardiac performance rebounded from near-failure levels to nearly normal. Now, the NHLBI grant will support additional safety studies and scaling the method for larger animal models.
“Pig hearts are very similar to human hearts, so the next step is testing our approach in pigs with heart injuries,” Hodgkinson said. “It’s part of building a real translational path.”
The project is a collaboration between Hodgkinson and colleagues Dr. Victor Dzau, Dr. Richard Pratt, Dr. Xinhua Wang, and Ikra Anwar. Additional support has come from the Fred and Edna Jr. Mandel Foundation, which helped fund the early work that made this grant possible.
For Hodgkinson, the long journey to this R01, which was secured on its fourth submission, reflects both the complexity and promise of the science.
“This is about moving toward something that doesn’t exist yet—a way to actually regenerate the heart after injury,” he said. “If we can get that right, the potential impact is enormous.”
Story by Sarah Riddle for the Duke Dept. of Medicine.
DUHS Leadership Updates:
Allen Named Chair, Duke Dept. of Surgery
Dean Mary Klotman announced this week that following a thorough national search and external review of the department and its leadership, Peter J. Allen, MD, has accepted the role of chair of the Department of Surgery in the School of Medicine, starting August 25, 2025.
Dr. Allen is currently the David C. Sabiston Jr. Distinguished Professor of Surgery, chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology, and chief of surgery for the Duke Cancer Institute. He also serves as the Duke University Health System Vice President for Cancer Services, where he leads the Cancer Service line. He joined Duke in 2018, after serving in numerous roles in the Department of Surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for 14 years.
Dr. Allen received his medical degree from Dartmouth Medical School and began his surgical career in the military, completing his surgical residency and accepting his first faculty position at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. During his term of service in the United States Army, he was deployed to Iraq for one year, where he served on the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment’s forward surgical team. He joined the faculty at Memorial Sloan Kettering in 2005. He was associate director for clinical programs in the David Rubenstein Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research from 2013-2018, the Murray F. Brennan Endowed Chair in Surgery from 2014-2018, and vice chair of surgical services from 2014-2018.
Dr. Allen’s clinical and research interest is in pancreatic and hepatobiliary malignancies, and his research has received NIH funding for over a decade. As Surgical Oncology division chief, he oversees approximately 35 faculty members in the sections of breast, endocrine, melanoma, hepatobiliary, and colorectal surgery. He is committed to educating and mentoring new surgical oncologists and surgeon-scientists training at Duke, and his international reputation as a leader in his field has elevated Duke’s surgical oncology program.
Duke’s Department of Surgery has a long history of innovation and excellence and is considered one of the leading surgery programs in the world. The department provides world-class surgical care, education, and training and is an international leader in research. The department has ranked among the top 10 departments nationally in NIH funding for 25 consecutive years, and over the previous four years, the department has been the top-funded department of surgery in the country.
The strong international standing of this department has been further elevated by the leadership and guidance of Dr. Allan D. Kirk, MD, PhD. We want to express our deep gratitude to Dr. Kirk for his 11 years of exemplary service as chair of Surgery.
Congratulations, Peter!
Shout-out to Doody!
We received terrific notes this week regarding cardiology PA Jesslyn Doody.
“I just wanted to reach out and shout out Jesslyn Doody. She is one of my favorite providers to work with and patients absolutely love her. She takes the time to listen to the patients/nurses’ concerns and is always prompt in communicating updates or changes in plan of care. She truly goes above and beyond in her job and even consistently stays late to make sure patients are settled before she leaves. I know nurses have Stars/ Daisy awards, but I’m not aware of any way to shout her out other than emailing you and I really felt as if she deserved to be recognized!” — Krista Volcheck, RN, CVSSU
“Jesslyn, thank you for the exceptional care you provide. Your dedication, compassion, and collaborative spirit do not go unnoticed. You consistently go the extra mile for both patients and your colleagues, and it makes a meaningful difference every day. Thank you for all that you do — we are so grateful to have you on our team.” — Diane Sauro
“Congratulations to Jesslyn for the well-deserved kudos and recognition. You make Duke Heart a great place for our patients, staff, and families.” — Jill Engel
“Congrats Jesslyn! We appreciate all that you do.” — Camille Frazier-Mills
Way to go, Jesslyn!
Duke Heart Gains New Family Member
Congratulations to Lindsay Bostian, one of our cardiology APPs, and her husband, Ryan on the birth of their beautiful daughter, Isla Rose. She was born on July 28 weighing 5 lbs., with a height of 19 and 1/8 inches.
We are looking forward to meeting her!
Duke Heart to Host AHA ‘Torch’ and Rally on Wednesday
Duke Heart & Vascular will host a kick-off rally and host the Triangle region American Heart Association’s (AHA) new Torch Trophy this week to help launch Heart Walk activities for 2025. For 10 weeks leading up to the Triangle Heart Walk, the AHA will “pass the torch” among the top companies in our area that have shown deep commitment to the Walk. We are honored and excited to host the torch on its inaugural journey to Duke University Hospital.
The torch will be in the Heart Services suite on the 8th floor of the HAFS building starting on Wednesday, August 12, and will be there through Friday, August 14. Please visit and take a selfie! The torch may make special trips throughout our heart units as well, so be on the lookout!
At the end of the 10 weeks, on October 11, the Torch will make its way to the Heart Walk stage, where it will be presented to the company that raised the most funds this year.
Support the Stead Tread
Join the Department of Medicine Internal Medicine Residency Program for the annual Stead Tread 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, Sept 20th at 9 a.m., at Solite Park (just off the American Tobacco Trail). All proceeds will benefit the Lincoln Community Health Center, a local federally qualified health center that offers high-quality care to uninsured and underinsured patients in Durham at heavily subsidized costs. The event draws 300+ participants annually and is open to the entire family! Pets and strollers are welcome on the course.
The Stead Tread is named for Dr. Eugene Stead, Chairman of Medicine at Duke from 1947-1967. This event carries forward Stead’s legacy of community service and contributions in the Duke and Durham communities.
For participants 13 and older, registration is $35 per person. For Lincoln patients and children 12 years and younger, registration is free. The division with the most participants (i.e., the Duke Cardiology Division) gets a trophy! And, if you cannot make it that day, the patients of Lincoln would still benefit greatly from your donations. Register or donate HERE. Sign up by September 1 to guarantee a T-shirt! Reach out to event planner Victor Ayeni (victor.ayeni@duke.edu) with any questions.
New Faculty Orientation
The School of Medicine (SOM) will hold its annual Academic New Faculty Orientation on Monday, October 13, 2025, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Trent Semans Center. Orientation is open to all faculty, but we especially encourage those hired in the past 1-3 years to attend if they have not already.
New Faculty Orientation addresses topics important to faculty life, including navigating Duke; appointments, promotion, and tenure; working with learners, and more. To learn more and register, please visit https://duke.is/SOM-NFO.
Triangle Heart Walk – Save the Date!
The 2025 Triangle Heart Walk will take place on Saturday, October 11, at Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, located at 3801 Rock Quarry Rd, Raleigh, NC 27610. The festivities will open at 7:30 a.m.; the official “welcome” program will begin at 8:45 a.m., with the Walk immediately following. The event venue will be open through 11 a.m.
Please note the change to Saturday morning from Sunday, the change in venue from prior years, and the earlier start time!
Please consider leading a team and signing up to be a Heart Walk team captain – or sign up now to be a walker. You can join any team you like or sign up as an individual walker. Registration is now open: https://duke.is/HeartWalk-2025
Pedestrian Safety/Traffic Improvements
Trent Drive Project: Phase 1 of a project to enhance pedestrian safety and traffic flow along Trent Drive will take place August 11-15, 2025, from 7 p.m. – 5 a.m. During these nighttime hours, traffic will shift from two lanes to one lane on the west side of Trent Drive, and clearly marked pedestrian detours will be in place to guide foot traffic safely around the work zone.
Please advise staff and patients who will be on campus during these times. Learn more here.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
Duke Heart Fall CMEs
Fall 2025 Session Duke Cardiovascular MR Practicum & Board Review
The Duke Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Center provides a twice-yearly practicum that provides participants with an understanding of the principles of magnetic resonance imaging, safety issues in performing cardiac MR, and imaging protocols currently available for the evaluation of the structure and function of the cardiovascular system. Case presentations, one-on-one discussion, and observation of actual patient imaging will be emphasized. This course fulfills the SCMR requirements for Level 1 (Track B) and is applicable toward Level 2 certification and is aligned with the content for future CMR Board Exams.
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.
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:
August issue — Harry Severance
Emergency Medicine News
August 1 — Stephen Greene
HCP Live
Finerenone and the Role of Combination Therapy in HFrEF/HFpEF
August 1 — Stephen Greene
HCP Live
Finerenone Offers New Hope for HFpEF: Insights from the FINEARTS-HF Trial
August 4 — Nishant Shah
Medscape
Lipoprotein(a): Aiming at a Moving Target, Waiting for Ammunition
August 5 — Branson Whitaker (patient)
WFMY 2/CBS local, Greensboro
‘God’s got this.’ Heart hero honored by Randolph Co. sheriff for good deeds
August 6 — William Kraus
NPR/All Things Considered
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