Duke Heart Pulse — February 22, 2026
Highlights of the week:
Kudos to Keenan & Heart Transplant Team
We had a big week in heart transplant – kudos to cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Jeff Keenan and to the heart transplant team – they accomplished five heart transplants, two of which were for patients that were critically ill on VA ECMO for multiple days. Several of our recipients were enrolled in clinical trials, too.
“This is an extraordinary effort which must be commended,” said Carmelo Milano, MD, the Joseph and Dorothy Beard Professor of Surgery and division chief of cardiothoracic surgery at Duke. “In addition to being life-changing for our recipients, this effort enriches both our training and research missions. Congratulations to all on this extraordinary effort.”
Excellent work!
ACC Scientific Sessions Annual Reception
Please join us on Saturday, March 28, at the Duke Annual Reception at the 2026 ACC Scientific Sessions. We’ll be hosting an NCAA Elite Eight Watch Party during the event… so please join us from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Central in Gravier A & B of the New Orleans Marriott, Warehouse Arts District.
Community Outreach Success
Many thanks to Duke medical student Zakir Ahmedin, cardiologists Kevin Thomas, MD, and Larry Jackson, MD, and PGY-2 residents Ibukunoluwa Olubowale, MD, and Victor Ayeni, MD, for taking time to participate in a community outreach event on Saturday, Feb. 14 at Morehead Avenue Baptist Church in Durham.
The church participants were grateful for Duke experts coming to them directly and sitting down with them for more roundtable discussions about health.
“This outreach event gave me a lot of ideas for how we can optimize this initiative more, including having both doctors and church members share their real stories to normalize people talking about health, which can be an otherwise frequently stigmatized topic, especially in the older Black community,” said Ayeni, an internal medicine resident, PGY-2, who has been planning similar outreach events over the past couple of years.
Ayeni added that he felt reinvigorated by chatting directly with community participants, as they are the very patients the team advocates for at Duke. Rather than seeing them in a clinical setting, these interactions took place in a setting that is beloved and trusted by many people in Durham, leading to more comfortable and open conversations.
If you are interested in assisting Victor in future outreach events, please reach out to him directly. He can be reached via email at victor.ayeni@duke.edu. He says, “The more, the merrier!” and we agree!
Excellent job, Victor, and thank you so much Kevin, Larry, Zakir, and Ibukunoluwa for volunteering!
Duke Heart Gains Newest Family Member
We are excited to share the arrival of Sofia Emma Gray – daughter of cardiology APP team member Julie Gray and her husband, Jeremy. Born Feb. 19 weighing 8 lbs, 4 oz, and 20 inches long.
We are thrilled for Julie and Jeremy!
Heart Units Get a Visit from Heart Ma’am
As part of our Heart Month celebration, the American Heart Association’s mascot – “Heart Ma’am” (played by Katie Belusa of the AHA), and local AHA representative Allison Gubitz paid a visit Duke Hospital and the Duke Medicine Pavilion on Thursday, Feb. 19. While on-site, Alison and Heart Ma’am handed out heart-healthy snacks to Heart team members and visitors on a variety of units, talked up healthy habits, posed for photos, and worked to generate enthusiasm for coaches ahead of the 2026 Heart Walk (planned for early October).
Anyone who registers as a coach by the end of February will be eligible to win an Amazon gift card or a swag bag of AHA gift items. If you have any questions, please contact either Katie or Allison.
Thanks to everyone who helped us celebrate!
DUHS Announcements
O’Brien Stepping Down as Chair, Dept. of Neurology
Dean Mary E. Klotman, executive vice president for health affairs for Duke, and Tom Owens, MD, executive vice president and chief operating officer for DUHS, on Friday announced that Richard J. O’Brien, MD, PhD, Disque D. Deane University Distinguished Professor of Neurology, will step down as chair of the Department of Neurology on December 31, 2026. O’Brien will continue his service on the faculty, supporting the school’s academic, research, and clinical missions.
A national search for O’Brien’s successor will be launched in the spring and will be led by Anthony Viera, MD, MPH, chair of the Department of Family Medicine & Community Health.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
February is Heart Month!
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Feb. 24: New Strategies in Advanced Heart Failure with Adam DeVore. 5 p.m., DN 2022 or via Zoom.
CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference
Feb. 25: EP Case Presentation with Tess Mischler and Jemi Galani. Noon, DMP 7E39 and 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.
Feb. 26: Mitral Valve Pre-Interventional Imaging Screening with Fawaz Alenezi
Upcoming CME Activities:
2026 Duke Heart CMEs
The dates for the following 2026 Duke Heart symposia have been set. We will announce others as they are added.
- June 6: Duke Heart Failure Symposium — Course directors are Marat Fudim, Rob Mentz, Richa Agarwal, and Stephanie Barnes. Location: Durham Convention Center, Durham, NC.
- October 30: 18th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium – Course directors are Terry Fortin, Sudar Rajagopal, and Jimmy Ford. Location: Durham Convention Center, Durham, NC.
Please save the dates!
Have news to share?
If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call me with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News: News coverage returns next week.
Duke Heart Pulse — February 15, 2026
Highlights of the week:
Turek Named to TIME 100
Congratulations to Dr. Joseph Turek, chief, pediatric cardiac surgery in the division of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at Duke!
Turek has been named to the 2026 TIME100 Health List— recognizing the 100 most influential world leaders in health this year. The list was revealed online this past week and appears in the Feb. 23 issue of TIME magazine, which arrived at newsstands on Friday.
Turek is recognized for his and his team’s contributions toward expanding the heart transplant donor pool for infants with the use of new surgical techniques and approaches. It is believed these efforts could expand the donor pool by up to 20 percent.
“It’s wonderful to have this life-saving technique recognized with the hope that it can spread to help more babies in desperate need for heart transplant.”
Congratulations, Joe!
R01 Funding Received for HFpEF Trial
Congratulations to Marat Fudim, MD, MHS, associate professor of medicine in cardiology at Duke and to Andrew Ambrosy, MD, a former Duke cardiology fellow now with Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research.
Fudim and Ambrosy have received R01 funding for the INFUSE HFpEF study, which will explore the use of intravenous iron in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) using ferric derisomaltose. According to Fudim, this will be the first multicenter study to evaluate whether IV iron improves function and quality of life in HFpEF patients. IV iron showed benefit to patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, or HFrEF, in the HEART FID trial.
Fudim and Ambrosy trained together at Duke as cardiology fellows and at the Duke Clinical Research Institute where, in various capacities, they each worked on the HEART FID trial during fellowship – now, five years later, they will serve as co-PIs on INFUSE HFPEF.
The multicenter research trial will be run out of the Duke Cardiology Clinical Research Unit.
Congratulations Marat and Andrew!
Karra Recognized for Teaching Excellence
Congratulations to Ravi Karra, MD, associate professor of medicine and pathology! We were recently notified by the Office of Biomedical Graduate Education at Duke that his course, CMB-710A-03: CELL & MOLEC BIO MODULE I, is one of the most highly rated courses throughout the Duke School of Medicine and that Karra is rated one of the top instructors in the School of Medicine.
His teaching efforts make a big difference to students – and therefore to the academic mission of Duke.
Outstanding work, Ravi!
Shout-out to Salah
A big shout-out to Dr. Husam Salah for helping to cover (in a pinch!) a busy cardiac catheterization lab on Friday — from Dr. Jennifer Rymer.
Great teamwork, Husam!
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
February is Heart Month!
CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference
Feb 18: HF/Tx case with Krunal Amin. Noon, DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.
Feb. 20: EP Case Presentation with Dorothy Avoke and Marcus Threadcraft. Noon, Zoom only.
Feb. 25: EP Case Presentation with Tess Mischler and Jemi Galani. Noon, DMP 7E39 and 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.
Feb. 19: LV Strain with Fawaz Alenezi
Feb. 26: Mitral Valve Pre-Interventional Imaging Screening with Fawaz Alenezi
Upcoming CME Activities:
2026 Duke Heart CMEs
The dates for the following 2026 Duke Heart symposia have been set. We will announce others as they are added.
- June 6: Duke Heart Failure Symposium — Course directors are Marat Fudim, Rob Mentz, Richa Agarwal, and Stephanie Barnes. Location: Durham Convention Center, Durham, NC.
- October 30: 18th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium – Course directors are Terry Fortin, Sudar Rajagopal, and Jimmy Ford. Location: Durham Convention Center, Durham, NC.
Please save the dates!
Have news to share?
If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call me with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
February 3 — Harry Severance
ACEP Now
Are Hospital On-Call Services Still Sustainable?
February 5 — Nishant Shah
Medscape
Recent Dyslipidemia Research Prompts New Guidance
February 6 — Robert Califf
STAT/Morning Rounds
Food dye, TrumpRx, gender affirming care: Morning Rounds
February 6 — Jennifer Rymer
tctMD
In-Hospital STEMI Patients Face Reperfusion Delays and Worse Outcomes
February 9 — Robert Califf
The New York Times
A.I. Is Making Doctors Answer a Question: What Are They Really Good For?
February 9 — Larry Jackson
AHA Newsroom/Heart.org
How serious are heart palpitations? Causes, symptoms and when to worry
February 10 — Nishant Shah
Medscape
Cardiometabolic Control Eludes Many Adults With Hypertension
February 10 — Stephen Greene
Medscape
Burden of Heart Failure Persists Despite Quadruple Therapy
February 11 — Nishant Shah
TIME
The New Way to Predict Your Risk of a Heart Attack
February 11 — Joseph Turek
TIME
February 11 — Duke Clinical Research Institute
The Warren Record
Warren County to participate in effort to break the CPR training world record
February 11 — Amanda Randles
The EP Edit/EP Lab Digest
From Monitoring to Prediction: How Cardiovascular Digital Twins Could Transform Arrhythmia Care
February 12 — Joseph Turek
The Advisory Board
TIME names the 100 ‘Most Influential People in Health’
February 12 — Nishant Shah
Impacto Castex
February 12 — Marat Fudim
The American Scholar
Duke Heart Pulse — February 8, 2026
Highlights of the week:
Celebrating National Wear Red Day
Thank you to everyone who participated in National Wear Red Day on Friday, Feb. 6, and to those who shared photos of their teams with us! Please continue to share photos with us as you raise awareness and celebrate National Heart Month throughout February.
Great job, everyone!
Stokes to Serve as Nurse Manager, DUH 6 East, Effective February 16, 2026
The Duke Heart & Vascular leadership team is pleased to announce that Jason Stokes, BSN, RN, CCRN, CN IV will become Nurse Manager Operations for Duke University Hospital’s Cardiothoracic Stepdown Unit 6 East effective February 16, 2026.
Stokes earned an ADN in 2009 and began his nursing career at Maria Parham Medical Center. He then joined the Duke Heart Team in 2012 on Unit 3100, the Cardiothoracic Stepdown Unit. In 2015, he moved to the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit. In 2021 he obtained his BSN from Winston Salem State University. He then transitioned into the leadership role of Clinical Lead/Assistant Nurse Manager/CN IV Leader.
During his time at Duke, Stokes advanced on the clinical ladder by becoming a CNIV and has held a variety of roles on 7 West including Preceptor, Charge Nurse, Bed Flow Charge Nurse, Duke Moves Champion, Healthy Work Environment Facilitator/Champion, and Research Committee Facilitator. He continued to grow his skills both clinically and professionally by joining the Patient Response Team.
As a leader, he has been heavily involved with safety and quality initiatives, including pressure injury prevention. In collaboration with an interdisciplinary team, he helped create a first-of-its-kind lifting technique to “levitate” patients with an open chest. He went on to publish outcomes based on this initiative.
Stokes has assisted on many priorities via the research committee, including efforts to prevent delirium in ICU patients; improve patient/family satisfaction within the ICU; and to improve patient mobility using Virtual Reality technologies.
In 2024, Stokes was the recipient of the Mary Ann & Robert H. Peter award for Excellence in Nursing Practice through Duke Friends of Nursing. He has encouraged team building using the framework from the AACN to promote a Healthy Work Environment using team recognition and, with the help of the 7West HWE committee, has hosted an annual softball tournament that includes units and departments from across Duke University Health System to raise money for the American Heart Association.
Please join us in congratulating and welcoming Jason to his new role!
DUHS Updates:
Masking for Duke Heart
After discussion with our infection prevention colleagues, the Heart Center has ceased mandatory masking in the inpatient and procedural areas as of Tuesday, Feb. 3. Staff continue to have the option of masking for personal preference or per recommendation of EOHW. We will continue to monitor respiratory illnesses and communicable illness in partnership with our IP colleagues.
Thank you for your support to keep our staff and patients safe.
Community Organizers Must Adhere to Visitation, Solicitation Policies
The important work you and your teams do every day is closely connected to maintaining a safe, respectful, and secure environment for everyone at our facilities.
This week, community organizers were observed onsite at Duke University Hospital approaching staff, distributing flyers, and asking questions related to employment. While team members have the right to support or oppose community activism, all individuals onsite must comply with DUHS visitation and access policies. As you know, Duke has a longstanding practice of not permitting third party solicitation on our property.
Given this recent activity, we want to remind everyone that if you encounter individuals who appear to be onsite with no business purpose – or if something does not feel right – we ask that you follow our guidance that if you see something, say something. Concerns should be escalated through your leadership.
Thank you for continuing to show up for your people and for helping ensure our environment remains safe and focused on patient care. We appreciate your leadership and partnership.
With gratitude, DUHS Leadership
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
February is Heart Month!
CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference
Feb. 11: DHP Case Presentation with Jonathan Kusner. Noon, DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.
Feb. 13: Nuclear Physics with Robert Reiman. Noon, Zoom only.
Feb 18: HF/Tx case with Krunal Amin. Noon, DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.
Feb. 20: EP Case Presentation with Dorothy Avoke and Marcus Threadcraft. Noon, Zoom only.
Feb. 25: EP Case Presentation with Tess Mischler and Jemi Galani. Noon, DMP 7E39 and 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.
Feb. 12: Mitral Stenosis with Jon Mark
Feb. 19: LV Strain with Fawaz Alenezi
Feb. 26: Mitral Valve Pre-Interventional Imaging Screening with Fawaz Alenezi
Upcoming CME Activities:
2026 Duke Heart CMEs
The dates for the following 2026 Duke Heart symposia have been set. We will announce others as they are added.
- June 6: Duke Heart Failure Symposium — Course directors are Marat Fudim, Rob Mentz, Richa Agarwal, and Stephanie Barnes. Location: Durham Convention Center, Durham, NC.
- October 30: 18th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium – Course directors are Terry Fortin, Sudar Rajagopal, and Jimmy Ford. Location: Durham Convention Center, Durham, NC.
Please save the dates!
Have news to share?
If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call me with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
January 30 — Stephen Greene
tctMD
Even With Optimized GDMT, HFrEF Prognosis Remains Dire
February 2 — Stephen Greene
HCP Live
Addressing the Limitations of Quadruple Therapy in HFrEF, With Stephen Greene, MD
February 3 — Jay Lusk (PI/Margolis Institute)
Medscape
CGRPs for Migraine Tied to ‘Modest’ Heart Risk
February 4 — Duke University Hospital (Heart Care)
WNCN-TV (Raleigh/Durham)
Duke University Hospital ranks in the top 50 hospitals in the entire country for heart care
February 6 — Robert Califf
STAT/First Opinion
Duke Heart Pulse — February 1, 2026
Chief’s message: Heart Month Begins
February kicks off Heart Month with a variety of activities and events to raise awareness for cardiovascular disease and the impact it has on so many of our communities. We will have a wear Red day (Friday Februaary 6th), some outreach events in our community, there is a Triangle Heart ball at end of the month, and multiple CPR trainings, and BP check events. I was also fortunate to be able to attend the Go Red – Red Dress Event in New York City this last week at the Lincoln center where Laura Linney hosted with Amy Grant and others performing. Damar Hamlin was in attendance to raise awareness for resuscitation efforts and science, and we even had the winner of Best in Show from the Westminster Dog Show. Some photos included from the event.
Highlights of the week:
Weather Update — Staying Safe
We hope all of you are enjoying the snow in central NC today! Looks like most of us got 3-4” of powdery snow – with some areas in the region getting nearly 10”. Stay safe and warm, and for emergency alert updates, please check the DukeALERT webpage.
CT Surgery Team Members Receive Awards at STS 2026
The 62nd Society of Thoracic Surgeons Annual Meeting is being held this weekend (Jan. 29-Feb. 1, 2026) in New Orleans. We are thrilled to announce that several Duke Heart & Vascular team members have received Thoracic Surgery Foundation (TSF) awards — these were announced during the meeting this weekend. TSF is the charitable arm of the STS, supporting research, education, innovation, and humanitarian outreach.
- Adam Williams, MD and Rebekah Boyd, MD — Every Heartbeat Matters Award. This award, made possible by the Edwards Lifesciences Foundation, provides support of up to $35,000 for qualified surgeons who conduct humanitarian work in underserved regions and populations. Williams helps lead our Duke Heart in Honduras outreach mission. Boyd is an active participant in the program.
- Gabriel Esmailian, MD — Southern Thoracic Surgical Association (STSA) Resident Research Award. The STSA award provides up to $40,000 per year for up to two years to support the research fellowship of a resident who has not yet completed CT surgical training.
- Hiba Ghandour, MD — Catalyst Award for Data Access. This award provides support of up to $10,000 to cover data access costs and other direct costs.
- Kateryna Krynychka, MD — the Nina Starr Braunwald Research Fellowship Award. Nina Starr Braunwald, MD was the first woman to be certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and the first woman to conduct open heart surgery. This research award in her name supports up to $55,000 per year for up to two years for a woman resident working in a cardiac surgical clinic or laboratory research program who has not yet completed cardiothoracic surgical training. Since the award’s inception, Braunwald Fellows have gone on to become established leaders within the field. The Braunwald Award is widely recognized as one of the specialty’s most prestigious research fellowships.
These awards highlight some of the great research and humanitarian efforts that are taking place within Duke’s Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery.
Congratulations to Adam, Kateryna, Hiba, Gabriel, and Rebekah!
MD-PhD Student Earns Competitive Fellowship to Advance Heart Regeneration Research
A Duke MD-PhD student has received a highly competitive American Heart Association predoctoral fellowship to support a collaborative research project aimed at understanding why the human heart loses its ability to regenerate after birth — a limitation that underlies heart failure and many cardiovascular diseases.
Ashley Williams, a fifth-year Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) student now in her third year of PhD training, earned the award for a project co-mentored by cardiologist Ravi Karra, MD, associate professor of medicine and pathology, and Yarui Diao, PhD, associate professor of cell biology. The project, Modulating ERBB2 Enhancers and Downstream Effectors to Promote Human Cardiomyocyte Proliferation in Cardiac Organoids, brings together advanced genomics technologies and a human cardiac organoid model to investigate how cardiomyocytes — the muscle cells of the heart — stop dividing shortly after birth.
“Heart failure affects more than six million Americans, and one of the biggest challenges is that the adult heart doesn’t regenerate,” Williams said. “My work focuses on understanding why cardiomyocytes lose that ability and whether we can identify genetic programs that could potentially be reactivated.”
Williams’ project uses stem-cell–derived cardiac organoids to model human heart tissue and applies innovative genomic tools developed in Diao’s lab — technology recently accepted for publication in Nature Biotechnology. The approach allows the team to study the genetic mechanisms that regulate cardiomyocyte proliferation in unprecedented detail.
“This project really sits at the intersection of basic science and clinical relevance,” said Karra, a principal investigator in the Duke Cardiovascular Research Center. “If we can understand the genetic wiring that allows the heart to regenerate early in life, it opens the door to therapies that could one day be truly curative.”
The fellowship provides partial stipend and tuition support and is awarded through a highly competitive national review process. Karra noted that Williams’ application scored in the eighth percentile. The fellowship award was effective Jan. 1.
“It’s a major achievement for a trainee,” he said. “It reflects both the strength of the science and Ashley’s potential as a future physician-scientist.”
Both mentors emphasized that Williams herself initiated the collaboration.
“She came to us with this idea and was brave enough to take on an extremely complex experimental system,” said Diao. “Very few trainees — even postdocs — can do this kind of work. She learned it, and she made the collaboration work.”
That collaboration has since expanded beyond a single project. According to Karra, Williams’ work helped catalyze ongoing partnerships between the two labs, multiple joint grant submissions, and the formation of a cardiac functional genomics group involving seven labs across campus.
“What’s remarkable is that this all started with a student,” Karra said. “Ashley is really the catalyst.”
Williams said the experience reflects the broader research culture at Duke.
“I had this idea, and instead of being told it wouldn’t work, people leaned in,” she said. “My mentors were open-minded, invested, and willing to build something new. That spirit of collaboration has been essential to the project’s success.”
As a future cardiologist and physician-scientist, Williams plans to continue caring for patients with heart failure and hopes to lead a research program focused on uncovering the biological mechanisms that drive disease.
“The goal is to connect discovery to patient care,” she said. “Being able to work in both spaces — the clinic and the lab — is what drew me to this path.”
For Diao, Williams represents the kind of trainee who defines the next generation of biomedical research.
“She’s not only a promising scientist,” he said. “She’s an amazing person — generous with her time, committed to mentorship, and driven by a desire to help others succeed.”
Congratulations, Ashley!
New Schedule for Structural Heart Inpatient Consults
The Duke Heart & Vascular Structural Heart Disease team is excited to introduce a new weekly schedule for inpatient consultations, starting Monday, February 2, 2026.
Each week, one structural attending will be assigned to staff consultations with the DHP fellow. In the event a procedure is required during the same admission, the advanced structural fellow will be involved. This new weekly schedule is designed to streamline the inpatient consult process, enhance the experience for referring providers, and provide greater access to SHD faculty for general fellows.
The full schedule is now available on Qgenda under the “SHD Consult Attending” section.
Great Catch Awarded to Erickson
Congratulations to Daniel Erickson, CNII, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Duke Hospital 6300! Daniel noticed that the medication barcode scan showed an incorrect dose, which could have led to a dosing error. By reporting the issue and escalating it to pharmacy, Daniel helped implement a system-wide fix so future doses scan correctly and generate appropriate warnings—preventing similar risks and improving safety for all patients.
Way to go, Daniel!
Kudos to Kim and Threadcraft
We received a wonderful note of kudos this week regarding the work of two outstanding cardiology fellows:
“I wanted to send kudos for the outstanding work Yoo Jin Kim and Marcus Threadcraft did this past week in the CICU. We had a week of great but complex pathology and physiology. The leadership of Yoo Jin and Marcus was unbelievable and their engagement really made a difference in the patients’ clinical care. They took ownership of all the patients on our side and diligently led their management. I was extremely impressed at how much they knew about the patients. In addition to extensive chart review, they also looked into the literature to help manage some complex and rare pathology. They also helped our APPs manage very tough cases and made exceptional contributions to care. Additionally, they both had amazing bedside manner and really made an effort to get to know both patients and families. They also anticipated next steps early and coordinated care between consulting and procedural teams masterfully. During code or peri-code situations I had no doubt either both would be at my side or be there before I got there. They took control of these situations effortlessly as well. Multiple patients, family members, nurses, APPs, and staff also complimented their excellent work to me during the course of the week. Both fellows certainly lived up to the standard of excellence we strive for at Duke Cardiology. I couldn’t be more proud of their work.” – Nishant Shah, MD
Way to go, Yoo Jin and Marcus!
Kudos to Applefeld and 7E APPs
We received a note of appreciation this week regarding care provided by Willard Applefeld, MD and the APPs on DMP 7East.
“I am writing to express my gratitude for Dr. Willard Applefeld. My mother has had a complicated admission. She was taken care of on 7East for a few days. During her time on 7East, she was cared for by Dr. Applefeld. He took time to really understand her case and listen to us. He was able to develop a good plan of care for her and get what she needs. He was always very respectful and caring. The APPs are wonderful as well, especially Taylor, Erika, Dave and Jordan.
Again, I am very thankful my mom was cared for by Dr. Applefeld. He is truly wonderful and an asset to your team.” — name withheld to protect patient privacy
Great work, Willard, Taylor, Erika, Dave & Jordan!
DUHS Updates
Responding to Critical Platelet Shortage
There is currently a critical nationwide shortage of platelets, primarily due to the impact of the recent winter weather disrupting donation drives and flight schedules. The American Red Cross, Duke’s primary supplier, predicts the situation will continue into the coming week. Winter weather this weekend could extend the shortage.
As a result, Duke leadership team members are closely monitoring inventory and actively reviewing the projected need for platelets within OR and clinic platforms on a daily basis. At the same time, they are working on mitigation strategies to maximize the distribution of all available product and exploring every available option for receiving additional supplies.
To ensure our ability to meet the demand for the highest priority patient cases, the team is reviewing every order for platelets. Pease only order in urgent/emergent circumstances.
We can all help improve the critical shortage by donating. The Red Cross Durham Platelet Donation Center, located on University Drive, has multiple donation opportunities in the coming days; other locations are available throughout the Triangle area. Please visit https://duke.is/4/fcs4 to visit the Red Cross website, make an appointment, and please encourage your friends and family members to donate as well. Thank you!
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
National Wear Red Day & Heart Month
February is Heart Month – and National Wear Red Day — part of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women awareness campaign — is Friday, Feb. 6th. Wear your red and get some team selfies – submit them to Tracey Koepke for inclusion in Pulse!
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Feb. 3: RV-PA Coupling- State of the Art with Khodr Tello, MD. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.
CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference
Feb. 11: DHP Case Presentation with Jonathan Kusner. Noon, DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.
Feb. 13: Nuclear Physics with Robert Reiman. Noon, Zoom only.
Feb 18: HF/Tx case with Krunal Amin. Noon, DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.
Feb. 20: EP Case Presentation with Dorothy Avoke and Marcus Threadcraft. Noon, Zoom only.
Feb. 25: EP Case Presentation with Tess Mischler and Jemi Galani. Noon, DMP 7E39 and 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.
Feb. 5: Quality in the Echo lab with Ashlee Davis
Feb. 12: Mitral Stenosis with Jon Mark
Feb. 19: LV Strain with Fawaz Alenezi
Feb. 26: Mitral Valve Pre-Interventional Imaging Screening with Fawaz Alenezi
School of Medicine Events:
Research Symposium: Metabolism and Health Across the Lifespan
February 5, 2026 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Great Hall, Trent Semans Center for Health Education
The event includes the Dr. Robert J. Lefkowitz Distinguished Lecture by Dr. Daniel Drucker: “Emerging Indications, Molecules, and Mechanisms for GLP-1 Medicines.” Scheduled speakers also include Leanna Ross, PhD and Svati Shah, MD, MHS.
Upcoming CME Activities:
2026 Duke Heart CMEs
The dates for the following 2026 Duke Heart symposia have been set. We will announce others as they are added.
- June 6: Duke Heart Failure Symposium — Course directors are Marat Fudim, Rob Mentz, Richa Agarwal, and Stephanie Barnes. Location: Durham Convention Center, Durham, NC.
- October 30: 18th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium – Course directors are Terry Fortin, Sudar Rajagopal, and Jimmy Ford. Location: Durham Convention Center, Durham, NC.
Please save the dates!
Have news to share?
If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call me with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
January 24 — Nina Nouhravesh
El Debate
Cuantos huevos se pueden comer a la semana sin afectar la salud?
January 26 — Krish Dewan
Cardiovascular Business
Heavy cannabis use may not impact heart surgery outcomes
January 26 — Mugdha Joshi
tctMD
Telemedicine May Adversely Impact Care Quality for HF Patients
January 28 — Adrian Hernandez and Danny Benjamin
The Duke Chronicle
NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya talks ‘replication crisis’ at Duke panel, omits funding cuts
January 28 — Stephen Greene
Cardiovascular Business
Heart failure patients on quadruple medical therapy still face considerable risks
January 29 — Matthew Hartwig
Scientific American
Doctors keep patient alive using ‘artificial lungs’ for two days
January 29 — Stephen Greene
Conexiant
Recent Comments