Highlights of the week:
Gerald Bloomfield Receives Michelle Winn Award
Congratulations to Gerald Bloomfield, MD, associate professor of medicine in cardiology! He was recently announced as one of the recipients of the 2026 Michelle P. Winn Inclusive Excellence Awards given by Duke’s School of Medicine. The award honors individuals and teams who have made significant contributions to inclusive excellence over the past year.
Bloomfield is recognized with this award for a career devoted to addressing cardiovascular health disparities. The impact of his work is both local — within Duke and Durham — and global, spanning regions in Kenya, Pakistan, and other countries. His many achievements include founding the first Cardiovascular Center of Excellence in Kenya, creating sustainable infrastructure for research, training, and patient care at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital. He also works to address health disparities in the U.S. through his leadership role in the PATHWAYS Study, which examines cardiovascular prevention and specialty referral patterns among people with HIV. He has a faculty appointment as associate research professor of global health at the Duke Global Health Institute, where he serves on the leadership team as Associate Director of Research.
About the Michelle P. Winn Inclusive Excellence Award
The Duke University School of Medicine’s Office for Culture, Engagement, and Impact established the Michelle P. Winn Inclusive Excellence Award in 2016 to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to inclusive excellence within the School of Medicine community. The award is named for Michelle P. Winn, MD, associate professor of nephrology in the Department of Medicine, who passed away in July 2014. Winn was respected and beloved by her colleagues and deeply committed to supporting the careers of younger physicians and scientists who were impacted by her mentorship and leadership.
Bloomfield and his fellow awardees will be recognized at a ceremony during the Advancing Excellence in Research Symposium on April 28. For a full list of winners, please visit 2026 Winn Awardees.
Well-deserved, Jerry!
Duke Heart & Vascular Faculty Promoted to Full Professor
This week, Duke University published its annual list of faculty members who have been appointed or promoted to the rank of full professor since January 1, 2025.
Congratulations to Heart & Vascular team members Michel Khouri, Cary Ward, Bradi Granger, Josef Turek, and Hiroshi Date!
To see the full list, please visit Duke Promotes Faculty to the Rank of Full Professor.
Piccini Featured on Tomorrow’s World Today
This weekend, cardiac electrophysiologist Jonathan Piccini, MD, professor of medicine in cardiology and Director of the Cardiac Electrophysiology section at Duke Health, appears in the season premiere of Emmy-nominated and Telly award-winning series Tomorrow’s World Today. This first episode of Season 10 takes viewers to the front lines of cardiac innovation, featuring the latest approaches to treating atrial fibrillation and an overview of the evolution of cardiac care—from the “big cut” of open-heart surgery to the dawn of pulsed-field ablation.
The program aired on the Science Channel at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 18, and on the Discovery Channel at 7 a.m. on Sunday, April 19. Past episodes can be streamed on Philo, Sling, and Hulu.
Nicely done, Jon!
ACC.26: Cardiology Pharmacy Resident Presents Antithrombotic Therapy Redux Findings
We are excited to share some news from our terrific inpatient cardiology pharmacy team! Their PGY2 Cardiology Pharmacy Resident, Paul Chan, was invited to give a platform presentation at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Sessions held recently in New Orleans. Chan presented on the Original Research Stage – a huge honor for him and the Cardiology Pharmacy Residency Program.
Chan presented Incidence of Hemocompatibility-Related Adverse Events Following Antithrombotic Therapy Reduction in Patients with a HM3 LVAD on behalf of his research team, which included Cody Carson, Monique Godfrey, William Larsen, Marat Fudim, and Richa Agarwal.
Chan will be staying at Duke post-residency as a Cardiology/Heart and Lung Transplant/CT Surgery Float Pharmacist.
Congratulations, Paul!
Duke Health Quality & Safety Conference Held Thursday, April 16.
Two team members from Duke Heart & Vascular presented a poster during the Duke Health Quality and Safety Conference held on Thursday, April 16.
Shown above are Allie Fox and Matt Burleson displaying their poster, Developing Nursing Standards for Orthostatic Hypotension: Strategy to Prevent Falls in Heart Step-Down Units.
Excellent job!
Spring HCLC Meeting Held
The spring meeting of the Heart Center Leadership Council took place on Friday, April 17, 2026, at the J.B. Duke Hotel and Conference Center.
Presenters included Drs. Manesh Patel and Carmelo Milano, who provided updates on their respective divisions; Dr. Svati Shah, who, along with Patel, presented advances in the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare at Duke, and a session with Drs. Jeff Keenan and Adam Williams, each of whom presented on innovations in clinical trials in cardiovascular surgery. Their session was moderated by Dr. Milano.
Kudos to Goodwin, Kim, and the Interventional Team!
Dr. Gerald Bloomfield received a message of gratitude this week from a family member of a recent patient cared for by Drs. Nate Goodwin – an interventional cardiology fellow — and Yoo Jin Kim, a cardiology fellow. Many thanks to Jerry for sharing it with us!
“My dad had been experiencing shoulder pain for about two weeks but attributed it to a muscle as it seemed to only bother him when he laid down at night. Last week, he began having shortness of breath, so he went to the urgent care. They performed an EKG and immediately advised him to go straight to the ER. Once there, several EKGs were done that initially didn’t show anything clearly concerning, although his bloodwork revealed elevated cardiac enzymes. He performed a baseline EKG, then had my dad walk around a bit, and repeated the EKG once the pain started. That’s when things changed — he immediately recognized abnormalities and got him into a room right away.
From there, my dad said it felt like a scene straight out of a medical show—suddenly surrounded by a full team asking questions, placing monitors, and moving quickly (though thankfully much more efficient than a TV drama). This was a little after 10:00 pm. By 10:45, Dr. Goodwin and Dr. Kim had determined he needed a cardiac catheterization, and by midnight he was in the ICU recovering. They found a 99% blockage in a coronary artery and placed a stent. Everyone has commented on how remarkable it was that he walked into the hospital in as good condition as he did.
I just wanted to express our sincere thanks for the team’s quick thinking and decisive action. While my grandfather had a history of heart disease, my dad has otherwise been very healthy, so this was all quite unexpected and frightening. My parents both shared that once Dr. Yoo Jin Kim and Dr. Nathan Goodwin became involved, everything moved quickly, clearly, and with great confidence. They especially appreciated how direct and reassuring they were—and I keep hearing that Dr. Kim is not only brilliant but also pretty funny.
He was able to come home on Friday and is doing very well. We truly believe that without the care and urgency of the cardiology team, this could have had a very different outcome.” – name withheld for privacy.
Way to go, everyone — we are so proud of your excellent teamwork!
This week: Marfan Foundation NC Walk for Victory!
Duke Heart & Vascular is proud to again serve as the presenting sponsor of the NC Walk for Victory being held in Raleigh on Saturday, April 25. This event unites our regional Marfan/LDS/VEDS community in support of patients and families affected by genetic aortic and vascular conditions.
Dr. Chad Hughes will again serve as medical director for the walk – join us there and see him in action!
The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, at Laurel Hills Community Center in Laurel Hills Park, located at 3808 Edwards Mill Rd, Raleigh, NC 27612. This is an easy-to-find location with ample and free parking.
Please join our team and donate to this cause if you are able. Thank you!
‘Hitting with Heart’ Softball Tourney Date Announced, Team Registration Open
It’s that time of year to start getting your team together for the Duke Heart & Vascular 10th annual Hitting with Heart Softball tournament! The tournament helps benefit the American Heart Association’s annual Heart Walk.
We had a great turnout last year, and some particularly good team competition. Congratulations again to the 2025 winners, Duke Engineering & Operations!
The 2026 tournament will be held at Valley Springs Park in Durham on August 22.
Please contact Amanda Ornell to let her know if you are going to put a team together. She said there has been a good amount of interest already, and space is limited to just 13 teams, so register quickly.
Information will be sent out later with a date and time for the coaches’ meeting to review tournament rules and expectations.
Dzau CV Seminar Series: G-Protein Coupled Receptors with Lefkowitz
The Duke Cardiovascular Research Center has announced that Dr. Robert Lefkowitz, the Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Professor of Biochemistry at Duke University and 2016 Nobel Prize winner, will present “G-Protein Coupled Receptors” on May 27, 2026. This is part of the Victor J. Dzau Cardiovascular Lecture Seminar Series, supported by the Edna and Fred L. Mandel Jr. Foundation. It will be held at noon in the auditorium of the Nanaline Duke Building.
Physician Credit: Duke University Health System Department of Clinical Education and Professional Development designates this activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s) TM. Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
April is National Donate Life Month and National Arab American Heritage Month. It is also National Workplace Violence Prevention Month.
Cardiology Grand Rounds
April 21: Beyond the Lab: Systems, Symptoms, and Stratification from the Duke VT Registry with Eric Xie, MD. 5 p.m. via Zoom.
April 28: The Modern Cardiac Intensivists: Who They Treat and How They Train with Michael Cosiano, MD. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.
CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference
April 22: HF/TX Case Conference with Yoo Jin Kim. Noon, Noon, DMP 7E39, and via Zoom.
April 24: TBD. Noon, Zoom only.
April 29: EP Case Conference with Krunal Amin and Verda Arshad. 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.
April 23: Cardiac Masses with Fawaz Alenezi
April 30: HOCM with Fawaz Alenezi
May 7: Imaging Approach to Congenital Heart Disease with Bharathi Upadhya
May 14: Pericardial Diseases with Fawaz Alenezi
May 21: Imaging TOF Patient with Bharathi Upadhya
May 28: HFpEF Imaging Modalities with Rebecca/Harriet
June 4: Endocarditis with Fawaz Alenezi
June 11: CT Fractional Flow Review and Akshay Pendyal
June 18: D-Trans vs L-Trans Congenital Heart Disease with Fawaz Alenezi
June 25: Systemic and Pulmonary Hypertensive Heart Disease 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.
- September 26: Duke Case-Based Multimodality Imaging Symposium – Course directors are Sreek Vemulapalli and Anita Kelsey. Location: Trent Semans Center, Great Hall.
- October 30: 18th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Vascular Symposium – Course directors are Terry Fortin, Sudar Rajagopal, and Jimmy Ford. Location: Durham Convention Center, Durham, NC.
Please save the dates!
Support Ramos & Visionaries of the Year Campaign
Please consider supporting our amazing team member, Dayana Ramos, DNP, a critical care nurse practitioner in cardiology (and cancer survivor), during this year’s Visionaries of the Year campaign with Blood Cancer United.
“This cause is incredibly personal to me, as a leukemia survivor who recently celebrated five years cancer-free, I know firsthand how critical research funding and patient support truly are,” says Ramos.
The 10-week fundraising competition kicks off on March 9, and her goal is to raise $25,000 to help advance lifesaving treatments and support families facing blood cancer.
As part of her endeavor to meet her fundraising goal, she is hosting a virtual raffle as well as a “Sip to Save Lives” cocktail event at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28, at The Velvet Hippo, 119 W. Orange Street, in downtown Durham. Half of the proceeds from sales of the “spicy mango margarita” will benefit Blood Cancer United.
The virtual raffle is for three prizes: a $25 Starbucks gift card; a $50 Amazon gift card, and a Grand Prize — a brewery tour and tasting at Ponysaurus Brewery in Durham. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased directly from Dayana. Winners will be announced on May 16.
Please support Dayana in any way you can, even if only with words of encouragement! Her fundraising page for Blood Cancer United can be found 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.
