Duke Heart Pulse — July 26, 2026
Highlights of the week:
Duke Raleigh and Duke Regional Earn Platinum Recognition for MI Care
Duke Raleigh Hospital and Duke Regional Hospital have earned national recognition for delivering exceptional heart attack care, receiving the American College of Cardiology’s (ACC) 2026 National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) Chest Pain–MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award.
The ACC’s NCDR Chest Pain–MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award recognizes hospitals that consistently meet rigorous clinical standards and demonstrate sustained excellence in the treatment of heart attack patients. Platinum recognition reflects a commitment to following evidence-based clinical guidelines, improving patient outcomes and continuously advancing the quality of cardiovascular care.
“This achievement recognizes the commitment of an exceptional team dedicated to providing excellent care for every patient,” said Julie Yamadi, director of Heart and Procedural Services at Duke Raleigh Hospital. “I’m proud to be part of a team of physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, cardiovascular invasive specialists and many others who share that commitment every day.”
For Duke Regional Hospital, the award reflects the seamless coordination required across every stage of a patient’s care.
“The Chest Pain–MI Platinum award represents far more than the work of our catheterization laboratory,” said J. Matthew Brennan, MD, MPH, interventional cardiologist at Duke Regional Hospital. “It recognizes the collaboration of EMS, emergency medicine, cardiovascular specialists, intensivists, hospital medicine teams, nurses and many others who work together to deliver outstanding care for patients experiencing heart attacks. We appreciate the recognition of the good work happening at both Duke Regional Hospital and Duke Raleigh Hospital.”
Michael Komada, MD, interventional cardiologist at Duke Regional Hospital, said the recognition is especially meaningful because it reflects the dedication of the people behind the award.
“You could feel the pride across our team when we learned we’d received this recognition,” Komada said. “Everyone works incredibly hard with the shared goal of providing excellent patient care every day, and it’s gratifying to see that commitment recognized nationally. One of our greatest strengths is our people. Many members of our team have worked together for years, creating an experienced, dedicated group that works seamlessly together on behalf of our patients.”
Komada said nationally recognized care across Duke Health’s hospitals reinforces the strength of the health system’s cardiovascular programs and gives patients confidence they will receive exceptional care close to home.
Together, Duke Raleigh Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital and Duke University Hospital have each achieved Platinum status through the ACC NCDR Chest Pain–MI Registry, reflecting Duke Health’s shared commitment to delivering exceptional, evidence-based cardiovascular care across the Triangle. Awards recognize hospitals, but they are earned by people. Behind this recognition are hundreds of dedicated professionals whose expertise, collaboration, and commitment help ensure patients receive exceptional heart attack care whenever and wherever they enter the Duke Health system.
Congratulations, everyone!
New NHLBI R01 Supports Research to Regenerate Injured Heart Muscle
A new grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) will support an interdisciplinary research team led by cardiologist Ravi Karra, MD, associate professor of medicine and pathology, to develop new, non-invasive approaches for delivering gene therapies directly to injured areas of the heart, with the long-term goal of helping regenerate damaged heart muscle.
The four-year NHLBI R01 grant (1R01HL178953), Non-invasive approaches for gene therapy to regenerate injured myocardium, brings together investigators from Duke and the University of North Carolina to address one of cardiovascular medicine’s most significant challenges: repairing the heart after injury.
Karra’s laboratory, located within the Duke Cardiovascular Research Center, has spent years investigating the biological mechanisms that enable heart regeneration. The newly funded project builds on that foundation by developing targeted, non-invasive methods to deliver regenerative therapies directly to injured areas of the heart.
The research combines expertise from multiple disciplines and institutions. At Duke, Karra is collaborating with Josh Huang, MD, PhD, Morris N. Broad Distinguished Professor of Neurobiology, whose laboratory developed a platform for conditional RNA therapeutics. At UNC, collaborators Phil Durham, PhD, research assistant professor in the Lampe Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, and Paul Dayton, PhD, William R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor and chair of the Lampe Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, contribute expertise in nanobubble technology that may enable more precise delivery of gene therapies.
The project also builds on earlier support from a Duke Science and Technology (DST) seed grant, which enabled Karra’s laboratory to incorporate lipid nanoparticle technology into its research program. That early investment helped lay the foundation for the newly funded NHLBI R01, illustrating how institutional support can catalyze interdisciplinary collaborations that attract major federal research funding.
The NHLBI R01 represents a significant investment in collaborative, translational research aimed at bringing promising regenerative approaches closer to clinical application.
Congratulations, Ravi and team!
Michael Sketch, MD, Honored as Distinguished Emeritus Faculty
Congratulations to Michael H. Sketch Jr., MD, who was recently recognized by the Duke University School of Medicine as one of its 2026 Distinguished Emeriti Faculty. The annual honor recognizes faculty members who retired with tenured emeritus status during the previous calendar year, celebrating a lifetime of achievement and enduring contributions to Duke’s missions of patient care, research, education and service.
A nationally recognized leader in interventional cardiology, Sketch devoted more than four decades to advancing cardiovascular medicine through groundbreaking clinical research, exceptional patient care and the education of future physician leaders. During his career at Duke, he directed both the Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories and the Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Program for more than 20 years, helping train generations of interventional cardiologists while contributing to advances in coronary intervention and national cardiovascular practice guidelines.
The Distinguished Emeriti Faculty recognition reflects the lasting impact Dr. Sketch has made on Duke Heart, the School of Medicine and the broader field of cardiovascular medicine. We congratulate Mike on this well-deserved honor and thank him for his extraordinary career of leadership, mentorship and service!
Kudos to Duke PREEMPT Team for Marking Early Trial Milestones
Congratulations to the Duke PREEMPT study site team within the Duke Heart Center Clinical Research Unit (CRU) for reaching two important early milestones in the PREEMPT clinical trial.
The NHLBI-funded PREEMPT trial is evaluating whether identifying and treating early coronary artery plaque can help slow the progression of atherosclerosis before symptoms develop.
The Duke team was the first site activated for the national clinical trial, and this week enrolled the first participant, marking two important early milestones that reflect exceptional teamwork, preparation, and collaboration.
Special recognition goes to Nishant Shah, MD, associate professor of medicine in cardiology and associate program director of the Duke Cardiology Fellowship; Niki Huffman; and Latasha Phillips for making these milestones possible. The effort was supported by the Duke Heart Center Clinical Research Unit in collaboration with colleagues at the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI).
Shah described the accomplishment as “totally a team effort.”
The achievement also earned praise from Neha Pagidipati, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine in cardiology and chief of Duke Cardiology’s Prevention Section, who wrote, “We always talk about Duke being first, and Nishant, Niki, Latasha, and the entire site team have proven that it can be done!”
Congratulations to all!
Cardiac Sonography Team Volunteers to Teach POCUS Skills to Duke NP Students
Members of Duke Heart & Vascular cardiac sonography team recently volunteered their time to help educate the next generation of advanced practice providers by leading a hands-on point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) training session for students in the Duke University Nurse Practitioner Program.
During the Saturday workshop, sonographers guided students through scanning techniques, image acquisition, and the fundamentals of cardiac ultrasound views, helping build the skills needed to incorporate bedside ultrasound into future clinical practice.
The session highlights the cardiac sonography team’s expertise as educators and their important role in supporting clinical training across Duke. Special thanks to Rachel O’Brien, Viviana Lujan, Mia Henry, and Jean Woolard for volunteering their Saturday to make this learning opportunity possible.
Way to go, team!
Save the Date: Duke EP Symposium Scheduled
We’re pleased to announce that Duke Heart & Vascular will host the Duke Electrophysiology Symposium on Saturday, January 9, 2027. Jon Piccini, MD, will serve as course director. The event will be held at the JB Duke Hotel. We will have more details to share soon.
Upcoming CME Events & Opportunities
Cardiology Grand Rounds
CGRs have concluded for the summer. We will return in the fall! Meanwhile, please enjoy past recordings.
All Duke CGR Recordings (except for those containing PHI) can be found on Duke Warpwire by year: 2026, 2025, 2024. Questions about recordings? Contact Tracey Koepke.
2026 Symposia
The dates for the following 2026 Duke Heart symposia have been set. We will announce others as they are added.
- September 26: Duke Case-Based Multimodality Imaging Symposium – Registration is now open. Course directors are Sreekanth 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.
- January 9: Duke EP Symposium. Course director is Jon Piccini. Location: JB Duke Hotel.
Please save the dates!
Hitting with Heart Softball Tournament
The 10th Annual Hitting with Heart Softball tournament will be held on Saturday, August 22 at Valley Springs Park, 3805 Valley Springs Road, in Durham. The tournament raises funds that will, in part, support the American Heart Association’s 2026 Triangle Heart Walk.
Triangle Heart Walk Date Announced
The American Heart Association’s 2026 Triangle Heart Walk will take place on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, 3801 Rock Quarry Road, Raleigh.
The Walk is expected to start around 9:30 a.m., but that may change. Stay tuned for a more formal announcement from the AHA. Meanwhile, registration for team captains and walkers is open!
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 Pulse — July 19, 2026
Highlights of the week:
Graduating CTS Residents and Fellows Honored at Annual Finishing Dinner
Duke’s Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery celebrated its graduating chief residents and fellows during its annual finishing dinner held on July 11, 2026, at The Cotton Room in Durham. The event marks the completion of training for seven physicians while also honoring a faculty member whose commitment to education reflects Duke’s longstanding tradition of training exceptional cardiothoracic surgeons.
This year’s graduating chief residents include Dathe Benissan-Messan, MD, who will remain at Duke to complete a six-month transplant fellowship; Navin Vigneshwar, MD, who is joining the Duke faculty as a cardiac surgeon; and Oliver Jawitz, MD, who has accepted an academic position at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston (MUSC).
The department also recognized four graduating fellows: Lauren Huckaby, MD, who completed the Advanced Aortic and Endovascular Surgery Fellowship and who, along with Jawitz, will join the faculty at MUSC; Papus Keita, MD, who completed the Thoracic Transplant Surgery Fellowship and accepted a position with MedStar Health in Washington, D.C.; Elliot Overman, MD, who completed the Congenital Cardiac Surgery Fellowship and will begin practice in Peoria, Illinois; and Britton Donato, MD, who completed the Thoracic Transplant Surgery Fellowship and has joined Corewell Health in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
During the dinner, Jeff Gaca, MD, received the annual Thomas D’Amico Teaching Award, presented each year by the graduating chief residents to recognize a faculty member who has made an exceptional impact on their education. Named for longtime Duke thoracic surgeon and educator Thomas D’Amico, MD, the award recognizes excellence in teaching and mentorship within Duke Cardiothoracic Surgery.
“It means a lot to me,” Gaca said. “We take a lot of pride in our teaching, and it means that I was able to impact the future careers of heart surgeons.”
Gaca said the recognition is especially meaningful because it comes directly from the graduating residents. Much of the technical teaching occurs during complex operations in the operating room. Still, mentorship extends well beyond surgery to include patient care, teamwork, communication, and the transition to independent practice.
“Our residents are extremely talented,” he said. “I try to guide them through these difficult operations and also try to give them pointers on how to practice, how to interact with patients, how to interact with cardiology and referring doctors.”
A Duke-trained cardiac surgeon himself, Gaca said he views teaching as an opportunity to continue the tradition of mentorship that shaped his own career.
“I had the good fortune of training here as well,” he said. “I benefited from the outstanding teachers who taught me, and I just try to keep that going.”
Congratulations to Dathe, Navin, Oliver, Lauren, Papus, Elliot, and Britton on completing their training, and to Dr. Gaca for continuing Duke’s tradition of excellence in educating the next generation of cardiothoracic surgeons!
Duke Heart & Vascular Welcomes Incoming Cardiovascular Fellows
We welcomed a new class of physicians to our cardiovascular fellowship programs on July 1, 2026, as trainees began the next stage of their careers. This year’s incoming class includes fellows entering the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship as well as advanced training programs in Adult Congenital Heart Disease, Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant, Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology, and Interventional Cardiology.
Some of the incoming fellows are continuing their medical education at Duke after completing residency or fellowship training here, while others are joining the Duke community for the first time from leading academic medical centers across the country. Together, they represent the next generation of cardiovascular specialists who will care for patients, advance discovery, and help shape the future of cardiovascular medicine.
“Welcoming a new class of fellows is one of the highlights of each academic year,” said Manesh Patel, MD, chief of the division of cardiology and physician vice president of Duke Heart and Vascular. “They are joining a community committed to exceptional patient care and scientific discovery, as well as educational excellence. We are excited to welcome them to Duke and look forward to supporting them as they learn, discover, and grow into the next generation of cardiovascular leaders.”
Before beginning clinical responsibilities, the incoming fellows participated in a week-long bootcamp designed to prepare them for fellowship training at Duke. The curriculum included Duke and Durham VAMC orientations, echocardiography bootcamp, a Cardiac Intensive Care Unit bootcamp organized by Robert Harrison, MD, an electrophysiology bootcamp organized by Nishant Shah, MD, and a simulation session led by Shah and Jawan Abdulrahim, MD.
“We are delighted to welcome this outstanding class of cardiovascular disease fellows to Duke and congratulate all of the physicians beginning advanced cardiovascular fellowship training this year,” said Anna Lisa Chamis, MD, program director of Duke’s Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program.
Chamis also thanked the many faculty and fellows who organized and participated in bootcamp week, with special recognition to Harrison, Shah, and Abdulrahim for leading key components of the program and helping provide a welcoming, engaging introduction to fellowship training at Duke.
Meet Our Incoming Cardiovascular Fellows
Please join us in welcoming these physicians to the Duke Heart & Vascular community.
Cardiovascular Disease
- Ryan Edwards, MD
- Joshua Ellis, MD, M.M.S.
- Jordan Franklin, MD
- Mark Hieromnimon, MD
- Amanda Jowell, MD
- Christos Kyriakopoulos, MD
- Mathew Padanilam, MD
- Katelyn Rennyson, MD
- Jameson Wilbur, MD
- Dylan Zerjav, MD
Adult Congenital Heart Disease
- Annirudh Balachandran, MD
Advanced Heart Failure & Transplant Cardiology
- Paula Rambarat, MD
- Joshua Rushakoff, MD, M.P.P.
- Seamus Hughes, MD
Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology
- Jawan Abdulrahim, MD
- Damarcus Ingram, MD
- Eric Xie, MD
Interventional Cardiology
- Medha Biswas, MD
- Jonathan Hanna, MD
- Husam Salah, MD
Congratulations to all and welcome, new fellows!
Duke Expands Treatment Options for Patients with Tricuspid Valve Disease
Patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation have more treatment options today than ever before, thanks to advances in minimally invasive valve therapies and the expertise of Duke’s multidisciplinary structural heart team.
Until recently, patients with severe symptomatic tricuspid regurgitation whose symptoms persisted despite medical therapy often had few treatment options beyond surgery, which can carry significant risks and prolonged recovery. Today, Duke physicians offer both transcatheter tricuspid valve repair and transcatheter valve replacement, selecting the approach best suited to each patient’s anatomy and clinical condition.
“The addition of transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement fills an important treatment gap for patients with severe tricuspid valve regurgitation who are at higher surgical risk,” said Andrew Wang, MD, professor of medicine in cardiology. “Having both repair and replacement options allows us to choose the approach that will provide the best outcome for the patient.”
Since launching its transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement program last fall, Duke has completed 11 successful procedures using the FDA-approved EVOQUE Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Replacement System. Physicians say the team’s early experience has been encouraging, with meaningful improvements in symptoms and quality of life.
Candidates for the procedure are individuals with severe symptomatic tricuspid regurgitation whose fatigue, swelling, and fluid retention continue despite medical therapy. Because not every patient is anatomically suited for transcatheter valve replacement, patients undergo a comprehensive evaluation that includes transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and cardiac CT imaging. Those studies help the team determine whether transcatheter repair or replacement offers the best approach for that individual patient.
“Transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement is for patients with severe symptomatic tricuspid regurgitation who remain symptomatic despite medical therapy,” said interventional cardiologist Andres M. Pineda, MD. “We are very excited with the results we have achieved so far. Patients have had significant improvements in their symptoms and quality of life.”
For patients whose anatomy is appropriate, the minimally invasive procedure is performed through a catheter inserted in the groin, allowing patients to recover more quickly than they would following traditional surgery. Recovery continues over the weeks that follow as heart function improves, with physicians monitoring patients closely during the process.
This effort reflects the collaborative approach that defines structural heart care at Duke. Interventional cardiologists partner with specialists in cardiac imaging, heart failure, cardiac surgery, cardiac anesthesia, nursing, and advanced practice to evaluate every patient from multiple perspectives before determining the most appropriate treatment strategy and to optimize procedural outcomes.
“This is not about offering a novel procedure. It is about bringing together the right expertise to identify the right treatment for each patient,” Wang said. “Having both transcatheter repair and replacement options for severe tricuspid regurgitation allows us to personalize care in ways we could not before.”
Our TVRR team includes Wang and Pineda, Zach Wegermann, Adam Williams, Jeff Gaca, Alina Nicora, Katherine Sun, Angela Pollak, Edana Cristy, Chelsea Tinlin, Nicole Garcia, and Mary Beth Alova.
Way to go, team!
Duke University Hospital Earns Platinum Recognition for Heart Attack Care
Duke University Hospital has received the 2026 Chest Pain – MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award, the highest level of recognition from the American College of Cardiology’s National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR).
The award recognizes hospitals that consistently meet rigorous performance measures for the treatment of patients experiencing heart attacks, reflecting a sustained commitment to delivering high-quality, guideline-directed cardiovascular care.
This national recognition is made possible through the dedication of physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, pharmacists, rehabilitation specialists, and the many multidisciplinary team members who work together to provide exceptional care for every patient.
Congratulations and thank you to everyone whose expertise, teamwork, and commitment to excellence made this achievement possible!
Cardiac MRI Adds Saturday Scans
Cardiac MRI will be performing scans on outpatients, one Saturday per month. Yesterday, July 18, 2026, was their first Saturday! Pictured below with Terri DeMuro, CMRI nurse manager, are Rafael Rojas, Jennifer Angeles, Susan Bender, and Sherilyn Pirela — our MR Technologists and nurse — who worked on the inaugural day. Sreek Vemulapalli, MD, was the attending on service supporting these efforts.
Congratulations to the team!
Anyedi Helps Fuel Community Connections
Over the past year, we have mentioned Victor Ayeni, MD, a rising third-year resident in Duke’s Internal Medicine Residency Program, who has been bringing interested parties together across Duke to participate in what he calls “Resi-teering” (residency + volunteering) opportunities.
Ayeni, who has interned with electrophysiologist Camille Frazier-Mills, MD, was recently profiled by Duke School of Medicine, and we wanted to share that piece here with you:
A resident’s mission to serve beyond the clinic fuels community connections
Congratulations, Victor!
DUHS updates:
AlertMedia Launches July 20 to Enhance Emergency Communications
Beginning July 20, Duke University Health System will begin using AlertMedia, a new emergency notification platform that delivers faster, more targeted communications during urgent situations.
AlertMedia allows DUHS Operations to send location-specific notifications within seconds through multiple channels, including email, text message, voice call, and the AlertMedia mobile app. The platform was introduced in response to team member feedback requesting fewer unnecessary alerts and more timely, relevant communication.
AlertMedia will be used for severe weather, security incidents, IT disruptions, utility outages, and other time-sensitive operational events.
All DUHS team members are automatically enrolled to receive AlertMedia email notifications. To receive text message alerts, however, team members must log in to dukehealth.alertmedia.com using Duke Single Sign-On (SSO), add a preferred mobile phone number under My Account > Settings, and select their entity location under Preferences. Team members are also encouraged to download the free AlertMedia mobile app for the fastest notification delivery.
AlertMedia complements—but does not replace—Spok Mobile, which will continue to be used for clinical communications such as Code Blue, Rapid Response Team (RRT), and Behavioral Emergency Response Team (BERT) notifications.
Action required: Before July 20, log in to dukehealth.alertmedia.com to add your mobile phone number, verify your contact information, select your entity location, and update your notification preferences to receive emergency text alerts.
Thanks, and let’s stay safe!
Upcoming CME Events & Opportunities
Cardiology Grand Rounds
CGRs have concluded for the summer. We will return in the fall! Meanwhile, please enjoy past recordings.
All Duke CGR Recordings (except for those containing PHI) can be found on Duke Warpwire by year: 2026, 2025, 2024. Questions about recordings? Contact Tracey Koepke.
2026 Symposia
The dates for the following 2026 Duke Heart symposia have been set. We will announce others as they are added.
- September 26: Duke Case-Based Multimodality Imaging Symposium – Registration is now open. Course directors are Sreekanth 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!
Hitting with Heart Softball Tournament
The 10th Annual Hitting with Heart Softball tournament will be held on Saturday, August 22 at Valley Springs Park, 3805 Valley Springs Road, in Durham. The tournament raises funds that will, in part, support the American Heart Association’s 2026 Triangle Heart Walk.
Triangle Heart Walk Date Announced
The American Heart Association’s 2026 Triangle Heart Walk will take place on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, 3801 Rock Quarry Road, Raleigh.
The Walk is expected to start around 9:30 a.m., but that may change. Stay tuned for a more formal announcement from the AHA. Meanwhile, registration for team captains and walkers is open!
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 Pulse — July 12, 2026
Chief’s message: New Year – Full Steam Ahead
Hope you all are having a fun weekend – able to see some of the world cup, spend time with family and friends, and potentially spend time outdoors if the heat is not too bad. We are in full transition mode to the new academic year. We had the CT Surgery finishing dinner this weekend led by Carmelo Milano – recognizing the great residents/fellows and faculty that help train our cardiothoracic surgeons. I have had the privilege of being on Acute MI call some this weekend with our new interventional fellow, and the teams on the wards, ICU, and procedure spaces are working hard and very coordinated to ensure our patients get the care they need. Please see the stories below as you will see hopefully the continual organization and growth of Duke Heart – with two new sections (Prevention and Congenital and Structural Heart disease), a new recruit for our Anesthesiology/Critical Care group, Heart Failure research and practice improvement with meeting presentations, DukeHeart365 and the innovation jam presentation and future access models, and leading the US in a site based enrollment for a clinical trial. New academic year – but the same mission to improve the CV health of our region, country, and beyond.
Highlights of the week:
The Division of Cardiology continues to adapt its organizational structure to support Duke Heart & Vascular’s growing clinical, research, and educational mission. This week, we are pleased to announce two new sections—and the leaders who will guide them into the future.
Duke Cardiology Names Pagidipati First Chief of New Prevention Section
As the way we approach and treat cardiovascular disease continues to evolve, so does the way Duke Cardiology is organized to meet patients’ needs.
This summer, Duke Cardiology will establish a Prevention Section and name Neha Pagidipati, MD, MPH, as its inaugural section chief, giving cardiovascular prevention a formal leadership presence within the division. The move reflects both the growing importance of preventing heart disease before it develops or progresses and Duke’s longstanding leadership in the field. It will also help guide future investments in patient care, research, education, and community health.
While creating the section is an organizational milestone, prevention itself is not new at Duke. The Division of Cardiology has built one of the nation’s longest running cardiometabolic prevention programs, caring for patients while advancing research and innovative approaches to reducing cardiovascular risk.
Duke’s leadership in cardiovascular prevention spans decades—from Fred Cobb‘s pioneering work in preventive cardiology to Bill Kraus‘s landmark STRRIDE trials, which helped define the role of exercise in reducing cardiovascular risk. That legacy has continued through Duke’s multidisciplinary cardiometabolic prevention clinic.
“Our cardiometabolic prevention clinic has been in place for many years—longer than most other cardiometabolic clinics in the country,” Pagidipati said. “What we haven’t had is a formal seat at the table when it comes to thinking about hiring, advocating for prevention efforts and guiding those future investments.”
For Pagidipati, establishing the section is an opportunity to build on that strong foundation while creating something that will benefit Duke for decades to come.
“Our goal is to create a home for prevention that is sustainable with a lasting legacy at Duke, a legacy that will be measured by the impact on our patients and the science,” she said. “Formally creating the section now gives us a stronger foundation to continue expanding our prevention efforts well into the future.”
The section will unite Duke’s prevention efforts under a shared vision, strengthening collaboration across clinical care, research, education, and population health. It will also help expand patient access to prevention services, grow Duke’s research footprint, and develop the next generation of prevention specialists.
“Many other academic medical centers already have formal prevention sections,” Pagidipati said. “Having one at Duke will allow us to attract and retain top faculty and trainees while helping shape how cardiology contributes to broader prevention efforts across the health system.”
As the section begins its work, it represents an investment not only in today’s patients, but in the future of cardiovascular medicine at Duke—strengthening the division’s ability to prevent heart disease through innovation, collaboration, and leadership.
Congratulations to Neha and to the entire preventive cardiology team!
New Congenital and Structural Heart Section Joins Growing Areas of Heart Care
The Division of Cardiology is also launching a new Congenital and Structural Heart Disease Section, bringing together Duke Heart’s adult congenital and structural heart programs under a single organizational umbrella.
Cary Ward, MD, will serve as the inaugural section chief. The new section reflects the continued growth of adult congenital and structural heart care at Duke.
“These are two of the major growing areas in cardiology right now,” Ward said. “Bringing them together under one section will allow us to focus on that growth while supporting the outstanding people already doing this work.”
Ward emphasized that combining the programs will help the teams work more closely together, share expertise across disciplines, and advocate more effectively for the resources needed to expand clinical care and research. She also believes the new structure will foster innovation as physicians build on one another’s experience and clinical advances.
For the past decade, Ward has been dedicated to faculty development within the Duke University School of Medicine, supporting physicians in building meaningful and successful careers while fostering high-performing, collaborative teams. She plans to bring that same leadership approach to her new role.
“My hope is to remove barriers so that the team can focus on doing their best work,” Ward said. “We have a tremendous group of faculty; it will be a privilege to support them as they continue advancing patient care, research and education.”
Ward began serving in the role this month as the Division of Cardiology continues to evolve its organizational structure to support Duke Heart’s growing clinical and research programs.
Congratulations, Cary! And congratulations to our ACHD and Structural Heart teams!
Bronshteyn Joins Duke Heart & Vascular CTICU Team
The Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit (CTICU) will welcome a new faculty member later this month as Yuriy Bronshteyn, MD, joins the Duke Heart & Vascular team. 
Bronshteyn earned his medical degree from Vanderbilt University before completing an anesthesiology residency and critical care medicine fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital. He joined Duke Anesthesiology in 2015 and has since cared for critically ill patients in both the Surgical Intensive Care Unit and the Durham VA Intensive Care Unit.
An associate professor in the Duke University School of Medicine, Bronshteyn is internationally recognized for his expertise in diagnostic point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). He is board-certified in critical care and transesophageal echocardiography, has authored more than 60 publications, and has served in national educational leadership roles advancing the use of POCUS in critical care.
“I am delighted to introduce Yuriy Bronshteyn, MD, to our CTICU team and broader Duke Cardiothoracic family,” said Mihai Podgoreanu, MD, associate professor of anesthesiology at Duke and chief, Division of Cardiac Anesthesiology.
Bronshteyn will begin rounding in the CTICU later this month. Please join us in welcoming him to the team.
Duke Heart Well Represented at National Heart Failure Meeting
Duke Health was well represented at the 2026 American Association of Heart Failure Nurses (AAHFN) Annual Meeting, held June 24–26 in San Diego.
Several Duke Heart team members served as invited faculty and presenters, reflecting the innovation and leadership across our heart failure program. Krystan Coble, DNP; Anna Mall, DNP; Stephanie Barnes, DNP; Steve Greene, MD; and Rob Mentz, MD, served as conference faculty and speakers, sharing their insights with colleagues from across the country.
In addition, Allison Fox and Katherine Adams presented Mobilizing HF Care: The Impact of Leader-Led Mobility Rounds. Their work received the conference’s Quality Improvement Award, which is featured in a separate story in this issue of the Pulse.
Fox also received the Robin J. Trupp Scholarship, an annual AAHFN award that supports nurses pursuing undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral education with a focus on advancing heart failure care.
Thank you to each of you for representing Duke Heart & Vascular so well and for sharing your work with colleagues from across the country. Great job!
Duke Heart 365 Earns Duke Health Innovation Accelerator Award
For patients facing a heart condition, timely access to expert cardiovascular care can make all the difference. But navigating specialty care can be complicated, and long waits for appointments often add anxiety to an already stressful time.
A Duke Heart team is working to reimagine that experience.
Their vision—Duke Heart 365—has earned the team a Duke Health Innovation Accelerator Award, recognizing its potential to transform how patients connect with Duke’s cardiovascular specialists.
The awards were presented during Duke Health’s inaugural Innovation Accelerator event on June 29, 2026, at the Trent Semans Center. Duke Heart 365 was one of four projects selected from 12 finalists after a competitive process involving 50 proposals from across the Duke University Health System. The program will provide winning teams with funding and implementation support to help move promising ideas from concept to practice.
“Duke Heart 365 is about creating a more seamless way for patients to engage with Duke Heart for their care,” said Nick Nguyen, MHA, director, finance and administration, for the Division of Cardiology and Duke Heart Center. “Patients want to come to a trusted source like an academic medical center, but they also want that experience to be as frictionless as possible.”
The initiative is designed to help patients quickly connect with a Duke cardiology expert, develop an individualized care plan, and begin the appropriate next steps as quickly as possible. Over time, the platform could bring together virtual care, digital tools, and emerging technologies to extend Duke Heart’s expertise to more patients and communities.
As envisioned, Duke Heart 365 seeks to bring Duke Heart expertise to every community, helping ensure that where a patient resides does not limit access to the specialized cardiovascular care they need nor limit their opportunity for good health outcomes.
“The future of cardiovascular care will not be defined by where care is delivered—it will be defined by how effectively we connect patients with the expertise they need,” said Manesh Patel, MD, Richard Sean Stack, MD, Distinguished Professor at Duke and vice president of Duke’s Heart & Vascular service line. “Duke Heart 365 reflects our commitment to reimagining that connection, expanding access to Duke Heart’s clinical excellence and building a model of care that will better serve patients and communities for years to come.”
The Duke Heart 365 team includes Patel and Nguyen; Camille Frazier-Mills, MD; Sreekanth Vemulapalli, MD; Chet Patel, MD; Jonathan Piccini, MD; Schuyler Jones, MD; Matt Fitzsimmons; and Jill Engel.
Congratulations to all!
A Simple Question Leads to Better Patient Care—and National Recognition
When Katherine Adams and Allison Fox looked at why patients on one Duke Heart Center step-down unit weren’t consistently meeting their mobility goals, they didn’t begin by asking what bedside staff were doing wrong.
Instead, they asked a different question: What could nurse leaders do differently to help?
That simple shift in perspective became the foundation of a quality improvement initiative that recently earned Adams, nurse manager, operations, for Duke Hospital 7700, and Fox, clinical nurse specialist for our Heart step-down units, the CDU, and CMRI, the Quality Improvement Podium Presentation Award at the 2026 annual meeting of the American Association of Heart Failure Nurses (AAHFN). Their presentation showcased a leader-led mobility rounding program that has improved patient outcomes by strengthening collaboration among nurse leaders, frontline staff, and patients.
The initiative began in 2024 after the team recognized that many patients were not achieving their prescribed mobility goals. Adams and Fox created weekly leader-led mobility rounds that included reviewing patient charts, talking with nurses and nursing assistants about successes and barriers, and meeting directly with patients to better understand their experiences.
Just as important as the process itself was the culture Adams and Fox wanted to create. Every conversation was designed to foster trust, encourage honest dialogue and better understand the challenges staff faced in helping patients meet their mobility goals.
“I want to make sure there’s a presence of psychological safety in every conversation a staff member has with me,” Adams said. “They should feel safe talking to me.”
That approach created opportunities not only to solve problems, but also to learn from frontline staff and work together to remove barriers that kept patients from staying active during their hospital stay.
The impact was measurable. Compliance with patient mobility goals increased from 49% to 80% among patients included in the intervention. Falls with injury declined, rehabilitation discharges decreased, and average length of stay improved.
Although the national award recognizes Adams and Fox, Adams is quick to credit the entire care team.
“This is really a reflection of our entire unit,” she said. “This is about our nurses, our nursing assistants, and everyone who helped make these outcomes possible.”
The leader-led mobility rounding model has since expanded to additional Heart Center step-down units, demonstrating how curiosity, collaboration, and supportive leadership can improve patient care while empowering the teams who care for them.
The award recognizes an innovative approach to improving patient mobility, but Adams hopes its broader lesson will resonate with leaders across Duke Health: sometimes the most meaningful improvements begin with a simple question—and a willingness to listen to the people closest to the work.
“If you’re seeing something that isn’t where it needs to be, leader-led rounding is an excellent way to tackle it,” she said. “We learn from our staff every time we do these rounds.”
Way to go, Katherine and Allison!
Kudos to Chelsey Weinbrecht!
Chelsey Weinbrecht is receiving well-deserved recognition for the outstanding support she provides to Duke’s Internal Medicine residents and new team members. We received a note this week from Diane Sauro, MSN, director, Advanced Practice, Duke Heart, sharing a note sent to her by Jenny Van Kirk, associate program director for the Internal Medicine Residency Program:
“I wanted to share that I was in the workroom when Chelsey Weinbrecht gave handoff to one of the interns, and it was FANTASTIC! I was really impressed by her patience, kindness, thorough details, excellent anticipatory guidance, and willingness to teach. In her anticipatory guidance, there was information about not giving amiodarone to someone listed for transplant and about not giving blood to someone listed for transplant (unless symptomatic). The intern asked about this, and she taught graciously. This really struck me as a model that hopefully others could follow!” — Jenny Van Kirk
“Chelsey, Great work, and thank you for being such a team player. We truly appreciate your willingness to support the education and development of our new interns. Collaborating with the multidisciplinary team is an important part of what we do, and your efforts exemplify the teamwork and commitment that contribute to a positive learning environment and excellent patient care. Thank you for your dedication and for going above and beyond. We appreciate all that you do.” — Diane Sauro
“Supporting new interns and team members is central to our mission,” added Jill Engel, DNP, service line vice president for Heart & Vascular. “Thank you for being a mentor and leader on the Heart Team.”
Congratulations, Chelsey, and thank you for going above and beyond to support your colleagues and our patients!
Shout-Out to Wang and Zakharova!
Congratulations to cardiologist Andrew Wang, MD, site principal investigator, and Oksana Zakharova, lead clinical research coordinator, for leading this week’s U.S. enrollment in the SONATA-HCM clinical trial. As the study enters its final phase of enrollment, Duke was recognized as the highest-enrolling U.S. site in this week’s sponsor update—a testament to the team’s dedication to advancing research for patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Krista Camuglia, research practice manager for the Duke Heart Center Clinical Research Unit, recognized the team’s outstanding achievement and thanked Wang and Zakharova for their leadership and commitment to the study.
Wang also praised Zakharova’s exceptional contributions, writing, “We are the leading U.S. enrolling site—quite an achievement and a credit to your diligent screening and contacts with patients. In truth, your name should be listed in place of mine!”
Congratulations, Andrew, Oksana, and the entire study team on this outstanding accomplishment!
Upcoming CME Events & Opportunities
Cardiology Grand Rounds
CGRs have concluded for the summer. We will return in the fall! Meanwhile, please enjoy past recordings.
All Duke CGR Recordings (except for those containing PHI) can be found on Duke Warpwire by year: 2026, 2025, 2024. Questions about recordings? Contact Tracey Koepke.
2026 Symposia
The dates for the following 2026 Duke Heart symposia have been set. We will announce others as they are added.
- September 26: Duke Case-Based Multimodality Imaging Symposium – Registration is now open. Course directors are Sreekanth 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!
Hitting with Heart Softball Tournament
The 10th Annual Hitting with Heart Softball tournament will be held on Saturday, August 22 at Valley Springs Park, 3805 Valley Springs Road, in Durham. The tournament raises funds that will, in part, support the American Heart Association’s 2026 Triangle Heart Walk.
Triangle Heart Walk Date Announced
The American Heart Association’s 2026 Triangle Heart Walk will take place on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, 3801 Rock Quarry Road, Raleigh. The Walk is expected to start around 9:30 a.m., but that may change. Stay tuned for a more formal announcement from the AHA. Meanwhile, registration for team captains and walkers is open!
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 Pulse — July 5, 2026
Chief’s message: Radical concept and the Arc of Democracy – July 4th 2026
Hope you all stayed cool and had a happy July 4th (250th Anniversary weekend). Want to thank the teams of clinicians and staff that helped care for our patients and starting residents and fellows. Starting our residents and fellows off in the best way is always an important part of our year.
Our family was lucky enough to get to Philadelphia for the weekend and spend the weekend seeing Independence Hall 
(where both the Declaration was finally drafted and signed and Constitutional Convention with the colonies was held), and the several museums and events. 
It was great to learn some of the history of the complexities the founding fathers faced in both crafting the declaration and setting up the constitution and the government of the United States. Most impressive was the amount of disruption, the radical thinking, and continuous commitment and courage it took to move our nation forward. Inspiring to see and to give us some thought as we continue to work to improve the health of our communities, some integral to all in our region, country, and world where cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death and disability.
Revolutionary Guard at Constitution Center, above is Independence hall and table where Jefferson with Virginia delegation.
This last week was a busy one with new trainees, organization for our clinical programs for the upcoming year, ASE echo meeting with great amounts of our echo lab represented, another Nature publication from researchers in the CVRC, and announcement of my work as Volunteer President of the AHA this upcoming year. We have included my post below describing my excitement from Linkedin and AHA announcement. Look forward to sharing what I learn this year and the impact we have this upcoming year. Also excited to have Svati Shah, MD announced as the President-Elect for the AHA, a testament to our cardiovascular group and to her amazing work in precision health.
Highlights of the week:
Manesh Patel Begins One-Year Term as AHA President
I’m honored and humbled to step into the role of volunteer president of the American Heart Association for 2026-27, and proud to be the first South Asian person to hold this role, a moment that reflects my family’s journey and the values they instilled in me. This opportunity also reflects something larger than any one person. It is a testament to the culture of science and teamwork I have been fortunate to be part of at Duke, from the Duke Clinical Research Institute to Duke Heart and Duke Cardiology, where I have spent nearly 30 years building on a legacy of cardiovascular discovery.
Science saves lives. My focus as president will be making sure the discoveries we make are proven, and that proven therapies reach everyone, everywhere. By 2050, nearly half the world’s population may face some form of cardiovascular disease or its risk factors. That is the scale of the opportunity in front of us. The American Heart Association’s mission and commitment to improving human health is energizing and I look forward to working with the thousands of volunteers, clinicians, and scientists to meet this moment.
I especially want to thank all of our faculty and fellows who have helped me learn and the patients who have allowed me to care for them. I also want to thank the Heart Center board members and leaders, including our Chair Bob Keegan. Many of you have invested and believed in our ability to make these types of differences and impact.
Finally, if you’ve been putting off seeing a physician, let this be your sign. Know your numbers. Understand your risk. Most cardiovascular disease is preventable, but you can’t feel it until it affects you.
The link to the AHA announcement is here. The AHA also produced this profile story as part of their announcement: New American Heart Association president aims to close the gap between discovery and care.
Duke Heart & Vascular Earns Multiple AHA Achievement Awards
Every day, our teams come together across Duke Heart & Vascular to deliver safe, evidence-based care for patients. That commitment has once again been recognized by the American Heart Association (AHA), which awarded Duke University Hospital and Duke Raleigh Hospital multiple 2026 Get With The Guidelines® achievement awards for excellence in heart failure, atrial fibrillation and coronary artery disease care.
The AHA’s Get With The Guidelines® program recognizes hospitals that consistently apply the latest evidence-based treatment guidelines to improve patient care and outcomes. This year’s recognitions reflect the commitment of our teams across DUHS to delivering high-quality, guideline-directed care across the cardiovascular continuum.
“These recognitions are a reflection of our team,” said Manesh Patel, MD, chief of the division of cardiology and vice president of Duke’s Heart and Vascular Service line. “They represent the dedication of each of you across Duke Heart & Vascular who work together every day to provide safe, evidence-based care for our patients. I’m grateful for your commitment to excellence and for the difference you make in the lives of the patients and families we serve.”
Duke University Hospital
- Get With The Guidelines®–Heart Failure Gold Plus with Target: Heart Failure Optimal and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
- Get With The Guidelines®–AFib Gold with Target: Ablation
- Get With The Guidelines®–Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Receiving Center Gold Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
- Get With The Guidelines®–Coronary Artery Disease NSTEMI Gold with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
Duke Raleigh Hospital
- Get With The Guidelines®–Heart Failure Gold Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
Together, these recognitions celebrate the entirety of Duke Heart & Vascular, because your dedication makes our exceptional cardiovascular care possible for every patient, every day.
Congratulations to all!
Study Reveals First Drug-like Molecules that Control Key Cellular Signaling Proteins
To function normally, nearly every cell in the human body relies on G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) to receive and send signals. That’s why GPCRs are targeted by roughly one-third of all FDA‑approved drugs.
But the signals from these receptors don’t act alone. Decades ago, Duke University biochemist and cardiologist Robert J. Lefkowitz, MD, and colleagues discovered β-arrestins — proteins that attach to activated GPCRs, dampen their signaling, and pull them inside the cell. In the early 2000s, the lab showed that β-arrestins also launch their own signaling pathways, expanding their role far beyond simply shutting receptors off.
Now, researchers in the Duke Cardiovascular Research Center’s Lefkowitz lab have identified three powerful, drug-like molecules that directly target β-arrestins. The findings, published June 24 in the journal Nature, provide the first clear way to control these proteins with pharmacological precision.
In multiple tests, the compounds blocked β-arrestins from interacting with GPCRs and carrying out their normal functions, without interfering with the receptors themselves. Instead of shutting down GPCR activity, the molecules effectively remove β-arrestin control, allowing signaling through G proteins to persist.
The discovery provides the first chemical tools for studying β-arrestins, opening the door for scientists to better understand how β-arrestins shape cellular responses. And it suggests a path toward more precise therapies for conditions involving metabolism, immune responses, cardiovascular function, and brain signaling.
The study is the result of more than a decade of work from co-first authors Alem W. Kahsai, PhD, assistant professor of medicine, and postdoctoral researcher Natalia Pakharukova, PhD.
“Alem could have published a creditable paper about these molecules 10 years ago,” said Lefkowitz, Duke Health Distinguished Professor of Medicine and senior author of the study. “But he’s a perfectionist. He wanted to figure out how they actually work.”
Kahsai “lived and breathed” these molecules 24 hours a day, drawing in collaborators from Duke and across the country to “describe an extraordinary amount of their biology,” Lefkowitz said.
The team began with a broad, unbiased search of the National Cancer Institute’s vast compound library to identify molecules that might bind β-arrestins. Then they narrowed the field using tests that showed which compounds physically interacted with the protein and stabilized it. The most promising candidates were studied in engineered human cell systems, where researchers could track real-time GPCR signaling, and later in physiologically relevant immune and heart muscle cells to determine whether their effects extended beyond simplified laboratory models.
Through this step-by-step process, the researchers identified three compounds that disrupted multiple aspects of β-arrestin function — blocking their recruitment to receptors, preventing receptor desensitization and internalization, and shutting down β-arrestin–specific signaling pathways — while leaving G protein signaling intact.
“We tested these compounds from every angle we could think of before we were convinced they were bona fide β-arrestin inhibitors,” Kahsai said.
A pivotal moment came when Pakharukova used Cryo-electron microscopy to visualize one of the compounds, called Cmpd-5, binding to a previously unknown “pocket” on β-arrestin. This visualization showed that the inhibitor works “allosterically” – when it binds to this pocket, it changes the shape of β-arrestin globally and prevents it from fully engaging with GPCRs.
The team tested the inhibitors with several GPCRs, including the GLP-1 receptor, which is the target of widely used weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy. Even when the receptor was being stimulated by these drugs, adding the new compounds inhibited β‑arrestin control and allowed G protein signaling to continue longer than usual.
Such an approach promises to allow researchers to dial specific pathways up or down, potentially improving treatment precision while reducing unwanted side effects.
Kahsai and Pakharukova’s Duke co-authors are: Henry Y. Kwon, Kunal S. Shah, Caroline T. del Real, Bowie N. Shreiber, Jason G. Liang-Lin, Paul J. Shim, Mason A. Lee, Allison M. Schwalb, Uyen Pham, Anand Chundi, Haoran Jiang, Samuel Liu, Preston C. Nibley, Dana K. Bassford, Cal A. Kunzle, Brittany N. Thomas, Jihee Kim, Jialu Wang, Xingdong Zhang, Jeffrey S. Smith, Lindsay A.M. Rein, Sudha K. Shenoy, Sudarshan Rajagopal, Seungkirl Ahn, Howard A. Rockman, Robert J. Lefkowitz, and Ali Masoudi.
Funding: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the National Institutes of Health, the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Collaborative Research Consortium on GPCRs, and the Mandel Foundation.
Congratulations to Alem, Natalia, and their study coauthors!
Duke at ASE2026!
Duke was well represented at the American Society of Echocardiography’s 51st Scientific Sessions held June 26 – 28, 2026 at the Gaylord Rockies Resort in Aurora, CO.
Alicia Armour, Practice Administrator, served as co-chair for the meeting and was fortunate to have several Duke faculty members present across several tracks. Contributing to the success of the meeting were: Anita Kelsey, MD, Sreekanth Vemulapalli, MD, Pamela Douglas, MD, Ashlee Davis, Richie Palma, Carissa Bregadze, Melissa LeFevre, Alina Nicoara, MD, Piers Barker, MD, Tracy Ralston, and Anna Lise Brinson.
Award winners included: Emily Lynch (sonographer travel grant), Laura Miller and Chris Dube (Allan D. Waggoner Student Scholarship Award). A big round of thanks for their contribution to the sessions!
Congratulations, Emily, Laura, Chris, and Alicia! Excellent representation across our team!
NACE/Cardiology Grand Rounds on Dyslipidemia Guidelines Success
Our first Grand Rounds partnership with the National Association for Continuing Education (NACE) was a resounding success, with more than 1700 people registered as virtual attendees of the hybrid event.
The continuing education session, 2026 Dyslipidemia Guidelines: Practical Implementation, was led by presenter Nishant Shah, MD, and moderator Manesh Patel, MD. It was held on Monday, June 29, 2026, at the JB Duke Hotel in Durham.
Thank you to everyone who joined us in person and to all those who joined us online. It was an excellent presentation by Dr. Shah with lots of humor throughout, thanks to Dr. Patel. Many thanks to Christy Darnell for her work in making this a successful CME activity.
Congratulations, Nishant, Manesh, and Christy!
Shout-out to Thakkar!
We are excited to share that Aetna has updated its policy on lipoprotein A testing, and this comes in large part due to the persistence and dedication of Aarti Thakkar, MD. We received a note this week from Nishant Shah recognizing her work on behalf of the preventive cardiology team:
“I wanted to highlight some great work Aarti Thakkar has led to advocate for insurance coverage for Lp(a) testing. We received this note below from the PRMO showing the success of Aarti’s advocacy and letters she has drafted with Aetna. In addition to Aetna, we now have coverage from many payers in the state of North Carolina that serve Duke Health patients for an Lp(a) test once in a lifetime. Aarti played a big role in helping with the access in order to promote the guideline recommendation of getting an Lp(a) test.” – Nishant Shah, MD
Note from Jamie Ashmore, Duke PRMO:
“Drs. Pagidipati, Shah, and Thakkar, Good news! With the help and support of your advocacy, Aetna has finally updated their policy on lipoprotein A testing. They will now cover it once per lifetime for patients 19 and over. This would not have happened without your advocacy and the excellent letter you submitted nearly a year ago in support of this effort. Aetna was the last of our major commercial payers who declined to cover this testing, and because they now have the NC State Employees Health Plan, they are a much more significant part of our payer base than in previous years. Thank you so much for your willingness to lend your voices to this effort!”
Way to go, Aarti, Duke PRMO team, Neha, and Nishant! Your advocacy to get patients the care they need, when they need it, is outstanding!
Upcoming CME Events & Opportunities
Cardiology Grand Rounds
CGRs have concluded for the summer. We will return in the fall! Meanwhile, please enjoy past recordings.
All Duke CGR Recordings (except for those containing PHI) can be found on Duke Warpwire by year: 2026, 2025, 2024. Questions about recordings? Contact Tracey Koepke.
2026 Symposia
The dates for the following 2026 Duke Heart symposia have been set. We will announce others as they are added.
- September 26: Duke Case-Based Multimodality Imaging Symposium – Registration is now open. Course directors are Sreekanth 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!
Hitting with Heart Softball Tournament
The 10th Annual Hitting with Heart Softball tournament will be held on Saturday, August 22 at Valley Springs Park, 3805 Valley Springs Road, in Durham. The tournament raises funds that will, in part, support the American Heart Association’s 2026 Triangle Heart Walk.
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.
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