Chief’s message: Duke Heart in the News and Week Highlights
Hopefully you all had another busy and impactful week. This weekend the NY Times Athletic and CBS Morning News featured a segment on USA Runner Jenny Simpson who, unfortunately developed a cardiac arrest during a charity race/run in Raleigh. She was transferred to the Duke CICU post-arrest where they note the exceptional care by our team that resulted in an excellent neurologic recovery as well as a definitive diagnosis of ARVC. This story highlights the care and compassion of our entire team and specifically our physicians including Dr. Albert Sun, her electrophysiologist. Her diagnosis spells the end of her running career, which has been her identity up to this point, yet she expresses profound gratitude at how our team helped her come to understand and accept her condition. It also highlights the amazing work Duke is doing in the congenital surgery front. The story demonstrates how care at Duke Heart is clearly a team effort extending across Duke Raleigh, the CICU, HF team, EP service, invasive evaluation, surgical teams, PT/OT, Respiratory therapy, residents, APPs, and Fellows. With increasing patient volume, and multiple stressors our teams face on a daily basis, we should be proud of the work all of Duke Heart does on a daily basis.
Equally important is the message on the Chain of Survival from CPR, AED use, and continued support throughout recovery. The speed of team to perform CPR, get an AED and provide lifesaving defibrillation are inspiring and the work of the amazing community and story. The American Heart Association has spearheaded the national movement on cardiac arrest survival with CPR, AED, and Nation of Lifesavers work. This chain of survival has been seen to be effective, and on-call this weekend – I have personally seen it continue to save lives in our community. Below you will see the visit from the AHA “Heart Ma’am” mascot and ability for everyone to sign up and join us for the Triangle Heart Walk. We look forward to seeing you all there as we continued to work to make a heart healthy community.
In the upcoming weeks we will share the best Science from the European Society of Cardiology.
Links are provided below.
https://youtu.be/e2xPCejolwQ?is=lldYVRs9BwVG9zHH
Highlights of the week:
Elliott Joins Duke Cardiology Faculty
David Elliott, MD, PhD, is officially joining the Duke Cardiology faculty as an associate professor of medicine tomorrow, Monday, Aug. 24.
Elliott is well known to Duke, having completed medical school, internal medicine residency, cardiovascular disease fellowship, and advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology fellowship here. During his residency, he was also selected for Duke’s SCI-StARR R38 Resident Physician-Scientist Program, where he conducted research in the White-McGarrah Lab with Robert McGarrah, MD, of Duke Cardiology, and Phillip White, PhD, of Duke Endocrinology, Metabolism and Nutrition.
As an advanced heart failure and transplant cardiologist, Elliott’s clinical interests include the care of patients with end-stage heart failure, cardiogenic shock, mechanical circulatory support, and heart transplantation. He will see patients in Duke Cardiology clinics 2F/2G and at Duke Cardiology Arringdon.
Elliott also brings a strong research background to his faculty role. He earned a PhD in biomedical sciences from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine before attending Duke for medical school. His research interests span cardiovascular disease and transplant immunology, building on his training as both a scientist and clinician.
Please join us in welcoming David to the Duke Heart & Vascular faculty!
Jackson Recognized for National AHA/ACC Quality Measures Work
Kudos to Larry Jackson II, MD, for his contributions to the development of the 2026 AHA/ACC Clinical Performance and Quality Measures for Patients With Atrial Fibrillation.
Jackson was recently recognized by the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology for the time, expertise and leadership he contributed to the national performance measures development process. The AHA/ACC performance measurement sets are designed to help cardiovascular clinicians and institutions assess quality of care and identify opportunities for improvement.
In a commendation letter sent to Jonathan Piccini, MD, director of Duke Electrophysiology, leaders of the AHA/ACC Joint Committee on Performance Measures praised Jackson’s dedication to the effort and described participation in the initiative as an important example of “exceptional academic citizenship.”
Congratulations, Larry, and thank you for representing Duke Heart & Vascular in this important national work!
Kudos to Tulp
A big shout-out to Adam Tulp, who recently received a Kudos Kard from colleague Ashley Arrington recognizing his outstanding support of patients and nursing team members.
Arrington praised Tulp for his clinical knowledge, kindness, and attentiveness, noting that he listens carefully to concerns, regularly checks in with patients and nurses throughout his shift, and keeps a close eye on changes in his patients’ conditions. “He knows his patients and does not dismiss any of my concerns,” she wrote. “I really appreciate this. Thank you, Adam!”
Jill Engel, DNP, service line vice president for Heart & Vascular, also congratulated Tulp on the recognition, noting the particular significance of praise from a colleague and team member.
Kudos, Adam, and thank you for all you do each day for our patients and team!
Kudos to Emily Towery
A big shout-out to Emily Towery, who recently received a Kudos Kard from Danielle Forrest recognizing her exceptional support of patients and colleagues within the cardiac MRI space in Duke Medicine Pavilion.
When device representative coverage was limited, Towery stepped in to assist with programming Abbott cardiac implantable electronic devices into and out of MRI mode, helping ensure patients could receive their scheduled scans without unnecessary delays. Forrest described Towery’s assistance as “crucial” and thanked her for ensuring cases were completed in a timely manner.
Her efforts also drew praise from Duke Heart leadership. Jill Engel, DNP, service line vice president for Heart & Vascular, thanked Towery for her tremendous support of patients and the team, adding, “You exemplify what living the Duke values looks like.”
Jonathan Piccini, MD, director of Duke Electrophysiology, also recognized Towery for consistently going above and beyond for the EP team and Heart Center. “Our patients are very lucky to have you!” he said.
Way to go, Emily!
Heart Ma’am, AHA Torch Visit on Journey Across Triangle
The AHA mascot (“Heart Ma’am”) and the AHA Triangle Torch were at Duke Heart & Vascular this week. There were treats galore and a great deal of spirited interaction that will hopefully translate into an excellent showing at the upcoming Triangle Heart Walk on Saturday, October 3!
Let’s go, team!!!
Join Us at the 2026 Triangle Heart Walk
Duke Health is once again serving as a lead sponsor of the 2026 Triangle Heart Walk. On Saturday, October 3, please join us again as we walk alongside our colleagues, family members, friends, and many of our cardiovascular patients to celebrate our community.
The Heart Walk is the American Heart Association’s premier fundraising event, drawing communities together from across the U.S. to raise funds and celebrate progress in the fight against heart disease and stroke. This year’s Triangle Heart Walk will unite us in our commitment to living heart-healthy lifestyles and raising lifesaving funds, all while having a fun time together!
This year, the goal for Duke Health is 250 teams, with 10 people per team, and to raise $170,000. We need your help to accomplish this. Please consider signing up as a team captain to lead a Heart Walk team or simply join one as a walker.
The American Heart Association is one of the largest non-federal funding sources of cardiovascular research in the country. AHA-supported research informs the guidelines, treatments, and prevention efforts our teams use every day, so the dollars we raise come back to our own patients, our colleagues, and our community.
We hope you’ll join us on Saturday, October 3, at Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek as we walk together in support of healthier hearts and healthier communities.
Let’s make this year the most successful showing for Duke Heart & Vascular yet!
Luggage Donations Needed for Duke Heart for Honduras
The Duke Heart for Honduras team is seeking donations of old or gently used suitcases and luggage to help transport medical supplies and equipment during its upcoming mission trip to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, in September.
Duke Heart for Honduras is a volunteer cardiac surgery mission led by Duke physicians, trainees and staff in partnership with local healthcare providers. This year, the team plans to perform approximately 15 lifesaving cardiac surgeries at no cost to patients while also providing education and training opportunities for Honduran healthcare colleagues.
Donated luggage will be used to transport needed medical supplies and equipment to Honduras and will remain there for continued use by local healthcare providers and hospitals. Donated luggage will not be returned.
Have a suitcase to spare? Please bring donations to Lauren Parker in CARL Room 250 by Aug. 30. Those for whom CARL is not convenient may contact Lauren at 804-332-4723 or lep52@duke.edu to coordinate an alternate pick-up time and location.
Thank you for helping Duke Heart for Honduras prepare for another important mission!
Upcoming CME Events & Opportunities
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Sept. 8: ESC Updates with Christopher Granger, MD. 5 p.m. DN2002 and via Zoom.
Sept. 15: Powering Genomics with Health IT with Jeffrey Balser, MD, PhD, President and CEO, Vanderbilt University Medical Center. 5 p.m. DN2002 and via Zoom.
Sept. 22: Cardiology, Immunology and Rheumatology with Antonio Abbate, MD, PhD, of UVA Health. 5 p.m., DN2002 and via Zoom.
Sept. 23: A Primate Genetic Model Organism for Cardiovascular Disease with Stephen Chang, MD, PhD of Stanford Medicine. 5 p.m. HAFS 7683. This special CGR session will be in person only.
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!
Triangle Heart Walk
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.
