Highlights of the week:
Robotic Cardiac Surgery Team Marks Growth, New Milestones
Duke’s robotic cardiac surgery program has reached a series of new milestones in 2026, expanding both the volume and types of procedures performed using the robotic platform.
In 2025, the program performed 25 robotic mitral valve repairs. Through Sept. 9 of this year, the team has performed 40 intracardiac robotic procedures, including 27 mitral valve repairs, seven mitral valve replacements, two redo mitral valve replacements, three left atrial mass resections, and one tricuspid valve repair.
The program has also expanded to include MAZE procedures and left atrial appendage closure performed alongside other robotic cardiac procedures.
Brittany Zwischenberger, MD, MHSc, associate professor of surgery in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, performs the robotic cardiac surgery cases, working alongside a multidisciplinary team of nurses, surgical technologists and physician assistants. Together, the team has expanded the robotic program in both volume and case mix over the past year.
Zwischenberger recently hosted team members at her home to celebrate their accomplishments and the program’s continued growth.
Congratulations to all!
HVSL Team Takes Part in ACLS, BLS Training
Physicians participated in Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) and Basic Life Support (BLS) training on Sept. 8 as part of Duke Heart & Vascular’s biannual training.
The session, taught by Kristin Newby, Jill Engel, Laura Dickerson and Mary Lindsay, was one of two ACLS and BLS training opportunities being offered in September.
Way to go!
Lewis Featured in PCNA Podcast on ATTR-CM
Morgan Lewis, RN, with Duke’s Advanced Heart Failure team, is featured in a new podcast from the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA) focused on transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM).
Lewis joined PCNA for “Turning the Tide on ATTR Matters,” an episode of the association’s Heart to Heart Nurses podcast. The episode is part of a three-part series providing information about ATTR-CM, a form of cardiac amyloidosis that can lead to heart failure.
The podcast is available in both audio and video formats through PCNA and can also be found through major podcast platforms.
Listen to “Turning the Tide on ATTR Matters”:
https://pcna.net/podcast/turning-the-tide-on-attr-matters/
Great job, Morgan!
Join Us at the 2026 Triangle Heart Walk
Duke Health once again is serving as a lead sponsor of the 2026 Triangle Heart Walk. On Saturday, Oct. 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 support Manesh Patel – current AHA volunteer president – by making this year the most successful showing for Duke Heart & Vascular yet!
Upcoming Flu Vax Campaign
Flu vaccination season will take place from Thursday, October 8 – November 17 at 10 a.m. Duke University Health System requires all healthcare workers to comply with our Healthcare Worker Flu Vaccination policy by receiving an annual vaccination or an approved medical or religious exemption. Review the policy and related information here.
Culture Pulse Launches Tomorrow, Sept. 14
The new Culture Pulse 2026 opens on Monday, September 14 and closes September 28.
Your feedback will help shape a variety of Duke Health initiatives, including support for GME trainees, and we need your input. All survey results are confidential. Your opinion is important! Your Voice Matters. Be Heard. Take the Survey.
Watch for the Culture Pulse survey in your inbox beginning Sept. 14 — and please take five minutes to participate!
¡DALHE! Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month Sept. 22
¡DALHE!, Duke University School of Medicine’s employee resource group dedicated to advancing Latine/Hispanic excellence, will host its annual Hispanic Heritage Month event, “Celebrating Culture, Inspiring Careers,” on Tuesday, Sept. 22, from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in Trent Semans Great Hall.
This year’s event will feature three panelists who will share insights into their roles at Duke, their career paths, and the ways their cultural backgrounds have influenced and shaped their professional journeys. Panelists are Stephanie Lopez, director of the Duke Health News Office; Kevin D’Arco, senior associate dean of international students at Duke University; and Iris Padilla, PhD, MBA, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, FAANP, clinical professor in the Duke University School of Nursing.
Jeannet Constante, M.Ed., with Faculty Development, DAPT & Wellness Coordination in the Department of Pediatrics, will moderate the discussion, which will conclude with a Q&A session.
The event will also showcase the work of artist Anthony Garza. Lunch will be provided.
‘Disagree Better’ Duke University Forum Set for Sept. 29
Duke will host “Disagree Better,” a university forum focused on healthy conflict and constructive dialogue across political differences, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 5:45 p.m. in Page Auditorium.
The discussion will bring together New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, and Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, a Republican, for a conversation about strengthening American democracy through civil discourse. Judy Woodruff, journalist and Duke alumna, will moderate the discussion, and North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein will deliver a video message.
The event is sponsored by the Provost’s Initiative on Pluralism, Free Inquiry, and Belonging and is open to members of the Duke, Durham, and Triangle communities.
Learn more and register for tickets.
NC Biotechnology Center Grants Information Session Set for Oct. 15
Faculty and research teams interested in funding opportunities through the North Carolina Biotechnology Center are invited to a grants information session on Thursday, Oct. 15, from noon–1 p.m. in the Bolton Family Tower Room at the Brodhead Center. Lunch will be provided.
Tracey du Laney, PhD, senior vice president for science and technology development at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center and a Duke alumna, will provide an overview of funding opportunities available through the center, including its Flash Grant, Translational Research Grant, and Innovation Impact Grant programs.
The session will offer an opportunity to learn more about the programs, the types of projects they support, and how NC Biotechnology Center funding may help advance research and innovation.
The session is hosted by Duke University Foundation Relations, the Duke Health Office of Foundation Relations and Strategic Partnerships (FRASP), Duke’s Office for External Partnerships, and the Office for Translation & Commercialization.
To RSVP, contact Kylie Snyder, assistant director, at kylie.snyder@duke.edu.
DIHI Opens 2027 Request for Innovation Applications
The Duke Institute for Health Innovation (DIHI) has opened its 2027 Request for Applications (RFA), seeking practical, scalable solutions to high-priority challenges across Duke’s clinical enterprise.
The 2027 RFA seeks proposals in three focus areas: AI-powered solutions for a virtual care platform; automation and workflow redesign; and sustainable, patient-facing AI solutions. The opportunity is open to faculty, staff, students, and trainees across Duke University and Duke University Health System.
Up to 10 applications will be selected for support, with most projects expected to request $25,000–$60,000 in funding for one year. Funding does not cover faculty time. Each proposal must also have a DUHS operational lead as a co-sponsor to be considered for review.
DIHI encourages teams to engage with its staff as they develop proposals. The team can help refine early ideas, assess alignment with this year’s focus areas, identify operational partners, and strengthen plans for moving an idea toward measurable impact.
Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 17. Finalists are expected to present to leadership in February 2027, with funding beginning in May.
Learn more, download the information packet, and apply
Duke Football to Celebrate Healthcare Professionals Oct. 17
Duke Football will celebrate healthcare professionals during its Healthcare Appreciation Game against North Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 17, at Wallace Wade Stadium. The annual event recognizes the dedication and contributions of healthcare professionals throughout our community.
A special discounted ticket offer is available for healthcare professionals, along with their families, friends, and colleagues — and interest is already strong, with nearly 1,000 tickets sold through the promotional offer.
We’d love to see a strong Duke Heart & Vascular presence at Wallace Wade!
Upcoming CME Events & Other Opportunities
- September is national Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) Awareness Month and national Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month.
- The annual Duke Health Culture Pulse survey will be conducted 14-28.
- Flu vaccination for employees: 8-Nov.17, 10 a.m.
- of Medicine Research Day: October 23.
Cardiology Grand Rounds
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.
Multi-Modality Cardiovascular Imaging Grand Rounds
Sept. 17: Differentiating LVH with Fawaz Alenezi. Noon-1 p.m. via Zoom.
Oct. 1: Quality in Echo Lab with Ashlee Davis. Noon-1 p.m. via Zoom.
Upcoming 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, 2027: 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, Oct. 3, 2026, at Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, 3801 Rock Quarry Road, Raleigh.
For more information or to register as a walker or a team captain, please visit: Triangle Heart Walk 2026.
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.
