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Duke Heart Pulse — March 9, 2025
Chief’s Message: Opportunity for Duke Heart and Academic Medical Centers
This week we saw more challenges in our work to improve the country’s health with changes in not just research funding but also potentially how care will be delivered/covered. Unfortunately the key facts are that our community and our country needs our systems to partner to deliver better health. Some of the key data to consider are as follows:
- Health care outcomes in the US are among the worst (life expectancy) in OECD countries with highest cost of care (~18% GDP)
- US adults have the highest rate of multiple chronic conditions (~30%)
- Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease (HTN, Obesity, High Cholesterol, and Diabetes) are projected to affect 61% of Americans by 2050 without intervention and Cardiovascular Disease will remain leading cause of death and disability with stroke and coronary heart disease leading the way. (from the AHA 2050 Projections)
- The AHA estimates 14% of Medicare spending on CV disease with that estimation near 43% if all risk factor spending included
- 43% of counties in the US have no cardiologist and these regions have the worst CV outcomes.
- US Academic Medical Centers lead innovation and care and will have a 5.4% annualized growth in clinical care market by 2030 with estimated 1.5 Trillion of US health care
Taken in total – the moment is now. Our opportunity to re-imagine how we work across our community, North Carolina and the country to improve cardiovascular health and support the missions of Academic Medical Centers is now. Over this March month, we have described March Madness as the yearly tradition of our Basketball teams (Men and Women) at Duke making hopefully deep runs in the tournament. This year we also will attempt over the month to present the work Duke Health / Duke Heart and Vascular, and our training programs are doing to ensure and envision the future we need for better health. The Health system and School are working to re-imagine and partner in ways we have not before. We look to be a driving force in that future state of health care by bringing information and knowledge to our community and patients to ensure they get the right care at the right time. This will undoubtedly require better integration of our research and clinical missions. Something we are uniquely poised to do. So – see our groups continued work to accomplish our missions below and we appreciate the time, effort, and continued support of all in the Duke Heart Community. Importantly, this month is also Ramadan – and we hope all those in our community that celebrate – a happy Ramadan.
Highlights of the week
Celebrating Ramadan
We wish all those in our Muslim community a happy Ramadan. May this fasting period bring much reflection and spiritual growth to all who observe. Ramadan began the evening of Feb. 28, 2025 and will continue through March 29, 2025, ending with Eid al-Fitr, a festive holiday marked by prayers, feasting and acts of generosity.
Ramadan Kareem!
Regional Cardiovascular Emergency Care Summit Held
On February 28 in Durham, healthcare professionals from across the region gathered for the Regional Cardiovascular Emergency Care Summit aimed at improving the care of patients experiencing acute myocardial infarction (MI). The half-day event sponsored by Duke Heart & Vascular Services brought together referring hospitals, EMS agencies, and PCI centers to discuss challenges, share best practices, and strengthen coordination efforts to enhance patient outcomes.
Summit Highlights & Impact:
- Facilitated networking and collaboration among EMS, emergency medicine, cardiology, and hospital systems
- Reviewed the current state of emergency cardiovascular care across the region
- STEMI Case Studies from various sites
- Identified key opportunities for improving response times, patient transfers, and overall coordination between EMS and hospitals
The event successfully brought together hospitals and EMS agencies, fostering stronger partnerships and leading to valuable discussions on optimizing patient care. The summit helped lay the groundwork for more efficient, life-saving interventions for cardiac emergencies by uniting healthcare providers across the state and region.
Participating organizations:
- Duke University Health System
- Duke Heart Network
- UNC Health
- Maria Parham Health
- Durham VAMC
- Person County EMS
- Duke Life Flight
- Alamance County EMS
- Durham County EMS
- Sovah Health
- Cone Health
- American Heart Association
The collaborative efforts from this summit will have a lasting impact, reinforcing the importance of seamless communication and coordination in cardiovascular emergency care. Stay tuned for details on the 2026 CV Summit as we continue to build on this year’s success and strengthen collaboration across our regional network.
Great job everyone!
CTSI Welcomes Clinical Research Equity Scholars in Partnership with Durham Tech
A unique collaboration launched four years ago between Duke Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) and Durham Technical Community College continues to thrive and recently welcomed the latest cohort of the Clinical Research Equity Scholars Program.
The two-semester program provides Durham Tech students the opportunity to contribute to the development of innovative strategies for improving equitable practices in clinical research. Scholars receive a stipend and are matched with a Duke mentor — often an affiliate CTSI faculty member — on a clinical research project.
“We are thrilled to continue this partnership with Durham Tech and provide scholars with special training activities and hands-on experience working with clinical research teams,” said Amanda McMillan, MPH, MA, co-director for CTSI’s Workforce Development Pillar. “Through the program, scholars also learn to address disparities in clinical research by engaging with communities that are underrepresented in studies and clinical trials, helping to make research accessible to everyone.”
Nadine Barrett, PhD, former director of the CTSI Center for Equity in Research, partnered with Sharleen Traynor, PhD, at Durham Tech to create the program.
The three students in this year’s cohort are:
Michelle Ko
A second-year clinical research student at Durham Tech, Ko has a background in art and design. Passionate about addressing health disparities, Ko is eager to collaborate with others in the clinical research field to improve health outcomes for underserved populations.
“Through my participation in the Clinical Research Equity Scholars Program, I’m honing the skills needed to promote health equity, particularly for women and other underrepresented groups,” she said.
Ko will complete her equity scholar internship with the OneDukeGen Medicine Study under the guidance of cardiologist Svati H. Shah, MD, MHS, director of the Center for Precision Health within CTSI.
Mackenna Moore
Moore has a Bachelor of Science in applied sociology and has worked as a chemist for four years. She enrolled at Durham Tech to make the career change from laboratory science to clinical research.
“I aspire to make meaningful and positive contributions to improving overall public health. I know I still have a lot to learn, but I’m hoping my experience in this program will help me bridge the gap a bit,” Moore said. “I’m really excited to be part of this program and learn more about how to address disparities in clinical research.”
She will complete her equity scholar internship under the guidance of Kimberly G. Johnson, MD, at the Duke Aging Center, a part of the Duke-UNC Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.
Joab Odera
Odera is studying clinical trial data management at Durham Tech. He has several years of experience in health disparities cancer research, with a doctorate in integrated biosciences from North Carolina Central University and postdoctoral research experience at Duke. He also has a certificate in applied data science from MIT.
“Since high school, I have had a great interest in translational research. My research experiences up to this point have been preclinical,” Odera said. “Through this program, I will have the opportunity to observe clinical research in the field and utilize the skills I’ve gained at Durham Tech and from my previous experience to improve health care in a clinical setting.”
Odera will complete his equity scholar internship with Opeyemi Olabisi, MD, PhD, a Duke nephrologist who serves on the leadership team for the CTSI Center for Precision Health.
Kudos to Hanna!
We received a nice note this week from Terry Fortin regarding cardiology fellow Jonathan Hanna:
“Wanted to give a shout out to Jonathan Hanna. He was on the other side of the CICU this last week, but many interactions with him when covering fellow at clinic or day off, etc. He was very engaged, did great job of answering STEMIs, multiple phone calls and seemingly endless triage. Was on top of everything.
Especially however called to ED to see pt with LVAD having VT symptoms. I went down to bring the interrogation device and he did a beautiful job of organizing the ED folks and working out very difficult ATP issues and getting sedation on board in case had to emergently shock. Very skilled — like an upper EP fellow would be. Successfully paced out and did a really great job.” — Terry Fortin, MD
Way to go, Jonathan!
Shout-out to Research, Care Teams
We received a thoughtful note this week from a married couple who have participated in clinical research at Duke via the MUSIC HFpEF1 trial and wanted to share it with our Pulse readers:
“To Marat, Kay, and all the support personnel…
Thanks to all the people who support research today that often leads to improving and saving lives tomorrow. Your work is often outside the public view and the results of your efforts are generally years or decades in the making. We have felt your interest and support for us as participants and “real people” in your studies and trials.
Again, our thanks.” – names withheld for privacy
Nicely done, everyone!!
From Duke Government Relations: Guide to Advocacy
Duke recognizes and supports faculty and staff engagement as private citizens in public policy and the political process and does not restrict such interactions.
Certain forms of government interaction involving Duke, however, are subject to federal and state regulation, e.g., attempting to influence legislative or executive action; therefore, faculty and staff must be transparent when participating in political activity in a personal capacity.
Employees (faculty and staff) should only use personal e-mail, social media, or other online accounts (and not duke.edu accounts or other Duke electronic resources) to communicate with state and federal policymakers about legislation and legislative proposals or to circulate or distribute petitions and similar material.
When participating individually in political advocacy, faculty and staff must:
Clearly distinguish individual, personal political activities from your Duke role, including not using Duke resources, e.g., Duke email or Duke electronic resources.
- Faculty and staff should use personal e-mail, social media, or other online accounts:
- to communicate with state and federal policymakers regarding Executive Orders, federal or state legislation/regulations, and regulatory/legislative proposals
- to author op-ed articles
- to circulate participation in rallies, or similar events
- to circulate or distribute petitions and similar material
- Faculty and staff should use off-hours or PTO to participate in political activities
Faculty or staff who are identified (by themselves or with others) using their Duke titles or affiliations must indicate that their comments are purely personal and not made on Duke’s behalf. A disclaimer should be added, noting that “titles and affiliations are provided for identification purposes only and that any views expressed by the individual are theirs alone and do not reflect the views of Duke University or any of its constituent institutions.
Please reference these resources for additional information:
If you have any questions, please contact govrelations@duke.edu.
Health System Updates:
Duke Medical School’s NIH Funding Sustains Scientific Discovery
Duke University School of Medicine received $455 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 2024, according to the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research. The federal funding advances medical science and improves patient care.
In the new rankings, Duke School of Medicine is 13th among the nation’s medical schools based on grants awarded during the federal fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2024. Duke University received $580 million in NIH grants and contracts, ranking 11th in NIH support among research institutions.
Behind the numbers is a broader story of scientists tackling pressing questions about aging, disease, and mechanics of human health, all driven by a shared pursuit of discovery.
“NIH funding is the backbone of transformative scientific discovery,” said Mary E. Klotman, M.D., executive vice president for health affairs at Duke University and dean of the School of Medicine.
“These investments empower our researchers to push the boundaries of medicine,” Klotman said. “However, research isn’t just about bold ideas — it requires laboratories, data infrastructure, and skilled teams who bring science to life. NIH support of these essential foundations has been critical in turning these discoveries into real and lasting improvements in human health.”
The Blue Ridge ranking is an annual, independent analysis of NIH research funds to colleges and universities. In 2024, the organization listed nine clinical and basic science departments at Duke School of Medicine that ranked in the nation’s top 10:
Clinical Departments
- Surgery 1st
- Orthopedics 2nd
- Anesthesiology 4th
- Internal Medicine 8th
- Neurosurgery 9th
- Ophthalmology 9th
Basic Science Departments
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatics 2nd
- Genetics 9th
- Pharmacology 7th
As the largest public funder of biomedical research globally, the NIH plays a crucial role in advancing health for all. By investing in institutions like Duke, the NIH fuels scientific research and translates knowledge into tangible improvements for patients.
Tier 2 Visitor Restrictions
Respiratory illnesses throughout our community remain high. We remain in Tier 2 Visitor Restrictions.
Navigating the Impact of Recent Executive Orders
The following resource page for the latest news and information related to the recent executive orders from the White House is being updated regularly. It includes direct links to policies and guidance documents as they are published. If you have specific questions, please escalate those to your supervisor.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Thursday, March 13: ACC/AHA Guidelines for Peripheral Artery Disease with Schuyler Jones. 5 p.m. via Zoom.
If you missed any of our CGR’s from the past year, all Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:
NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!
CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference
March 12: DHP with Michael Cosiano. Noon, in-person.
March 14: Management of PE with Imran Aslam. Noon, virtual.
March 19: HF/Tx with Joshua Rushakoff. Noon, in-person.
March 21: Congenital with Rich Krasuski. Noon, virtual.
March 26: EP with Jonathan Kusner and Ivan Nenadic Wood. Noon, in-person.
March 28: No conference/ACC
Upcoming Duke Heart CMEs
The following CME activities, sponsored by Duke Heart, have been scheduled. Registration coming soon.
- April 26, 2025: Duke Structural Heart Symposium (live event at Trent Semans Center in Durham)
- June 7, 2025: Duke Heart Failure Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center in Durham)
- October 31, 2025: 17th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center)
The following event is planned for Fall 2025; the date has not yet been set:
- October: Duke Cardiac Imaging Symposium (live event, location TBD)
Amyloidosis Support Group, March 22
Duke Heart will host an Amyloidosis Support Group meeting for all patients and family members followed at Duke as well as other institutions throughout the region.
- When: Saturday, March 22, 2025
- Time: 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Where: Great Hall of the Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans Center for Health Education at Duke
The meeting is being organized in collaboration with the Amyloidosis Support Group Association (ASGA), a well-recognized national organization in the amyloidosis space.
Cardiologist Dr. Michel Khouri and hematologist Dr. Christiana Costa Chase, along with our genetic counselors, will be speaking at the event along with other special guests invited by ASGA.
Breakfast, lunch, and parking passes will be provided to attendees. Registration is required. There is no charge to attend. More information is available on the ASGA’s website.
Pulmonary Hypertension Community Workshop, March 22
Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) Community Workshop, brings together individuals, caregivers, friends and family impacted by pulmonary hypertension for a free, one-day, in-person event. The workshop educates and empowers attendees through up-to-date information on living with PH, including disease management, treatments, diagnostics and clinical trials. This event offers a unique opportunity to connect with the local PH community for support and resources. The workshop includes complimentary parking, breakfast, and lunch.
- When: March 22
- Time: 9 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.
- Where: Renaissance Charlotte SouthPark Hotel in Charlotte, NC.
Cardiologist Dr. Sudarshan Rajagopal is a co-chair for this free educational workshop geared to patients and their caregivers. Registration required. The event is sponsored by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association.
Gatsby Themed Fundraiser to Support Duke Heart for Honduras
There will be a Great Gatsby Casino Night on Saturday, March 29, 2025 as a fundraiser to benefit the Duke Heart for Honduras program. All proceeds will go directly to purchasing equipment and medical supplies to operate on children in need.
There will be a silent auction, casino games, heavy hors d’oeuvres, and the City Lights Jazz Band will be performing live. Donations can be made and tickets can be purchased here: https://one.bidpal.net/2025gatsbycasino/welcome
Thank you for supporting Duke Heart for Honduras!
Preparing for Transition from GME to DHIP Attending
Duke trainees who have accepted or are considering a Duke faculty position may find this event helpful.
This onboarding preparation session is for current Duke trainees who have accepted or are considering a Duke Faculty position. Members of Duke Health’s onboarding team will walk you through the process to prepare you for an efficient and successful transition. It’s an opportunity to meet leadership and network with colleagues who will also be staying at Duke.
When: Wednesday, April 9, 2025 — 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Where: Medical Center Amphitheater @ Duke Clinics (Basement level)
Please RSVP by March 31, 2025. Contact: Kylee.Mace@duke.edu.
Have news to share?
If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, 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 with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
February 28 — Douglas Overbey and Joe Turek
People magazine
February 28 — Douglas Overbey
Cardiovascular Business
Surgeons make history, perform world’s first living mitral valve replacement
March 2 — Douglas Overbey and Joe Turek
Southeast Missourian
March 3 — Douglas Overbey and Joe Turek
HealthDay
Duke Doctors Perform First Living Mitral Valve Transplant
March 4 — Douglas Overbey
Times Now (India)
Doctors perform first ever living mitral valve transplant saving lives of three young girls
March 4 — Robert Califf
Muscular Dystrophy News
MDA Clinical & Scientific Conference starts on March 16
March 4 — Joe Turek
American College of Surgeons/ACS Brief
Surgeon Performs First Living Mitral Valve Replacement
March 4 — Douglas Overbey
Physician’s Weekly
Duke Doctors Perform First Living Mitral Valve Transplant
Duke Heart Pulse — March 2, 2025
Chief’s message: March Madness – Duke Heart and Vascular on a Run…
This weekend started March – a month for our institution that for many years has been synonymous with college basketball and runs to the final four. Our Heart and Vascular Team – also seems to be making a run on innovation, patient care, and partnerships. You will see stories below about Duke’s First fully robotic Lung Transplant, and our Pediatric Heart Surgeons, Douglas Overbey and Joe Turek, doing the first living mitral valve replacement in the setting of Heart Transplant and domino procedures (a story carried nationally by NBC news). We aslo welcome Tracy Geoffrion, our new congenital heart surgeon. On the partnership front, Duke announced a partnership with Novant health to build several ambulatory health centers throughout the state. This represents an important opportunity for us to get closer to our patients and partner to deliver CV care and improve the health of our community and state. We also congratulate Jeff Gaca, MD, who was named triangle business journal Surgeon of the Year. Great recognition for the work that Jeff does.
We were also lucky this week to have Coach K end heart month with cardiovascular grand rounds on Tuesday to a packed house of faculty and residents/fellows on teamwork and leadership. Some great stories and interactions, but most importantly he highlighted for all of us the opportunity and impact our group could have with teamwork and leadership in health. We gave Coach K a Duke Heart fleece that he was kind enough to wear to the game Saturday night against Florida State. We appreciate Coach K’s support of our group. Some pictures from the game below.
Highlights of the week:
Duke’s First Fully Robotic Lung Transplant Performed
Congratulations to our Duke Lung Transplant team! On Wednesday, February 19, 2025, a team of Duke surgeons performed Duke’s first fully robotic lung transplant at Duke University Hospital. It is also the first such procedure to be performed in the southeast United States, after a team at New York University Langone Health performed the first in the nation in September 2024; the NYU Langone team then performed the world’s first fully robotic double lung transplant in November.
All four of Duke’s lung transplant surgeons from the Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery were involved in the cutting-edge procedure: Matthew Hartwig, MD, MHS, Professor of Surgery; Jacob Klapper, MD, Associate Professor of Surgery; Kunal Patel, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Surgery; and Hiroshi Date, MD, Professor of Surgery, who joined the faculty at Duke two days prior.
“Fully robotic lung transplants are not being done everywhere,” says Klapper, who serves as surgical director of the Duke Lung Transplant Program. “We are one of the first to do it and I think it continues our tradition at Duke of being among the first to do innovative things that advance the field.”
The robotic procedure involves utilizing smaller incisions compared to traditional open chest transplant procedures, allowing for improved recovery processes for the patient with less pain and quicker healing. This is important because two-thirds of Duke lung transplant patients are over the age of 65 — a much older patient population than the national average, he added.
After communicating with other centers around the world and within the U.S. that had done fully robotic lung transplants, Klapper says the Duke team – surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses – went through an extensive period of pre-planning and creating a written protocol to ensure their success.
A large team of people was involved in the planning, intake, and post-surgical care of the patient. Klapper highlights his fellow surgeons on the team, Drs. Hartwig, Patel, and Date, as well as anesthesiologists Dr. Brandi Bottiger and Dr. Bryan Chow, who are intimately involved in the lung transplant team and who helped design the anesthesia plan for the procedure. Franklin Dominno, thoracic team lead, and Danielle Buckles, a thoracic nurse specializing in robotics; Stacy Williams “who is terrific about making sure we have everything we need all the time,” and Ken Boccaccio, PA, who is our bedside-assist for all robotic cases.
“A big, big thanks to all those folks who were so integral to this process,” Klapper says.
The patient, 71-year-old Dennis Ihnat of Wilmington, NC, was extubated, walking, and eating less than 48 hours post-operation, with plans to be discharged on Friday, February 28.
“Dennis has been a star patient, and we are thrilled that he has been recovering so well and is headed home for further recovery,” Dr. Klapper adds.
Shown here are members of the care team with the patient and his wife. From L-R are: Dr. Thomas Bunning, anesthesia fellow; Dr. John Reynolds, transplant pulmonologist; Julie Kellermeier, lung transplant social worker; Dr. Kunal Patel, lung transplant surgeon; Diane Ihnat, patient’s wife; Dennis Ihnat; Dr. Carlos Leon, transplant fellow; Dr. Romel Holmes, anesthesia resident; Dr. Brandon Menachem, transplant pulmonologist; Dr. Brandi Bottiger, anesthesiologist; Abigail Hinson, 6E RN.
Duke University Hospital has performed more than 2,500 lung transplants to date, the most of any lung transplant program in the U.S., and performed 94 lung transplants in 2024 alone.
Amazing work, team!
Duke Health Performs the World’s First Living Mitral Valve Replacement
A team at Duke Health was able to perform the world’s first living mitral valve replacement after an adolescent girl received a full heart transplant and donated the healthy valves from her original heart.
The valves were then used to save the lives of two other girls; one of whom received the new procedure. All three girls who were part of the case are from different parts of North Carolina.
The current standard of care for pediatric heart valve replacement uses preserved non-living tissue or mechanical valves, which do not grow along with the child. As a result, recipients require multiple future valve replacement surgeries and blood thinners for mechanical valves, which both carry risks.
“There’s not a good valve option for kids,” said Douglas Overbey, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at Duke University School of Medicine and one of the team members behind the pioneering procedure.
“They all require multiple surgeries, and we know they’re going to fail down the road,” Overbey said. “That’s something that’s really hard to talk to parents about, knowing that you’re going to have to do the same surgery with a new valve, maybe six months later because they’re going to outgrow it.”
The first living mitral valve replacement was performed on 14-year-old Margaret Van Bruggen, from Charlotte. She received the valve from 11-year-old Journi Kelly, from Wilson, after Journi received a full-heart transplant. Journi also donated another valve to now 9-year-old, Kensley Frizzell from Pembroke.
The living mitral valve replacement is a type of partial heart transplant, which Duke pioneered in 2022. Partial heart transplant was studied in Duke research labs before the procedure was done, and research shows the living valves do continue to grow. Duke has now performed 20 partial heart transplants under the guidance of the FDA. 
The idea behind partial heart transplant is to make use of the healthy valves from donated hearts. The procedure expands the number of lives that benefit from a limited number of donated hearts and has enabled domino heart transplant procedures, in which valves are used from a failing heart after it’s removed for transplant.
“To think that the lives of three girls could be saved after one full-heart donation is amazing,” said Joseph Turek, MD, PhD, Duke’s chief of pediatric cardiac surgery, who performed the procedure alongside a vast team, after research in the lab.
Doctors at Duke said the living mitral valve replacement was challenging due to the valve’s position and structure, and it carries risks commonly associated with heart surgery. The mitral valve is located inside and toward the back of the heart, making it difficult to access. Its parachute-like structure with various chords and muscle grouping makes it more difficult to suture in.
The procedure became a possibility in a unique confluence of circumstances, starting with Journi, who went into sudden heart failure and needed a transplant.
The youngster complained of a stomachache, but when her parents took her to the emergency room, they learned her heart was failing. Two days later she was transported by aircraft to Duke for transplant, where she waited on the list for a new heart.
“Before Journi’s surgery, we were told the doctors were hoping to try a new procedure and asked if we were willing to donate Journi’s old heart,” said Rachel Kelly, Journi’s stepmom. “They explained to us that they could use the healthy parts of it to help other kids. Our next question was, ‘Where do we sign?’”
As a donated heart became available for Journi, the valves from her original heart were serendipitously a match for both Margaret and Kensley. Margaret, a cross-country runner and high school freshman, needed the valve replacement suddenly and urgently after she contracted a bacterial infection (endocarditis) that created large holes in her mitral valve.
“She was in the hospital, and we could’ve lost her,” said Margaret’s mother, Elizabeth Van Bruggen. “But she was so brave, so I knew I had to be brave too. She’s got a lot left to give the world.”
Kensley’s family was excited to hear it may be the last surgery she could need. The 9-year-old is familiar with long hospital stays, having already experienced her first two operations before her first two months of life after being diagnosed with a genetic disorder called Turner’s syndrome.
“We were expecting she would need surgery, but we never knew this would be an option,” said Kenan Frizzell, Kensley’s father. “The whole situation is extraordinary, whether you look at it from the standpoint of a scientific breakthrough or the average person’s point of view. I can’t imagine all the coordination that’s needed for something like this to take place, but as one of the families that benefited, we can’t be anything other than grateful.”
Research leading to the surgical innovation was supported by the Brett Boyer Foundation and the Graeme McDaniel Foundation.
This story has been featured in hundreds of news outlets, including the Today show. Several links appear to additional stories appear below in our news coverage section.
Nicely done, team!
Geoffrion Joins CTS Faculty
Please join us in welcoming Tracy Geoffrion, MD, MPH, associate professor of surgery, as she starts her practice here at Duke. Tracy has joined the congenital heart surgery group within the division of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery and will have a major focus on adult congenital cases.
Tracy joins us from the Medical College of Wisconsin where she worked in these areas. She completed fellowship training in congenital heart surgery at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and residency in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern. Tracy completed medical school at University of Texas San Antonio and undergraduate studies at Vanderbilt University.
Welcome to the Duke Heart team, Tracy!
Holley to Present MGR This Week
Christopher Holley, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine in cardiology will present Medicine Grand Rounds on Friday morning, March 7, at 8 a.m., in Duke North 2002 and via Zoom. His topic will be the Role of Novel RNA Modifications in Cardiometabolic Disease.
Good News for Gaca; Harbison Family
We learned this week that CT surgeon Jeff Gaca, MD has been named Surgeon of the Year by the Triangle Business Journal as part of their efforts to recognize healthcare leaders from throughout the Triangle. The award will be presented on April 10. Congrats, Jeff!
We’re thrilled to also share that Donavon and Lindsey Harbison have welcomed a daughter – Zephaniah — to their family. Last summer, Donavon Harbison became the second person in the world to receive a BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart as a bridge to transplant. He lived with the device for 10 days before undergoing a heart transplant at Duke University Hospital. 
“Because of all you and the team did — her daddy was there to catch her,” said Lindsey Harbison in an email to Duke surgeon Dr. Jacob Schroder.
Such a beautiful reminder that what we do in Duke Heart matters to so many. Great job, team!
Heart Team Members Care for Patients in Mexico
Duke Heart nurse practitioners Dayana Ramos and Shelley Thompson volunteered at a medical clinic in Reynosa, Mexico from February 19-23. They served with Isaiah 55 Ministries and a care team from San Antonio. The team saw more than 150 people in two days and provided much needed medical care, medications, and support to the people of Reynosa — including migrants at two shelters.
Shelley is planning to return as a volunteer for another clinic in October. If anyone is interested in joining her, please reach out to her directly.
We are so proud of you both for volunteering your time and talent. Way to go, Dayana and Shelley!
CGR Welcomed Shah, Krzyzewski This Week
On Monday evening we had a terrific presentation by Dr. Sanjiv Shah, cardiologist and researcher from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, our DCRI fellows visiting professor. His topic was Transforming HFpEF Management in the Age of Precision Medicine.
We also had a special catered grand rounds on Tuesday with retired Duke MBB Coach Mike Krzyzewski who presented on teamwork, leadership, and healthcare.
Thanks to all who joined us!
Cardiac Rehab Team Celebrates Rehab Week
Cardiac Rehabilitation Week was celebrated nationally from February 9-15. Our team did an excellent job of engaging patients in both education and fun activities all week!
Back row (L to R): Angel Dowden, Hope Miles, Lindsay Goolsby, Jessica Taube, Jordan Cottle, Cathy Ritchey, and Anne Kenyon. Front row (L to R): Lisa Skowronek (kneeling), Katie Altieri, Michelle Branson, Janet Aiken (kneeling), and Kim Duren. Photos courtesy of Erica Rao.
Great work!
Health System Updates:
New Partnership With Novant Expands Duke Health’s Reach and Impact
Duke Health is taking another bold step to advance our growth and deliver hope, health, and healing to more communities. In partnership with Novant Health, we are moving forward with plans to develop new ambulatory sites throughout the region. This exciting collaboration reflects our shared vision for a healthier North Carolina and our commitment to making it easier for patients to obtain the high-quality care we provide.
We have long recognized the need to scale our growth and broaden access to Duke Health’s world-class expertise. Our partnership with Novant Health will help us achieve growth at a faster pace than we could working on our own. That means more North Carolina communities will be able to access Duke Health’s expert clinicians and teams faster than ever before.
Please watch a special message from DUHS leaders Drs. Craig Albanese, Mary Klotman, and Matt Barber to learn more about why this partnership matters and what we’ll be able to achieve together.
For additional information, please visit https://duke.is/4/5aje. (NET ID required)
Watts College of Nursing to Relocate to Duke Health’s Interprofessional Education and Care Center
Watts College of Nursing (WCON), a pillar of nursing education in Durham for more than a century, will relocate to the Duke University campus in July 2025.
This move establishes the next chapter in WCON’s long and distinguished history, ensuring that students and faculty have access to world-class resources while maintaining the college’s independent identity.
For 18 years, WCON has been headquartered at its Croasdaile location, providing nursing education and training for the next generation of health care professionals. As part of its continued growth, WCON will move to the Interprofessional Education and Care Center within the broader Duke Health community to co-locate with the Duke University School of Nursing and the Duke Health Clinical Education & Professional Development team.
This strategic relocation strengthens the connection between academic and clinical nursing education, nurturing a stronger nursing workforce pipeline within Duke Health and beyond.
The full story can be found here.
Tier 2 Visitor Restrictions
Respiratory illnesses throughout our community remain high. We remain in Tier 2 Visitor Restrictions.
Navigating the Impact of Recent Executive Orders
The following resource page for the latest news and information related to the recent executive orders from the White House is being updated regularly. It includes direct links to policies and guidance documents as they are published. If you have specific questions, please escalate those to your supervisor.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
Cardiology Grand Rounds
If you missed any of our CGR’s from the past year, all Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:
NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!
CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference
March 5: Fellows Forum with Paula Rambarat. Noon, in-person.
March 7: EKG with Michele Kelsey. Noon, virtual.
March 12: DHP with Michael Cosiano. Noon, in-person.
March 14: Management of PE with Imran Aslam. Noon, virtual.
Upcoming Duke Heart CMEs
The following CME activities, sponsored by Duke Heart, have been scheduled. Registration coming soon.
- April 26, 2025: Duke Structural Heart Symposium (live event at Trent Semans Center in Durham)
- June 7, 2025: Duke Heart Failure Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center in Durham)
- October 31, 2025: 17th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center)
The following event is planned for Fall 2025; the date has not yet been set:
- October: Duke Cardiac Imaging Symposium (live event, location TBD)
Amyloidosis Support Group, March 22
Duke Heart will host an Amyloidosis Support Group meeting for all patients and family members followed at Duke as well as other institutions throughout the region.
- When: Saturday, March 22, 2025
- Time: 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Where: Great Hall of the Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans Center for Health Education at Duke
The meeting is being organized in collaboration with the Amyloidosis Support Group Association (ASGA), a well-recognized national organization in the amyloidosis space.
Cardiologist Dr. Michel Khouri and hematologist Dr. Christiana Costa Chase, along with our genetic counselors, will be speaking at the event along with other special guests invited by ASGA.
Breakfast, lunch, and parking passes will be provided to attendees. Registration is required. There is no charge to attend. More information is available on the ASGA’s website.
Pulmonary Hypertension Community Workshop, March 22
Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) Community Workshop, brings together individuals, caregivers, friends and family impacted by pulmonary hypertension for a free, one-day, in-person event. The workshop educates and empowers attendees through up-to-date information on living with PH, including disease management, treatments, diagnostics and clinical trials. This event offers a unique opportunity to connect with the local PH community for support and resources. The workshop includes complimentary parking, breakfast, and lunch.
- When: March 22
- Time: 9 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.
- Where: Renaissance Charlotte SouthPark Hotel in Charlotte, NC.
Cardiologist Dr. Sudarshan Rajagopal is a co-chair for this free educational workshop geared to patients and their caregivers. Registration required. The event is sponsored by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association.
Gatsby Themed Fundraiser to Support Duke Heart for Honduras
There will be a Great Gatsby Casino Night on Saturday, March 29, 2025 as a fundraiser to benefit the Duke Heart for Honduras program. All proceeds will go directly to purchasing equipment and medical supplies to operate on children in need.
There will be a silent auction, casino games, heavy hors d’oeuvres, and the City Lights Jazz Band will be performing live. Donations can be made and tickets can be purchased here: https://one.bidpal.net/2025gatsbycasino/welcome
Thank you for supporting Duke Heart for Honduras!
Gatsby Themed Fundraiser to Support Duke Heart for Honduras
There will be a Great Gatsby Casino Night on Saturday, March 29, 2025 as a fundraiser to benefit the Duke Heart for Honduras program. All proceeds will go directly to purchasing equipment and medical supplies to operate on children in need.
There will be a silent auction, casino games, heavy hors d’oeuvres, and the City Lights Jazz Band will be performing live. Donations can be made and tickets can be purchased here: https://one.bidpal.net/2025gatsbycasino/welcome
Thank you for supporting Duke Heart for Honduras!
Preparing for Transition from GME to DHIP Attending
Duke trainees who have accepted or are considering a Duke faculty position may find this event helpful.
This onboarding preparation session is for current Duke trainees who have accepted or are considering a Duke Faculty position. Members of Duke Health’s onboarding team will walk you through the process to prepare you for an efficient and successful transition. It’s an opportunity to meet leadership and network with colleagues who will also be staying at Duke.
When: Wednesday, April 9, 2025 — 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Where: Medical Center Amphitheater @ Duke Clinics (Basement level)
Please RSVP by March 31, 2025. Contact: Kylee.Mace@duke.edu.
Have news to share?
If you have news to share with the Pulse readership 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 with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
February 24 — Robert Califf
CNN
Ex-FDA commissioner on implications of agency’s ‘unreasonable’ jobs cuts
February 25 — Jennifer Li
Amazing Health Advances
Chest Pain in Children and Adolescents
February 27 — Doug Overbey and Joe Turek
Today show/NBC
EXCLUSIVE: 1 heart saves 3 girls in a unique surgery that could help other children
February 27 — Doug Overbey and Joe Turek
WRAL
How one life changing heart donation kicked off chain of events
February 27 — Doug Overbey and Joe Turek
Becker’s Hospital Review
Duke Health team performs world’s 1st living mitral valve replacement
February 27 — Doug Overbey and Joe Turek
NBC News Daily (100+ affiliates & streaming online)
Doctors at Duke are celebrating a successful, unique kind of surgery
Duke Heart Pulse — February 23, 2025
Chief’s message: Snow, Patient Care, and Education
Another busy week in the Duke Cardiovascular world that was notable for the mid-week snow storm that put 3-6 inches of snow throughout portions of the triangle. I wanted to be sure to thank our staff and faculty that worked hard to ensure we both saw our patients and we worked to cover the different areas where we are able to deliver care. Below in the Pulse you will see an accounting of some of the people that helped make this happen. We also continued Heart Month with great news and additions. Dr. Date, an world renown cardiothoracic surgeon will be joining our CT surgery team. We are excited to welcome him. We also had grand rounds this week with Dr. Gaudino on the Recharge trial and Dr. Khouri gave medical grand rounds on Amyloid cardiomyopathy. We will have another amazing week coming up with two talks this week. On monday, Dr. Sanjiv Shah will talk on transforming HpEF in the age of precision medicine, and on Tuesday February 25th Coach Mike Krzyzewski will give a talk and take questions on leadership and teamwork in healthcare. Finally, we want to thank Dr. Ann Reed, who will be stepping down as the Chair of Pediatrics as the end of the year, for her service and support of Duke Health, our patients, and our residents and students.
Highlights of the week:
Hiroshi Date, MD Joins CT Surgery Faculty
The Duke Department of Surgery is pleased to announce that esteemed cardiothoracic surgeon Hiroshi Date, MD, has joined the Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery faculty, effective February 17, 2025.
Dr. Date is a surgeon renowned for performing the first successful living-donor lobar lung transplantation in Japan in 1998. He most recently served as Chairman and Professor in the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Kyoto University.
“Dr. Date is bringing a new technique with him from Japan to Duke,” says Allan D. Kirk, MD, PhD, Chair of the Duke Department of Surgery. “He is one of the few world authorities on living donor lung transplantation, and this new international addition to our team will serve to make our already nation-leading team even more capable.”
Having authored more than 600 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Date’s research interests span various fields of general thoracic surgery including thoracic malignancy and lung transplantation.
“I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Date to the Duke Surgery team,” says Carmelo Milano, MD, Chief of the Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery. “I am confident that Dr. Date’s expertise as one of the world’s leaders in living-donor lung transplantation will be an important, timely addition to the life-saving care options that Duke offers to our patients.”
Please give Hiroshi a warm welcome when you meet him!
It’s GME Appreciation Week
Duke’s Graduate Medical Education (GME) Appreciation Week –sponsored by the Duke GME office runs Feb. 24-28. Please join us in celebrating the amazing work of our trainees who play a vital role in shaping the future of medicine.
Our 44 cardiology fellows and 14 CT surgery residents are among the hundreds of residents and fellows throughout the Department of Medicine and Department of Surgery who contribute daily to the success of Duke University Health System. They help care for the incredibly complex patients who come to Duke for world-class care. In addition, they make invaluable contributions to our research and education missions through their collaboration with faculty. Our trainees are highly committed to community service and make a profound difference in the lives of our patients. We are immensely proud of each one of them.
Trainees: look out for meal deals and a celebratory t-shirt from the GME Office.
We invite everyone to thank and honor our amazing GME trainees during this special recognition week!
Remote Patient Care CME Held
Marat Fudim, MD led an excellent CME this week as course director for our first Remote Patient Care: A New Era in Cardiovascular Disease Management webinar. We had more than 325 attendees register from 39 states and 15 different countries – a robust mix of healthcare providers and industry representatives. Fudim’s co-course director was Dr. Theodore Feldman, head of cardiology and clinical associate professor of medicine at FIU Wertheim College of Medicine and medical director of Prevention and Community Health at Baptist Miami Cardiac and Vascular Institute.
The webinar was interactive and well-received and included speakers from Massachusetts General Hospital, Prisma Health, Baptist Miami Cardiac and Vascular, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Cadence Solutions, and Community Health Systems. Topics included: updates on GDMT for chronic HF, diabetes, and hypertension, as well as new technologies and modalities to incorporate remote monitoring into health system practices to improve patient care.
Nicely done, Marat!
Shout-out to Outpatient Clinical Staff for Weather-Related Rescheduling
Inclement weather this past week had a significant impact on our outpatient clinic scheduling. Our leadership team shared some of the amazing work that our clinic staff put in to help accommodate needed changes.
A big push was made to handle the surge of patient cancellations, reschedules, template moves, patient calls, etc. It required an all-hands-on-deck approach to keep the operations afloat and everyone worked hard to help our patients with schedule changes.
Overall impact:
- Cancellations for Wed./Thurs.: 870 (including patients canceling remotely through MyChart or Avaamo)
- Reschedules as of Thursday afternoon: 644
- % Rescheduled: 74%
A big shout-out to the following team members…
From DHIP:
Alex Ayala, Mary Brame, Tracie Collins, Kristi Combs, Aaliyah Fleming, Destini Foster, Ricky Griffin, Mario Irias, Valerie Kielty, Monique Lawrence, Trish Lombardo, Rudy Petty, Maggie Robertson, Bob Schumann, Melva Strait, Robbie Strickland, Precious Trice, and Treasa Wilson.
From the Duke Float Pool:
Axel De La Pena, Marcia Streety, Brittany Robinson, and Susan Bryson.
From Triangle Heart Associates:
Leila Andrews, Alicia Armour, Carissa Bregadze, Rachael Langewicz, Maurice Marrow, Amanda Miller, Delicia Moore, Sheila Moore, Carlee Peele, Jennifer Phan-Jackson, Michelle Phung, Sarah Pickett, Laura Santiago-Irwin, Maria Talavera, and Tamra Webster.
From Raleigh:
Shirley DePietro, Octavia Fogg, Priyanka Mukherjee, Nathaska Rivera, Eddie Scott, Stephanie Sullivan, and Emily Sweet.
From the PRMO:
Dayna Fludd, Monica Johnson, Donald Little, Divya Patel, Maryann Shepard, Meha Thakore, Xzavier Walter, and Elisabeth Williams.
Many thanks to Addison Newman, Allen Stephens, and Matt Fitzsimmons for sharing this story with us. Way to go, team!
CGR Reminders: Shah & Krzyzewski to Deliver CGRs This Week
We have CGR on Monday evening with Dr. Sanjiv Shah, cardiologist and researcher from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He’ll present on Transforming HFpEF Management in the Age of Precision Medicine on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, from 5-6:15 p.m. in DN2002 and via Zoom.
And, we’ll have a very special in-person-only Grand Rounds on Tuesday. Please join us! Coach Mike Krzyzewski will be giving Cardiovascular Grand Rounds on Leadership and Teamwork.
Date: February 25th, 2025
Time: 5 p.m. – 6 p.m., EST. (Reception with light refreshments to start at 4:30 pm)
Location: Duke North 2002
Look forward to seeing you all there!
Full Circle: Ben’s Journey from Heart Patient to Duke Perfusionist
For Ben Godfrey, heart surgery is more than just a medical procedure—it’s been a defining part of his life.
Born with a congenital heart defect, he underwent his first surgery, an arterial switch procedure, at just two weeks old. Years later, he faced another critical procedure on his aortic valve at Duke University Hospital at 19.
“I’ve always been a heart kid,” he says. “I have two heart anniversaries and grew up with other kids who had heart surgery and experienced congenital heart defects.”
These experiences not only shaped Ben’s personal journey but also sparked a passion for helping others. This calling to care is what led him to pursue training as a perfusionist and his first healthcare role saving the lives of other heart patients in the same hospital that gave him a new lease on life in 2016.
“Having surgery here had a huge impact on my decision to work at Duke Health,” Ben said. “I already had a connection to the hospital, and I understood the experience from the patient’s side. That perspective made it feel like the right place for me to work.” 
Perfusionists are critical members of the surgical team, responsible for operating the heart-lung bypass machine during heart surgery. Ben relates the task of setting up and operating the heart-lung bypass machine to piloting a plane.
“It’s like taking off and landing,” Ben explains. “Going on bypass and coming off are the most critical parts. When everything goes smoothly, it feels amazing.”
Although perfusionists don’t interact directly with patients during surgery, Ben feels his first-hand experience as a heart patient informs his work.
“I think it makes me more mindful of the emotional and physical recovery that patients undergo,” he says. “The entire process can be overwhelming, and I try to approach each case with that in mind because I know exactly what patients are going through. I can empathize with them—not just as a medical professional, but as someone who had been through it myself.”
Since he joined Duke Health in 2023, Ben is not just fulfilling his role on the surgical team—he’s also contributing to Duke Health’s cutting-edge advancements in cardiac care. A focus he calls one of the highlights of his career.
“Duke is always pushing the boundaries of what’s possible,” Ben says. “We’ve been involved in some incredible innovations, from new LVADs to heart transplants and even a trial with total artificial hearts. It’s amazing to be on the front lines of such groundbreaking work.”
His commitment to helping others doesn’t stop at the operating room. At the start of the new year, Ben joined Duke’s Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) transport team, which involves on-call duties beyond his normal work to assist with the transport of patients to Duke Health for specialized care.
“It’s another way to make a difference,” he says. “Knowing that what we do has a real impact on people’s lives is incredibly fulfilling. Being able to give back after having gone through this journey myself means the world to me.”
This team member spotlight was developed for the Careers at Duke Health website.
Khouri Delivers MGR Lecture
Michel G. Khouri, MD, professor of medicine in cardiology, presented Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis: A Model of Precision Cardiomyopathy at Medicine Grand Rounds on Friday morning, Feb. 21. A link to his presentation was not available this weekend but will be available soon. It will appear here: https://duke.is/5/psaf
CGR Welcomed Mario Gaudino to Discuss the RECHARGE Trial
This week we welcomed Dr. Mario Gaudino of Weill Cornell Medicine as our Cardiology Grand Rounds speaker on Tuesday evening, Feb. 18th. His CGR topic was Revascularization Choices Among Under-Represented Groups Evaluation: The RECHARGE Trial.
ICYMI, a recording can be found here.
Health System Updates:
Duke Health, WakeMed and Lifepoint Health Celebrate Opening of New Rehabilitation Hospital
Duke Health, WakeMed and Lifepoint Health celebrated the opening of Peak Rehabilitation Hospital on Tuesday, Feb. 18 in Apex, NC. The 52-bed rehabilitation hospital is the result of a joint venture between Duke Health, WakeMed, and Lifepoint Rehabilitation, a business unit of Lifepoint Health, that was announced in 2021.
“The health challenges of our communities are complex, and we are proud to partner with WakeMed and Lifepoint Health to provide patients and their families access to innovative, cost-effective and high-quality inpatient rehab care,” said Craig Albanese, MD, chief executive officer of Duke University Health System.
Duke Health and WakeMed are both home to comprehensive rehabilitation programs, accredited through the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), that support children and adults on their path to recovery and their journey to maximum rehabilitation and independence.
“This joint venture with Duke Health and Lifepoint represents our commitment to meeting the growing needs of our community while carrying out our mission to strengthen the health of our community,” said Donald Gintzig, WakeMed president and CEO.”
The two-story rehabilitation hospital spans more than 60,000 square feet and includes all private rooms, large interdisciplinary therapy gyms, therapeutic courtyards with gardens, walking paths and pickleball, specially designed rooms to treat dialysis patients and a scaled transitional living apartment to help prepare patients for their return to activities of daily living.
Lifepoint Rehabilitation will manage day-to-day operations for the hospital, providing acute rehabilitation care for patients who have experienced a loss of function from injury or illness, such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, complex neurological disorders, orthopedic conditions, multiple traumas, amputation and other injuries or disorders.
For more information, please visit PeakRehabHospital.com.
Reed to Step Down as Chair, Dept. of Pediatrics, End of 2025
Ann Reed, MD, will step down as chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the end of 2025. Dr. Reed, the Samuel L. Katz Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics, has dedicated her career to caring for children with autoimmune disorders and immune dysfunction. Her research, which has spanned over 20 years, focuses on the genetics and causes of human autoimmune diseases, particularly juvenile dermatomyositis.
The announcement was made earlier this week by Dr. Mary Klotman, Executive Vice President for Health Affairs at Duke, and Dr. Craig Albanese, Chief Executive Officer of Duke University Health System.
“Dr. Reed’s leadership has been instrumental in propelling our pediatrics department to new heights, and her contributions will have a lasting impact on our Duke community,” the announcement said.
Moira Rynn, MD, chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, will lead a committee through a national search to identify Dr. Reed’s successor.
Tier 2 Visitor Restrictions
Respiratory illnesses throughout our community remain high. We remain in Tier 2 Visitor Restrictions.
Navigating the Impact of Recent Executive Orders
The following resource page for the latest news and information related to the recent executive orders from the White House is being updated regularly. It includes direct links to policies and guidance documents as they are published. If you have specific questions, please escalate those to your supervisor.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
- February is American Heart Month and Black History Month.
- February 24 – 28 is GME Week!
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Feb. 24: Transforming HFpEF Management in the Age of Precision Medicine with Dr. Sanjiv Shah of the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern Medicine. 5 p.m. DN 2002 and via Zoom.
Feb. 25: Teamwork, Leadership, and Healthcare with Mike Krzyzewski. 5 p.m., in-person only, DN 2002. (A reception with light refreshments will begin at 4:30 p.m.)
If you missed any of our CGRs from the past year, all Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:
NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!
CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference
February 26: DHP with Nishakala Shivakuma. Noon, DMP 7E39.
February 28: EKG with Neil Freedman. Noon, Zoom.
Upcoming Duke Heart CMEs
The following CME activities, sponsored by Duke Heart, have been scheduled. Registration is not yet open, but stay tuned for additional information.
- April 26, 2025: Duke Structural Heart Symposium (live event at Trent Semans Center in Durham)
- June 7, 2025: Duke Heart Failure Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center in Durham)
- October 31, 2025: 17th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center)
The following event is planned for Fall 2025; the date has not yet been set:
- October: Duke Cardiac Imaging Symposium (live event, location TBD)
Preparing for Transition from GME to DHIP Attending
Duke trainees who have accepted or are considering a Duke faculty position may find this event helpful.
This onboarding preparation session is for current Duke trainees who have accepted or are considering a Duke Faculty position. Members of Duke Health’s onboarding team will walk you through the process to prepare you for an efficient and successful transition. It’s an opportunity to meet leadership and network with colleagues who will also be staying at Duke.
When: Wednesday, April 9, 2025 — 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Where: Medical Center Amphitheater @ Duke Clinics (Basement level)
Please RSVP by March 31, 2025. Contact: Kylee.Mace@duke.edu.
Have news to share?
If you have news to share with the Pulse readership 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 with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
February 12 — Marat Fudim
Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiology
Data Demonstrates Favorable Impact of AVIM Therapy on Diastolic Dysfunction
February 14 — Robert Califf
Politico
February 17 — Robert Califf
Endpoints News
Former FDA chief calls job cuts ‘haphazard, poorly thought-out’
February 18 — Karen Alexander
The New York Times
New Insights Into Older Hearts
February 18 — Duke Heart study (Fudim*)
The Miami Times
A troubling trend: Rising heart failure rates in young adults
*refers to 2024 JAMA Cardiology research letter
February 18 — Marat Fudim
Cardiac Interventions Today
Orchestra BioMed’s AVIM Therapy Studied for Impact on Diastolic Dysfunction
February 18 — Robert Califf
Inside Health Policy
Califf Condemns FDA Cuts as Scope of Layoffs Still Unclear
February 18 — Gillian D. Sanders Schmidler (Pop. Health/Margolis Institute for Health Policy)
Avertix Guardian System Evaluated for Cost-Effectiveness in ACS Patients
February 19 — Karen Alexander
Juta Medical Brief
Why older patients need a different treatment for heart conditions
February 19 — Harry Severance
Becker’s ASC Review
Is the physician workforce headed towards ‘disenfranchisement and marginalization’?
February 19 — Robert Lefkowitz
The Hoya
THE INTERSECTION: The Catastrophic Health Effects of “America First”
February 19 — Robert Califf
Supermarket News
Head of FDA’s food division resigns
February 20 — Geeta Swamy (OBGYN)
NPR/The Indicator from Planet Money
What happens when billions of dollars in research funding goes away
Duke Heart Pulse — February 16, 2025
Highlights of the week:
Emory’s Sperling Presented CGR; Focused on Prevention
This week we welcomed Dr. Larry Sperling of Emory School of Medicine as our Cardiology Grand Rounds speaker. Sperling is the founder and former director of The Heart Disease Prevention Center at Emory. He is currently the Katz Professor in Preventive Cardiology at Emory School of Medicine and Professor of Global Health at the Rollins School of Public Health. His CGR topic was ‘Focus on CKMH to Prevent CVD’.
ICYMI a recording can be found here.
Viola and Towery Earn IBHRE Certification
Congratulations to clinical service nurses Jody Viola and Emily Towery of Duke Electrophysiology! They both recently passed the International Board of Heart Rhythm Examiners (IHBRE) Allied Professionals Cardiac Device Remote Monitoring Specialist (CDRMS) exam earning certification as remote monitoring specialists.
IBHRE certification validates expertise in managing heart rhythm disorders and cardiac device implantation. The IBHRE test is recognized as a standard in the medical industry for heart rhythm competency. Candidates are expected to have broad knowledge in five general areas: rhythm recognition; device and lead function; remote serve management; diagnostic monitoring, and device technology. Certification is good for four years.
Way to go, Jody and Emily!
Duke Heart Grows Again!
We’re excited to share the happy news that Emily and Mike Towery have welcomed their second child, a daughter. Violet was born on Feb. 10. “She decided to be efficient with her hospital stay with a door-to-delivery time of 25 minutes,” according to Mike.
Mom, Violet, and Dad are all doing well! She’s excited to be a great sister to her brother, Amos.
Congratulations, Mike and Emily!
News You Can Use: Community Engagement Updates
Earlier this month, during an event held at the Durham Convention Center, Duke officially launched the Duke Center for Community Engagement as a way to bolster partnerships with the city of Durham and throughout the region.
In creating the center, Vincent Price, president of Duke University, said it will enable the university to amplify existing community work. Central to the center is the idea that community groups will be full partners in identifying critical areas of research. Duke teams will listen and work with the community groups in developing the project, then turn the data over to them to implement solutions.
Cardiologist Gerald Bloomfield, MD is a member of the steering committee. To learn more about the Center, please see A Front Door to Community-Engaged Research That Benefits Durham and Duke.
Additionally, Duke Community Affairs launched an online resource in December to enable more efficient collaborations between Duke and Durham community organizations. The Partnership Platform is designed to better connect faculty, staff, and students from across Duke University and the Health System with community engagement resources, volunteer opportunities, and more.
Duke officials hope all university academic programs, student groups, and employee efforts involved in community engagement and partnerships will contribute information to the platform. Each program and opportunity added makes the site more meaningful to community organizations.
To learn more, please see A New Platform to Build Stronger Community Partnerships.
Preparing for Transition from GME to DHIP Attending
Duke trainees who have accepted or are considering a Duke faculty position may find this event helpful.
This onboarding preparation session is for current Duke trainees who have accepted or are considering a Duke Faculty position. Members of Duke Health’s onboarding team will walk you through the process to prepare you for an efficient and successful transition. It’s an opportunity to meet leadership and network with colleagues who will also be staying at Duke.
When: Wednesday, April 9, 2025 — 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Where: Medical Center Amphitheater @ Duke Clinics (Basement level)
Please RSVP by March 31, 2025. Contact: Kylee.Mace@duke.edu.
Too Many Books at Home? Help Stock the DUH Patient Book Cart!
The Arts & Health at Duke program is seeking book donations to help fill their Reading Cart for adult inpatients. The Arts & Health program provides entertainment, comfort, and a way to pass the time for adult inpatients during their hospital stay. Your donations can make a meaningful difference!
Book Donation Guidelines:
- New or gently used in good condition
- No mold, smoke, or liquid damage
- No missing, torn, or loose pages
- No torn spines or excessive markings
Audience: Donations are for adult patients only. We are not collecting children’s materials at this time.
Donation Drop Box Locations:
- Duke Clinic: near Pink Elevators
- Duke North Lobby: near the Elevator area
Tier 2 Visitor Restrictions
Respiratory illnesses throughout our community remain high. We remain in Tier 2 Visitor Restrictions.
Navigating the Impact of Recent Executive Orders
The following resource page for the latest news and information related to the recent executive orders from the White House is being updated regularly. It includes direct links to policies and guidance documents as they are published. If you have specific questions, please escalate those to your supervisor.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
- February is American Heart Month and Black History Month.
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Feb. 24: Transforming HFpEF Management in the Age of Precision Medicine with Dr. Sanjiv Shah of the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern Medicine. 5 p.m. DN 2002 and via Zoom.
Feb. 25: Teamwork, Leadership, and Healthcare with Mike Krzyzewski. 5 p.m., in-person only (TBD).
If you missed any of our CGR’s from the past year, all Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:
NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!
CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference
February 19: HF/Tx with Husam Salah. Noon, DMP 7E39.
February 21: Heart and Diabetes with Nishant Shah. Noon, Zoom.
February 26: DHP with Nishakala Shivakuma. Noon, DMP 7E39.
February 28: EKG with Neil Freedman. Noon, Zoom.
Upcoming Duke Heart CMEs
Tues., Feb. 18: Remote Patient Care: A New Era in Cardiovascular Disease Management; 5:00-7:30 p.m., EST. Zoom. Free. Registration is required. Please visit this link for details and to register.
The following CME activities, sponsored by Duke Heart, have been scheduled. Registration is not yet open, but stay tuned for additional information.
- April 26, 2025: Duke Structural Heart Symposium (live event at Trent Semans Center in Durham)
- June 7, 2025: Duke Heart Failure Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center in Durham)
- October 31, 2025: 17th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center)
The following event is planned for Fall 2025; the date has not yet been set:
- October: Duke Cardiac Imaging Symposium (live event, location TBD)
Women’s Health Symposium – Feb. 21, 2025
A women’s health symposium will be held on Feb. 21, 2025, in the Trent Semans Center’s Great Hall.
Organized by the Duke/NCCU BIRCWH Career Development Program, the Women’s Health Symposium “Scientific Meeting on All Aspects of Women’s Health and the Influence of Sex as a Biological Variable on Health Conditions” will be held on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, at the Trent Semans Center Great Hall. The featured speakers are Sharonne Hayes, MD, a cardiologist and professor of cardiovascular medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and Cynthia Kuhn, PhD, a professor of pharmacology and cancer biology at the Duke University School of Medicine.
Featured events include an interactive session on navigating the “bumps” along your research path and a poster session. For more details about the event, or to register and submit your poster topic click here.
Have news to share?
If you have news to share with the Pulse readership 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 with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
February 6 — Reid Chamberlain
WFMY News 2
‘God’s got this.’ Boy with congenital heart defect clings to faith on quest for cure
February 8 — Leanna Ross
The Hearty Soul
The Truth About Burning Belly Fat – What Works
February 10 — Robert Lefkowitz
Environmental Health News
Trump administration slashes medical research funding, threatening progress on disease treatments
February 10 — Duke University/DUHS
Triangle Business Journal
Trump policy would pummel UNC, Duke research funding
February 10 — Duke University/DUHS
The New York Times
Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump Cuts to Medical Research Funding
February 10 — Gavin Yamey (Margolis Center)
The News & Observer
NIH cuts will cost Triangle universities millions. Now NC is suing Trump to block action
February 10 — Michael Pencina
JAMA Network/Viewpoint
February 10 — Robert Lefkowitz
Vanity Fair
Donald Trump’s Slash-and-Burn Second Term
February 11 — Robert Lefkowitz & Gavin Yamey
The Chronicle (Duke University)
February 11 — Robert Lefkowitz
Axios Raleigh
NIH cuts could deal a blow to the Triangle and North Carolina’s economy
February 12 — Marat Fudim
MyChesCo (Chester Co., PA)
Orchestra BioMed Unveils Groundbreaking Data on AVIM Therapy’s Potential to Prevent Heart Failure
February 12 — Manesh Patel
The Island News (Beaufort, SC)
Why ‘cough CPR’ is not the lifesaver it’s made out to be
February 13 — Robert Mentz
Medscape
Shunt System Still Improving HF Symptoms at 2 Years
February 13 — Tommy D’Amico
CTS Net
The Beat With Joel Dunning Ep. 92: Oligometastatic Disease
Duke Heart Pulse — February 9, 2025
Chief’s message:
This week we had a busy week caring for patients, educating our residents and fellows, and continuing our research missions across the basic, translational, and clinical realms. We had Go-Red day on Friday to raise awareness for Heart Disease – see the photos below. We are also excited to have Dr. Robert Califf join us at Duke again – you will see the announcement below. Finally, Friday evening the NIH announced a change to the indirect rate for institutions doing NIH funded research. This has real impact on the ability for organizations like ours to continue life-changing medical research. There has been quite a bit of misunderstanding and misinformation on the rate and how this funding actually supports the research at Universities. We will be devoting some upcoming weeks to describe this for our community. You will see that Dr. Lefkowitz from our own cardiovascular research center (CVRC) and Nobel Prize winner comments on it for the New York Times. He highlights the value of basic research, as evidenced by the many therapeutics that have been developed by his groundbreaking description of G-protein coupled receptors. As with a lot of ongoing changes – there will be real challenges and opportunities that we will work to better understand and align as we continue to improve the health of our community and country.
Highlights of the week:
National Wear Red Day
Thanks to everyone who supported National Wear Red Day on Friday, Feb. 7! Please continue to submit your photos to Pulse. We’re happy to run them throughout February.
Shown here are members of 2K CDU, Cath Lab, and Heart Step-Down leadership team members.
Happy Heart Month!
Califf Returns to Duke Heart
We are delighted to share that Dr. Robert Califf has returned to Duke Health as a faculty member in the Division of Cardiology. He’s excited to be back at Duke and looking forward to working in a role that he described as a sort of ‘free agent’ – not necessarily running a program or taking on responsibilities for a specific group, but working on a variety of important issues and helping others if they need guidance or someone to bounce ideas off, and perhaps helping support younger faculty as they navigate the early stages of their career.
Califf has always been passionate about issues that matter to him. At 73, Califf says he no longer wants to work at the pace he has been working for the past decade, but that he’s looking to contribute his time, talents, and understanding to areas he sees as critical, particularly as they relate to healthcare. He’s very concerned about the information ecosystem – one that is proliferating misinformation.
“I think part of what we need to work on are names and words we can use that are not so polarizing,” Califf said. “We’ve been losing the battle on misinformation because people are more and more influenced by unreliable information due to all these factors related to social media and purposeful manipulation.”
The second area he’s concerned about it cardiometabolic disease. “Throughout the world, but also very specifically, in the U.S., North Carolina and Durham, the combination of obesity, diabetes, vascular disease, use of tobacco – these are the primary risk factors that are the basis for cardiometabolic disease,” Califf added. “So, we’ll be working on approaches to health improvement in that regard and how our faculty and the health system can deal with it.”
His experience heading up the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under former Presidents Obama and Biden has given him a great deal of experience with policy-making at the national level and he hopes to continue to impact healthcare policies where possible. As for his time at the FDA, Califf says it was a great experience for him and that he gained a lot of appreciation for what the government can do.
Ultimately, Califf is happy to be back at Duke and looks forward to helping support faculty members by being a supportive listener, offering guidance based on his career experiences, and to working on critical healthcare issues that impact all Americans.
Please give him a warm welcome when you see him!
Trump Administration Cuts Put Medical Progress at Risk, Researchers Say
Dr. Robert Lefkowitz, cardiologist and Duke Health Distinguished Professor of Medicine was quoted in Friday’s issue of The New York Times in a story regarding Trump Administration cuts to National Institute of Health grants and the impact it will have on research universities. ICYMI, please see: https://duke.is/4/62b6 (story is also highlighted below under news coverage.)
Speaking of Lefkowitz…
2025 Robert J. Lefkowitz, MD, Distinguished Lecture, Feb. 11
The 2025 Robert J. Lefkowitz, MD, Distinguished Lecture will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at Noon in the Great Hall of the Trent Semans Center for Health Education. Carl H. June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy and Director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies at Perelman School of Medicine will deliver the lecture, The Long and Winding Road Traveled by CAR T Cells.
The event is being held in conjunction with the Duke School of Medicine’s Charting New Horizons for Discovery & Translational Science event. To learn more, please visit: https://duke.is/4/wryg.
Great Catch, Lorenzi!
Lauren Lorenzi, a nurse on 7 East in Duke University Hospital who was performing dual verification for an insulin order, noted 16 units of glargine insulin was ordered and Syringe filled by pharmacy included the correct labeling with patient identifiers and ordered dose, however the actual syringe only contained 11 units of insulin. Lauren escalated this discrepancy to her Charge Nurse for support and notified the First Call Provider who was not concerned about the discrepancy. Ultimately to ensure she followed the orders for this patient, Lauren took extra steps to obtain a new syringe with the correct dose. This great catch, which required vigilance and ‘asking questions and questioning the answers,’ was reported via SRS as a mechanism to ensure awareness of the right team members to support learning and continuous improvement.
Way to go, Lauren!
Shout-out to Night Shift Fellows!
Thank you to all the fellows who worked nights recently which included record numbers of overnight consults for many fellows. Nate Goodwin sent the following observation to Anna Lisa Chamis, who shared it with us:
“It was definitely a record for me. But also worth noting that Hubie and Jon Hanna were in the ICU – Hubie did a whole floor consult on a patient the oncology team approached him about in the CCU, and Jon took care of triaging and caring for a sick patient in the ED who ultimately came to the floor with me while I was off seeing other patients on a busy floor night. Just another example of selfless work from my great co-fellows at Duke.” – Nate Goodwin
Great job Hubie, Jonathan, Nate and the rest of the recent overnight teams!
Tier 2 Visitor Restrictions
Respiratory illnesses throughout our community remain high. We remain in Tier 2 Visitor Restrictions.
Navigating the Impact of Recent Executive Orders
Recent Executive Orders filed by the White House Administration have led to some uncertainty as well as a range of opinions and emotions. It is vital to remember that Duke Health remains committed to the compassionate care, safety, and well-being of our patients, our team members, and the communities we serve. Our commitment to be an organization where all are seen, heard, and valued – regardless of background – remains unchanged.
We have assembled a team of leaders who are working diligently to evaluate and understand the potential impacts of these orders. We have also created this resource page, where you can find the latest news and information, including direct links to policies and guidance documents as they are published. If you have specific questions, please escalate those to your supervisor.
As an organization, we will continue to put people first and demonstrate the integrity and empathy that define our work, and strengthen the relationships that are core to our organizational culture. Thank you for all you do each and every day.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
- February is American Heart Month and Black History Month.
- February 9-15 is Cardiac Rehab Week and CV Professionals Week
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Feb. 11: Focus on CKMH to Prevent CVD with Laurence Sperling, MD of Emory University School of Medicine. 5 p.m., Zoom only.
Feb. 24: Transforming HFpEF Management in the Age of Precision Medicine with Dr. Sanjiv Shah of the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern Medicine. 5 p.m. DN 2002 and via Zoom.
Feb. 25: Teamwork, Leadership, and Healthcare with Mike Krzyzewski. 5 p.m., in-person only (TBD).
If you missed any of our CGR’s from the past year, all Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:
NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!
CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference
February 12: EP with Cosette Champion and DaMarcus Ingram. Noon, DMP 7E39.
February 14: Antiplatelet Therapy with Jimmy Tcheng. Noon, Zoom.
February 19: HF/Tx with Husam Salah. Noon, DMP 7E39.
February 21: Heart and Diabetes with Nishant Shah. Noon, Zoom.
February 26: DHP with Nishakala Shivakuma. Noon, DMP 7E39.
February 28: EKG with Neil Freedman. Noon, Zoom.
Upcoming Duke Heart CMEs
Tues., Feb. 18: Remote Patient Care: A New Era in Cardiovascular Disease Management; 5:00-7:30 p.m., EST. Zoom. Free. Registration is required. Please visit this link for details and to register.
The following CME activities, sponsored by Duke Heart, have been scheduled. Registration is not yet open, but stay tuned for additional information.
- April 26, 2025: Duke Structural Heart Symposium (live event at Trent Semans Center in Durham)
- June 7, 2025: Duke Heart Failure Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center in Durham)
- October 31, 2025: 17th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center)
The following event is planned for Fall 2025; the date has not yet been set:
- October: Duke Cardiac Imaging Symposium (live event, location TBD)
SOM Charting New Horizons for Discovery & Translational Science
Monday, Feb. 10, 9:00 a.m. – 4:45 p.m. and Tuesday, Feb. 11, 9:00 a.m. – 11 a.m. Great Hall, Trent Semans Center for Health Education.
Join us for this research symposium to celebrate our tapestry of scientific achievements. This event promises to be a cornerstone for fostering innovation and advancing our understanding across various scientific disciplines.
- Faculty, staff, and students are invited to attend
- Food and refreshments will be available on both days
This event will be followed by the 2025 Robert J. Lefkowitz, MD, Distinguished Lecture at Noon. Dr. Carl H. June of Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania will deliver the lecture.
Women’s Health Symposium – Feb. 21, 2025
A women’s health symposium will be held on Feb. 21, 2025 in the Trent Semans Center’s Great Hall.
Organized by the Duke/NCCU BIRCWH Career Development Program, the Women’s Health Symposium “Scientific Meeting on All Aspects of Women’s Health and the Influence of Sex as a Biological Variable on Health Conditions” will be held on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025 at the Trent Semans Center Great Hall. The featured speakers are Sharonne Hayes, MD, a cardiologist and professor of cardiovascular medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and Cynthia Kuhn, PhD, a professor of pharmacology and cancer biology at the Duke University School of Medicine.
Featured events include an interactive session on navigating the “bumps” along your research path and a poster session. For more details about the event, or to register and submit your poster topic click here.
Have news to share?
If you have news to share with the Pulse readership 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 with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
February 3 — Karen Alexander
Verywell Health
Cholesterol-Lowering Statins May Reduce Dementia Risk by 63%, Study Says
February 7 — Robert Lefkowitz
The New York Times
Trump Administration Cuts Put Medical Progress at Risk, Researchers Say
Duke Heart Pulse — February 2, 2025
Chief’s message: Awards, Leaders, New Faculty, Duke-UNC and look back at 100 years of AHA and Echo
This past week was a microcosm of the challenges and opportunities we have at Duke with cardiovascular medicine and surgery. As the country focuses on chronic health issues, our opportunity is to align and determine ways to improve CV health, improve outcomes, and potentially innovations in getting the most effective therapies as close to home as possible for our patients. The federal spending freeze (that was lifted) has galvanized conversations and ways in which we can lead.
In the pulse below you will see that we continue to be blessed with amazing people doing amazing things. There is the research award from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) for Brittany Zwischenberger, MD, several heart service line winners at the Friends of Nursing celebration this weekend, the announcement of our newest Heart Failure Faculty member and past fellow at Duke – Ben Trichon, MD, the announcement of Marat Fudim, MD as our CRU director, and a touching tribute and celebration of Joe Kisslo, MD – our long-time leader in echocardiography. Please note the editorial Joe wrote in circulation on 100 years of AHA and Echocardiography. In addition, we have stories of our interventional fellows doing outreach with EMS for AMI care, and the important announcement of a Stand Alone Children’s Hospital done in partnership between Duke and UNC. The clinical services were busy again this week and we wanted to send special thanks to all the faculty, staff, and residents/fellows that stayed extended hours to help ensure we got care to all our patients.
This week also marked the start of Heart Month – with a kickoff in NYC with a go-red for women 
AHA event that we were lucky enough to attend. It was hosted by Sharon Stone (pictured) and Damar Hamlin from the Buffalo Bills joined AHA CEO Nancy Brown on stage. (pictured). And last but no least – the rivalry Saturday had a Duke-UNC basketball game with lots of cheer and good for the dark blue nation — hopefully this momentum continues for the blue devils.
Highlights of the week:
Heart Month
It’s February and American Heart Month – a time to celebrate all we’re doing to advance the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. It’s also a time to promote awareness of heart disease and the overall risk factors leading to its development. Please join us in wearing red on Friday, Feb. 7 – designated as National Wear Red Day to bring greater attention to heart disease as a leading cause of death for Americans.
Submit your team photos to Pulse!
Marat Fudim Named Director of Heart Center Clinical Research Unit
We are excited to announce that Marat Fudim, MD has been named the Director of the Heart Center Clinical Research Unit (CRU). Marat will work with Krista Camuglia, our research practice manager in the Duke Heart Center CRU, to ensure we continue to improve how we can offer our patients access to the latest research studies.
Since joining our faculty, Marat has been one of our most driven faculty, constantly working to ensure our patients are offered innovations / studies to improve their health . He has a unique background: often thinking innovatively and what many would call “out of the box.” His career began in the Med-Tech world, from where he moved to academic medicine due to his passion for research and scientific discovery. Marat came to Duke with the set goal to challenge existing paradigms in heart failure. His research focus is on the physiology of heart failure and its intersection with the autonomic nervous system has led to several important projects in our Heart Center.
Marat has been awarded several grants and awards to support his work, and most notably, he was acknowledged with the American College of Cardiology 2021 Douglas Zipes Distinguished Young Investigator Award. Marat has also worked to improve our Device innovation and is also helping lead that in the Heart Innovation Lab space.
As a leader of the CRU he will work with Krista and our teams to ensure across the cardiovascular service line to ensure we continue to build to becoming a leading institution in getting cutting edge therapies to our patients.
Please join us in welcoming Marat to this new role. Congrats, Marat!
Zwischenberger Receives TSF Award at STS 2025
Brittany Zwischenberger, MD was awarded the Thoracic Surgery Foundation Research Award at the STS Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, CA on January 24, 2025.
The award will fund a Nested Registry to study Hybrid revascularization (minimally-invasive CABG LIMA-LAD plus PCI) in women, Black and Hispanic patients with multivessel CAD. The parent study, RECHARGE, is a randomized controlled trial on women, Black and Hispanic patients with multivessel CAD and equipoise for sternotomy, CABG or multivessel PCI. The Hybrid registry and RECHARGE Trial focus on quality of life metrics as well as survival and reintervention to help tailor revascularization strategies to these understudied patient populations.
Congratulations, Brittany!
Duke Friends of Nursing Celebration
Duke Health staff and leaders gathered along with family and friends on Feb. 1 for the Annual Duke Friends of Nursing celebration. Pictured here are the Duke Hospital Heart Services winners (L to R: Abby Sanner, Jason Stokes, Jessie Legath, Hannah Reynolds, and Jessica Seabrooks.)
Congratulations to the winners! We are so proud to have you on our Duke Heart team.
Celebrating Dr. Kisslo: A Tribute to 50 Years of Excellence
The following was written for Pulse by Dr. Fawaz Alenezi
Last month, we joyfully celebrated the extraordinary career of Dr. Joseph Kisslo, marking an incredible 50 years at Duke University. For nearly 12 years, I have had the profound privilege of learning from him, and words cannot adequately express how deeply he has impacted my life and career. Dr. Kisslo is not just a mentor; he is a true inspiration and a guiding light in my professional journey.
When I first joined Duke 12 years ago, Dr. Kisslo graciously invited me to his home for an insightful discussion about strain echocardiography—a field that was just beginning to unfold. His passion and enthusiasm ignited a spark in me that has shaped my career over the last decade. That initial encounter opened my eyes to the vast possibilities within cardiology, and with Dr. Kisslo’s encouragement, I felt empowered to follow in his footsteps.
If I attempted to list all of Dr. Kisslo’s achievements, it would take hundreds of pages. However, I will mention a few highlights. He embarked on his remarkable journey in echocardiography in 1966, performing his first echo during medical school. After two years of service as a Navy doctor, he pursued further education at Yale, completing his pediatric cardiology fellowship in 1971 before returning to Duke for his adult cardiology fellowship in 1972. His monumental tenure at Duke included serving as the Cath Attending from 1974 to 1977, during which he developed the groundbreaking 2D phased array ultrasound technique, revolutionizing cardiac imaging and solidifying his legacy as a pioneer in our field.
As the 4th President of the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE), Dr. Kisslo’s influence extends far beyond our institution; he has touched lives and practices worldwide. Celebrating his 70th birthday in August 2011 was not just a milestone for him; it represented decades of dedication, knowledge, and leadership that he has selflessly shared with all of us.
One of the many things that resonate with me about Dr. Kisslo is his belief that “real change comes from chaos.” This philosophy reveals his passion for fostering a vibrant environment filled with innovation and creativity. His visionary spirit has led to incredible advancements, such as the digital scan converter introduced in 1975 and pioneering work in 3D echocardiography that emerged in the early 1990s.
Dr. Kisslo’s humor and wisdom shine through in his famous “Kisslo Rules” that guide our practice:
- If you don’t point at it, you can’t see it.
- If you don’t see it, you can’t diagnose it.
- It’s not the heart, stupid.
These guiding principles have profoundly shaped my understanding and approach to patient assessments, particularly in congenital cases. Learning from his insights has helped me grow into a more competent practitioner, constantly striving for excellence and navigating my path in echocardiography. Due to his influence, I have taken on increasing responsibilities and challenges, shaping my development into a professional committed to quality and patient care.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, what truly sets Dr. Kisslo apart is his compassionate heart. He has a passion for pageantry and the royals, which adds a unique warmth to his character. He deeply cherishes his relationships with his team, affectionately referring to his sonographers as “stenographers.” This endearing approach has cultivated a family-like atmosphere within our department, where we all feel valued, respected, and loved.
Dr. Kisslo once remarked, “I came to Duke thinking I would have the opportunity to meet and interact with the brightest people in the world. I underestimated Duke.” This statement captures not only his humility but also the profound love he has for Duke and the community he has built here.
As we honor Dr. Kisslo for his unparalleled contributions and unwavering dedication to echocardiography, we also celebrate the deep connections he has forged and the lasting legacy he leaves behind. His spirit continues to inspire those of us who follow in his footsteps, propelling us toward excellence and innovation in our practice.
Thank you, Dr. Kisslo, for being the remarkable person you are. The knowledge and values you have imparted have paved the way for my growth in the field, and your impact on my life and the lives of so many others is immeasurable.
–Fawaz Alenezi, MD
ICYMI: Echocardiography, the AHA, and 100 Years
To further celebrate Dr. Kisslo, please see his commentary, Echocardiography, the AHA, and 100 Years, published in Circulation on Dec. 2, 2024: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.124.066991
Please Welcome Ben Trichon, MD to Duke Heart Faculty
Dr. Ben Trichon, a heart failure specialist, has joined our Duke Heart faculty. Trichon was a cardiology fellow at Duke from 2000-2004, during which time he received the Dr. Walter Floyd Award for Clinical Excellence.
Trichon officially joined the Duke Heart team on January 27. His first few weeks will involve attending Duke courses and preparing to see patients. Additional information on templates will be shared soon. He’ll be seeing patients at Duke Cardiology of Raleigh and will round on patients at Duke University Hospital. He joins us from Mission Hospital in Asheville.
Some fun facts about Dr. Trichon:
- He is married to Jill, and they have 22-year-old twins, Andrew and Gabrielle, who will graduate college this spring.
- They have a dog named Ginger.
- Trichon has a love for peanut butter and coffee, often together.
- The family enjoys outdoor activities like hiking, cycling, and running, and they are big dog lovers.
- He has lived in Asheville for almost 21 years and is excited to join the Raleigh team.
Dr. Trichon is shown here with his son, Andrew.
Welcome back to Duke, Ben!
Person County EMS Continuing Education Update
Dr. Schuyler Jones, Dr. Dennis Narcisse, and Dr. Daniel Loriaux provided education to Person County EMS as part of their continuing education series on January 28th and 30th. This interactive session covered key topics essential to the transfer process for STEMI patients to Duke.
Natalie Horseman, MSN, RN, CNOR is an Associate Clinical Director with the Duke Heart Network. She works closely with Drs. Christopher Granger and Schuyler Jones on regional STEMI collaboration. She worked closely with Dr. Jones on planning this event.
The agenda included:
- General ECG Education – Cardiology-focused topics, including 12-lead ECG interpretation
- Case Studies on Recent STEMI Activations – Review of ECGs and patient outcomes from activation to hospital discharge
- Expectations & Communication – Best practices during STEMI consults and activations
- Terminology Review – Understanding and applying Code STEMI protocols
This session reinforced critical skills and strengthened collaboration between EMS providers and Duke’s cardiology team to improve patient outcomes and we received great feedback from the attendees.
Nicely done, team!
UNC Health, Duke Health Partner to Build NC’s First Stand-alone Children’s Hospital
UNC Health and Duke Health, two of the world’s top academic health systems, are uniting to create a new children’s health system in North Carolina, featuring the state’s first freestanding hospital dedicated to caring for kids.
The two institutions filed articles of incorporation on Jan. 28, 2025, with the State of North Carolina to establish NC Children’s, a private, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. Plans for NC Children’s feature a 500-bed children’s hospital, a children’s outpatient care center, and a children’s behavioral health center.
A freestanding children’s hospital in North Carolina has been a decade-long goal for both institutions. An initial $320 million investment into N.C. Children’s made by the state of North Carolina in early 2024 advanced discussions for a collaboration between both entities.
The comprehensive children’s health campus will be located at a yet-to-be-identified site in the Triangle and will include a robust research and education enterprise backed by the medical schools of both universities.
The partnership aims to provide a higher volume of highly specialized pediatric care, enabling families from across the state to remain in North Carolina when seeking complex care.
“This is an unprecedented partnership between UNC Health and Duke Health, aimed at elevating the care that’s available for all children in North Carolina,” said Wesley Burks, MD, CEO of UNC Health and dean of the UNC School of Medicine. “I’m delighted to work with our colleagues at Duke to create something that will make all North Carolinians proud and change lives for generations to come.”
“Children are the heart of our future, and families across North Carolina deserve access to the most comprehensive, highest quality care for their children,” said Craig Albanese, MD, CEO of Duke University Health System. “This is a tremendous and unique opportunity to work together to reimagine how we deliver life-changing care to our region’s most vulnerable and we are grateful for the support of our state’s legislature.”
“This dedicated children’s hospital will reflect our commitment to providing the best possible care for children – not only now but for generations to come,” said Mary E. Klotman, MD, executive vice president for Health Affairs at Duke University, chief academic officer of Duke Health and dean of Duke University School of Medicine.
“It will foster groundbreaking pediatric research and first-class education and training for health care professionals,” Klotman said. “By uniting our institutions and disciplines, we can give children the healthy lives they deserve, achieve remarkable breakthroughs, and nurture the future leaders of health care.”
The partnership between both health systems will allow each of the clinical teams to expand their existing children’s clinical programs and research portfolios. The combined organization will create a destination for top pediatric subspecialists, researchers, residents, and fellows.
“There is a great deal of mutual respect between our institutions, and we both want the same thing for the children of North Carolina – the best care, close to home,” Burks said.
The partners plan to break ground together on the new NC Children’s campus by 2027, with construction of the campus expected to take approximately six years.
NC Children’s Facts
- Campus: NC Children’s will include 100+ acre campus in the Triangle, anchored by a ~500-bed hospital along with an ambulatory surgical center, medical office building, and behavioral health hospital. The campus will include play areas and rehabilitation facilities, translational research capabilities with a dedicated innovation/collaboration zone, and a mixed-use infrastructure including the potential for hotels, retail, dining, etc.
- Organization: NC Children’s is a North Carolina private, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization.
- Services: UNC Health and Duke University Health System will transfer all pediatric-related clinical services, programs & operations to NC Children’s.
- Pediatric Research and Education: Pediatric research and education functions will remain with the UNC School of Medicine and Duke School of Medicine for the foreseeable future, although they may be conducted at NC Children’s once operational, particularly clinical teaching and research.
- Affiliations: NC Children’s will have perpetual academic affiliations with the Duke and UNC schools of medicine, serving as both organizations’ pediatric teaching hospital.
- Practice Model: NC Children’s will develop a practice model for providers from both Duke and UNC, allowing them to retain their existing academic appointments. NC Children’s will have an open medical staff, meaning that qualified providers may apply for privileges, even if they are not affiliated with either school.
- Timeline: The hospital is expected to open in the early 2030s. Other core services such as the children’s behavioral health hospital, ambulatory surgical center, or medical office building may open several years earlier.
2025 Robert J. Lefkowitz, MD, Distinguished Lecture, Feb. 11
The 2025 Robert J. Lefkowitz, MD, Distinguished Lecture will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at Noon in the Great Hall of the Trent Semans Center for Health Education. Carl H. June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy and Director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies at Perelman School of Medicine will deliver the lecture, The Long and Winding Road Traveled by CAR T Cells.
The event is being held in conjunction with the Duke School of Medicine’s Charting New Horizons for Discovery & Translational Science event. To learn more, please visit: https://duke.is/4/wryg.
Duke Heart Grows Again!
Please join us in congratulating cardiology physician assistant Kelsey Rouse and her family on the arrival of Archie “AJ” Rouse last week. Rouse is a PA at our Cary Clinic. All are doing well!
Tier 2 Visitor Restrictions
Respiratory illnesses throughout our community remain high. We remain in Tier 2 Visitor Restrictions.
Duke Health Leadership Response to White House Executive Orders
Following the signing of executive orders by the new White House Administration, the Duke Health Leadership team stated the following reminder of our key principles:
- We will continue to honor our culture commitment to put people first. We are steadfast in our commitment to make Duke Health a place where all are seen, heard, and valued – where every person feels respected and that they belong.
- Our missions call on us to serve those who depend on us with compassion and excellence. We will continue to provide the highest quality care to all who come to us for hope, health, and healing, regardless of background.
- We have existing policies, procedures, and protocols to inform our operational decision-making. Please guide your team members to continue our process to follow our policies, procedures, and protocols.
- As always, we will continue to abide by state and federal law, ensuring that we meet regulatory requirements for healthcare delivery.
- As leaders, our team members are counting on us to guide our teams through unsettling moments. We are grateful to each of you for modeling respect, inclusivity, and empathy for all.
Remember the resources available to help you and our team members if you need them: Personal Assistance Service (PAS), Duke Employee Access Clinic, and Caring for Each Other. As always, you can also seek support from your Human Resources representative.
As additional information becomes available on if and how the executive orders will impact our teams, it will be shared with team members.
Thank you for all that you do for our team members and those we serve.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
- February is American Heart Month and Black History Month.
- National Wear Red Day is Friday, Feb. 7, 2025.
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Feb. 24: Transforming HFpEF Management in the Age of Precision Medicine with Dr. Sanjiv Shah of the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern Medicine. 5 p.m. DN 2002 and via Zoom.
Feb. 25: Teamwork, Leadership, and Healthcare with Mike Krzyzewski. 5 p.m., in-person only (TBD).
If you missed any of our CGR’s from the past year, all Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:
NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!
CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference
February 5: Ventilator Management with Willard Applefeld. Noon, DMP 7E39.
February 7: Nuclear Cardiology with Olga James. Noon, Zoom.
February 12: EP with Cosette Champion and DaMarcus Ingram. Noon, DMP 7E39.
February 14: Antiplatelet Therapy with Jimmy Tcheng. Noon, Zoom.
February 19: HF/Tx with Husam Salah. Noon, DMP 7E39.
February 21: Heart and Diabetes with Nishant Shah. Noon, Zoom.
February 26: DHP with Nishakala Shivakuma. Noon, DMP 7E39.
February 28: EKG with Neil Freedman. Noon, Zoom.
Upcoming Duke Heart CMEs
Tues., Feb. 18: Remote Patient Care: A New Era in Cardiovascular Disease Management; 5:00-7:30 p.m., EST. Zoom. Free. Registration is required. Please visit this link for details and to register.
The following CME activities, sponsored by Duke Heart, have been scheduled. Registration is not yet open, but stay tuned for additional information.
- April 26, 2025: Duke Structural Heart Symposium (live event at Trent Semans Center in Durham)
- June 7, 2025: Duke Heart Failure Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center in Durham)
- October 31, 2025: 17th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center)
The following event is planned for Fall 2025; the date has not yet been set:
- October: Duke Cardiac Imaging Symposium (live event, location TBD)
SOM Charting New Horizons for Discovery & Translational Science
Monday, Feb. 10, 9:00 a.m. – 4:45 p.m. and Tuesday, Feb. 11, 9:00 a.m. – 11 a.m. Great Hall, Trent Semans Center for Health Education.
Join us for this research symposium to celebrate our tapestry of scientific achievements. This event promises to be a cornerstone for fostering innovation and advancing our understanding across various scientific disciplines.
- Faculty, staff, and students are invited to attend
- Food and refreshments will be available on both days
This event will be followed by the 2025 Robert J. Lefkowitz, MD, Distinguished Lecture at Noon. Dr. Carl H. June of Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania will deliver the lecture.
Women’s Health Symposium – Feb. 21, 2025
A women’s health symposium will be held on Feb. 21, 2025, in the Trent Semans Center’s Great Hall.
Organized by the Duke/NCCU BIRCWH Career Development Program, the Women’s Health Symposium “Scientific Meeting on All Aspects of Women’s Health and the Influence of Sex as a Biological Variable on Health Conditions” will be held on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, at the Trent Semans Center Great Hall. The featured speakers are Sharonne Hayes, MD, a cardiologist and professor of cardiovascular medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and Cynthia Kuhn, PhD, a professor of pharmacology and cancer biology at the Duke University School of Medicine.
Featured events include an interactive session on navigating the “bumps” along your research path and a poster session. For more details about the event, or to register and submit your poster topic click here.
Have news to share?
If you have news to share with the Pulse readership 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 with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
January 17 — Jonathan Piccini
Medical Product Outsourcing
Medtronic Announces Primary Results from the DEFINE AFib Clinical Study of the LINQ Family
January 17 — Jonathan Piccini
Cardiovascular Business
Medtronic heart rhythm technologies on full display at AF Symposium 2025
January 21 — John Alexander
Street Insider
January 22 — Manesh Patel
SF Gate
Why ‘cough CPR’ is not the lifesaver it’s made out to be
*this story also appeared in the Herald-Sun, Houston Chronicle, and other McClatchy news outlets
January 23 — Duke Health
Becker’s Hospital Review
Top-ranked hospitals for stent placement, by state
January 23 — Audrey Blewer (Family Medicine & Comm Health)
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
You’re unlikely to survive cardiac arrest. How Tarrant County wants to change that
January 29 — Jonathan Piccini
Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiology
Study Shows Medtronic ICM Accurately Predicts Risk Thresholds for AFib Patients Using AI
January 30 — Adrian Hernandez
tctMD
Early Actions by Trump Administration Sow Uncertainty for CV Research
Duke Heart Pulse — January 26, 2025
Chief’s message: Coach K to give CV Grand Rounds February 25th in Heart Month:
We are excited to announce that Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K) will give cardiovascular grand rounds on February 25th from 5-6pm at Duke Hospital. Coach will give a talk on Leadership, Teamwork, and Healthcare. This will be an opportunity for our heart and vascular teams to interact and hear from Coach K on the importance of our teams with an opportunity for questions near the end of the talk. I have included a slide I use from some talks that highlights the commitment of long-standing learning. We appreciate Coach K for his willingness to join us and look forward to the grand rounds.
Highlights of the week:
Duke EP Hits Record
We learned this week that our Duke Electrophysiology team surpassed 1000 atrial fibrillation ablations in the calendar year 2024 (the exact number was 1069)!
“This is a huge milestone for our program,” says Jonathan Piccini, MD, Duke’s Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology. “It’s an incredible accomplishment from an incredible team of staff, nurses, clinicians, and patients!”
We could not agree more — congratulations to the entire EP team. Way to go!
61st STS Annual Meeting Held in Los Angeles
The 2025 annual meeting of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons has been taking place this weekend, Jan. 24-26, in Los Angeles. We have several faculty and care providers serving as moderators and presenters, including:
Edward P. Chen, MD, served as a moderator for a session on Inherited Aortic Disease.
Lynn McGugan and Melissa Burkett invited speakers who co-presented a session called APP Continuity of Care in Aortic Surgery.
Thomas D’Amico, MD, presented A Need for Ethics Education: A Chair’s Perspective and moderated a session on Surgery for Stage IV Lung Cancer: Getting Surgeons in the Game for Advanced Disease.
Brittany Zwischenberger, MD, presented Quality Improvement Initiatives to Improve Outcomes in Women: Translating Scientific Findings into Clinical Practice and RECHARGE Hybrid: Revascularization of Underrepresented Groups with minimally-invasive CABG plus PCI – for which she earned a Thoracic Surgery Foundation Award for her research. She also moderated a session on Top Adult Cardiac Surgery Abstracts.
Kamrouz Ghadimi, MD, debated during a session on Inhaled Nitric Oxide vs. Prostacyclin – (arguing Pro Prostacyclin).
Matt Hartwig, MD, moderated a session called Modernized Solutions for Lung Failure, From Bench to Bedside.
Well done, all!
Vizient Webinar Held; Patel a Featured Presenter
On Thursday, Jan. 23, Manesh Patel, MD was the featured presenter for a Vizient Cardiovascular Service Line webinar. He presented on Interesting Science from the AHA 2024. The event, held virtually and recorded, is part of the Vizient Network Cardiovascular Service Line Committee series.
Jill Engel is in her second year serving as the Chair of the Vizient Cardiovascular Service Line Committee and says she has already heard great feedback from the network members on the presentation.
Thanks, Manesh, for representing Duke Heart & Vascular!
Candidates Sought for Zhu Lab, CVRC
Two positions are currently available in the laboratory of Dr. Ching Zhu, a newly recruited cardiac electrophysiologist and physician-scientist in the Duke Cardiovascular Research Center. Zhu’s team is seeking a postdoctoral associate and a research technician.
The Zhu Lab pursues interdisciplinary research centered on unraveling the mechanisms by which the sympathetic nervous system controls susceptibility to lethal cardiac arrhythmias. Postgraduate trainees or premedical students interested in dedicating 1-2 years to full-time basic/translational research are encouraged to apply.
More details on the positions and Dr. Zhu’s research can be found here: https://duke.is/5/uyut.
Tier 2 Visitor Restrictions
Respiratory illnesses throughout our community remain high. We remain in Tier 2 Visitor Restrictions.
Remember:
- Masking is strongly recommended throughout patient care areas and continues to be required in some areas.
- Masks should be worn properly. Cover your nose and mouth at all times, and do not wear masks around your chin, neck, or on your forehead.
- Duke Health staff members throughout hospitals, the schools of medicine and nursing, and all health care units must wear their Duke ID prominently on outer clothing between shoulder and waist with the photo side facing out.
- Visiting hours are from 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.
- A maximum of two visitors at a time are allowed per patient.
- Visitors must check in at the hospital information desk to receive a visitor badge to enter inpatient areas.
- All visitors must be age 12+. (Visitors in some clinical areas must be age 18+.)
- Minors are required to be attended by an adult age 18+ at all times.
- Visitors must check out upon departure at a kiosk or with information desk staff.
- Visitors with fever, cough, or other flu-like symptoms should not visit.
Please note: Additional visitation and masking precautions may apply to certain patient populations, including without limitation, COVID-19/Special Airborne Contact, oncology, end-of-life, and overnight visitors. Please follow all unit guidelines. Exceptions to visitation restrictions may be granted based on special circumstances, including without limitation, to permit Compassionate Care Visitors.
Thanks for all you do to keep our patients and team members safe!
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
Save The Date! National Wear Red Day is Friday, Feb. 7, 2025.
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Jan. 28: Whole Genome Sequencing for Gene Elusive Cardiovascular Disease with Dr. Sara Coles. 5 p.m., via Zoom.
Feb. 24: Transforming HFpEF Management in the Age of Precision Medicine with Dr. Sanjiv Shah of the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern Medicine. 5 p.m. DN 2002 and via Zoom.
Feb. 25: Teamwork, Leadership, and Healthcare with Mike Krzyzewski. 5 p.m., in-person only (TBD).
If you missed any of our CGR’s from the past year, all Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:
NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!
CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference
January 29: EP presentation with Joshua Sink. Noon, DMP 7E39.
January 31: PAD-Aorta with Jennifer Rymer. Noon, Zoom.
DCRI Research Forum to Feature Cook – Jan. 28
We hope you’ll join us for the next event in the DCRI Research Forum series, featuring Nakela L. Cook, MD, MPH, the Executive Director for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), who will join us for a fireside chat from Noon-1 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 28. Cook will share insights from her career journey, discuss her vision and priorities for PCORI, and how the organization is fostering innovation in clinical research.
What: DCRI Research Forum: A Fireside Chat with Nakela L. Cook, MD, MPH, Executive Director for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)
When: Noon-1 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025
Where: Zoom
Giving Opportunity for Western NC Extended Through January 31
Please consider a contribution as part of the Duke Department of Medicine’s effort to support the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) in Asheville, NC, for its 2024 Holiday Fundraiser.
So far, the effort has received 53 gifts for a fundraising total of $13,960. The need remains great, so additional gifts in any amount are welcome. Thanks to all who have already donated!
The donation website will remain open for the rest of January 2025 for anyone who may still want to contribute. To donate online, visit https://duke.is/9/g2gr or send a check payable to “MAHEC” to:
MAHEC Department of Philanthropy
121 Hendersonville Road Asheville, NC 28803
Memo: Duke
MAHEC has been a lifeline for Western North Carolina, delivering health care and training the next generation of providers who serve its rural and underserved communities. Some learners were forced to relocate to continue their education while visiting medical students scheduled to train in the area had to be turned away.
For some perspective on the needs there and to read about the effort please see the full story here.
Upcoming Duke Heart CMEs
Tues., Feb. 18: Remote Patient Care: A New Era in Cardiovascular Disease Management; 5:00-7:30 p.m., EST. Zoom. Free. Registration, now open, is required. Please visit this link for details and to register.
The following CME activities, sponsored by Duke Heart, have been scheduled. Registration is not yet open, but stay tuned for additional information.
- April 26, 2025: Duke Structural Heart Symposium (live event at Trent Semans Center in Durham)
- June 7, 2025: Duke Heart Failure Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center in Durham)
- October 31, 2025: 17th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center)
The following event is planned for Fall 2025; the date has not yet been set:
- October: Duke Cardiac Imaging Symposium (live event, location TBD)
Women’s Health Symposium – Feb. 21, 2025
A women’s health symposium will be held on Feb. 21, 2025, in the Trent Semans Center’s Great Hall.
Organized by the Duke/NCCU BIRCWH Career Development Program, the Women’s Health Symposium “Scientific Meeting on All Aspects of Women’s Health and the Influence of Sex as a Biological Variable on Health Conditions” will be held on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, at the Trent Semans Center Great Hall. The featured speakers are Sharonne Hayes, MD, a cardiologist and professor of cardiovascular medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and Cynthia Kuhn, PhD, a professor of pharmacology and cancer biology at the Duke University School of Medicine.
Featured events include an interactive session on navigating the “bumps” along your research path and a poster session. For more details about the event, or to register and submit your poster topic click here.
Have news to share?
If you have news to share with the Pulse readership 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 with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
January 17 — Jonathan Piccini
Medical Product Outsourcing
Medtronic Announces Primary Results from the DEFINE AFib Clinical Study of the LINQ Family
January 17 — Jonathan Piccini
Cardiovascular Business
Medtronic heart rhythm technologies on full display at AF Symposium 2025
January 21 — John Alexander
Street Insider
January 22 — Manesh Patel
SF Gate
Why ‘cough CPR’ is not the lifesaver it’s made out to be
*this story also appeared in the Houston Chronicle
January 23 — Duke Health
Becker’s Hospital Review
Top-ranked hospitals for stent placement, by state
January 23 — Audrey Blewer (Family Medicine & Comm Health)
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
You’re unlikely to survive cardiac arrest. How Tarrant County wants to change that
Duke Heart Pulse — January 19, 2025
Chief’s message:
Hopefully you all have had a good weekend staying warm.
This week marks the long weekend celebrating the incredible life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. We are reminded this weekend of his statement “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” Below in the pulse we have a list of some of the events celebrating his life and work, and continuing a legacy of serving our community. Our mission continues through our teams at Duke Heart that work to improve the health of all in our community.
This week the pulse below highlights some of the continued work we are doing to support the busy clinical services, innovate with education and new CME offerings on remote HF monitoring, and continue to lead in getting some of the discoveries for heart and vascular health in front of our patients.
We also had the start of some celebrations for Mike Sketch – a long standing pillar and faculty in the Duke Cardiology group – with over 30 years of leadership and service in our cath lab, clinics, and wards to our faculty, fellows, and patients. The Duke Heart Physicians group (DHP) had a celebration with Mike and Beth Sketch (see some of the photos below). We are aware that the cath lab faculty will also be have a celebration in the spring and we will share more as we thank Mike for the many years of clinical care, teaching, and dedication to our community. Congratulations Mike – on a life of impact at Duke Cardiology.
Highlights of the week:
Long Weekend
It’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend — Duke University & Health System events are listed below under Upcoming Events & Opportunities. We hope you will find a way to honor the legacy of Dr. King this weekend either by participating in one of these opportunities or by finding your own way to do so. Enjoy the weekend!
Shout-out to Duke North Echo Lab!
A big shout-out to the Duke University Hospital’s Echo Lab team. We heard they wrapped up Friday, Jan. 17 with what may be a record of 21 procedures completed in a single day. Way to go!
“What an incredible day! A special shout-out to our fellow, Dr. Tess Allan, who is the true champion of the day. Thank you, Anna Lisa Chamis, for recruiting such a fantastic fellow. I absolutely loved working with her and will do my best to drag her over to imaging next time!
I also want to extend my gratitude to our nursing staff – you were absolutely amazing, as always.
The anesthesia team was phenomenal, Dr. Alina Nicoara (thank you!), and the sonographers were outstanding.
Honestly, everyone involved played a crucial role in making today such a success. Thank you all for your hard work and dedication!
Have a great weekend.” — Fawaz Alenezi, MD, MSc, FAHA, FACC, FASE, Associate Professor of Medicine in Cardiology
A hat tip to all!
New AUC Published on ICD, CRT, and Pacing
The latest appropriate use criteria (AUC) regarding implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, cardiac resynchronization therapy, and pacing have been published. The new report was published online in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology on January 9. 
Our very own Jonathan Piccini, MD, electrophysiologist and professor of medicine in cardiology Jon Piccini, MD, served as a member of the writing group.
Congrats to Jon and all members of the writing team!
Coaxum Joins Duke Heart as New GME CCE Program Coordinator
We welcomed a new program coordinator in cardiology last month. Please join us in welcoming Robbi Coaxum as the new program coordinator for the Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology fellowship. In her new role, Robbi will also provide support to Brianna Small for the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship.
Originally from Columbia, SC, Robbi has only been here in Durham for about six weeks. She holds two Master’s degrees—one in Public Health and one in Health Education—as well as a Doctorate in Healthcare Administration. In her free time, she enjoys crafting, gardening, and playing the piano and violin.
Please give her a warm welcome when you meet her. She’s excited to meet everyone and to be part of the team!
Feb. 18 CME Registration Now Open!
Please join us on Tuesday, Feb. 18 for Remote Patient Care: A New Era in Cardiovascular Disease Management. The CME activity will be held via Zoom from 5-7:30 p.m., EST. Course directors are cardiologist Dr. Marat Fudim of Duke and Dr. Theodore Feldman, cardiologist with Florida International University’s Wertheim College of Medicine and Baptist Health. The event is free. To learn more and to register, please visit https://duke.is/6/ne6b.
Save the Date: Coach K to Deliver Grand Rounds Feb. 25
Tuesday, Feb. 25; 5-6 p.m. — in person only. Location TBD.
Former Duke MBB Coach Mike Krzyzewski will present grand rounds discussing teamwork, leadership, and healthcare – with a question and answer period near the end. Details to come. We look forward to this special event and hope you can join us!
Post-Holiday Pics!
The Duke University Hospital CDU celebrated a very successful year with a post-holiday celebration!
“Our team enjoys spending time with each other in a non-work setting at this party every year. Thank you, especially, to our leadership (Dr. Sreek Vemulapali) for a wonderful night.” – Emily Schanze, cardiac sonographer, CDU & 2K
Great pics!
Candidates Sought for Zhu Lab, CVRC
Two positions are currently available in the laboratory of Dr. Ching Zhu, a newly recruited cardiac electrophysiologist and physician-scientist in the Duke Cardiovascular Research Center. Zhu’s team is seeking a postdoctoral associate and a research technician.
The Zhu Lab pursues interdisciplinary research centered on unraveling the mechanisms by which the sympathetic nervous system controls susceptibility to lethal cardiac arrhythmias. Postgraduate trainees or premedical students interested in dedicating 1-2 years to full-time basic/translational research are encouraged to apply.
More details on the positions and Dr. Zhu’s research can be found here: https://duke.is/5/uyut.
Tier 2 Visitor Restrictions
Respiratory illnesses throughout our community remains high. We remain in Tier 2 Visitor Restrictions.
Remember:
- Masking is strongly recommended throughout patient care areas, and continues to be required in some areas.
- Masks should be worn properly. Cover your nose and mouth at all times, do not wear masks around your chin, neck, or on your forehead.
- Visiting hours are from 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.
- A maximum of two visitors at a time are allowed per patient at a time.
- Visitors must check in at the hospital information desk to receive a visitor badge to enter inpatient areas.
- All visitors must be age 12+. (Visitors in some clinical areas must be age 18+.)
- Minors are required to be attended by an adult age 18+ at all times.
- Visitors must check out upon departure at a kiosk or with information desk staff.
- Visitors with fever, cough, or other flu-like systems should not visit.
Please note: Additional visitation and masking precautions may apply to certain patient populations, including without limitation, COVID-19/Special Airborne Contact, oncology, end-of-life, and overnight visitors. Please follow all unit guidelines. Exceptions to visitation restrictions may be granted based on special circumstances, including without limitation, to permit Compassionate Care Visitors.
Thanks for all you do to keep our patients and team members safe!
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
Save The Date!
National Wear Red Day is Friday, Feb. 7, 2025. 
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Jan. 21 – Feb. 18: No CCR.
Feb. 24: Transforming HFpEF Management in the Age of Precision Medicine with Dr. Sanjiv Shah of the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern Medicine. 5 p.m. DN 2002 and via Zoom.
Feb. 25: Teamwork, Leadership, and Healthcare with Mike Krzyzewski. 5 p.m., in-person only (TBD).
If you missed any of our CGR’s from the past year, all Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:
NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!
CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference
January 22: HF/TX presentation with Hubert Haywood. Noon, DMP 7W70
January 24: Right heart cath interpretation with Imran Aslam. Noon, Zoom.
January 29: EP presentation with Joshua Sink. Noon, DMP 7E39.
January 31: PAD-Aorta with Jennifer Rymer. Noon, Zoom.
MLK Celebrations
Jan. 19: Duke University MLK Commemoration Keynote Address, 3 p.m.
The Hon. Jerry Blackwell, a member of the prosecution team that won a murder conviction for the killing of George Floyd, will deliver the keynote talk at Duke University’s annual MLK Commemoration at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19 in Duke Chapel. The theme of this year’s event, which is free and open to the public, is “Hope Powered by Community: Protecting King’s Dream through Determination and Unity.”
Read more at Duke Today. A livestream will be available.
Jan. 22: Duke Health MLK Commemoration & Humanitarian Award Ceremony, Noon-2 p.m.
Join us Wednesday, January 22 from 12 – 2 p.m. in the Trent Semans Great Hall as we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
LeVelle Moton, a President’s Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient and men’s head basketball coach at North Carolina Central University, will give our keynote address. The event will also celebrate the recipients of the Duke MLK Humanitarian Award.
Doors open at 11:30 a.m. The deadline to register is Tuesday, January 14. Register here.
DCRI Research Forum to Feature Cook
We hope you’ll join us for the next event in the DCRI Research Forum series, featuring Nakela L. Cook, MD, MPH, the Executive Director for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), who will join us for a fireside chat from Noon-1 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 28. Cook will share insights from her career journey, discuss her vision and priorities for PCORI, and how the organization is fostering innovation in clinical research.
What: DCRI Research Forum: A Fireside Chat with Nakela L. Cook, MD, MPH, Executive Director for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)
When: Noon-1 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025
Where: Zoom
Giving Opportunity for Western NC Extended Through January 31
Please consider a contribution as part of the Duke Department of Medicine’s effort to support the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) in Asheville, NC, for its 2024 Holiday Fundraiser.
So far, the effort has received 53 gifts for a fundraising total of $13,960. The need remains great, so additional gifts in any amount are welcome. Thanks to all who have already donated!
The donation website will remain open for the rest of January 2025 for anyone who may still want to contribute. To donate online, visit https://duke.is/9/g2gr or send a check payable to “MAHEC” to:
MAHEC Department of Philanthropy
121 Hendersonville Road Asheville, NC 28803
Memo: Duke
MAHEC has been a lifeline for Western North Carolina, delivering health care and training the next generation of providers who serve its rural and underserved communities. Some learners were forced to relocate to continue their education while visiting medical students scheduled to train in the area had to be turned away.
For some perspective on the needs there and to read about the effort please see the full story here.
2025 Upcoming Duke Heart CMEs
Tues., Feb. 18: Remote Patient Care: A New Era in Cardiovascular Disease Management; 5:00-7:30 p.m., EST. Zoom. Free. Registration, now open, is required. Please visit this link for details and to register.
The following CME activities, sponsored by Duke Heart, have been scheduled. Registration is not yet open, but stay tuned for additional information.
- April 26, 2025: Duke Structural Heart Symposium (live event at Trent Semans Center in Durham)
- June 7, 2025: Duke Heart Failure Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center in Durham)
- October 31, 2025: 17th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center)
The following event is being planned for Fall 2025; date has not yet been set:
- October: Duke Cardiac Imaging Symposium (live event, location TBD)
Women’s Health Symposium – Feb. 21, 2025
A women’s health symposium will be held on Feb. 21, 2025 in the Trent Semans Center’s Great Hall.
Organized by the Duke/NCCU BIRCWH Career Development Program, the Women’s Health Symposium “Scientific Meeting on All Aspects of Women’s Health and the Influence of Sex as a Biological Variable on Health Conditions” will be held on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025 at the Trent Semans Center Great Hall. The featured speakers are Sharonne Hayes, MD, a cardiologist and professor of cardiovascular medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and Cynthia Kuhn, PhD, a professor of pharmacology and cancer biology at the Duke University School of Medicine.
Featured events include an interactive session on navigating the “bumps” along your research path and a poster session. For more details about the event, or to register and submit your poster topic click here.
2025 Duke Safety & Quality Conference
The Duke Safety & Quality Conference will be held on April 17, 2025. The abstract deadline was extended until today, Sunday, January 12, by 5 p.m.
Click here to learn more and to review the submission criteria.
Have news to share?
If you have news to share with the Pulse readership 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 with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
January 8 — Jonathan Piccini
tctMD
J&J Halts Varipulse Pulsed-Field Ablation Cases in the US
January 13 — Harry Severance
MSN/MedPage Today
Economic ‘Shrinkflation’ Strikes Healthcare
January 17 — Jonathan Piccini
Cardiac Rhythm News
Duke Heart Pulse — January 12, 2025
Highlights of the week:
Duke Heart Receives ACHA Reaccreditation
Congrats to our adult congenital heart team! They have achieved 5-year reaccreditation as an Adult Congenital Heart Disease Comprehensive Care Center by the Adult Congenital Heart Association.
We have an incredibly dedicated and hardworking adult congenital team, and accreditation underscores this for our patients and their families.
Way to go!
Tier 2 Visitor Restrictions
Due to the increase in respiratory illness throughout our communities and after consultation with Duke’s Infectious Disease and Infection Prevention experts, updated visitation restrictions were set in place on January 6, 2025.
- Masking is strongly recommended throughout patient care areas and continues to be required in some areas.
- Reminder, masks should be worn properly. Cover your nose and mouth at all times, and do not wear masks around your chin, neck, or on your forehead.
- Visiting hours are from 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.
- A maximum of two visitors at a time are allowed per patient.
- Visitors must check in at the hospital information desk to receive a visitor badge to enter inpatient areas.
- All visitors must be age 12+. (Visitors in some clinical areas must be age 18+.)
- Minors are required to be attended by an adult age 18+ at all times.
- Visitors must check out upon departure at a kiosk or with information desk staff.
- Visitors with fever, cough, or other flu-like symptoms should not visit.
Please note: Additional visitation and masking precautions may apply to certain patient populations, including without limitation, COVID-19/Special Airborne Contact, oncology, end-of-life, and overnight visitors. Please follow all unit guidelines. Exceptions to visitation restrictions may be granted based on special circumstances, including without limitation, to permit Compassionate Care Visitors.
Thanks for all you do to keep our patients and team members safe!
Shout-out to Araba Ofosu!
Duke Primary Care at Maria Parham extended a shout-out to Dr. Araba Ofosu (Cardiology):
While visiting the practice this week, the entire group praised the care coordination they have with Dr. Ofosu who was recruited in partnership with Duke Cardiology. They indicated their patients “love her”.
The above shout-out appeared in the Jan. 10 issue of The Maria Parham Minute, the internal newsletter for Maria Parham Health, part of Duke LifePoint Healthcare. It was shared with us by Schuyler Jones.
Great job, Araba!
Duke Heart Welcomes New Family Members!
We are thrilled to share that we have added new family members! Please join us in welcoming and celebrating the arrival of:
Cardiology fellow Joshua Rushakoff and his wife Samantha welcomed their son, Louis, on Dec. 18. Samantha and baby Louis are doing well, and their daughter Noa is enjoying getting to know her new brother. Welcome, Louis!
Cardiology fellow Manasi Tannu and her husband welcomed daughter Arya on Jan. 1. Manasi says, “She is a bundle of joy and has brought so much light to our lives.”
Congratulations to all and we look forward to meeting your cuties!
Candidates Sought for Zhu Lab, CVRC
Two positions are currently available in the laboratory of Dr. Ching Zhu, a newly recruited cardiac electrophysiologist and physician-scientist in the Duke Cardiovascular Research Center. Zhu’s team is seeking a postdoctoral associate and a research technician.
The Zhu Lab pursues interdisciplinary research centered on unraveling the mechanisms by which the sympathetic nervous system controls susceptibility to lethal cardiac arrhythmias. Postgraduate trainees or premedical students interested in dedicating 1-2 years to full-time basic/translational research are encouraged to apply.
More details on the positions and Dr. Zhu’s research can be found here: https://duke.is/5/uyut.
Post-Holiday Pics!
Our Cardiology APP Stepdown team wanted to help spread Holiday cheer on Christmas Day. The team dressed up in “Ugly” Christmas Sweaters and shared a potluck meal.
Shown here are members of our Christmas Day crew: Mike Towery, Troy Piorkowski, Sydney Ness, Henry Delgado-Avila, Tara Wilson, Allison Lindgren, Nicolena D’Sola, and Sasmrita Belbase.
And we have a few photos from Mike Sketch’s last day of clinic celebration in December. Shown here are Drs. Cary Ward, Mike Sketch, Sarah Snow, and Melissa Daubert.
In this shot, (Front, L-R) are Fran Reda, Ann Lin, Heather Wyatt, and Kiki Osude. Back row, Mike Sketch, Sarah Snow, and Melissa Daubert.
Great pics, everyone!
Giving Opportunity for Western NC Extended Through January 31
Please consider a contribution as part of the Duke Department of Medicine’s effort to support the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) in Asheville, NC, for its 2024 Holiday Fundraiser.
So far, the effort has received 53 gifts for a fundraising total of $13,960. The need remains great, so additional gifts in any amount are welcome. Thanks to all who have already donated!
The donation website will remain open for the rest of January 2025 for anyone who may still want to contribute. To donate online, visit https://duke.is/9/g2gr or send a check payable to “MAHEC” to:
MAHEC Department of Philanthropy
121 Hendersonville Road Asheville, NC 28803
Memo: Duke
MAHEC has been a lifeline for Western North Carolina, delivering health care and training the next generation of providers who serve its rural and underserved communities. Some learners were forced to relocate to continue their education while visiting medical students scheduled to train in the area had to be turned away.
For some perspective on the needs there and to read about the effort please see the full story here.
Duke Health Leadership Announcement, Oncology
Duke University Hospital President and DUHS Group President Greg Pauly announced last week that, following a national search, Mara Bloom, JD, MS, has been appointed Vice President of Oncology Services for Duke University Health System.
“Mara is a transformational healthcare leader with nearly 30 years of experience in healthcare clinical operations, business development, strategic planning, and financial management,” Pauly said. “She has a proven track record of driving organizational alignment, interdisciplinary team building, and quality patient care.”
She will report to Pauly and will join the health system on February 4, 2025.
Mara will join us from Massachusetts General Hospital, where she most recently served as a Senior Vice President of the Cancer Center, Radiation Oncology, and Dermatology. In that role, she oversaw the entire cancer clinical and research enterprise, as well as the regional cancer network and international affairs.
In her new position, Mara will oversee the administrative aspects of oncology operations throughout the health system. She will work closely with Dr. Peter Allen, Vice President of Clinical Services, and Dr. Ted Alyea, Chief Medical Officer of the Duke Cancer Institute (DCI). She will also collaborate with Dr. Michael Kastan, Executive Director of the DCI, to advance strategic and operational success in clinical care, research, and education across the health system.
Pauly extended his appreciation to Jennifer Kennedy-Stovall for her outstanding leadership during the interim period. He noted that her dedication, commitment, and vision have been critical in maintaining our focus on our patients and ensuring that we continue to serve our community in the exceptional way that only Duke can.
Please join us in welcoming Mara to Duke Health!
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Jan. 14: AHA Recap with Kristin Newby and Sana Al-Khatib. 5 p.m., via Zoom.
If you missed any of our CGR’s from the past calendar year, all Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. CGRs for 2025 will be posted starting this week. To access recordings please visit:
NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!
MLK Celebrations
Jan. 19: Duke University MLK Commemoration Keynote Address, 3 p.m.
The Hon. Jerry Blackwell, a member of the prosecution team that won a murder conviction for the killing of George Floyd, will deliver the keynote talk at Duke University’s annual MLK Commemoration at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19 in Duke Chapel. The theme of this year’s event, which is free and open to the public, is “Hope Powered by Community: Protecting King’s Dream through Determination and Unity.”
Read more at Duke Today. A livestream will be available.
Jan. 22: Duke Health MLK Commemoration & Humanitarian Award Ceremony, Noon-2 p.m.
Join us Wednesday, January 22 from 12 – 2 p.m. in the Trent Semans Great Hall as we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
LeVelle Moton, a President’s Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient and men’s head basketball coach at North Carolina Central University, will give our keynote address. The event will also celebrate the recipients of the Duke MLK Humanitarian Award.
Doors open at 11:30 a.m. The deadline to register is Tuesday, January 14. Register here.
Save The Date!
National Wear Red Day: Friday, Feb. 7, 2025.
2025 Upcoming Duke Heart CMEs
The following CME activities, sponsored by Duke Heart, have been scheduled. Registration is not yet open, but stay tuned for additional information.
- February 18, 2025: Remote Patient Care: A New Era in Cardiovascular Disease Management; 5:00-7:30 pm Eastern on Zoom; will be free
- April 26, 2025: Duke Structural Heart Symposium (live event at Trent Semans Center in Durham)
- June 7, 2025: Duke Heart Failure Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center in Durham)
- October 31, 2025: 17th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center)
The following event is being planned for Fall 2025; date has not yet been set:
- October: Duke Cardiac Imaging Symposium (live event, location TBD)
Final Reflect and Connect Session
The holiday season can be busy, stressful, and isolating for many. Duke Personal Assistance Service (PAS) is hosting three “Reflection and Connection” sessions that will use storytelling as a means of reducing stress and creating a stronger sense of connection with yourself and others.
The sessions will be held remotely via Zoom. Participants will be guided through practices of a mini-mental makeover and expressive writing to reflect and nurture empathy and a sense of meaning in response to stress – whether personal, professional, or related to current events or the stress and pressures (and joys) of the holiday season.
Writing exercises are for the sole use and benefit of participants, who are not required to share anything they write. Registration is required. You can attend any/all of the sessions offered.
Remaining date:
- Tuesday, January 14, from 4–5 p.m.
Women’s Health Symposium – Feb. 21, 2025
A women’s health symposium will be held on Feb. 21, 2025, in the Trent Semans Center’s Great Hall.
Organized by the Duke/NCCU BIRCWH Career Development Program, the Women’s Health Symposium “Scientific Meeting on All Aspects of Women’s Health and the Influence of Sex as a Biological Variable on Health Conditions” will be held on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, at the Trent Semans Center Great Hall. The featured speakers are Sharonne Hayes, MD, a cardiologist and professor of cardiovascular medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and Cynthia Kuhn, PhD, a professor of pharmacology and cancer biology at the Duke University School of Medicine.
Featured events include an interactive session on navigating the “bumps” along your research path and a poster session. For more details about the event, or to register and submit your poster topic click here.
2025 Duke Safety & Quality Conference
The Duke Safety & Quality Conference will be held on April 17, 2025. The abstract deadline was extended until today, Sunday, January 12, by 5 p.m.
Click here to learn more and to review the submission criteria.
Have news to share?
If you have news to share with the Pulse readership 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 interest our team. Please call with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
December 18 — Leanna Ross
Peloton-The Output
This Is How Long It Takes to Lose Muscle Gains During a Fitness Break
December 25 — Duke University Hospital
The Daily Galaxy
From Sci-Fi to Reality: World’s First ‘Titanium Heart’ Transplant Saved a Man’s Life
December 26 — Manesh Patel and Jonathan Piccini
Medscape (Portugal)
Qual o futuro dos inibidores do fator XI na fibrilação atrial?
December 26 — Stephen Greene
HCP Live
HCPLive Year in Review: Top Podcasts & Shows for 2024
December 26 — Harry Severance
Becker’s Physician Leadership
An emerging fear among physicians
December 31 — Harry Severance
Becker’s ASC Review
2024: The year of the physician union
January 3 — Alexandra Thomas (oncology)
Everyday Health
Heart Disease Is Tied to an Increased Risk of Advanced Breast Cancer
January 6 — Schuyler Jones
Med Central
The Cardiac Care Crisis in Our Midst
January 6 — Nishant Shah
WRAL.com
Cardiologists warn: Cold weather in the Triangle increases heart attack risks
January 6 — Nishant Shah
WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)
Cardiac concerns after cold weather, respiratory illnesses
January 7 — Nishant Shah
WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)
Heart attack risk during cold weather exertion
January 7 — Nishant Shah
News Minimalist
Cardiologists in North Carolina warn cold weather raises heart attack risks
January 7 — Nishant Shah
WILM-TV (Wilmington, NC)
Paying attention to cardiac concerns during cold weather
January 8 — Harry Severance
Medpage Today
Opinion: Economic ‘Shrinkflation’ Strikes Healthcare
January 9 — Nishant Shah
Everyday Health
Drinking Coffee Only in the Morning May Offer the Most Heart-Health Benefits
January 9 — Duke Health (#11)
Medpage Today
These Are the Largest Academic Medical Centers in the U.S.
Duke Heart Pulse — December 22, 2024
Chief’s message: Holiday coverage and reflections on the year
As we come to the last two weeks of the year – it is a time for our teams in Duke Heart to hopefully get some time with loved 
ones, family, and friends. This leads to reflections from the last year and the thoughts of the year to come. As we prepare for continued challenges in ensuring we can help our community and country improve our cardiovascular health – we will spend an upcoming special Pulse to reflect on our year in review.
This last week we have had quite busy clinical services often with extra faculty and fellows being asked to help care of patients in many of our areas across Duke Heart. We wanted to send a special thanks to all of you that are spending some of the upcoming weeks ensuring we continue to help those in need in our community. This episode of the pulse also has several shout outs for the tremendous teamwork across Duke Heart to care of patients in need in the last few weeks.
Finally, the work is done with thanks and joy – and we are including a picture of the elf on the shelf that showed up in the cath lab.
Wishing you all a happy holiday season and healthy new year.
Highlights of the week:
Happy Holidays!
As we wrap up the year and keep up with the seasonal festivities already underway, we want to express our gratitude for all you have done this past year. We are so glad to have a wonderful team of colleagues and friends within the Duke Heart & Vascular team!
We hope everyone has a safe, happy, and healthy holiday and that you can take some time to step away from work to be with your loved ones, take time for yourself, and reflect on what matters most to you.
Please get some well-deserved rest and get ready for 2025! Enjoy the holidays — Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa — and Happy New Year.
Pulse returns on Jan. 12, 2025.
A Holiday Message from Dean Klotman
… and from DUHS Leadership
Campus Holiday Celebrations:
Gratitude Meal at Duke Hospital
Anyone working on the Duke University Hospital campus on Wednesday, December 25 is invited to enjoy a complimentary holiday meal in recognition of the season. Our leadership team is grateful for the opportunity to express their special appreciation for team members who will be working to care for our patients, enabling their colleagues to spend time with their families and friends.
Dec. 25: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Atrium Cafe
Dec. 25: 6 – 9 p.m., Atrium Cafe
Guidelines:
- Staff must present a valid Duke badge for entry.
- Managers and team members may pick up meals for others (maximum of 10 meals).
- One meal per team member working on December 25; this is to ensure everyone is served.
- We encourage you to return to your preferred work area to enjoy your meal.
Details, including a department meal pick-up schedule, can be found on the DUH SharePoint celebration page: https://prodduke.sharepoint.com/sites/DUH-Intranet/SitePages/DUH-Holiday-Celebrations-2024.aspx
Hanukkah with President Price and Coach Scheyer (virtual)
Jewish Life at Duke, in partnership with the Duke Jewish Alumni Network, is hosting a virtual Hanukkah candle lighting on Sun, Dec. 29 at 7 p.m. ET with Duke’s Campus Rabbi and Jewish Chaplain Elana Friedman, President Price, and Coach Jon Scheyer.
Duke students, alumni, parents and families, faculty, staff, and friends of all religious/cultural identities are welcome. Folks need to register in advance to receive the Zoom link.
For a full event description and the registration link, please visit: Hanukkah 2024.
Shout-out to Best & Thompson of CT Anesthesiology
We received the following note this week from Schuyler Jones, MD:
“Drs. Ryan Best (CT Anesthesiology fellow) and Anne Marie Thompson (CT Anesthesiology attending) assisted our cath lab team in a post-operative patient who had ST elevation MI. They provided really excellent management of a critically ill patient in the cath lab and helped our team tremendously.” — Schuyler Jones, MD
Way to go, Ryan and Anne Marie! Thanks for all you do!
Shout-out to the Cath Staff, Nurses & ECMO Team!
We received the following note of recognition from Rob Harrison, MD this weekend regarding outstanding care provided to a patient last week. The message highlights the exceptional teamwork done by our team and our capabilities as a Heart Center.
“Last week in one of the evenings, we had a patient arrive hypotensive to the CICU from the cath lab after PCI for a STEMI. Our fellows did a rapid bedside ultrasound that showed a large effusion with tamponade and the patient had to immediately go back to the cath lab for a pericardial drain. The patient returned around shift change with the drain in place and initially was improving but the drain continued to have brisk output. The patient went into multi-pressor shock, required emergency transfusion, intubation, and rapid transport back to the lab, and also required new access with PIVs and a fellow-placed central line.
The fellows involved in the care of this patient included Jonathan Hanna, Vince Delgado, Aarti Thakkar, and Seamus Hughes. They worked incredibly hard to help diagnose and stabilize the patient.
The nursing care of this patient was phenomenal. The second round of profound shock came as a surprise but without delay, there were at least 6 or 7 nurses in the room all performing independent tasks in parallel (titrating pressors, getting additional pressors and pushes, drawing labs, obtaining access, calling RT and 115 for emergency airway, grabbing airway supplies, ordering emergency release blood, etc.).
The Cath lab staff were also excellent in their care of the patient who ultimately required ECMO cannulation and then the OR for washout and a coronary repair. I don’t know the names of all the cath lab staff who were present, but the providers included fellows Dennis Narcisse and Dan Loriaux, attendings Manesh Patel and Imran Aslam. Adam Williams and the ECMO team were prompt in their arrival to the cath lab and quickly got our patient to the OR after ECMO cannulation, as well as Willard Applefeld who provided echo imaging in the cath lab.
The patient is alive, on ECMO, and hopefully going for chest closure soon.
Cases like this highlight why I am incredibly proud to be a Duke cardiologist and CICU attending.” — Rob Harrison, MD
Additional messages from faculty regarding this case include:
“Really great work across the board.” – Schuyler Jones, MD
“This highlights the incredible teamwork and skills across Heart. – Kristin Newby, MD
“Thanks Rob to you the fellows and the great team helping care for this patient.” – Manesh Patel, MD
Amazing work, team!
Boyer Receives DAISY Award
Congratulations to the Daisy Award Winner, 7W RN Alexander Boyer who was nominated by a family member of a 7W CTICU patient for the extraordinary care he provided.
Nurses every day go above and beyond to not only provide patients and families with excellence in clinical care but also compassion. At The DAISY Foundation, we aim to honor them by showing our profound gratitude for all that they do. The DAISY Award is a recognition program to celebrate and recognize nurses by collecting nominations from patients, families, and co-workers. It is run by our partners as a way to thank nurses for the care and kindness they provide.
Way to go, Alexander!
DUH and Supply Chain Update
In a message from Hospital leadership to DUH team members on Friday, Dec. 20, the following update was provided:
Team, Over the past several weeks, we have become increasingly aware of the challenges our team is experiencing with our hospital supply chain. Safety, quality, and our team are our highest priorities, and we understand the extra work, concern, and stress these challenges place on our team in our very busy environment. We are committed to improving our performance.
Despite heroic efforts to address the causes of these issues, we have not been able to fully address the concerns. Over the upcoming weeks, Hospital Operations and Supply Chain will take a series of significant steps to investigate issues and resolve problems. More communication of these next steps will be forthcoming.
Beginning Saturday, December 21, all staff and providers should complete the following steps to ensure we identify and manage any safety concerns related to supplies during the upcoming holidays:
- Call the STAT room at 919-385-1600 if there are items needed urgently (within 30 minutes). We are working to add staff to support these needs.
- Utilize our daily management system and Tiered Huddles to report supply concerns that might impact patient safety. Please use your Tier 1 huddle to report concerns, including any urgent needs supported by the STAT room. If you are unable to attend, please escalate to the charge nurse or area leadership.
- Leaders will receive the supply escalations during our Tier 2 huddles and log the information in a centralized spreadsheet. Here is the link for Tier 2 leaders: supply chain tracking log
- Issues will be assigned to supply chain and operations leaders for immediate resolution.
- This list will be monitored by our hospital senior leadership and supply chain leadership during Tier 3 to ensure completion.
We appreciate your partnership as we address near-term supply needs. We will work diligently to address these problems and solve the larger systemic issues.
(signed by Greg Pauley, Mary Martin, Chantal Howard, Lisa Goodlett, and William Trofi)
Governor-elect Stein Names Sangvai as Cabinet Appointee
Governor-elect Josh Stein announced his cabinet appointees last week to lead key state agencies and departments, including Devdutta Sangvai, MD, former president of Duke Regional Hospital, as head of NC Health and Human Services.
The appointees include a range of individuals from across state and federal government, the private sector, and several veteran state government leaders appointed by current Governor Roy Cooper. The nominees will be subject to confirmation by the NC Senate next year.
Sangvai currently serves as vice president for population health management at Duke University Health System and is a professor of family medicine, pediatrics, and psychiatry at the Duke University School of Medicine.
Congrats, Dev!
Giving Opportunity for Western NC, Through Dec. 31
Please consider a contribution as part of the Duke Department of Medicine’s effort to support the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) in Asheville, NC, for its 2024 Holiday Fundraiser. So far, 23 faculty and three trainees have donated more than $3,400. With more than 2,000 faculty, staff, and trainees, if everyone gave at least $1, we could make a difference in supporting those affected by Hurricane Helene. No contribution is too small!
MAHEC has been a lifeline for Western North Carolina, delivering health care and training the next generation of providers who serve its rural and underserved communities. Some learners were forced to relocate to continue their education while visiting medical students scheduled to train in the area had to be turned away.
For some perspective on the needs there and to read about the effort (and to donate if you can!) please see the full story here.
GME Office Holiday Hours
In observance of the Christmas Holiday, the GME Office will close at noon on December 24th and will remain closed until December 29th. For urgent issues, please contact Dr. Catherine Kuhn at (919) 970-2226. The one exception during this time is December 24 when Dr. Staples will be covering at (919) 970-7367.
In observance of the New Year Holiday, the GME office will close at noon on December 31st and will remain closed through January 1st. Please contact Dr. Betty Staples at (919) 970-7367 for urgent issues.
ICYMI: Duke Arts Staff Offers Must-Watch Movies for Holiday Season
In preparation for the winter holidays, the Duke Arts staff members were asked to share their favorite movies to watch during the holiday season. This list includes classic films like How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and The Polar Express. But beyond these beloved picks, our team also shared some unique favorites that feel just right for this time of year. From animated adventures to visually stunning dramas, and even a dark twist on Santa Claus lore, these picks offer something a little different for your holiday watchlist. Check out the list here.
Pulse Holiday Break
Please note that Pulse will not be published on Sunday, Dec. 29 or Sunday, Jan. 5. We may send a year in review blog with start of the year.
We will return in full on Sunday, Jan. 12. Enjoy the season!
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
Cardiology Grand Rounds
If you missed any of our CGR’s from the past calendar year, all Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:
NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!
2025 Duke Heart CMEs – Save the Dates!
The following CME activities, sponsored by Duke Heart, have been scheduled. Registration is not yet open, but stay tuned for additional information.
- February 18, 2025: Remote Patient Care: A New Era in Cardiovascular Disease Management; 5:00-7:30 pm Eastern on Zoom; will be free
- April 26, 2025: Duke Structural Heart Symposium (live event at Trent Semans Center in Durham)
- June 7, 2025: Duke Heart Failure Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center in Durham)
- October 31, 2025: 17th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center)
The following event is being planned for Fall 2025; date has not yet been set:
- October: Duke Cardiac Imaging Symposium (live event, location TBD)
Reflect and Connect During the Holiday Season
The holiday season can be a busy, stressful, and isolating time for many. Duke Personal Assistance Service (PAS) is hosting three “Reflection and Connection” sessions that will use storytelling as a means of reducing stress and creating a stronger sense of connection with yourself and others.
The sessions will be held remotely via Zoom. Participants will be guided through practices of a mini-mental makeover and expressive writing to reflect and nurture empathy and a sense of meaning in response to stress – whether personal, professional, or related to current events or the stress and pressures (and joys) of the holiday season.
Writing exercises are for the sole use and benefit of participants, who are not required to share anything they write. Registration is required. You can attend any/all of the sessions offered.
Remaining date:
- Tuesday, 14, from 4–5 p.m.
Women’s Health Symposium – Feb. 21, 2025
Save the date! A women’s health symposium will be held on Feb. 21, 2025, in the Great Hall of the Trent Semans Center.
Organized by the Duke/NCCU BIRCWH Career Development Program, the Women’s Health Symposium “Scientific Meeting on All Aspects of Women’s Health and the Influence of Sex as a Biological Variable on Health Conditions” will be held on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, at the Trent Semans Center Great Hall. The featured speakers are Sharonne Hayes, MD, a cardiologist and professor of cardiovascular medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and Cynthia Kuhn, PhD, a professor of pharmacology and cancer biology at the Duke University School of Medicine.
Featured events include an interactive session on navigating the “bumps” along your research path and a poster session. For more details about the event, or to register and submit your poster topic click here.
2025 Duke Safety & Quality Conference
The Duke Safety & Quality Conference will be held on April 17, 2025. Abstracts are due Sunday, January 5, by 5 p.m.
Click here to learn more and to review the submission criteria.
Have news to share?
If you have news to share with the Pulse readership 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 with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
December 12 — Kristin Newby and Laurie Sanders (neurology)
Parkinson’s News Today
NIH consortium to explore gut-brain connection in Parkinson’s
December 13 — Jennifer Green (endocrinology)
HCP Live
Jennifer B. Green, MD: Implementation of Evidence-Based Therapies for T2D
December 14 — Nishant Shah
Spectrum News Charlotte
Doctor explains why winter brings higher risk of heart attacks
December 15 — Robert Lefkowitz
News & Observer
Why a Duke professor joined fellow Nobel laureates to oppose RFK Jr.’s DHHS nomination
(subscription required)
December 16 — Harry Severance
Emergency Physicians Monthly
The ‘Oppositional’ Conundrum Disrupting our Current Healthcare System
December 16 — Devdutta Sangvai
NCmedsoc.org
December 17 — Devdutta Sangvai
Triangle Business Journal
Stein taps Duke executive for North Carolina’s top health care post
December 17 — Duke Clinical Research Institute
WPTF-AM (Raleigh, NC)
Bystander CPR Less Likely for Women; Improves with 911 Guidance
December 17 — Harry Severance
Becker’s ASC Review
‘Unchecked violence’ the biggest threat to physicians: Viewpoint
December 18 — Duke University Hospital
BioSpace
December 18 — Duke University Hospital
Investors Hangout
BiVACOR’s Artificial Heart Shows Promising Results in Trials
December 19 — Duke University Hospital
Cardiovascular News
First phase of BiVACOR early feasibility study completed
December 19 — Duke University Hospital
Medical Device Network
FDA expands BiVACOR artificial heart study after successful first implants
December 19 — Mitchell Krucoff
tctMD
All Eyes on PCI—Should Patients’ Family Members Watch Cases?
December 19 — Manesh Patel
Triangle Business Journal
A look ahead to progress, improved treatment after a century of heart health
(subscription required)
December 19 — Nishant Shah
WTVD-TV (Durham, NC)
Analyzing risk of heart attacks during the holiday season
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