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Duke Heart Pulse – June 23, 2024
Highlights of the week:
Cardiology Fellows Celebrated at Year-End Gathering
Our Cardiovascular Disease (CD) Fellowship program year-end dinner was held on Saturday evening, June 22 at the
University Club in Durham. The evening celebrated all those wrapping up their CD Fellowship training, including our outgoing chief fellow, Dr. Joe Lerman.
Our incoming chief fellow, Dr. Paula Rambarat, was celebrated as well.
Graduating CD Fellows include:
Willard N. Applefeld, MD, is joining the Duke Heart faculty in Cardiac Critical Care Medicine, Echocardiography, and Pulmonary Vascular Disease.
Mohammad Shahzeb Khan, MBBS, MSc, is heading to Baylor Scott and White Research Institute and Baylor Heart Hospital Plano & Dallas, TX.
Joseph Lerman, MD, is moving into Duke’s Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology Fellowship.
Dan Loriaux, MD, is moving into Duke’s Interventional Cardiology Fellowship.
Dennis Narcisse, MD, MS, is moving into Duke’s Interventional Cardiology Fellowship.
Balim Senman, MD, is moving into Duke’s Critical Care Medicine Fellowship, which will be followed by Interventional Cardiology Fellowship.
Ilya Y. Shadrin, MD, PhD, is moving into Duke’s Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship.
Sara Snow, MD, MS, is joining the Duke Heart faculty — she’ll specialize in Cardio-obstetrics, Imaging, and General Cardiology
Congrats to each of you (photos below!)!
The evening also included the annual presentation of the 2024 Cardiology Awards. Our Fellows select the winners in several award and recognition categories, including:
The Outstanding Service Award is given to hospital staff who demonstrate dedication to and excellence in fellow education. The co-recipients this year are Monique Conway, Pharm D, and Jody Holm, RN, BSN.
The Bashore Faculty Teaching Award is given to a faculty member demonstrating dedication and excellence in teaching. This year, the award was presented to Anita Kelsey, MD, MBA.
The Fellow Mentorship Award is given to a faculty member demonstrating dedication and excellence in mentoring fellows’ careers. This year, the awardee is Schuyler Jones, MD, MHS.
The Walter F. Floyd Award is presented to a fellow demonstrating the most outstanding clinical skills and acumen. This year, the fellows selected Belal Suleiman, MD.
The following awards are made possible through the generosity of Duke philanthropic donors:
The Joseph G. Greenfield Award is annually awarded to a fellow demonstrating excellence, dedication, and contributions to research. This year’s awardee is Joe Lerman, MD.
The Cassell-Saperstein Award is presented to a fellow demonstrating a commitment to teaching and a passion for clinical education. This year’s awardee is Sarah Snow, MD, MS.
The Brandt and Belinda Louie Award is awarded to a fellow demonstrating excellence in all three missions of Duke Heart (clinical, education, and research). This year’s awardee is Willard Applefeld, MD.
The fellows also recognized a perennial favorite — interventionalist Dr. Mike Sketch.
Additional year-end dinners are being held to celebrate our graduating Electrophysiology, Structural, Adult Congenital Heart Disease, Interventional, and Advanced Heart Failure & Transplant Cardiology Fellows, and our completing trainees in Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery. We will celebrate all of them in the coming weeks.
Thank you to all of our incredible fellows – all 44 of you – for a terrific year. You’re a big part of what makes our team special and it is a pleasure to watch you develop as clinicians, educators, and researchers during your training at Duke!
Once again, congrats to our graduating CD fellows:
Shout-out to Upadhya!
Anna Lisa Chamis shared the following message this week from one of our cardiology fellows regarding cardiology faculty member, Bharathi Upadhya.
“I wanted to give a shout-out to Bharathi Upadhya for being a great teacher to interns and fellows, for the love and compassion she shows to patients at the bedside, and for creating a comfortable learning environment. We need more Bharathi’s in this world.” — Ivan Nenadic Wood
She is a shining light! Way to go, Bharathi!
Online Safety Update: ‘Microsoft Report’ Replacing ‘Report Phish’ Button
Duke OIT has announced that the “Report Phish to Duke” button we use in Outlook to thwart phishing attacks will no longer be available starting tomorrow, Monday, June 24, 2024.
The button is being replaced in Outlook with a somewhat obscure-looking button for “Microsoft Report.” Going forward, all members of the Duke community can report phishing and junk email by using this new button in any Outlook client (PC, Mac, web, or mobile).
Thousands of malicious emails are sent daily to Duke accounts so all of us need to be aware of this change in our email platform, as reporting phishing attempts is crucial to protecting Duke community members from online attacks.
Expect to see an email tomorrow about this change. To learn more please visit https://duke.is/j/c7zn.
Copilot for Microsoft 365 Licenses Available
Duke Health is wrapping up the early assessment phase of Copilot for Microsoft 365. Thank you to all who participated in testing and helping to evaluate the potential of generative AI in the work we do. 
Copilot licenses are now available for Duke Health team members at $27 per user per month, with all purchases requiring a fund code. Please note that those who participated in the early assessment phase must purchase their Copilot licenses by July 12, 2024, to retain access.
Seeking Coaches & Walkers: Heart Walk 2024
Duke Health’s recruitment of Coaches and Walkers for the 2024 American Heart Association’s Triangle Heart Walk, scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 8, is well underway, but we are not yet at our goal! Won’t you join us?
Join Manesh Patel’s team: Duke Heart and Sole or start your own team under “Duke Heart & Vascular”. We want to have a huge team representing Duke Heart this year to celebrate not only the AHA’s Centennial, but Duke University’s 100th birthday. Please join us!
To sign up as a Coach, click the button above and on the AHA site, choose the red “Create a Team” button. Walkers can also sign up and join teams on the same site by clicking the red “Join a Team” button.
Let’s come together to make this our best year yet and demonstrate our unwavering dedication to cardiovascular health. Together, we can make a significant impact and pave the way for a healthier future.
The 2024 Heart Walk will be a terrific event and a wonderful way to support our cardiovascular patients. We’ll be talking about Heart Walk all summer with lots of opportunities to join in the fun. Thank you for your ongoing support!
Thank you for Culture Pulse Participation
Drs. Craig Albanese and Mary E. Klotman shared a message with Duke Health team members this week regarding Culture Pulse:
“Thank you for sharing your voices through our Culture Pulse survey – we are pleased to have heard from more than 63 percent of you. Culture Pulse surveys are one of the listening strategies we have employed throughout Duke Health to help us identify areas of opportunity and celebrate the positive momentum we’ve made as an organization and within our teams.
First, we want to note our progress in creating a culture of respect and belonging throughout Duke Health. The freedom to be our authentic selves and to connect with colleagues about shared life experiences are key to our culture of belonging. This work will continue throughout our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging initiatives, including affinity/employee resource groups and focused work on inclusive leadership training.
We also saw collective improvements in the commitment our colleagues feel when it comes to working at Duke Health. We learned that our culture is enhancing team members’ feelings about Duke Health as a workplace, including feeling safe when they come to work. Each one of us contributes to our culture, and we celebrate that a majority of respondents would like to be working at Duke Health three years from now.
The survey also showed us which areas we need to tackle. Many of our colleagues are experiencing some level of burnout in the years since the pandemic began. We also learned that communication breakdowns are common when work units interact with other work units. We will work together to focus on meeting these challenges.
What does this mean for you, as a Duke Health employee? Leaders across each of our entities – Health System, School of Medicine and School of Nursing – are reviewing the results and will work collaboratively to identify opportunities and align improvements with work that is already happening day-to-day. Please share your ideas with your leaders so we can create change together.
Your voice matters. These survey results will shape the work we’re doing together over the coming year. We would like to conduct another survey in six months to see if we are on the right track. We hope you will continue to share your voice as we work together to Put People First, Be Clear and Empower, and Adapt to Improve.”
On behalf of Duke Heart leadership, thank you to all team members who took time to respond to this survey. It makes a difference!
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
- June is Pride Month
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Our CGR season has ended. We will resume in August/September.
All Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:
NET ID and password required. Enjoy!
CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference
June 26: Returning Fellow Orientation with Anna Lisa Chamis. Noon, Zoom only.
June 28: No Core Curriculum Conference.
Have news to share?
If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart 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 Duke Heart family. Please call with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon, Wednesdays, to be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
June 18 — Adrian Hernandez
Circulation/CV Quality and Outcomes
Everything, Everywhere All at Once: Evidence Generation and Implementation in the Digital Age
June 20 — Jennifer Green (Endocrinology/DCRI)
Healio/Cardiology Today
Liraglutide better at preventing heart outcomes vs. three other glucose-lowering therapies
Duke Heart Pulse — June 16, 2024
Chief’s message:
Happy Father’s Day!
I hope this Father’s Day weekend you all get to spend some time with your father and your loved ones. It takes a village to raise children, and we hope you got to reflect on the impact your family and father had on your life. It’s notable in these changing times how these types of holidays have served as important moments to reflect and appreciate those in our lives.
Jim Valvano, the late great NC state coach famously said, “My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.” This is one of the most important gifts that I believe parents and fathers can give their kids – a sense of security, grit, and belief that they can do anything they put their hearts and minds towards. In fact, mixed with some humility, humor, and perseverance, my father made me believe that with consistent effort and work – you can do anything. This was not just in words, but often actions and work that we could see would help our family and our community. Now, we are blessed to have our kids get to spend time with grandparents and directly see and get these lessons. So, hope you all have a Happy Father’s Day and celebrate all those in your life that loved you in this way.
ACSM 2024: Duke Highlights
Duke Health was very well-represented at the 2024 American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Annual Meeting, held May 28-31 in Boston. Several members of our Duke Health and Exercise Research Trials team, based at the Duke Center for Living campus and part of the Duke Molecular Physiology Institute (DMPI), gave a number of presentations and abstracts which resulted in a lively and highly engaging team experience. The Health & Exercise Research Trials team is led by Bill Kraus, MD, the Richard and Pat Johnson University Distinguished Professor and professor of medicine in cardiology, and Kim Huffman, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine in rheumatology and immunology.
Cardiology faculty member Leanna Ross, PhD, and Katie Collins, PhD, a medical instructor in Population Health Sciences at Duke presented a session entitled, “Embracing Individual Variability to Optimize Precision Exercise Medicine – from Molecules to Behavior.” Ross was also an invited panelist for a session honoring the legacy of her late doctoral mentor and physical activity/exercise science pioneer, Dr. Steven Blair (University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health and the Cooper Institute).
Christopher Vann, PhD, postdoctoral scholar with DMPI, presented a session with Monica Hubal, PhD, associate professor of kinesiology at Indiana University-Indianapolis discussing, “Integrative Omics: Molecular Drivers of Exercise Benefits.”
Brian Coyne, M. Ed, associate in research with DMPI, participated in a panel discussion of “Clinical Exercise Physiologist Professionalization Efforts – Growth & Practice Area Perspectives.”
Brian Andonian, MD, assistant professor of medicine in rheumatology and immunology and member of DMPI, presented a poster on “Impaired Physical Function and Altered Muscle Biomechanical Properties in Patients with Early Rheumatoid Arthritis.”
Third-year medical student lab members, Anna-Maria Dagher, Grace Kim, and Garrett Moseley, did a wonderful job as first-time ACSM abstract presenters. All three students received Third-Year Dean’s Travel Awards from the Duke University School of Medicine.
The annual meeting culminated with an award ceremony on Friday, May 31.
Third-year medical student Grace Kim was selected as ACSM’s 2024 Lisa S. Krivickas Clinician/Scholar Travel Award winner while third-year medical student Garrett Moseley was awarded the ACSM 2024 Michael L. Pollock Student Scholarship. Outstanding!
Perhaps the most exciting highlight of the annual meeting — for the Duke team in particular — was when Bill Kraus, former president of the ACSM (2019-2020), was presented with the 2024 ACSM Citation Award, which recognizes distinguished individuals who have made significant contributions to sports medicine and/or to the field of exercise sciences.
As a Harvard University alum, receiving the award in Boston was extra special for Kraus. Twenty-five team members, colleagues, and friends from across the country gathered at one of his favorite Bostonian restaurants, Ye Olde Union Oyster House, to celebrate this wonderful career milestone!
*All professional event photos are by Kevin Trimmer Photo and courtesy of the ACSM.
Solid work by all and a hearty congratulations to Bill!
Mena Earns Great Catch Award
Nestor Mena, a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technologist for DMP Cardiac MRI spotted and escalated an incidental finding. Nestor identified a saddle pulmonary embolism during an outpatient cardiac MRI to evaluate ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation. Had Nestor not been paying attention to all structures in the field of view (rather than focusing only on the study indication) this patient may not have been diagnosed and treated in time to prevent life-threatening complications from pulmonary embolism. Furthermore, it is worth noting the expertise needed to recognize that pathology on an MRI is extensive.
It is quite possible that Nestor saved a life that day, and his work is an incredible tribute to the skillset of our advanced imaging technologists.
Way to go, Nestor!!!
Many thanks to all those who helped recognize and support Nestor for his excellent work.
Seeking Coaches & Walkers: Heart Walk 2024
Duke Health has launched our official call for Coaches and Walkers for the 2024 American Heart Association’s Triangle Heart Walk, scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 8!
Join Manesh Patel’s team: Duke Heart and Sole or start your own team under “Duke Heart & Vascular”. We want to have a huge team representing Duke Heart this year to celebrate not only the AHA’s Centennial, but Duke University’s 100th birthday. Please join us!
To sign up as a Coach, click the button above and on the AHA site, choose the red “Create a Team” button. Walkers can also sign up and join teams on the same site by clicking the red “Join a Team” button.
Let’s come together to make this our best year yet and demonstrate our unwavering dedication to cardiovascular health. Together, we can make a significant impact and pave the way for a healthier future.
The 2024 Heart Walk will be a terrific event and a wonderful way to support our cardiovascular patients. We’ll be talking about Heart Walk all summer with lots of opportunities to join in the fun. Thank you for your ongoing support!
Barber to Serve as Interim Senior VP, DHIP, Starting July 1
Matthew Barber, MD, MHS, the W. Allen Addison, M.D. Distinguished Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Duke, will serve as interim Senior Vice President of Duke Health Integrated Practice, effective July 1. Barber’s leadership will build on the successes of the past year and help to advance the operational and strategic work that is currently underway to fully integrate DHIP into Duke University Health System.
Barber has served as the chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology since 2017. During his interim role as SVP of DHIP, Brenna Hughes, MD, MSc, will serve as Executive Vice Chair for the Department of OBGYN.
A national search for the next SVP for DHIP will launch this summer. Barber is stepping into the role vacated by John Sampson, MD, PhD, MBA, who has accepted the role of Dean of the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
- June is Pride Month
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Our CGR season has ended. We will resume in August/September.
All Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:
NET ID and password required. Enjoy!
CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference
June 18: EP Case Presentation with Seamus Hughes and DaMarcus Ingram. Noon, DN 2001 (in-person only).
June 21: Cardiology Fellows Lunch with Sean Van Diepen. 11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m., in-person only, DMP 2W96.
June 21: DHP Case Presentation with Ivan Nenadic Wood. 12:15-1 p.m., in-person only, DMP 2W96.
Duke Caregiver Community Event 2024
Sept. 5: The Duke Caregiver Community Event, a much-anticipated gathering for caregivers and professionals, will be held from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel, 4700 Emperor Blvd., Durham, NC 27703.
Recognizing the need for support, Duke Health has organized this event to provide caregivers with insights from experts, connections to services, and the support systems necessary to navigate their journey.
Whether you’re a caregiver for a loved one or a professional seeking to enhance your skills, this event is for you.
Registration required. Family caregivers are welcome and can attend for $15 (lunch and all event day activities included) or for $10 if they opt to have lunch on their own.
You’ll have the opportunity to hear from experts, connect with support programs and services, and find answers and resources to help you navigate this journey.
The event will feature six concurrent educational sessions throughout the day, for general attendees, as well as a special track of educational sessions for professionals. There will also be many new and experiential activities to participant in throughout the course of the event including a health clinic, art gallery, pop-up mini sessions, and demonstration area.
For professionals, there is a track that is just for you! You will have the opportunity to attend four sessions geared toward sharpening your skills. To receive CE you must attend the professional track of sessions.
Registration cost for professionals is $75. You may opt to attend any of the general sessions as well as participate in all of the event activities that take place during the day. Professionals also receive complimentary admission to the networking reception that will take place on Thursday, Sept. 4. from 3-6 p.m. Registration for the networking reception only is $25.
To learn more and/or to register: https://duke.is/w/6vzf
In support of improving patient care, Duke University Health System Clinical Education and Professional Development is accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), to provide continuing education for the health care team. The designation was based upon the quality of the educational activity and its compliance with the standards and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
Total Credits: 6.0 for all except IACET which is 0.6
Credit types: AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s), ANCC, Attendance, IACET CEU, JA Credit – AH
Have news to share?
If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart 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 Duke Heart family. Please call with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon, Wednesdays, to be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
June 7 — Neha Pagidipati
Healio/Cardiology Today
VIDEO: Neha J. Pagidipati, MD, MPH, discusses the impact of weight loss on cardiovascular risk
June 9 — William Kraus
Remo News
How many steps are needed to get maximum health benefits?
June 9 — William Kraus
Barron’s
How Many Steps Do You Really Need? There’s Good News for People Over 60
June 13 — Marat Fudim
AHA Newsroom
Selected startups will advance technology-driven improvements in heart and brain health
Duke Heart Pulse — June 9, 2024
Duke Heart Pulse – June 9, 2024
Highlights of the week:
Douglas Honored with DOM Career Achievement Award
Pamela Douglas, MD, is one of four Department of Medicine faculty members to receive the 2024 Department of Medicine Career Achievement Award recognizing their extraordinary impact on one of the department’s three core missions: education, research, and clinical medicine.
In addition to Douglas, awardees include Drs. James Abbruzzese, distinguished professor of medical oncology; Neil MacIntyre, professor of medicine in pulmonary, allergy, and critical care medicine, and Diana McNeill, professor of medicine in endocrinology, metabolism, and nutrition. Recipients were selected for modeling Duke’s values of Excellence, Integrity, Teamwork, Respect, and Innovation and have created sustained legacies that have shaped the institution.
Each of the four was highlighted in the June 4 issue of This Week in Medicine.
Pamela Douglas, MD
Ursula Geller Distinguished Professor of Research in Cardiovascular Diseases
Cardiologist Dr. Pamela Douglas represents the “best of our outstanding Duke DOM faculty,” who has had a profound impact in many areas, noted Cardiology Division Chief, Dr. Manesh Patel, in his nomination of Douglas, who serves as director of the Multimodality Imaging Program at Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI).
The two areas where she has had the greatest influence are her work in cardiac imaging and diversity, equity and inclusion in research, clinical care, and the workforce, both locally and at the national level.
“Guided by a relentless focus on patient outcomes and innovative research, Dr. Douglas led the creation of novel concepts in imaging care quality, which were accepted nationally,” Patel said.
“Dr. Douglas’s thought leadership, scholarship, and relentless translation to the bedside have dramatically improved the rigor of imaging science and meaningfully enhanced patient-centered clinical care.”
During her more than 30 years in the medical field, Dr. Douglas has led several landmark multicenter government studies and pivotal industry clinical trials along with outcomes research studies. She is renowned for her scientific and policy work in improving the quality and appropriateness of imaging in clinical care, clinical trials, and registries and through the development and dissemination of national standards for imaging utilization, informatics, and analysis.
Dr. Douglas is also a longstanding champion of diversity and equity in research, clinical care, and the workforce, locally and at the national level, Patel added. As the founding director of the American College of Cardiology’s diversity and inclusion initiative, Dr. Douglas was the architect of its strategic efforts to increase the representation of women and minoritized populations among cardiovascular physicians and researchers.
“Dr. Douglas has been a mentor and example to me personally, countless other faculty and Duke and around the world,” Patel said. “Put simply, she has been a north star for the field of cardiovascular medicine, a leader who continues to move our science, care, and training forward.”
Congratulations, Pam!
To read summaries for the other winners, please visit: https://duke.is/2/qd5d
Seeking Coaches & Walkers: Heart Walk 2024
Duke Health has launched our official call for Coaches and Walkers for the 2024 American Heart Association’s Triangle Heart Walk, scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 8!
Join Manesh Patel’s team: Duke Heart and Sole or start your own team under “Duke Heart & Vascular”. We want to have a huge team representing Duke Heart this year to celebrate not only the AHA’s Centennial but Duke University’s 100th birthday. Please join us!
Anyone who registers to be a Team Coach by Monday, June 10 will receive an exclusive, limited-edition Heart Walk Coach jersey. To sign up as a Coach, click the button above and on the AHA site, choose the red “Create a Team” button. Walkers can also sign up and join teams on the same site by clicking the red “Join a Team” button.
Let’s come together to make this our best year yet and demonstrate our unwavering dedication to cardiovascular health. Together, we can make a significant impact and pave the way for a healthier future.
The 2024 Heart Walk will be a terrific event and a wonderful way to support our cardiovascular patients. We’ll be talking about Heart Walk all summer with lots of opportunities to join in the fun. Thank you for your ongoing support!
Monday: DUH Transitioning to Purell® Products
To continuously enhance patient experience, ensure a safe work environment, and maintain fiscal responsibility, Duke University Health System (DUHS) is partnering with GOJO, the creators of PURELL® hand sanitizer products, to replace and update hand sanitizer stations throughout the health system. DUH will begin the transition to PURELL® products starting Monday, June 10.
The installation team will be recruited through an extensive credentialing process by Supply Chain. The team will be identifiable by contractor badges on their uniforms. Disruption to patient care will be at a minimum during the installation process.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
- June is Pride Month
- Save the Date: June 12, 4-5 p.m., State of the School Address (SOM)
Cardiology Grand Rounds
June 11: TBD. 5 p.m., DN2002 or via Zoom.
All Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:
NET ID and password required. Enjoy!
DCRI Research Forum Series
June 11: The Duke Clinical Research Institute is excited to welcome Duke Football Coach Manny Diaz as their June guest for the next DCRI Research Forum, which will close out the 2023-2024 series.
What: A Fireside Chat with Coach Manny Diaz
When: Tuesday, June 11, from Noon-1 p.m. ET
Where: DCRI Research Forum: A Fireside Chat with Manny Diaz via Zoom
We hope you’ll consider joining this virtual event!
Duke Caregiver Community Event 2024
Sept. 5: The Duke Caregiver Community Event, a much-anticipated gathering for caregivers and professionals, will be held from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel, 4700 Emperor Blvd., Durham, NC 27703.
Recognizing the need for support, Duke Health has organized this event to provide caregivers with insights from experts, connections to services, and the support systems necessary to navigate their journey.
Whether you’re a caregiver for a loved one or a professional seeking to enhance your skills, this event is for you.
Registration required. Family caregivers are welcome and can attend for $15 (lunch and all event day activities included) or for $10 if they opt to have lunch on their own.
You’ll have the opportunity to hear from experts, connect with support programs and services, and find answers and resources to help you navigate this journey.
The event will feature six concurrent educational sessions throughout the day, for general attendees, as well as a special track of educational sessions for professionals. There will also be many new and experiential activities to participate in throughout the event including a health clinic, art gallery, pop-up mini sessions, and demonstration area.
For professionals, there is a track that is just for you! You will have the opportunity to attend four sessions geared toward sharpening your skills. To receive CE you must attend the professional track of sessions.
Registration cost for professionals is $75. You may opt to attend any of the general sessions as well as participate in all of the event activities that take place during the day. Professionals also receive complimentary admission to the networking reception that will take place on Thursday, Sept. 4. from 3-6 p.m. Registration for the networking reception only is $25.
To learn more and/or to register: https://duke.is/w/6vzf
In support of improving patient care, Duke University Health System Clinical Education and Professional Development is accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), to provide continuing education for the health care team. The designation was based upon the quality of the educational activity and its compliance with the standards and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
Total Credits: 6.0 for all except IACET which is 0.6
Credit types: AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s), ANCC, Attendance, IACET CEU, JA Credit – AH
Have news to share?
If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart 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 Duke Heart family. Please call with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon, Wednesdays, to be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
May 21 — Leanna Ross
WebMD
May 23 — Alejandro Murillo Berlioz
Univision 40 NC/WUVC, Raleigh-Durham
Joven hispano que falleció en un tiroteo trasciende a la muerte gracias a la donación de órganos
May 30 — Duke Heart for Honduras/Alejandro Murillo Berlioz
Univision 40 NC/WUVC, Raleigh-Durham
Médico hondureño apoya comunidiad médica en su país
*clip begins @ 25:13
June 3 — Svati Shah
Women’s Health
Inside Look: Women’s Health Lab 2024
also carried in Oprah Daily, Cosmopolitan & Prevention
June 4 — Marat Fudim
The Spokesman-Review
Heart failure death rates on the rise, but local specialists say there’s more to that
Duke Heart Pulse — June 2, 2024
Duke Heart Pulse – June 2, 2024
Chief’s message: Changing Times in Duke Cardiology
This last week was highlighted some of the transitions we have usually at the end of Academic years with retirements and soon new faculty, residents, and fellows coming to Duke Cardiology/ Duke CT and Vascular surgery. This week was particularly bittersweet as we had the retirement event for Tom Bashore with many former fellows and faculty coming in town for the event which had the toasts, roasts, and memories of 40 years contributing to Duke Cardiology. The event highlighted both the impact of Tom Bashore on Duke Cardiology, and the unique community of cardiologists around the country with a ties back to Duke Cardiology and the Fellowship. See the photos and story below.
Equally impactful for our Cardiology group was the announcement of Harry Phillips retirement from Duke this week – also after more than 40 years of service. As always, thinking about the future, Harry is moving on to a new adventure with an AI company as the CMO. Harry has been the standard bearer for our development of community relationships and building our cardiology practice by building relationships and caring for patients. His dedication to teaching and growing Duke has been singular and extraordinary. We will ensure we share more about his celebration as that happens. These times are bittersweet – providing a link and memory to the times and people that have helped make Duke Heart what it is today – and inspiring many of those present to carry on the mission of teaching the next generation, caring for our community, and discovering the future therapies and solutions to improve heatlh.
Highlights of the week:
Celebrating the Career of Tom Bashore, MD
We had a wonderful gathering on Friday evening to celebrate the forty-year career of retiring cardiologist Dr. Tom Bashore. Thank you to all who joined us at the University Club as we toasted and roasted our dear colleague, friend, and mentor, especially those who traveled from across the U.S. to help us celebrate. We particularly enjoyed having Dr. and Mrs. Bashore’s children and grandchildren in attendance, and the many photos they supplied for our display. Their presence heightened the festivities!
Speakers included Manesh Patel, Svati Shah, Howard Rockman, John Warner of Wexner Medical Center in Ohio, and Chris O’Connor of Inova Heart & Vascular, who each provided personal stories, anecdotes, and accolades — and of course, Tom Bashore, with a review of his truly inspiring career and memorable moments.
It’s much too difficult to say here what Dr. Bashore has meant to all of you – our faculty, staff, fellows – or Duke and our patients — over these many years. We’re glad he won’t be too far away for visits!
Please enjoy some photos from the evening and submissions from across the years:
Congratulations, Tom!
Harry Phillips, MD, Departing Duke Health in June
Duke cardiologist and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Duke Network Services, Harry Phillips III, MD, will be leaving Duke Health on June 30, 2024. After more than 40 years of devoted service, Phillips has accepted a role outside the health system where he will focus on applying artificial intelligence to real world data to improve outcomes in oncology and cardiometabolic diseases. The announcement was made on Friday, May 31 by Donna Peter, interim Vice President of Duke Network Services.
Phillips, a graduate of Duke University School of Medicine, has been a dedicated and visionary leader who significantly contributed to Duke Health. After completing internal medicine and cardiology training in the Harvard-affiliated program at the Massachusetts General Hospital in the early 1980s, Phillips began his career at Duke. He was part of the team that founded the Interventional Cardiology Program and subsequently the Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Program. Phillips has been a productive clinical investigator, and has authored or co-authored more than 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals. He also played a key role in developing Duke’s cardiovascular outreach strategies.
In 2007, Phillips assumed the role of CMO of Duke Network Services. He provided physician leadership in developing and sustaining affiliated clinical programs in multiple specialties. His efforts helped enhance local access to high-quality cardiovascular, cancer, and stroke care. Phillips was instrumental in founding Duke LifePoint Healthcare, a joint venture with LifePoint Health that supports hospitals in non-urban communities with the necessary resources to ensure access to high-quality healthcare locally.
Since 2017, Phillips has also served as CMO of Duke LifePoint Healthcare, with a focus on quality improvement, strategic planning and fostering collaboration with hospital leaders for the 14-hospital network. He has worked closely with the Duke Quality Network to enhance safety and quality at the hospitals, and served as the interim Chair of the Quality Oversight Committee, to which all hospitals report.
In recognition of his achievements as a Duke Faculty Member and his contributions to enhancing local healthcare for rural communities, Phillips was awarded the 2017 Health Care Hero Lifetime Achievement Award by the Triangle Business Journal. In 2019, he was also honored with a Duke University School of Medicine Excellence in Professionalism Award.
Over his four decades at Duke, Phillips has made valuable contributions to cardiovascular care at Duke, and he has played a vital role in developing Duke- affiliated clinical programs which have improved community health by enhancing access to high-quality local health care. His presence will be greatly missed.
Please join us in extending our sincere appreciation to Harry for his dedication and service to Duke Health, Duke Network Services, Duke Heart, and our patients!
Duke Heart Earns MVRR Center Award
We learned this week that Duke University Hospital has earned the 2024 Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award. For the fifth year in a row, Duke is one of only 22 mitral repair centers recognized by the Mitral Foundation as having the volume and outcomes needed to qualify for the honor. Congrats to Drs. Don Glower, Jeff Gaca, Andrew Wang, and their team members for the outstanding work they are doing for all of our mitral patients.
Way to go!
Seeking Coaches & Walkers: Heart Walk 2024
Duke Health has launched our official call for Coaches and Walkers for the 2024 American Heart Association’s Triangle Heart Walk, scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 8!
Join Manesh Patel’s team: Duke Heart and Sole or start your own team under “Duke Heart & Vascular”. We want to have a huge squad representing Duke Heart this year to celebrate the AHA’s Centennial and Duke University’s 100th birthday. Please join us!
“Dear friends,
I am participating in and leading a team supporting the American Heart Association. If you join my team, we will literally save lives together. Yes, literally. In the past, funds raised from the Heart Walk have led to scientific breakthroughs like pacemakers, cardiac stents, and artificial heart valves that keep people alive longer. There is still time to be a part of all the FUN. Register for my team today – you won’t regret it!
Sincerely, Manesh”
In case you haven’t yet seen the Duke Health call for Coaches & Walkers, here are the details:
Dear Duke Health Colleagues,
We remain truly grateful to each and every one of you who participated in the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk last year. Your commitment and dedication to this life-saving mission are truly commendable.
As both Duke University and the AHA have Centennial celebrations this year, we are excited to announce that the 2024 Heart Walk is going to be even bigger! This is an important milestone for the American Heart Association, with 100 years of improving heart and brain health through research and advocacy.
On Sunday, September 8, join us as we walk alongside our colleagues, family members, friends, and many of our cardiovascular patients to celebrate our community at the 2024 Triangle Heart Walk.
We are currently seeking people to step up and lead a team as a Heart Walk Coach – leaders like you! As a Coach, you’ll take charge of leading a team of co-workers to spread the word, recruit, and raise money for life-saving research. You don’t have to spend a lot of time to make a difference, by contributing just a few minutes each week, you can be a successful Coach. As your team reaches fundraising milestones, you’ll unlock additional rewards for Coach gifts!
Anyone who registers to be a Team Coach by Monday, June 10 will receive an exclusive, limited-edition Heart Walk Coach jersey. To sign up as a Coach, click the button above and on the AHA site, choose the red “Create a Team” button. Walkers can also sign up and join teams on the same site by clicking the red “Join a Team” button.
Let’s come together to make this our best year yet and demonstrate our unwavering dedication to cardiovascular health. Together, we can make a significant impact and pave the way for a healthier future.
The 2024 Heart Walk will be a terrific event and a wonderful way to support our cardiovascular patients. We’ll be talking about Heart Walk all summer with lots of opportunities to join in the fun. Thank you for your ongoing support!
ICYMI: Klotman’s Friday Message
In her May 31st Friday Message, Dean Mary Klotman and Chris Beyrer, PhD, director of the Duke Global Health Institute discuss Duke’s global health programs and opportunities. One of the highlights includes work that is currently led by Duke cardiologists Drs. Jerry Bloomfield and Titus Ng’eno in Eldoret, Kenya in global cardiovascular health. As many of you are aware, many Duke Heart faculty have visited and participated in the care delivery and teaching in Eldoret over the years. This is well worth checking out!
To watch a video of their conversation, please visit: https://duke.is/z/zh4h.
Kudos to Duke’s Multi-D Sarcoid Team!
Congratulations to Johana Fajardo, advanced heart failure and transplant nurse practitioner and director, Precision Cardiomyopathy Clinical Services at Duke and the entire multidisciplinary sarcoidosis team at Duke. The team recently offered their first Duke Sarcoidosis Support Group meeting via Zoom and had close to 50 patients in attendance!
Jay Doss, MD presented informative content and answered patient questions while a number of other sarcoid team members were online to introduce themselves and welcome patients to the event. The discussion was lively and our patients were appreciative.
According to Fajardo, the event was geared to patients being managed at Duke for multi-organ sarcoidosis, and the team plans to host virtual support groups twice per year, once in spring and again in fall. She says they are planning a similar support group for patients with amyloidosis and hope to have that ready to launch in September, 2024.
Great work, Johana & team – support makes a huge difference to our patients and their family members!
Shout-out to Elliott!
We were forwarded a terrific note of recognition last week by cardiology fellowship program director, Anna Lisa Chamis, MD regarding cardiology fellow David Elliott:
“Just wanted to give our cardiology fellow David Elliott a little shout out for doing such a great job on Friday (May 24) with a very anxious device patient. His bedside manner was fantastic, and he was extremely comforting with our patient to help him understand what to expect with his stress test, and how we could make him feel as comfortable as possible during the exam. He did such a wonderful job answering all of the patient’s questions and the patient ended up doing an amazing job with his stress. Not only that, David stayed late with Amanda and I while we waited for transport to arrive to bring the patient. Additionally, David spent time with the patient in the bay while we waited for transport and continued to build rapport and comfort our patient. None of this is expected by anyone, let alone our cards fellow, so I greatly appreciated the care he gave our patient. Thank you, David!!!” — Shreeya Basnyat
Kudos to Ausburn, Coffield & Grisson!
Congratulations to Angela Ausburn, Latia Coffield, and Temetrice Grisson — three of our outstanding cardiology medical assistants with Duke Cardiology Arringdon. All three have recently moved up their clinical ladder to MA III.
Congratulations to all!
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
- June 1-7 is CPR & AED Awareness Week
- Save the Date: June 12, 4-5 p.m., State of the School Address (SOM)
Cardiology Grand Rounds
June 4: The Science and Community of Critical Care Cardiology with Balim Senman. 5 p.m., DN2002 or via Zoom.
All Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:
NET ID and password required. Enjoy!
CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference
June 5: Journal Club with TBD. Noon, DMP 2W96 (in-person only).
June 7: Intro to Cardiac MRI with Han Kim. Noon, Zoom only.
Duke/Duke NUS Virtual Symposium
June 6: Virtual Symposium with Lightning Talks on AI-Related Health Projects, 8-10 a.m., EDT
Open to all Duke-affiliated team members! Registration is required.
DCRI Research Forum Series
June 11: The Duke Clinical Research Institute is excited to welcome Duke Football Coach Manny Diaz as their June guest for the next DCRI Research Forum, which will close out the 2023-2024 series.
What: A Fireside Chat with Coach Manny Diaz
When: Tuesday, June 11, from Noon-1 p.m. ET
Where: DCRI Research Forum: A Fireside Chat with Manny Diaz via Zoom
We hope you’ll consider joining this virtual event!
Have news to share?
If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart 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 Duke Heart family. Please call with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon, Wednesdays, to be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
May 24 — Nina Nouhravesh
Food Navigator Europe
Maybe eggs aren’t bad for heart health after all
May 29 — Jonathan Piccini
tctMD
Compared with PV Isolation Alone, AI-Guided Ablation Lowers AF at 12 Months
May 29 — Stephen Greene
HCP Live
Don’t Miss a Beat: Semaglutide and the Future of Kidney Disease, with Brendon Neuen, MBBS, PhD
May 29 — Nishant Shah
United Press International
Heart-healthy behaviors may help reverse rapid cell aging, study shows
May 30 — Senthil Selvaraj
Healio/Cardiology Today
Common ATTR amyloidosis gene could impair longevity among many Black carriers
Duke Heart Pulse — May 26, 2024
Chief’s message:
This memorial day we wanted to thank and recognize the women and men that continue to protect, serve, and sacrifice for the safety, freedom, and liberty of our nation and our allies. Please be sure to thank all of the service members and recognize the sacrifices they and their families make everyday.
Updates from the week of the week:
Patel to serve as DUHS Physician VP for Heart & Vascular Services
Manesh R. Patel, MD, the Richard S. Stack Distinguished Professor and division chief of cardiology at Duke, will serve as the Duke University Health System physician vice president for Heart and Vascular Services, effective May 15th, 2024.
In this role, Patel will oversee cardiovascular care for Duke, working closely with Carmelo Milano, MD, chief of cardiothoracic surgery, Dawn Coleman, chief of vascular and endovascular surgery, and Mihai Podgoreanu, chief of cardiothoracic anesthesiology. Our cardiovascular service line leadership team, including Jill Engel, vice president, and Mary Lindsay, associate chief nursing officer, will work together with Manesh to continue to advance cardiovascular care across Duke Health.
Patel will work closely with DUHS leadership and clinical department chairs to develop innovative initiatives that improve access to care and support the Duke Health strategic plan. His responsibilities will encompass quality and outcomes, budgetary and financial oversight, operations, and management of Duke Heart Network and affiliations. As part of this work, Manesh will lead a Health AI clinical testing lab within the Duke Heart Innovation Hub, partnering with Michael Pencina, Jeff Ferranti, and Duke AI Health.
This change reflects Duke’s commitment to the tremendous team across Duke Health who aim to discover and deliver extraordinary team-based cardiovascular care for patients as a leading Heart and Vascular Center.
Patel completed his medicine residency and fellowships in cardiology, interventional cardiology, and clinical research at Duke and Duke Clinical Research Institute. He has served as the division chief of Duke Cardiology since 2017. He was selected by the American Heart Association in 2023 as AHA Physician of the Year.
Upon this transition, Patel will report to Greg Pauly, group president of Acute Care Services for Duke University Health System, and vice dean for Clinical and Academic Integration with the School of Medicine.
Duke EP Well Represented at Heart Rhythm 2024
Members of our electrophysiology (EP) and cardiology faculty and several EP staff were very busy at the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) 2024 meetings, held May 16-19 in Boston. There were many Duke abstracts and presentations, too many to fully recount, but here are some highlights provided by Jonathan Piccini, MD, MHS, professor of medicine in cardiology and director of cardiac electrophysiology at Duke:
Bill Cockfield, Amber Stohl, Gail Brock, Sana Al-Khatib, and Kristen Campbell found some time to snap a quick picture before a roundtable session.
Dr. Kevin Thomas received the distinguished and very prestigious James Youngblood Excellence in Leadership Award from the Heart Rhythm Society
While at the meeting Dr. Thomas delivered invited lectures on “Diversity in EP Clinical Studies – Challenges and Opportunities” and “Addressing Disparities in Sudden Cardiac Death.”
Kristen Campbell was named to the Heart Rhythm Society Board of Trustees! She is the first-PharmD to achieve this distinction, a true reflection of her commitment to heart rhythm care. She chaired several sessions on antiarrhythmic therapy at the HRS meetings.
Dr. Kelly Arps presented her work with Dr. Al Sun on outcomes associated with emergent extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and catheter ablation for ventricular tachycardia in the setting of cardiogenic shock.
Dr. Al Sun served as distinguished faculty at the HRS 2024 EP Fellows Symposium alongside Duke EP alumni Dr. Eric Prystowsky and Dr. Doug Packer. He also participated in an expert panel on managing unexplained sudden cardiac arrest.
Dr. Larry Jackson delivered an invited lecture on “Overcoming Healthcare Delivery Gaps – Walking the Talk”. He also served as one of the judges along with Jon Piccini in the AHA-HRS Shark Tank competition at the scientific sessions.
Dr. Camille Frazier-Mills presented an invited lecture on the role of pharmacotherapy and pacing in persons with cardioinhibitory vasovagal syncope. She also led a session on the optimal management of cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) alerts and advisories as well as a session on diversity and EP leadership. She also delivered the invited commentary on the long-awaited one-year outcomes from the dual chamber leadless pacing study that was presented in the late-breaking science session.
Dr. Ilya Shadrin presented his research on left bundle branch area pacing with Dr. Daniel Friedman, including an abstract reporting on the relationship between septal scar and pacing.
Dr. Daniel Friedman (below, far right) delivered an invited lecture on “How to Predict the Response of LBBP-CRT?”
Dan Friedman and Jon Piccini were among a team of investigators presenting our pre-clinical work on a balloon-based ablation catheter to deliver pulse field ablation in a canine model.
Dr. Sara Coles reported the Duke EP experience with the stylet-driven Ingevity+ lead for left bundle branch area pacing, the largest experience reported to date in the field.
Dr. Kevin Jackson delivered an invited lecture on the Optimization of Programming in Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in the “One Stop
Shop for All Things Device Programming” session at HRS. He also delivered the commentary on the FARAPULSE registry data presented at the late-breaking science sessions.
Dr. Jon Piccini presented on the use of LuxMed hyperspectral imaging and biofluorescence to assay ablation lesion efficacy and myocardial characterization at the Stanford Biodesign meeting at HRS.
Dr. James Daubert Delivered an invited lecture on patient selection and optimal use of implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) therapy in persons with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, and a lecture on programming of ICDs in competitive athletes.
Dr. Andrew Landstrom presented invited lectures at the meetings on innovative approaches to evaluating VUSs associated with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathies and an “Introduction to Cardiovascular Genomic and Precision Medicine.”
Dr. Monique Starks presented an invited lecture on “Drone-delivered Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs): Improving the Chain of Survival in the US.”
Dr. Sana Al-Khatib had a very busy HRS this year as she continues on the executive leadership team for the Heart Rhythm Society. She was a key architect of the HRS 2024 meeting, as she served as the abstract chair. At the meeting, she participated in a featured debate on the use of cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemakers (CRT-P) vs cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-D) in persons with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy.
Congrats to our EP team — exceptional work and representation at HRS!
McVeigh Represents Duke Heart at AAPA 2024
Duke cardiology physician assistant Todd McVeigh, PA-C, gave two podium poster presentations at the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) 2024 annual meeting held last weekend (May 18-22, 2024) in Houston, TX.
His presentations were entitled, “Introduction of a PA into a Heart Failure Remote Monitoring clinic” and “Introduction of Home-applied Subcutaneous Furosemide to Treat Heart Failure Exacerbations”.
Way to go, Todd!
Cox Earns DAISY Award
Congratulations to ventricular assist device (VAD) nurse practitioner Kevin Cox! Cox was awarded the 2024 DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Educators through the Duke School of Nursing (SON). He was nominated by former MSN Student Sonia Lai, his former preceptee.
His notification letter included the following:
“It is my honor to advise you that you were nominated by MSN student Sonia Lai and have been selected by the Institute for Education Excellence DAISY Awards Committee to receive a 2024 DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Educators in recognition of the super-human work that you do for students!” — Jacqui McMillen-Bohler, director of IEE, Duke SON.
Cox was recognized during the annual DUSON Faculty & Staff Awards ceremony held on May 22. He is shown here receiving the award from Duke SON Interim Dean Michael Relf.
Congratulations, Kevin – well-deserved!
Ramos Earns DNP
Congratulations to critical care nurse practitioner Dayana Ramos, DNP! Dayana graduated with her Doctor of Nursing Practice on May 11. She is shown here with her sister, Natassha Blakeslee, a nurse practitioner at the University of Miami, who graduated alongside her.
Ramos and Blakeslee completed their studies at Missouri State University. Ramos did her DNP project here at Duke University Hospital. Her project consisted of creating a discharge protocol to improve discharge times for the post-acute care (PAC) service.
The duo, who are Panamanian, wore sashes that were hand-made by a woman who belongs to the Kuna Indians of Panama. Dayana’s sash features the Panamanian golden frog (rana dorada), which is indigenous to and found only in Panama. Her sister’s sash features the Harpy Eagle, the national bird of Panama. They wanted to incorporate symbols from their native country and represent their culture.
Congratulations, Dayana & Natassha!
Shout-out to Biever
A shout-out to Kimberly Biever from the cardiology clinical research unit!
“She identified and approached a patient for an inpatient study. Because the patient wanted more time (to consider), she returned back to the hospital to consent and initiate study procedures on a Sunday. Kim goes again and again beyond the call of duty, due to her passion for research and love of patients. It is a pure delight to work with coordinators like her, which is what makes Duke great.” — Marat Fudim
Great work, Kim!
Kudos to Granger & 7E Staff
We received a note this week from David Gallagher, MD, chief medical officer for Duke University Hospital regarding feedback he received from a grateful patient:
“Chris, we received this nice feedback (from Press Ganey HCAHPS) about the great care you and your team gave to a patient at Duke University Hospital. Thank you for the high quality and compassionate care you provide to patients!” – David Gallagher, MD
“I would like to thank Dr. C. Granger & the entire 7E ICU staff for giving me the best care ever. They made the most traumatic thing in my life a whole lot easier with excellent care!” – a grateful patient
Great job, team!!!!
Team Member Appreciation Month: Spirit Week
Our team members are what make Duke Health such a special place to work and to heal. This year, Duke is elevating how we recognize and thank everyone for their incredible work through our inaugural Team Member Appreciation Month.
It’s week 4, the final week: Spirit Week
Monday: Team Mixtape—Start a collaborative playlist with your team to jam to! Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube have collaboration features to make a shared playlist. You can also amp up the festivities with a virtual team music party to take a break during your busy day – be sure to share your dance moves by uploading your photos and videos here! Note: Please be respectful and only use clean and appropriate music.
Tuesday: Crazy Socks Day—Wear your favorite socks to work – yes, those super fun ones
Wednesday: Spread Smiles with Kudos & Kindness—Seize the day and spread smiles with some of these ways to keep kindness top of mind:
- Send a Kudos Kard (or five!)
- Let a colleague know why you’re proud of them
- Celebrate something/someone that doesn’t get normally recognized enough
- Give a high five
- Greet three strangers while walking the hallways
- In Huddle/team meeting, take a moment to share a team win
- Send a story to be shared across Duke Health
- Make a team birthday and/or work anniversary calendar and create a plan to celebrate them
- Have lunch with someone out of your normal routine
- Give three people compliments (only one can be about looks!)
- Let someone know when something reminds you of them and it made you smile
- Take a moment to connect/check in with someone that you haven’t in a while
- Sign up to do some community service
- Give someone a fun sticky note or Teams message
- Invite someone to join you in practicing self-care at work
- Share a story with teammate that they are a part of that always makes you smile when you think of it
- Surprise your team with a kind gesture
Thursday: Chalk the Sidewalk—Take a moment to go outside and draw on the sidewalk! Be sure to share your masterpiece via photos and videos here!
Friday: Show Your Duke Pride Day—Wear your favorite Duke gear or blue attire! Note: Dress code policies are still in place – be sure to check the Policy Center to find your entity’s policy.
Learn more about Team Member Appreciation Month on Duke Health Now.
Thank You for Participating in Culture Pulse
Dear Colleagues,
Thank you for participating throughout the Culture Pulse 2024 survey period. We heard from more than 23,000 team members (63 percent) and are working to bring valuable feedback to you in the coming weeks. Everyone worked hard to ensure the voices of Duke team members were heard.
As we begin to look at the data, make plans for sharing the results, and focus on our action-planning process, we look forward to partnering with you as we adapt to improve our work together. There’s more to come, so stay tuned!
Thank you again — Ian Lee Brown, Vice President and Chief Employee Experience Officer, DUHS
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
- May is American Stroke Month and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
- May is Duke Health’s inaugural Team Member Appreciation Month
- Save the Date: June 12, 4-5 p.m., State of the School Address (SOM)
Cardiology Grand Rounds
May 28: The Ross Operation — The Ultimate Aortic Valve Replacement? with Ziv Beckerman. 5 p.m., DN2002 or via Zoom.
June 4: The Science and Community of Critical Care Cardiology with Balim Senman. 5 p.m., DN2002 or via Zoom.
All Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:
NET ID and password required. Enjoy!
CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference
May 29: DHP Case Presentation with Husam Salah. Noon, DMP 2W96 (in-person only).
May 31: Echo Math with Cara Hoke. Noon, Zoom only.
DCRI Research Forum Series
June 11: The Duke Clinical Research Institute is excited to welcome Duke Football Coach Manny Diaz as their June guest for the next DCRI Research Forum, which will close out the 2023-2024 series.
What: A Fireside Chat with Coach Manny Diaz
When: Tuesday, June 11, from Noon-1 p.m. ET
Where: DCRI Research Forum: A Fireside Chat with Manny Diaz via Zoom
We hope you’ll consider joining this virtual event!
Have news to share?
If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart 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 Duke Heart family. Please call with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon, Wednesdays, to be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
May 16 — Duke Heart for Honduras
Iconos Magazine (Honduras/Hn)
Fundación Lady Lee y Duke Heart for Honduras se unen en cirugías cardiovasculares
May 18 — Sana Al-Khatib
Medpage Today
Removing Conduction System Pacing Leads: Good Success So Far
May 18 — Duke Heart for Honduras
El Heraldo (Hn)
Banco Atlántida honra a la brigada médica Duke Heart for Honduras
May 21 — Duke Heart for Honduras
La Tribuna (Hn)
May 21 — Aferdita Spahillari
tctMD
Treatment Gaps Abound in Heart Failure but Can Be Closed, Studies Show
May 21 — Nina Nouhravesh
SciTech Daily
New Research Suggests That Eggs Might Not Actually Be Bad for Your Heart
May 23 — Marat Fudim
Fierce Healthcare
Cadence finds reduced cost and better outcomes for heart failure patients through remote monitoring
May 23 — Senthil Selvaraj
Aframnews.com
Duke Heart Pulse — May 19, 2024
Duke Heart Pulse – May 19, 2024
Chief’s message – Grief and Community.
Over the last several weeks we have been having a conversation with Dr. Tony Galanos in the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative care around Grief and how we can help support our clinicians / health system staff in moments of stress and grief. This was highlighted this Monday in a wonderful grand rounds by one of our finishing fellows – Dan Loriaux. During one part of his talk, he highlighted how in ICU and hospital care – he and Dr. Galanos have worked on a program around debriefs for our fellows to help process the grief in taking care of so many sick patients. We aim to continue this and to build a community of support.
This week brought another reminder to us on the fragile nature of life and the needed strength of our community. We lost one of our recent graduates and true leader in the field – Aslan Turer. We provide his story below. I personally remembered Aslan for his unwavering humor, intellect, and energy in helping improve how we cared for patients – often holding everyone to the care standard. He will be dearly missed and our Duke Heart Community will work to support his wife Christy and their children. Please keep them in your thoughts and hearts.
Updates from the week:
In Memoriam: Aslan Turer, MD, MHS, MBA, interventional cardiologist
We have been deeply saddened this weekend at the passing of Aslan Turer, MD, 49, on Friday morning. An interventional cardiologist and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy specialist at the University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW), Turer trained at Duke through residency and multiple fellowships, and was a friend to many of our Duke Heart team members. Turer had fought cancer for the past several years. His wife, Dr. Christy Turer, also trained at Duke. They have five children. Our thoughts are with his family and with his many friends and colleagues. We know he will be greatly missed.
Turer attended medical school at the University of California San Francisco, then completed internal medicine residency at Duke University Hospital, as well as fellowship trainings in cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology at Duke. Turer helped establish a multidisciplinary hypertrophic cardiomyopathy program at UTSW, which achieved an HCMA Center of Excellence rating in 2018. He partnered recently with Andrew Wang, MD, on a perspective piece for Circulation in February 2023 entitled “Cardiac Myosin Inhibitors: Unlocking Potential to Improve Treatment in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy”.
Sparkman Hillcrest Funeral Home is handling arrangements for the family; Services will be this week, as follows:
Memorial Service: Wednesday, May 22, at Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home, 7405 W Northwest Hwy., Dallas, TX 75225
Muslim Prayer, 5:30 p.m., in Arabic. Christian Memorial service, 6 p.m., followed by Reflection time
Funeral, Thursday, May 23, 1 p.m.
Location: Christ the King Catholic Church, 8017 Preston Rd, Dallas, TX 75225
Aslan’s family has asked that attendees wear color and not come in traditional dark funeral attire as Aslan wanted this to be a celebration of life.
We asked for memories of Aslan for today’s issue of Pulse and received the following:
“If ever there was a person one might call a “character,” certainly Aslan Turer was one. A terrific doctor and teacher, Aslan was frequently unpredictable, a bit quirky, and a delightful prankster. I remember vividly how he and I would get into these drawn-out, crazy, and often hilarious email wars — with each trying to outdo the other with an ever more outlandish statement of silliness or goofiness. We often let the whole division in on the back and forth. As I recall, Aslan always seemed to win these verbal battles with some kind of comeback I was never clever enough to overcome. He was just fun to be around. Even more, Aslan was a sincere, loving and simply wonderful person. The world has lost a very special human being way too soon. He will be fondly remembered by all who were fortunate enough to know him.” – Thomas Bashore, MD
“Aslan and I started as interns at Duke in 2001, living in the same apartment building and were fast friends despite being from very different backgrounds. I have so many fond memories, but the most special ones were when Catherine and I would meet Aslan for a late dinner and trivia at James Joyce – where he would often be found “reading” his Lancet or NEJM, which we all established was a decoy for trying to find a mate. Later in fellowship, he moved to south Durham and we would meet in the back bar of Lantern in Chapel Hill where he had a permanent tab and everyone knew him and his sense of humor and style.
I am so saddened about his death and our thoughts are with Christy and their kids. He was truly one of the smartest, kindest, and most clever people I’ve encountered in Medicine and in life.” – Schuyler Jones, MD
Our condolences to all.
SOM Faculty Awards
Congratulations to all School of Medicine 2024 Faculty Award winners – but especially to our wonderful cardiovascular faculty and colleagues:
- Adrian Hernandez, MD, professor of medicine in cardiology received an Excellence in Professionalism Award
- Christopher Holley, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine in cardiology received a Research Mentoring Award
- Anita Kelsey, MD, MBA, professor of medicine in cardiology received the Master Clinician/Teacher Award
- Neha Pagidipati, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine in cardiology received a Research Mentoring Award
- Madhav Swaminathan, MBBS, professor of anesthesiology, cardiothoracic anesthesiology/ critical care, received the Master Clinician/Teacher Award
- Annemarie Thompson, MD, professor of anesthesiology, pediatric cardiothoracic anesthesiology, received a Leonard Palumbo Jr., MD Faculty Achievement Award
The awards were presented on Monday, May 13 during the 2024 Spring Faculty Celebration held at the Doris Duke Center, Sarah Duke Gardens.
Congratulations and well-deserved!
DCRI Fellowship Graduation Celebrated
Graduating DCRI Fellows were celebrated at the University Club in Durham on May 9.
We are thrilled to share the following award winners who were recognized during the celebration:
Ilia Shadrin, MD, PhD, (cardiology) was awarded the DCRI Fellowship Citizenship Award, designed to recognize a graduating DCRI research fellow. Fellows considered for this award are expected to have demonstrated the following key attributes during their DCRI tenure: possesses strong character and leadership, devoted service to the DCRI, accepts responsibility and duties, has a positive attitude towards peers, the DCRI and the medical community, eager to learn and to teach others, and shows care and concern for others and helps them when needed.
Adam DeVore, MD, was recognized with the Robert M. Califf Award for Outstanding Mentorship, designed to recognize a DCRI faculty member who has demonstrated excellence in mentorship activities for DCRI research fellows. Faculty members considered for this award are expected to have mentored fellows at the DCRI and to have demonstrated enthusiasm and commitment towards the training of fellows in clinical research activities.
Congratulations Ilia and Adam!
Sullivan Honored with Teaching Award
Congratulations to cardiology fellow Lonnie Sullivan, MD! He was selected as this year’s recipient of the Fellowship Teaching Award by the Internal Medicine residents.
Way to go, Lonnie!
DHIP Update: Changes to Telehealth Video Visits and G2211 Code
Since the pandemic began, Duke Health has been able to convert all necessary patients to telehealth visits in an efficient manner, despite many changes. Now, since most of our services are video visits where standard E&M codes are used, we have decided to align our approach and use the level of service (LOS) menu.
Two Important Changes Coming to Telehealth (Video) Visits and for the G2211 Code
- Adding back the Level of Service (LOS) Menu to video visits
- Changes to G2211 Reminders: Reminders now in video visits and reminders now for all payers
Beginning May 14, the Level of Service (LOS) menu will be added back to the video visit encounters. As a result of this implementation, all E & M codes found in LOS will be removed from charge capture to prevent duplicate billing, and encounters created on the fly will still have the same charge capture (and no LOS) that exists today.
Moreover, because G2211 code is being recognized for payment by Medicare, Medicare advantage, UHC, and a few small others, and Medicaid is asking to submit this data for future consideration, there will now be G2211 reminders in all telehealth visits and visits for all payer types.
For more information on these changes, please visit the Changes to Telehealth Video Visits and G2211 Code page.
Thank you for your continued support and hard work!
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
- May is American Stroke Month and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
- May is Duke Health’s inaugural Team Member Appreciation Month
- National Hospital Week ends today.
- Save the Date: June 12, 4-5 p.m., State of the School Address (SOM)
Cardiology Grand Rounds
May 21: Capturing the Left Bundle: Insights Into Conduction System Pacing with Ilia Shadrin. 5 p.m., DN 2002 or via Zoom.
May 28: The Ross Operation — The Ultimate Aortic Valve Replacement? with Ziv Beckerman. 5 p.m., DN2002 or via Zoom.
All Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:
NET ID and password required. Enjoy!
CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference
May 22: EP Case Conference with Sara Coles and Ivan Nenadic Wood. Noon, DMP 2W96 (in-person only).
May 24: Coronary Anatomy & Lesion Interpretation with Tom Bashore. Noon, Zoom only.
Have news to share?
If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart 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 Duke Heart family. Please call with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon, Wednesdays, to be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
May 10 — Monique Starks/DCRI
WRAL
Forsyth County demonstrates how drones can deliver AEDs to heart attack victims sooner
May 13 — Senthil Selvaraj
Inside Precision Medicine
Genetic Variant Linked to Cardiovascular Disease and Death in Black Americans
May 13 — Senthil Selvaraj
WBZ Newsradio 1030 (Boston)
Study finds clue to greater heart disease in Black Americans
May 13 — Duke University (Selvaraj)
WBZ News/CBS Boston
Researchers find gene that may put Black Americans at higher risk for heart failure
May 13 — Senthil Selvaraj
STAT News
May 13 — Duke Heart for Honduras
El Heraldo (Honduras/Hn)
May 14 — Duke Health (Selvaraj)
San Diego Voice & Viewpoint
May 14 — Duke Health (Selvaraj)
Health Management
Genetic Variant Among Blacks Contributes to Cardiovascular Disease Burden
May 15 — Duke Heart for Honduras
LaPrensa (Hn)
Grupo Financiero Atlántida hace millonario donativo a brigada médica que tranformará vidas
May 15 — Duke Heart for Honduras
El Heraldo (Hn)
Hospital María y Duke University realizan brigada de cirugía cardiovascular a pacientes pediátricos
May 15 — Duke Heart for Honduras
La Tribuna (Hn)
Destacado cirujano hondureño opera junto a brigada de EEUU en el Hospital María
May 15 — Duke Heart for Honduras
Proceso Digital (Hn)
Con apoyo de Ficohsa Seguros se realiza segunda Brigada Médica Pediátrica de Duke Heart
May 16 — Duke Heart for Honduras
El Pais (Hn)
Grupo Financiero Atlántida dona L 5.7 millones para brigada médica
May 16 — Monique Starks
The Clemmons Courier
History in the making: First drone delivery of an AED
May 17 — Senthil Selvaraj
HealthDay
Male, Female V1421 Carriers Face Similar Risk for Heart Failure Hospitalization
Duke Heart Pulse — May 12, 2024
Chief’s message:
Hope you all have a happy Mother’s Day, and for those of you having kids graduate from college and or graduate school this weekend – congratulations.
This week’s Pulse highlights several of the things that make Duke a special place to work. Stories include teams developing breakthrough research findings (Senthil Selvaraj and others), innovative NHLBI funded research (Monique Starks and team with drone delivery AEDs for cardiac arrest survival), AHA go red for women with Camille Frazier-Mills as a woman of impact, and finally shout outs to clinical research coordinator Kim Biever and Cathy Ritchie from our cardiac rehab team on helping increase access to care.
Highlights of the week:
ESC-HF: Common Genetic Variant Among Black Americans Leads to Significant Increases in HF, Death at Individual and Population Levels
A genetic variant carried by 3-4 percent of self-identified Black Americans increases the risk for heart failure and death similarly in men and women, contributing to a significant decrease in longevity at the population level, according to a new study led by researchers at Duke University School of Medicine and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The findings show that individuals who carry the amyloidogenic V142I transthyretin variant are at significantly increased risk for heart failure hospitalization beginning in their 60s, with an increased risk for death beginning in their 70s. Nearly half a million currently living carriers above age 50 will collectively lose 1 million years of life due to the variant.
The study results were presented earlier today by Senthil Selvaraj, MD, MS, MA, advanced heart failure cardiologist at Duke, as part of late-breaking science at the European Society of Cardiology’s Heart Failure Congress 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal; the findings were simultaneously published online in JAMA. Additional Duke authors on the publication include Svati H. Shah, MD, MHS; Robert J. Mentz, MD; and Michel G. Khouri, MD.
The V142I variant causes transthyretin, a protein in the blood, to misfold leading to deposits of abnormal amyloid protein in the heart and other parts of the body. In the heart, these deposits cause the muscle to become thick and stiffened, a condition known as cardiac amyloidosis, which can ultimately lead to heart failure. Originally considered a rare condition, researchers are increasingly finding that cardiac amyloidosis is underdiagnosed and underrecognized — particularly among Blacks.
The researchers pooled data from self-reported Black participants in four NIH-funded studies in the U.S. (ARIC, MESA, REGARDS and Women’s Health Initiative). Altogether, the team examined data from 23,338 self-reported Black individuals, 754 (3.23 percent) of whom carried the V142I genetic variant.
The team found that carriers of V142I had an increase in their 10-year risk for heart failure (HF) hospitalization by age 63 and risk for death by age 72, while individual carriers with the V142I variant live 2-2.5 years less on average than expected. The risk was more prominent for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) hospitalization compared with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) hospitalization. The variant’s contribution to HF risk increased substantially with age but was not itself increased by other known risk factors such as diabetes and hypertension.
“Since 3-4 percent of self-identified Black individuals in the United States carry this variant, a significant number are at elevated risk for developing cardiac amyloidosis, being hospitalized for heart failure, and dying several years earlier than expected,” said Selvaraj, first author of the study. “With our improved understanding of the risks with the variant, future efforts to increase disease awareness and ultimately connect carriers with the disease to effective therapies will be important.”
The team also showed that female and male carriers of the variant were equally at risk, contrary to some previous clinical studies showing that men were more affected. Using these epidemiological data, this suggests that women are likely underdiagnosed with the condition.
The research showed that variant carriers on average died 2 to 2.5 years earlier than non-carriers. With approximately 48 million Americans self-identifying as Black, approximately 1.5 million people are estimated to carry the variant. Of those over age 50, which is about half a million people, the team estimates that nearly a million years of life will be lost due to the variant in this natural history study.
Although the association between the V142I variant and HF has been previously described, precise estimates of how the variant increases risk were unclear until now. The good news is the increasing availability of treatment options for cardiac amyloidosis.
“There is currently one approved targeted therapy with a number in the pipeline,” says Selvaraj, adding that he and his colleagues believe earlier identification of people who carry the V142I variant and providing appropriate therapies might decrease the risk of HF and dying. However, more research is needed to show whether early implementation of targeted treatments actually leads to decreased risk of disease.
“We found a relatively large magnitude of disease burden in the U.S., certainly at the population level, but the impact at the individual level is notable as well,” he says. “It’s important to think about diagnosing this disease relatively early on, since once it evolves to later stages, it becomes more challenging to treat and therapies may be less effective. Further, as you get older, the risk of the disease increases substantially. Therefore, we should be considering the diagnosis of this inherited form of cardiac amyloidosis earlier than we have before – closer to early 60s, rather than their 70s and 80s.”
The findings also indicate clinicians should think more broadly about those who are hospitalized with HF as perhaps having amyloid.
“Amyloid cardiomyopathy is more often associated with HFpEF. Our findings demonstrate that, in hospitalized settings, we should be looking at individuals regardless of ejection fraction,” Selvaraj added. “Since hospitalization for HF is an advanced marker of the disease, and the ejection fraction tends to fall over time with cardiac amyloid, it may be unsurprising that more frequently carriers have a reduced ejection fraction by the time they are hospitalized.
“Additionally, we should pay more attention to this disease risk in women. One challenge with cardiac amyloid is we often look for thick walls in the heart. Women in general have thinner walls than men, so using certain thresholds of wall thickness to diagnose disease, without this consideration, may cause us to overlook women who indeed have the cardiac amyloid.”
In future studies, the researchers plan to investigate why some, but not all, carriers of the V142I variant develop cardiac amyloidosis.
Note: This paper has been selected by JAMA as their featured article of the week and is accompanied by two editorials: Heart Failure in African American Individuals, Version 2.0 by Clyde W. Yancy, MD, MSc; and Addressing Health Disparities—The Case for Variant Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis Grows Stronger by Mathew S. Maurer, MD; Edward J. Miller, MD, PhD, and Frederick L. Ruberg, MD.
Duke Heart Team Heads to Honduras for Medical Mission
A 42-member medical team representing Duke Heart departed yesterday, May 11, on a surgical mission trip to Honduras as part of our Duke Heart in Honduras program. This year we have adult and pediatric teams heading to care for patients in need of cardiothoracic interventions. Our teams will perform all intraoperative and postoperative care to support our Honduran partners in providing surgery at no cost to patients who would otherwise not be able to afford it.
Forty surgeries are planned, 15 of which will be with pediatric patients in need of atrial septal defect closures, ventricular septal defect closures, AV canal defects, and Tetralogy of Fallot. Most adult patients our Duke team will see need aortic valve and mitral valve replacement. One congenital patient with an anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) defect will undergo reimplantation. Another will be treated for a large atrial myxoma.
The mission is in partnership with Hugo Orellana, MD, an adult cardiothoracic surgeon based at Honduras Medical Center, and with Victor Paz, MD, a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon based at Hospital Maria. Both hospitals are located in the city of Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras.
The Duke Heart for Honduras 2024 team includes:
Cardiothoracic surgeons: Drs. Adam Williams, Jacob Schroder, Joseph Turek, and Doug Overbey; Cardiac anesthesiologists: Drs. Brandi Bottiger, Alina Nicoara, and Natalia Diaz-Rodriguez; Pediatric cardiac ICU attendings: Drs. Jennifer Turi and Jennifer Sherwin; CT fellows: Drs. Alejandro Murillo, Navin Vigneshwar, Jason Pang, Kathryn Pearson, and Ethan Garrigan; pediatric cardiac anesthesiologist Dr. Michael Greenberg; CT Surgery residents: Drs. Rebekah Boyd and Hiba Ghandour; CTICU, CTOR and critical care nurses and APPs: Bryan Hampton, Adeline Kranzburg, Timothy Matusz, Eric Velasquez, Chelsey Weinbrecht, Nicole Garcia, Cheyenne English, Mambo Kwaambwa, Michelle Figuerres, Figz Figuerrez, Tina McEachin, Aireen Vergara Casale, Audrey Sakae, Dorothy McVay and Danielle Wood; Perfusionists: Felicia Shugars, Amy Evans, Robert Degiosio, Katharine Nanry and Julie Walker; Respiratory therapist Chris Lappe; Biomedical engineer Brian Gore; Research lab member (and Honduran physician) Alejandro Alvarez Lobo, and medical students Cathlyn Medina and Lauren Parker.
Our Duke team will be joined by five medical professionals from Massachusetts General Hospital, including four attending physicians, Drs. Eriberto Michel, David D’Alessandro, Peter O’Chieng, and Robin Schiller and perfusionist Kenneth Shann. Also joining our team is a perfusion student, Cristina Parra, sponsored by the International Perfusion Association (IPA), and Bryan Lich, president of the IPA.
The team is supported, in part, by a grant from the Thoracic Surgery Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS). The grant funding of $35,000 is part of the Every Heartbeat Matters Award given to Dr. Adam Williams during the STS 60th annual meeting held in January 2024. The funding was made possible through the support of the Edwards Lifesciences Foundation and will be used to cover the airfare costs for all team members.
We are pleased to support these Duke team members and wish them great success!
Forsyth County NC Runs 1st Test of AED Drone Delivery
Congratulations to Monique Starks, MD, associate professor of medicine in cardiology, and her AED Drone study team! Forsyth County, NC was the first county to sign on for the partnership with Duke for feasibility testing of AED drone delivery to cardiac arrest bystanders. The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office and Forsyth County Emergency Services conducted a test launch this week as part of an emergency management drill for cardiac arrest held at Agape Church in Clemmons, NC.
Starks is the principal investigator on the American Heart Association research grant “Developing and Testing Drone-Delivered AEDs for Cardiac Arrest in Rural America”. Her co-investigators include Dan Mark, MD, Hayden Bosworth, PhD, Audrey Blewer, PhD, MPH, and Hussein Al-Khalidi, PhD.
Starks is the first investigator in the U.S. to be funded by the National Institutes of Health to explore the development of a drone network that is capable of delivering AEDs to bystanders at an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest emergency.
Congratulations to all involved in this important work!
Frazier-Mills Celebrated at Go Red! Event
The Triangle’s annual Go Red for Women Evening in Red event was held on Friday evening, May 10, at the Raleigh Convention Center. The
celebration 
recognizes survivors of heart disease and their family members and, via fundraising, supports vital research efforts for the American Heart Association.
The evening included dinner, dancing, a silent auction, and honoring each of the 2024 Triangle Women of Impact including our very own Camille Frazier-Mills, one of the finalists! Duke Heart’s service line vice-president Jill Engel and cardiology fellowship program director, Anna Lisa Chamis, MD were both on hand for the festivities and to support Camille.
Kudos to Ritchey & Cardiac Rehab Team!
Kudos to Cathy Ritchey for her tenacious work on behalf of our cardiac rehab patients. Ritchey proactively connected with representatives at Aetna regarding Cardiac Rehab (CR) coverage. Thanks to her efforts, Aetna has updated its CR coverage and will now cover the CPT code for non-continuous telemetry CR starting June 9. Awesome!!!
According to Erica Rao, this has been a barrier to enrolling Aetna patients into our Duke CR program. Ritchey, she says, “maintains a close watch on CR insurance guidelines and read that Aetna was updated theirs. After connecting to the Duke physician liaison with Aetna and the Revenue Integrity team, our team will now be able to enroll all Aetna patients, not just those with Duke Aetna insurance.”
Bill Kraus adds, “This is a huge well-earned victory for our CR program and the hospital to tear down barriers to patient care.”
Way to go, Cathy!!!
Shout-out to Biever
We received a terrific note this past week from Andrew Wang, MD, vice chief for clinical affairs for the division of cardiology:
“I highly commend Kim Biever, a clinical research coordinator in our cardiology clinical trials group. I have worked with her for the past 3-4 years on a randomized trial of mavacamten for obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and its long-term extension study. In addition to her help in achieving a high enrollment in this study, her conscientiousness, efficiency, and communication have made the experience very productive and enjoyable.
“She is extremely well-organized and plans well for the expected and unexpected issues in a trial. She is often the “first call” person for our trial patients, even for matters unrelated to the study protocol, and manages these with compassion and professionalism. Most impressively, as our patients have transitioned from study treatment to commercial drug treatment, her dedicated work and commitment have helped to reduce any gaps in their treatment.”
Way to go, Kim!!!
Kudos to Duke HF Symposium Planning Team
A shout-out to Marat Fudim, Stephanie Barnes, Rob Mentz, Richa Agarwal, and Christy Darnell for a very successful HF Symposium last weekend. It was our first since the pandemic and it was a hit – our best turnout yet. Great job, everyone!
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
- May is American Stroke Month and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
- May is Duke Health’s inaugural Team Member Appreciation Month
- May 12-19 is National Hospital Week
- Culture Pulse survey deadline extended to Thursday, May 16.
Cardiology Grand Rounds
May 14: Teaching, Quality Improvement, and Wellness in the ICU with Daniel Loriaux. 5 p.m., DN 2002 or via Zoom.
May 21: Capturing the Left Bundle: Insights Into Conduction System Pacing with Ilia Shadrin. 5 p.m., DN 2002 or via Zoom.
May 28: The Ross Operation — The Ultimate Aortic Valve Replacement? with Ziv Beckerman. 5 p.m., DN2002 or via Zoom.
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
May 15: HF/Txp Case Presentation with DaMarcus Ingram. Noon, DMP 2W96 (in-person only).
May 17: EKG Review with Neil Freedman. Noon, Zoom only.
Have news to share?
If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart 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 Duke Heart family. 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:
May 2 — Neha Pagidipati
Cardio Nerds
May 3 — Marat Fudim
Web MD
What’s Behind Major Rise in Heart Failure Deaths?
May 3 — Duke University Hospital
Becker’s ASC Review
Meet the leaders of the 3 best hospitals in North Carolina for cardiac surgery
May 3 — Thomas Povsic
Medscape
In Angina, Gene Therapy Coaxes Heart Vessel Growth
May 3 — Duke Raleigh, Duke University Hospitals
Healthgrades
Healthgrades Reveals Top U.S. Hospitals for Patient Safety in 2024
May 4 — Nina Nouhravesh
The National Herald (Greece)/Associated Press
Eggs Regain Their Place as a Staple of Healthy Eating
May 6 — Harry Severance
MedCity News
Stark Law Crackdown Jacks Up Fines, Settlements and Physician Pressures
May 7 — Stephen Greene
tctMD
SGLT2 Inhibitor Added to GDMT in Functional MR May Obviate Need for TEER
May 8 — Jonathan Piccini
Verywell Health
Why Is AFib More Common in Younger Adults Now?
May 8 — Monique Starks
WFMY (CBS 2)
AED taking flight, Forsyth County leads U.S. with drone delivery program
May 9 — Duke University and Monique Starks
WGHP (Fox 8) Greensboro, NC
Area sheriff’s department (Forsyth County) adds drone delivery AEDs
May 9 — Dawn Coleman
Vascular Specialist
The top 10 most popular Vascular Specialist stories of April 2024
Duke Heart Pulse — May 5, 2024
Duke Heart Pulse – May 5, 2024
Chief’s message:
As the spring season is in full effect – hopefully you all had some time outside with friends and family. There were also many faculty and fellows presenting at conferences this weekend – the national cardiovascular interventional society (SCAI) had its national meeting in California this weekend with several of our interventional faculty both presenting and being part of the national organizations leadership. There were key talks by Jennifer Rymer, Raj Swaminathan, Ton Gutierrez, Schuyler Jones and many others. Congratulations to Sunil Rao, past SCAI president and James Hermiller – in coming SCAI president.
Heart Failure Symposium is back. This weekend the Duke Heart group had its first Heart Failure symposium after COVID (prior in-person symposium was 2019). By all accounts it was a success – with over 220 registered attendees, wonderful speakers from around the country, and lots of interactive real-world management of heart failure patients from prevention to complex management. Some photos from the event are shown here.
Highlights of the week:
Celebrating Perfusionists & Duke’s 2nd Pillar Award
Happy May, everyone! Yes, today is the ever-popular Cinco de Mayo, but it’s also day one of Perfusion Week — a time to recognize the incredible efforts of perfusionists across the U.S.! These vital members of our cardiothoracic surgical team do remarkable things each day for our patients. So, if you happen to be celebrating with your favorite Mexican foods and beverages, consider including a toast to our amazing Duke Perfusionists!
The Duke Perfusion team recently earned its second Pillar Award for Perfusion Excellence from the American Society of Extracorporeal Technology (AmSECT). Their first was awarded in 2021, the inaugural year of the AmSECT Pillar, which is a designation for individual perfusion departments that demonstrate excellence as displayed in several key areas including organized orientation and training, QA/QI process, continuing education and performance evaluation, development of institutional protocols and adherence to AmSECT Standards and Guidelines, employee education and commitment to the field of perfusion.
Duke has one of the largest and most highly-skilled perfusion teams in the U.S. Each member of the team is certified by the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion, licensed by the North Carolina Medical Board, and most team members hold advanced degrees and credentials.
In addition to proficiency in cardiopulmonary bypass (operating the heart-lung machine during cardiothoracic surgery), Duke perfusionists become further specialized to support a variety of needs across the hospital. We have a dedicated team of pediatric perfusionists, a specialty team for Duke Regional Hospital, an Extra-Corporeal Life Support (ECLS) team that assists with cannulating and retrieving patients from referring hospitals, a team that provides apheresis in the OR, and a team trained in use of the Transmedics Organ Care System, which has helped increase the donor pool for Duke’s Heart Transplant program.
Congratulations to our perfusionists!
Nurses Week 2024
It’s also Nurses Week 2024 (May 6-12)! On behalf of Duke Heart, a big shout-out to all of our incredible nurses for their professional accomplishments and contributions in caring for Duke Heart patients over the past year.
Duke Heart Nurses are foundational to Duke’s ability to provide compassionate, innovative cardiac care throughout our clinics and at the bedside. Each of our nurses cares for patients with complex cardiovascular needs and partners with clinicians and other team members as we engage in research clinical trials; teach patients and family members about the care they are receiving; participate in quality improvement initiatives locally and nationally, as well as speak or serve as educators at professional meetings.
Our Duke Heart nurses are amazing – individually and as a team. Without their partnership, none of our overall team accomplishments would be possible! Thank you for the work you do, your tremendous compassion for our patients and their families, and your compassion for one another and our community.
The Duke Heart Nursing team possesses unmatched talent, dedication, and teamwork, exemplifying living the Duke Values. In short, Duke Nurses rock!
Kudos and thank you – enjoy Nurses Week!
Duke Heart Experts Featured at NCUS
The North Carolina Ultrasound Society (NCUS) held its 43rd Annual NC Medical Ultrasound Symposium in Raleigh from April 19-21 at the Crabtree Courtyard Marriott.
Duke Heart was well-represented in terms of presenter expertise and well-supported in terms of attendees. Speakers included Joe Kisslo, MD (Keynote speaker); Michel Khouri, MD; Richie Palma, instructor and program director of Duke’s Cardiac Ultrasound Program; Alicia Armour, HCA of Triangle Heart; Ashlee Davis, chief technologist, and Rachel O’Brien and Diana Masterson, cardiac sonographers.
Richie Palma and cardiac sonographer Jon Owensby are both on the Board of Directors for the NCUS.
Great work, everyone!
Pending Unit Moves – July 2024
The Duke University Hospital 100 bed tower, floors 6 through 9, has been renovated and will reopen in the summer of 2024! Several Heart patient care units will be relocated to allow for the renovation of floors 2 and 3 in the North 100 tower. Unit 3100 will relocate to 6100 (31-bed unit) on July 22 and 3200/7200 will relocate back to 7100 (31-bed unit) on July 23.
There will be no change in the patient populations these units care for. Unit 6100 was specifically chosen because of its proximity to the 6E/CT Step-down Unit.
More details, including office relocations, will be announced closer to the move date. We thank everyone in advance for their support and patience.
Final Week to Complete Culture Pulse Survey
If you have not yet done so — please participate in the Duke Health Culture Pulse survey. It is available to all Duke Health team members until May 13. The brief, 18-question survey is confidential and mobile-friendly, and it’s short – you can do the whole thing in less than five minutes.
This year’s survey is focused on Duke’s commitment to putting people first by asking questions, listening, and seeking diverse perspectives. The Culture Pulse survey aims to strengthen the employee experience – for all of us – but participation is critical!
Thank you for sharing your invaluable insights and for all that you do to make Duke Health an extraordinary place to work, learn, and receive care.
The link to the survey was sent to everyone via email on 4/22. Check your inbox and please make your voice heard!
Duke Hospitals Continue to Earn ‘A’ Grades on Leapfrog Safety Assessments
For 12 consecutive grading periods, Duke University Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital, and Duke Raleigh Hospital received top scores for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group.
The “A” scores for Leapfrog’s spring 2024 survey are part of the group’s Hospital Safety Grades Assessment, issued to hospitals every six months. This is the only hospital ratings program focused exclusively on preventable medical errors, infections, and injuries that kill more than 500 patients a day nationally.
Duke Health’s three hospitals were among nearly 3,000 hospitals surveyed across the country. Only 29% of hospitals nationwide achieved an “A” hospital safety grade for the spring 2024. In North Carolina, Duke University Health System hospitals were among 38 hospitals to achieve the grade.
“Our steady ‘A’ grades from Leapfrog prove that we are dedicated to putting patients first at all three Duke Health hospitals,” said Thomas Owens, MD, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Duke University Health System. “We value the clinicians, staff, and volunteers who provide excellent care and make sure patients are safe.”
The Leapfrog Group is an independent nonprofit organization led by the nation’s leading employers and private healthcare experts. Twice each year, it collects and analyzes data based on over 30 national performance measures of errors, accidents, injuries, and infections, as well as systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm. The letter grades assigned to hospitals help people make informed decisions to protect themselves and their families.
Comparisons of hospital scores locally and nationally are available at https://www.hospitalsafetygrade.org/.
Duke’s Total Compensation Program
Duke began mailing all full-time faculty and staff their annual personalized benefits statements this week. These are going to home addresses.
Did you know that, on average, Duke invests about $250 in benefits for every $1000 of pay? Each of us can see what Duke’s investment in pay and benefits looks like for us by reviewing our benefits statement. Please take a few minutes to review the materials to ensure you’re taking full advantage of the benefits and services available to you and your family members.
Learn how five of our Duke colleagues have been helped by a variety of Duke benefits as part of their total compensation package: Beyond Pay: Unique Duke Employee Benefits for Unique Needs.
Have a great week, everyone!
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
- Culture Pulse 2024 survey period through May 13
- May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
- May is Duke Health’s inaugural Team Member Appreciation Month
- May 5-11 is Perfusion Week
- May 6-12 is Nurses Week
- May 12-19 is National Hospital Week
Cardiology Grand Rounds
May 7: Bridging the Gap: A Closer Look at Care Fragmentation and Health Disparities in PAD with Dennis Narcisse. 5 p.m., DN 2002 or via Zoom.
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
May 8: ABIM Review. Noon, DMP 2W96 (in-person only).
May 10: Update on TAVR with Todd Kiefer. Noon, Zoom only.
Working Effectively Across Generations
June 3: Working Effectively Across Generations with Hile Rutledge, of Otto Kroeger Associates (OKA). 8:30 a.m. to Noon. Great Hall, Trent Semans Center. Sponsored by Duke School of Medicine.
Registration required: https://medschool.duke.edu/blog/register-now-working-effectively-across-generations
Have news to share?
If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart 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 Duke Heart family. Please call with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon, Wednesdays, to be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
April 25 — Jonathan Piccini
Health Central
How Cardioversion Can Help Your Heart
April 26 — Marat Fudim
tctMD
Heart Failure Mortality Higher Now Than in 1999
May 1 — James Watson (hospitalist program)
The Hospitalist
Apixaban Reduces Risk of Stroke or Systemic Embolism in Subclinical AF
May 1 — Cepeda Mora (hospitalist program)
The Hospitalist
Semaglutide in Patients with HFpEF and Obesity
May 1 — James Watson
The Hospitalist
High Frequency of AF Recurrence in Hospitalized Patients with New-onset AF
May 1 — Mark Chandler (hospitalist program)
The Hospitalist
Frailty Assessment and Perioperative Adverse Cardiovascular Events After Noncardiac Surgery
May 1 — Chantell Evans (cell biology)
Nature/News & Views
Cells destroy donated mitochondria to build blood vessels
May 1 — Amanda Randles (biomedical sciences)
Business Insider
May 1 — Duke Health
WNCN/CBS-17 (Raleigh/Durham)
Raleigh/Cary metro has some of the safest hospitals in the country: New study
May 3 — Robert Mentz
Perishable News
Duke Heart Pulse — April 28, 2024
Duke Heart Pulse – April 28, 2024
School of Medicine Spring Faculty Celebration – May 13th:
Each year we have a Spring Faculty Celebration hosted by the School of Medicine at the Doris Duke Center in the Duke Gardens. This year the celebration is May 13th from 5:00 – 7:30 pm to recognize newly tenured faculty and professors, and winners of the school of medicine awards. We are blessed to have such great faculty in Duke Heart – and again this year we had several internal and external nominations for awards. The Nominees and award winners are presented below. Please join us this year if you can to celebrate our Cardiovascular group and all of the cardiology, cardio-thoracic, vascular, and anesthesia faculty that work to ensure we deliver the highest quality of care to our patients and mentor and train the next generation. Please join us this year if you can. If you have not already RSVP’d, the invitation link is here: the invite.
Surgical Scrubs Policy Reinforcement
A key finding from a recent Joint Commission Mock Survey conducted by DUH Perioperative Services was the observation of multidisciplinary clinical team members wearing designated OR scrubs to and from the hospital.
The finding falls under standard IC.02.01.01, EP1, Infection Prevention and Control. Wearing designated surgical scrubs into the community, home & back, does not align with policy DUHS Guidelines for Surgical Attire Policy #7429.
The recommendation from the Joint Commission is for DUH to meet the required standards and maintain compliance with the system policy. The attached policy is being shared with all faculty/clinical team members who spend time in the OR as a reminder to change into and out of designated surgical scrubs upon arriving and once they are done in the OR for the day.
Perioperative leadership will reinforce this policy with the OR, SPD, and ancillary departments.
If you have any questions, please contact the DUH Perioperative Medical Director, Dr. Melissa Erickson, or the DUH Perioperative Anesthesia Medical Director, Dr. Dhanesh Gupta. Holly Garon, ACNO Perioperative Services, Tina Thomas, COD, and the OR Nurse Managers, are also available to answer questions or address concerns.
Thank you, in advance, for complying with this policy.
Andrea Knowles Joins Duke ECMO Team
After an extensive search, Andrea Knowles, BS, RRT, CES-A, has been named ECMO Manager at Duke Hospital. Andrea will report to Desiree Bonadonna, chief of Perfusion Services and director of Extracorporeal Life Support. Knowles will support the ECMO Specialist Team.
Andrea comes to Duke with fifteen years of ECMO experience, most recently as the ECMO Coordinator for Loyola University Medical Center. She will be orienting to Duke over the coming weeks and will begin managing the ECMO Specialist Team in July.
Please join us in welcoming Andrea to Duke!
Please Complete the DUHS Culture Pulse Survey
A critical part of advancing Duke Health’s culture is checking the pulse of our organization to identify what we are doing well and where we have continued opportunities to learn and grow together.
The Duke Health Culture Pulse survey launched last week and is available to all team members until May 13. The brief, 18-question survey is confidential and mobile-friendly.
This year’s survey is focused on Duke’s commitment to putting people first by asking questions, listening, and seeking diverse perspectives. The Culture Pulse survey aims to strengthen the employee experience and will take you under five minutes to complete.
Please know that your responses are completely confidential. Thank you for sharing your invaluable insights and for everything you do every day to make Duke Health an extraordinary place to work, learn, and receive care.
The link to the survey has been sent to everyone via email. Check your inbox and please make your voice heard!
Duke Heart Volunteers Recognized
In celebration of Volunteer Appreciation Week, held April 21-27, volunteers from across Duke Health were celebrated at a special breakfast at Croasdaile Country Club in Durham on Thursday, April 25. Several Duke Heart volunteers attended, including three members of our Duke Heart Patient Family Advisory Council: Kathryn Dailey, our Heart PFAC co-chair, Bob Curlee, and Sue Ann Glower.
Our many volunteers enhance the Duke healthcare team by dedicating their time, skills, and compassion to improve patient experiences and community engagement on a local, national, and global scale. There are more than 30 volunteer programs available for community involvement throughout Duke Health System.
We appreciate the invaluable support and kindness that our volunteers bring to our patients, their families, visitors, and staff. Thank you to all volunteers throughout DUHS, and especially right here within our Duke Heart care spaces.
2024 NC Walk for Victory Held
The 2024 North Carolina Walk for Victory, held on April 20 at Laurel Hills Park in Raleigh was a big success in raising valuable funds to support research into Marfan Syndrome and related connective tissue disorders. More than 200 participants attended the event, sponsored by Duke Heart, and led by Chad Hughes, MD who served as the medical director for the event. Overall, $53,500 was raised by volunteer teams and family members.
Great job!
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
- Culture Pulse 2024 April 22-May 13
Cardiology Grand Rounds
April 30: TBD. 5 p.m., DN 2002 or via Zoom.
All Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:
NET ID and password required. Enjoy!
CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference
May 1: DHP Case Presentation with Aubrie Carroll. Noon, DMP 2W96 (in-person only).
May 3: Adult Congenital Heart Disease with Richard Krasuski. Noon, Zoom only.
Upcoming CME Symposia
May 4: Duke Heart Failure Symposium
Please reach out to Christy Darnell with any questions.
Working Effectively Across Generations
June 3: Working Effectively Across Generations with Hile Rutledge, of Otto Kroeger Associates (OKA). 8:30 a.m. to Noon. Great Hall, Trent Semans Center. Sponsored by Duke School of Medicine.
Registration required: https://medschool.duke.edu/blog/register-now-working-effectively-across-generations
Have news to share?
If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart 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 Duke Heart family. Please call with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon, Wednesdays, to be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
April 23 — Kimberly Ward (DCRI)
Winston-Salem Journal
Sheriff: Drones can help ‘change the atmosphere’ when it comes to cardiac arrest response
April 24 — Marat Fudim
STAT News
Decline in heart failure deaths has been undone, led by people under 45
April 24 — Harry Severance
Becker’s Hospital Review
How the FTC’s noncompete ban could change the physician workforce
April 23 — Project Baseline
tctMD
Duke Heart Pulse — April 21, 2024
Highlights of the week:
Rambarat Named Chief Cardiology Fellow, 2024-2025
We are excited to share that our Duke cardiology fellows have elected Paula Rambarat, MD to serve as chief cardiology fellow for 2024-2025. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Rambarat and welcoming her to her new role!
Rambarat was born and raised in Barbados. She moved to Chapel Hill, NC in her junior year of high school and graduated from East Chapel Hill High School. Then, she attended Duke University, where she majored in biology and minored in Spanish. Subsequently, she received her medical degree from Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. During medical school, she was awarded a Howard Hughes Medical Institute research fellowship and worked in the lab of Dr. Robert Lefkowitz here at Duke. Rambarat completed an Internal Medicine residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and returned to Duke for a Cardiovascular Disease fellowship. She is pursuing a Duke Clinical Research Institute fellowship followed by advanced training in heart failure and transplant cardiology. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, running, and cooking.
Dr. Ramabarat will on-board with Dr. Lerman during May. She officially takes the role at the end of June.
Many thanks to Joseph Lerman, MD for the incredible job he has done serving as chief cardiology fellow this past year!
Congratulations, Paula!
ACC.24: Summary of Duke ACC Presentations
Faculty experts from across Duke Heart and the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) shared insights and expertise on the latest cardiology research as part of more than 100 late-breaking studies, Meet the Expert opportunities, presentations, panels, and posters during the 2024 American College of Cardiology (ACC) Scientific Sessions held April 6-8 in Atlanta.
Duke kicked off the conference with AEGIS-II and EMPACT-MI presented as part of the opening late-breaking research session. The two presentations culminated in six publications in major medical journals.
Therapy Shows Promise in Delaying Hospitalizations for HF: Results from EMPACT- MI
About 800,000 people in the U.S. suffer a heart attack every year, and approximately 30% of them will go on to develop heart failure. There are limited treatments to prevent or slow that development.
A large international study coordinated and conducted by the DCRI found that the diabetes drug empagliflozin (marketed under the brand name Jardiance) did not reduce deaths. Secondary findings show it did slow the time to first hospitalization for heart failure and reduced the total number of subsequent heart failure hospitalizations. The results from the EMPACT-MI trial were published simultaneously with the ACC presentation in the New England Journal of Medicine, Circulation, and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Details of the meta-analysis are in press in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. The study was led by Schuyler Jones, MD and Adrian Hernandez, MD from the Duke/DCRI.
The study findings on lower rates of heart failure offer some hope and underscore the importance of preventing poor outcomes after a heart attack, according to DCRI executive director and site principal investigator, Adrian Hernandez, MD, MHS.
“Developing heart failure is one of our major public health problems, and any step that gets us closer to preventing it is a step in the right direction,” Hernandez said. “After a heart attack, we should really be focused on how to prevent problems, especially the development of heart failure. This therapy fills in that gap.”
AEGIS-II Misses Primary Endpoint; Data Suggest Further Research into HDL Modification is Warranted
Primary results from the AEGIS-II trial showed that infusions of the human plasma-derived apolipoprotein A-I CSL112 did not significantly lower the risk of major adverse
cardiac events through 90 days for people who had recently suffered a heart attack. However, exploratory analysis showed that patients who received the treatment had numerically lower rates of cardiovascular (CV) death and myocardial infarction (MI), type-1 MI, and stent thrombosis-related MI compared to placebo. Primary results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and exploratory results were published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
“It’s probably the most important trial looking at HDL modification or altering HDL efficacy in terms of limiting cardiovascular events,” said Thomas Povsic, MD, PhD, one of the study investigators and first author of the JACC paper. “I think there are signals that it did work, but the overall effects were relatively modest and what we showed is that on certain kinds of heart attacks, it does seem to prevent downstream cardiovascular events. That would need validation in a separate clinical trial.”
Also notable from AEGIS-II was the efficiency of the study’s operations. The AEGIS-II team enrolled more than 18,000 participants across 46 countries amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with only two lost to follow-up. The DCRI managed the study data and managed the 193 U.S. sites, which enrolled more than 1,800 high-risk acute MI patients, with none lost to follow-up.
“We have long-standing relationships with many of our sites in the U.S., so I think one of the things that we bring to the table is that we know a lot of sites that will enroll well and are high quality sites that will follow their patients,” Povsic said during a Meet the Expert event following the late-breaker session. “We have relationships with country leaders throughout the world. I was one of the country leaders in the U.S., and we had a lot of contact with our sites to make sure that they were following patients and doing all the other things that we talk about in clinical trials to make sure the trial is well run, and this trial was really well run.”
Pagidipati Provides Practical Tips for Harnessing the Power of Anti-Obesity Medications
Anti-obesity medications squarely fit within a cardiologist’s scope of practice and should be used in combination with lifestyle changes, according to cardiologist Neha Pagidipati, MD, MPH, presenting during a Saturday afternoon ACC session.
Referencing studies including STEP HFpEF, SELECT, STEP 1, STEP 4, SURMOUNT 1 and SURMOUNT 4, Pagidipati discussed the relevance and benefits of newer weight loss drugs such as semaglutide, liraglutide, and tirzepatide, and then outlined how she introduces patients to the medications and increases their dosing gradually.
“These therapies don’t just help patients lose weight, they are CV-risk reduction agents,” said Pagidipati, underscoring the relevance of the drugs for cardiologists. She also emphasized the need for lifestyle changes in concert with the medications.
“No amount of medicine is going to help a patient become healthier if they don’t understand what they’re supposed to be doing in their life in terms of exercise and diet,” she said. “All of these studies were predicated upon some lifestyle change happening for all of these patients.”
Pagidipati went on to share the three things she discusses with her patients to ensure the medications are most effective:
- Move more: “Whatever you’re doing, do more than what you’re doing.”
- How much you eat: “It helps if you eat less, for most of us, and these agents will help us do that.”
- What you eat: “In general, I recommend the Mediterranean diet, low salt, low carb, if they’re trying to lose weight, as well.”
- When starting patients on anti-obesity medications, a slow and gradually increasing approach is best.
“The key to remember is start low, go slow,” Pagidipati said. “Start at the lowest dose with patients, and I titrate every four weeks. I only titrate up to the next dose if and when their gastrointestinal symptoms have improved. If they’re queasy, have nausea, and you titrate up for them, it’s just going to get worse. Also, I tend to wait until their weight loss plateaus, and usually at four weeks it does.”
Keys to Improving Healthspan in Older Adults with Ischemic Heart Disease
During a session focused on improving healthspan in older adults with ischemic heart disease, Karen Alexander, MD, first sought to point out the elephant in the room: “everyone dies,” she said.
“This is not a reason that we shouldn’t be working very hard to improve quality of life before death, but we need to be aware of that, because our patients are aware of that, and as we ask them to participate in research, I think that’s on their mind to a degree.”
In aiming to generate evidence among older adults, Alexander recommended:
- considering the uniqueness of the older population, and the underlying processes unique in that age group.
- appreciating and leveraging new ways of doing research that are virtual and aligned with care.
- thinking about the outcomes that matter to the patients.
Alexander highlighted the approach taken by the ongoing PREVENTABLE study, which is finding potential participants aged 75 and older using a cohort query applied to the electronic health record. Sites then approach patients and randomize them to atorvastatin 40 mg. or placebo. Participants are tracked to determine whether they meet the primary outcome which is one that matters to the patients — survival free of dementia and persisting disability.
Researchers have made participation easy by shipping the study drug directly to patient homes and enrolling about half of the population remotely.
“This can be done,” Alexander said. “We’re having a very simple intervention, which is the atorvastatin 40 mg. versus placebo — but you could imagine how this could be replicated based on our experience in other situations.”
Keeping in mind the participant population’s desire to try new interventions is key, Alexander concluded.
“As we’re beginning to think about these fancy new interventions, we have to stop ourselves and remember the population we’re asking to go on this journey and to be in the trial boat with us. From PREVENTABLE, the one thing we have learned is that older adults are in that phase where they really don’t want to rock the boat. This is an important thing to partner with our participants and make sure they’re interested in joining us.”
What’s Now, and What’s Next for Treating High Blood Pressure?
Nearly half of adults have hypertension or are taking medication to manage hypertension. Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is defined as systolic blood
pressure greater than 130 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure greater than 80 mmHg.
An ACC session focused on high blood pressure reviewed the issue and the forthcoming therapies that could help to better manage the condition.
Highlighting the SPRINT study — which showed a reduction in all-cause mortality, relative risk reduction in heart failure, and reduction in stroke — Duke cardiologist Chris Granger, MD, noted that it provides a helpful example of what can be done, while also showing the limitations.
After emphasizing the study’s impressive results, Granger discussed the aftermath.
“The long-term follow-up, after two or three years after the trial was finished, the blood pressure difference between the two groups had vanished, the benefit for mortality and CV mortality had vanished,” he said. “This is in a setting where people had done the trial, they knew the benefits, it was with the same patients who knew the benefits, so this shows us that our current systems are really a failure, even in optimal settings.”
For now, key strategies for treating hypertension he highlighted include:
- targeting blood pressure less than 130 mmHg systolic for patients with or high-risk for cardiovascular disease using combination drugs titrated monthly.
- home monitoring.
- ensuring patient access to advanced practice providers, pharmacists, and algorithms measuring and promoting medication adherence.
New possibilities on the horizon could improve treatment of hypertension, Granger added.
“New treatments, like zilebesiran, I think will provide important, perhaps transformational opportunities for treating high blood pressure, in this case through a potent, what appears to be safe based on preliminary data, and sustained inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system with a treatment given once every six months as a subcutaneous injection.” he said, adding that more trials are needed and ongoing to assess efficacy and safety.
TRANSFORM-HF Modified On-Treatment Analysis Supports Primary Results
DCRI Fellow Mark Kittipibul, MD, shared results from a modified on-treatment analysis of the effects of torsemide vs. furosemide after discharge in patients hospitalized with heart failure from the TRANSFORM-HF trial.
The analysis showed no significant difference in mortality between the on-treatment groups of the two diuretics at discharge or after one month.
“In this post-hoc on-treatment analysis of TRANSFORM-HF — inclusive of all randomized patients, unless they were confirmed to be non-adherent — there was no significant difference in outcomes between torsemide and furosemide,” said DCRI Fellow Mark Kittipibul at ACC reviewing the effects of the two diuretics in heart failure patients after hospital discharge. “These findings support the robustness of the primary trial results.”
Primary results from TRANSFORM-HF were first shared by Robert Mentz, MD, during a late-breaking science session at the 2022 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.
New Study Shows Fortified Eggs did not Raise Cholesterol
A study led by Duke researchers offers new evidence on fortified eggs’ health effects. In a modest-sized randomized trial, researchers found that fortified eggs — meaning those enriched with various vitamins or nutrients — did not significantly impact bad cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) or good cholesterol (HDL cholesterol) over the course of the four-month study.
A secondary finding hinted there could be some benefit associated with fortified egg consumption for older patients and patients with diabetes. The finding was not statistically significant due to the number of study participants, but senior researcher and heart failure cardiologist Robert Mentz, MD said it’s an interesting signal that the researchers would like to investigate in future work.
The study’s first author and DCRI Fellow Nina Nouhravesh, MD said the study can be viewed as a pilot.
“While it was modest in size, it did include a broadly generalized population,” Nouhravesh said. “The average age of participants was 66 years, half were women, and more than 25% identified as Black.”
ICYMI: Bill Kraus MGR Presentation, April 19
If you were unable to attend Friday morning Medicine Grand Rounds, the presenter was Bill Kraus, MD on ‘A Detailed Analysis of Cardiac Rehabilitation on 180-day All-Cause Hospital Readmission and Mortality. You can view the recording here: https://duke.is/5/jjy3
Happy Birthday, Chris Granger!
A belated Happy Birthday to Chris Granger, MD – his team members in the CICU helped celebrate his special day with him this past week. Happy Birthday, Chris!
Culture Pulse Survey Launches This Week
The Duke Health Culture Pulse survey launches tomorrow, April 22, and is available to team members until May 13. The brief, 18-question survey is confidential and mobile-friendly. Visit the Culture Pulse 2024 page on DHN for a Zoom background, flyer, and more.
This year’s Culture Pulse will focus on our commitment to putting people first by asking questions, listening, and seeking diverse perspectives. The Culture Pulse survey aims to strengthen the employee experience and will take you under five minutes to complete.
The link to the survey will arrive via email tomorrow. Check your inbox!
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
- April is National Donate Life Month
- Annual reminder as part of Duke’s “check yourself” campaign: please make sure your contact information is up to date in Duke@Work
- Culture Pulse 2024 April 22-May 13
- Duke Farmers Market season opens this week! Starting April 25, the Farmers Market will be held every Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the DMP Greenway.
Cardiology Grand Rounds
April 23: No CGR tonight. (Faculty Meeting, division of cardiology)
April 25: New Insight into the Physiology of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction with Satyam (Tom) Sarma, MD of UT Southwestern. 5 p.m., DN 2002 or via Zoom. *Please note this is a Thursday evening presentation.
All Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:
NET ID and password required. Enjoy!
CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference
April 24: EP Case Presentation with Aman Kansal and Eric Xie. Noon, DMP 2W96 (in-person only).
April 26: EKG Review with Tom Bashore. Noon, Zoom only.
Upcoming CME Symposia
May 4: Duke Heart Failure Symposium
Please reach out to Christy Darnell with any questions.
Working Effectively Across Generations
June 3: Working Effectively Across Generations with Hile Rutledge, of Otto Kroeger Associates (OKA). 8:30 a.m. to Noon. Great Hall, Trent Semans Center. Sponsored by Duke School of Medicine.
Registration required: https://medschool.duke.edu/blog/register-now-working-effectively-across-generations
Have news to share?
If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart 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 Duke Heart family. Please call with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon, Wednesdays, to be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
April 12 — Pamela Douglas
Healio
Pamela S. Douglas, MD, highlights need for diversity in clinical trials leadership
April 12 — Neha Pagidipati
tctMD
Triglyceride-Lowering Therapies Provide Favorable Outcomes in Early Testing
April 16 — Charlotte Reikofski
AARC
Want to Work with Kids? Here’s What You Need to Know First!
April 16 — Jennifer Rymer
tctMD
TARGET BP 1: Alcohol-Based RDN Promises Single Treatment for Resistant BP
April 16 — Dawn Coleman
Vascular Specialist
April 16 — Duke Clinical Research Institute
Medscape
Chelation Therapy and CV Risk: Why TACT2 Showed No Benefit
April 17 — Jennifer Rymer
Medscape
Alcohol-Mediated Renal Denervation Promising in Hypertension
April 18 — William Kraus and Kim Huffman
Mirage.News
Research: Calorie Limitation’s Complex Role in Aging
April 18 — Joseph Lerman
tctMD
In Transporting Donor Hearts, SherpaPak Shows Promise Over Traditional Coolers
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