Author Archives: Tracey Koepke

Highlights of the week:

Vekstein Joins Duke CT Surgery Faculty

We are pleased to share that Andrew Vekstein, MD, joined our cardiovascular and thoracic surgery faculty as of July 1. Vekstein will focus his clinical practice on aortic and adult cardiac surgery. He completed his undergraduate education at Duke University, then attended medical school at Case Western Reserve University and was awarded AOA designation. He subsequently was accepted into the Duke Integrated 6-year CT Surgery residency and is the third graduate from the program.

He plans to complete an additional Aortic Surgery fellowship with Drs. Chad Hughes and Chandler Long, the directors of the Duke Aortic Center. He has already published extensively with more than 50 peer-reviewed manuscripts, seven book chapters, and multiple national meeting podium presentations. Consistent with his interest in clinical research, he will have membership in the Duke Clinical Research Institute and has already been awarded the Duke Heart Center Leadership Council Award to study cognitive function of patients after surgeries with circulatory arrest.

“Andrew is one of the brightest and most academically driven trainees that I have worked with, but at the same time, he is the consummate gentleman and team player,” says Carmelo Milano, MD, Joseph and Dorothy Beard Professor of Surgery and Division Chief, Cardiothoracic Surgery at Duke.

Please join us in congratulating Andrew and welcoming him to the faculty!

 

Al-Khatib Receives Patient Advocacy Award

Congratulations to Sana Al-Khatib! This weekend she was awarded the Eric N. Prystowsky, MD Advocate for Patients Award by StopAfib.org during their annual Get in Rhythm. Stay in Rhythm. Atrial Fibrillation Patient Conference, a symposium geared specifically to patients. The meeting is being held this weekend (August 8-10, 2025) in Dallas, TX, and via livestream.

The Eric N. Prystowsky, MD Advocate for Patients Award recognizes a healthcare professional who has demonstrated outstanding service to atrial fibrillation patients and their families. Al-Khatib is a clinical electrophysiologist as well as the fellowship program director and cardiovascular research program leader of the Duke Clinical Research Institute Fellowship Program.

Prystowsky, for whom the award is named, is considered one of the world’s foremost experts on AFib. He is currently Director of the Cardiac Arryhthmia Service at Ascension St. Vincent in Indianapolis. He completed his cardiology and clinical electrophysiology training here at Duke.

“It is a great honor to be the recipient of this special award and to be among distinguished individuals who have received this award previously including Hugh Calkins, MD; Emelia Benjamin, MD; Vivek Reddy, MD; and Andrea M. Russo, MD to mention a few,” said Al-Khatib. “I am so grateful for this recognition by an amazing patient advocacy group.”

Congratulations, Sana — well-deserved!

 

A Week of Firsts for Heart Center CRU: The Fast and The Furious

We are excited to share the latest updates from the Heart Center Clinical Research Unit. This week, three studies enrolled their first patients:

V-INTERVENTION: Schuyler Jones and Manesh Patel, with Erin Campo, primary research coordinator. Concept: Inclisiran in peripheral artery disease. Start-up was very fast – around three months, according to Marat Fudim. First patient enrolled within days of activation, with more in the pipeline.

This is a 1:1 randomized study of patients undergoing successful coronary or peripheral intervention. 6,000 total patients planned. Patients can be treated with other lipid-lowering therapies, including statins and ezetimibe.

“Dennis Narcisse, MD, approached and enrolled the first patient at Duke on the first day of study activation. The participant was the 2nd patient in the study nationally. Erin Campo is the primary coordinator for V-INTERVENTION. She is doing a great job – as we have 5-6 patients planned for enrollment over the next 7-10 days,” according to Schuyler Jones.

ULTRA-HFIB-REDO: Ultrasound-Based Renal Sympathetic Denervation as Adjunctive Upstream Therapy During Atrial Fibrillation – REDO Ablation Procedures: A Pilot Study: Jonathan Piccini and Schuyler Jones, with Jessye Davis, clinical research coordinator. Concept: Renal nerve ablation at the time of AFib ablation with the hope for additive benefit of this approved neuromodulation technology on AFib recurrence.

This is a 2:1 randomization to renal sympathetic denervation via ultrasound-based renal sympathetic denervation versus control after redo AF ablation in patients with hypertension. The study is actively enrolling.

Comet HF: Adam DeVore and Elizabeth McChesney, along with clinical research coordinator Kim Biever, enrolled their first patients within a few weeks of activation. Concept: Omecamtiv Mecarbil in HFrEF.

V INTERVENTION and Comet HF are both DCRI-led studies with an accelerated path to activation.

Artwork courtesy of budding AI creator Marat Fudim, MD.

Keep up the excellent work, everyone!

 

Reprogramming Scar Tissue to Heal the Heart: Hodgkinson Receives NHLBI R01 Award

Each year, nearly one million people in the United States experience heart attacks that leave permanent damage to cardiac muscle. Once the heart forms scar tissue in response to injury, there are few options to reverse the loss of function. But what if that scar tissue could be transformed back into healthy, contractile heart muscle?

That is the question driving the research of Conrad Hodgkinson, PhD, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiology. With a new R01 award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health, totaling close to $2 million, Dr. Hodgkinson is working to bring cardiac regeneration closer to clinical reality.

The NHLBI-funded project, titled Novel approaches for cardiac reprogramming: Exosome delivery of reprogramming miRNAs and repressor targeting siRNAs, focuses on a strategy called cellular reprogramming. The goal is to convert fibroblasts, cells that form scar tissue after a heart attack, into cardiomyocytes —the cells responsible for generating force and maintaining the heartbeat.

“We are essentially reprogramming scar tissue to regenerate the heart,” Hodgkinson said. “There’s no real cure for a heart attack today. You can stop it, you can prevent more damage, but there’s no way to replace the muscle that’s lost. Our work is about changing that.”

Hodgkinson and his colleagues were the first to demonstrate that a set of four microRNAs—collectively dubbed “miR combo”—could convert fibroblasts into cardiomyocytes in vitro. While early results were promising, recovery of heart function in animal models remained partial.

To improve outcomes, the team is now addressing three key barriers: inefficient delivery of the reprogramming signals, resistance within the fibroblasts themselves, and the challenge of applying these techniques beyond the early post-injury window.

One part of the solution lies in exosomes—tiny lipid vesicles naturally released by cells. Hodgkinson’s lab identified a type of exosome derived from C166 cells that preferentially targets cardiac fibroblasts. By packaging miR combo into these exosomes, they’ve developed a delivery system that sends the reprogramming instructions exactly where they’re needed, without affecting other cell types in the heart.

“Instead of delivering RNA to every kind of cell in the heart, which dilutes the effect and increases risk, we’re focusing it directly on fibroblasts,” Hodgkinson said. “That’s where the scar is, and that’s where the healing needs to happen.”

The second innovation involves the inclusion of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) that target a specific set of transcriptional repressors, including Cbx1, PurB, and Sp3. These proteins act as molecular brakes, preventing fibroblasts from activating cardiac genes. By inhibiting them, the team enhances the fibroblasts’ ability to become functional heart cells.

Preliminary studies in mice showed striking improvements in heart function. When both the miR combo and siRNAs were delivered via exosomes, cardiac performance rebounded from near-failure levels to nearly normal. Now, the NHLBI grant will support additional safety studies and scaling the method for larger animal models.

“Pig hearts are very similar to human hearts, so the next step is testing our approach in pigs with heart injuries,” Hodgkinson said. “It’s part of building a real translational path.”

The project is a collaboration between Hodgkinson and colleagues Dr. Victor Dzau, Dr. Richard Pratt, Dr. Xinhua Wang, and Ikra Anwar. Additional support has come from the Fred and Edna Jr. Mandel Foundation, which helped fund the early work that made this grant possible.

For Hodgkinson, the long journey to this R01, which was secured on its fourth submission, reflects both the complexity and promise of the science.

“This is about moving toward something that doesn’t exist yet—a way to actually regenerate the heart after injury,” he said. “If we can get that right, the potential impact is enormous.”

Story by Sarah Riddle for the Duke Dept. of Medicine.

 

DUHS Leadership Updates:

Allen Named Chair, Duke Dept. of Surgery

Dean Mary Klotman announced this week that following a thorough national search and external review of the department and its leadership, Peter J. Allen, MD, has accepted the role of chair of the Department of Surgery in the School of Medicine, starting August 25, 2025.

Dr. Allen is currently the David C. Sabiston Jr. Distinguished Professor of Surgery, chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology, and chief of surgery for the Duke Cancer Institute. He also serves as the Duke University Health System Vice President for Cancer Services, where he leads the Cancer Service line. He joined Duke in 2018, after serving in numerous roles in the Department of Surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for 14 years.

Dr. Allen received his medical degree from Dartmouth Medical School and began his surgical career in the military, completing his surgical residency and accepting his first faculty position at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. During his term of service in the United States Army, he was deployed to Iraq for one year, where he served on the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment’s forward surgical team. He joined the faculty at Memorial Sloan Kettering in 2005. He was associate director for clinical programs in the David Rubenstein Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research from 2013-2018, the Murray F. Brennan Endowed Chair in Surgery from 2014-2018, and vice chair of surgical services from 2014-2018.

Dr. Allen’s clinical and research interest is in pancreatic and hepatobiliary malignancies, and his research has received NIH funding for over a decade. As Surgical Oncology division chief, he oversees approximately 35 faculty members in the sections of breast, endocrine, melanoma, hepatobiliary, and colorectal surgery. He is committed to educating and mentoring new surgical oncologists and surgeon-scientists training at Duke, and his international reputation as a leader in his field has elevated Duke’s surgical oncology program.

Duke’s Department of Surgery has a long history of innovation and excellence and is considered one of the leading surgery programs in the world. The department provides world-class surgical care, education, and training and is an international leader in research. The department has ranked among the top 10 departments nationally in NIH funding for 25 consecutive years, and over the previous four years, the department has been the top-funded department of surgery in the country.

The strong international standing of this department has been further elevated by the leadership and guidance of Dr. Allan D. Kirk, MD, PhD. We want to express our deep gratitude to Dr. Kirk for his 11 years of exemplary service as chair of Surgery.

Congratulations, Peter!

 

Shout-out to Doody!

We received terrific notes this week regarding cardiology PA Jesslyn Doody.

“I just wanted to reach out and shout out Jesslyn Doody. She is one of my favorite providers to work with and patients absolutely love her. She takes the time to listen to the patients/nurses’ concerns and is always prompt in communicating updates or changes in plan of care. She truly goes above and beyond in her job and even consistently stays late to make sure patients are settled before she leaves. I know nurses have Stars/ Daisy awards, but I’m not aware of any way to shout her out other than emailing you and I really felt as if she deserved to be recognized!” — Krista Volcheck, RN, CVSSU

“Jesslyn, thank you for the exceptional care you provide. Your dedication, compassion, and collaborative spirit do not go unnoticed. You consistently go the extra mile for both patients and your colleagues, and it makes a meaningful difference every day. Thank you for all that you do — we are so grateful to have you on our team.” — Diane Sauro

“Congratulations to Jesslyn for the well-deserved kudos and recognition. You make Duke Heart a great place for our patients, staff, and families.” — Jill Engel

“Congrats Jesslyn! We appreciate all that you do.” — Camille Frazier-Mills

Way to go, Jesslyn!

 

Duke Heart Gains New Family Member

Congratulations to Lindsay Bostian, one of our cardiology APPs, and her husband, Ryan on the birth of their beautiful daughter, Isla Rose. She was born on July 28 weighing 5 lbs., with a height of 19 and 1/8 inches.

We are looking forward to meeting her!

 

Duke Heart to Host AHA ‘Torch’ and Rally on Wednesday

Duke Heart & Vascular will host a kick-off rally and host the Triangle region American Heart Association’s (AHA) new Torch Trophy this week to help launch Heart Walk activities for 2025. For 10 weeks leading up to the Triangle Heart Walk, the AHA will “pass the torch” among the top companies in our area that have shown deep commitment to the Walk. We are honored and excited to host the torch on its inaugural journey to Duke University Hospital.

The torch will be in the Heart Services suite on the 8^th floor of the HAFS building starting on Wednesday, August 12, and will be there through Friday, August 14. Please visit and take a selfie! The torch may make special trips throughout our heart units as well, so be on the lookout!

At the end of the 10 weeks, on October 11, the Torch will make its way to the Heart Walk stage, where it will be presented to the company that raised the most funds this year.

 

Support the Stead Tread

Join the Department of Medicine Internal Medicine Residency Program for the annual Stead Tread 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, Sept 20th at 9 a.m., at Solite Park (just off the American Tobacco Trail). All proceeds will benefit the Lincoln Community Health Center, a local federally qualified health center that offers high-quality care to uninsured and underinsured patients in Durham at heavily subsidized costs. The event draws 300+ participants annually and is open to the entire family! Pets and strollers are welcome on the course.

The Stead Tread is named for Dr. Eugene Stead, Chairman of Medicine at Duke from 1947-1967. This event carries forward Stead’s legacy of community service and contributions in the Duke and Durham communities.

For participants 13 and older, registration is $35 per person. For Lincoln patients and children 12 years and younger, registration is free. The division with the most participants (i.e., the Duke Cardiology Division) gets a trophy! And, if you cannot make it that day, the patients of Lincoln would still benefit greatly from your donations. Register or donate HERE. Sign up by September 1 to guarantee a T-shirt! Reach out to event planner Victor Ayeni (victor.ayeni@duke.edu) with any questions.

 

New Faculty Orientation

The School of Medicine (SOM) will hold its annual Academic New Faculty Orientation on Monday, October 13, 2025, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Trent Semans Center. Orientation is open to all faculty, but we especially encourage those hired in the past 1-3 years to attend if they have not already.

New Faculty Orientation addresses topics important to faculty life, including navigating Duke; appointments, promotion, and tenure; working with learners, and more. To learn more and register, please visit https://duke.is/SOM-NFO.

 

Triangle Heart Walk – Save the Date!

The 2025 Triangle Heart Walk will take place on Saturday, October 11, at Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, located at 3801 Rock Quarry Rd, Raleigh, NC 27610. The festivities will open at 7:30 a.m.; the official “welcome” program will begin at 8:45 a.m., with the Walk immediately following. The event venue will be open through 11 a.m.

Please note the change to Saturday morning from Sunday, the change in venue from prior years, and the earlier start time!

Please consider leading a team and signing up to be a Heart Walk team captain – or sign up now to be a walker. You can join any team you like or sign up as an individual walker. Registration is now open: https://duke.is/HeartWalk-2025

 

 

Pedestrian Safety/Traffic Improvements

Trent Drive Project: Phase 1 of a project to enhance pedestrian safety and traffic flow along Trent Drive will take place August 11-15, 2025, from 7 p.m. – 5 a.m. During these nighttime hours, traffic will shift from two lanes to one lane on the west side of Trent Drive, and clearly marked pedestrian detours will be in place to guide foot traffic safely around the work zone.

Please advise staff and patients who will be on campus during these times. Learn more here.

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Duke Heart Fall CMEs

Fall 2025 Session Duke Cardiovascular MR Practicum & Board Review

The Duke Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Center provides a twice-yearly practicum that provides participants with an understanding of the principles of magnetic resonance imaging, safety issues in performing cardiac MR, and imaging protocols currently available for the evaluation of the structure and function of the cardiovascular system. Case presentations, one-on-one discussion, and observation of actual patient imaging will be emphasized. This course fulfills the SCMR requirements for Level 1 (Track B) and is applicable toward Level 2 certification and is aligned with the content for future CMR Board Exams.

The Fall 2025 course will be held December 8-12 in the Penn Pavilion at Duke University. For more information, contact Michele Parker. The full course brochure and registration link are available here. 

 

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call 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: 

August issue — Harry Severance

Emergency Medicine News

“35% of Americans cannot afford or access healthcare: Gallup.” An Expanding Impact Further Disrupting Emergency Care

August 1 — Stephen Greene

HCP Live

Finerenone and the Role of Combination Therapy in HFrEF/HFpEF

August 1 — Stephen Greene

HCP Live

Finerenone Offers New Hope for HFpEF: Insights from the FINEARTS-HF Trial

August 4 — Nishant Shah

Medscape

Lipoprotein(a): Aiming at a Moving Target, Waiting for Ammunition

August 5 — Branson Whitaker (patient)

WFMY 2/CBS local, Greensboro

‘God’s got this.’ Heart hero honored by Randolph Co. sheriff for good deeds

August 6 — William Kraus

NPR/All Things Considered

How many steps do you need to stay healthy?

Highlights of the week:

Duke Captures NCDR Platinum Awards, 4-Star Ratings Across All Hospitals

Congratulations to our Duke Heart teams across Duke University Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital, and Duke Raleigh Hospital, as well as two of our Duke Heart Network affiliate sites — Alamance Regional Medical Center in Burlington, NC and Frye Regional Medical Center in Hickory, NC  —  each of the hospitals has been recognized with a 2025 National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) Chest Pain—MI Platinum Performance Achievement Award!

The Chest Pain-MI Registry Performance Achievement Award recognizes hospitals participating in the Chest-Pain MI Registry who have demonstrated sustained, top-level performance in quality of care and adherence to guideline recommendations. Through full participation in the registry, hospitals engage in a robust quality improvement process, using data to drive improvements and positively impact patient outcomes for heart attack patients.

The Chest Pain – MI Registry has been the single most trusted source for outcomes-based, continuous quality improvement and remains the go-to registry for hospitals and health systems applying American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) clinical guideline recommendations. The NCDR, part of the American College of Cardiology’s Quality Improvement for Institutions Program, is the largest, most comprehensive, outcomes-based cardiovascular patient data repository in the U.S.

Each of our three Duke hospitals also achieved 4-star ratings – the highest available — by the NCDR CathPCI Registry and NCDR EP Device Implant Registry.  

The NCDR CathPCI Registry assesses the characteristics, treatments, and outcomes of cardiac disease patients who receive diagnostic catheterization and/or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures. This registry captures the data that measure adherence to ACC/AHA clinical practice guideline recommendations, procedure performance standards, and appropriate use criteria for coronary revascularization.

The NCDR EP Device Implant Registry establishes a national standard for understanding patient characteristics, treatments, outcomes, device safety, and the overall quality of care for ICD/ CRT-D and select novel pacemaker procedures, while also delivering benchmarking data. This registry plays an important role in providing data-driven knowledge for optimizing patient care.

Congratulations to all teams – you are doing incredible work!

U.S. News Hospital Ratings Released

We are pleased to announce that Duke University Hospital is again nationally ranked in 11 adult and nine pediatric specialties in this year’s U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals report. We are also happy to see that our cardiovascular, heart and vascular surgery data places us #29 in the U.S. overall, and at #1 in NC and #1 in the Raleigh-Durham metro area.

If you happen to see one of the “Best Hospitals” guidebooks, you’ll see that each of the recipients of the NCDR Chest Pain-MI Registry Performance Achievement Award (see above story) received special recognition from the ACC. Hospitals that received a 2025 Performance Achievement Award at Platinum, Gold, and Silver levels are featured in an ACC insert.

Congratulations, team!

Marshall Named APP Lead, Ambulatory Cardiology

Congratulations to Julie Marshall, physician assistant for cardiology, who has assumed the role of APP Team Lead for ambulatory cardiology as of Friday, August 1, 2025.

Julie has consistently demonstrated exceptional dedication, skill, and leadership throughout her 25 years working at Duke Health. She joined the cardiology division in 2007, where she started on the inpatient service and then transitioned to ambulatory in 2013. We know she will excel in this new role.

Please join us in congratulating Julie on this well-deserved promotion!

 

Pagidipati, Shah Selected Fellows of ASPC

Congratulations to Neha Pagidipati and Nishant Shah! Both have been selected to the 2025 Class of Fellows of the American Society for Preventive Cardiology! They are two of only eight providers named this year. Being named a Fellow of the ASPC (FASPC) is recognition reserved for members who have demonstrated their commitment to cardiovascular disease prevention and the ASPC.

Way to go, Neha and Nishant!

 

Passing of Businessman, Philanthropist David H. Murdock

We want to recognize the passing of David H. Murdock, a visionary philanthropist and the namesake of the MURDOCK Study, who died in June at the age of 102. Murdock made a transformative $35 million gift to Duke University nearly 20 years ago which led to the creation of the Measurement to Understand Reclassification of Disease of Cabarrus and Kannapolis (MURDOCK) Study, a pioneering research initiative based in Kannapolis, N.C. The study was named in his honor by Duke cardiologist Robert Califf, MD, former principal investigator of the study and former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, in recognition of Murdock’s extraordinary commitment to advancing health research.

“David Murdock was a champion of nutrition and bringing people together to promote health,” said Califf. “I’m sure he would be engaged in the current national focus on nutrition. His funding helped many researchers improve their knowledge base.”

The MURDOCK study has subsequently been led by other Duke cardiologists, including Kristin Newby, MD, and current principal investigator, Svati Shah, MD, the Ursula Geller Distinguished Professor of Research in Cardiovascular Diseases.

“Mr. Murdock touched many with his generosity in creating the North Carolina Research Campus and starting the MURDOCK Study nearly two decades ago,” said Shah. “His legacy lives on through the thousands of lives impacted by this research.”

The MURDOCK Study Community Registry and Biorepository is a longitudinal cohort of 12,526 participants from a 20-zip code region centered in Kannapolis and Cabarrus County. Participants contributed health data, biospecimens, and ongoing engagement to support research aimed at reclassifying disease and improving health outcomes.

Our condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues. His obituary can be found here.

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Duke Heart Fall CMEs

The Duke Cardiac Imaging Symposium is scheduled for Saturday, October 4, 2025. It will be held in the Trent Semans Center.

Our 2025 agenda features expert-led sessions on updated ASE guidelines, coronary artery disease evaluation, strain imaging in cardiomyopathies, tricuspid valve disease, cardiac POCUS, and technical skills development through hands-on breakout sessions.

To register, please visit https://events.duke.edu/DukeCIS2025.

The 17th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium will take place on Friday, October 31, 2025, at the Durham Convention Center.

Our 2025 symposium will include clinically challenging presentations, including CTD-PAH, CPPC PH, CTEPH, PH associated with ILD, COPD, portopulmonary hypertension (PoPH), and PH in end-stage renal disease. All will be addressed through interactive lectures and robust case-based discussions.

To register, please visit: https://events.duke.edu/17PH2025.

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call 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: 

July 26 — Nina Nouhravesh

Knowridge.com

Eating fortified eggs does not raise cholesterol

July 29 — Duke University Hospital

U.S. News & World Report

19 Hospitals with Top Ratings

July 29 — Duke University/Duke Health

Becker’s Hospital Review

Duke plans more layoffs after buyouts

July 29 — Duke Health/Duke University Hospital

U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News Announces 2025-2026 Best Hospitals

July 29 — Duke Health/Duke University Hospitals

U.S. News & World Report

These 19 hospitals earned top ratings in 22 procedures and conditions

July 29 — Duke University Hospital

Becker’s Hospital Review

50 top heart hospitals, per US News

July 29 — Duke University Hospital

Fierce Healthcare

U.S. News releases 2025-26 Best Hospitals lists, revamps regional rankings

July 29 — Duke University Hospital

Becker’s ASC Review

The top 50 cardiology hospitals: US News

July 29 — Duke Health

CNN

Trump administration freezes $108 million for Duke Health after accusing university of ‘systemic racial discrimination’

July 31 — Duke University Hospital

WBT/99.3 FM/Charlotte’s News Talk

Charlotte Hospitals Ranked North Carolina’s Best in U.S. News Report

Highlights of the week:

Duke Again Captures GWTG Awards Across Categories for CV Care

Duke Heart & Vascular expertise and care has again led to recognition awards from the American Heart Association. We have recently been notified of Get With the Guidelines (GWTG) awards for excellence in quality for data collected from 1/1/2023 to 12/31/2024.

For Duke University Hospital:

• Get With The Guidelines®-AFib Gold
• GWTG Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Receiving Center – Silver Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
• GWTG Coronary Artery Disease NSTEMI – Gold with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
• GWTG Heart Failure — Gold Plus with Target: Heart Failure Optimal and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

For Duke Raleigh Hospital:

• GWTG Heart Failure Gold Plus with Target: Heart Failure Optimal and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

Finally, Duke University Hospital has also been awarded the AHA’s 2025 Commitment to Quality award. This is the first year for this special award level — recognizing an elite group of hospitals having reached achievement level in three or more Get With The Guidelines® modules. Only 158 sites in the nation met the criteria for this award.

Way to go, team!!!

 

MAGNITUDE Trial Lifts off at Duke

Congratulations to our Precision Cardiomyopathy team! This week, they dosed their first research participant in the MAGNITUDE trial for patients with heart failure due to transthyretin amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM). The study, sponsored by Intellia Therapeutics, utilizes CRISPR technology to inactivate the amyloid gene.

Ravi Karra, MD, MHS, and Michel Khouri, MD, are serving as the co-principal investigators for the Duke site. MAGNITUDE is a multinational, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, and Duke is one of the few centers in the southeastern U.S. participating.

A longer story on this exciting development will appear next month.

 

Kester Named to NC Great 100

Congratulations to Kelly Kester, DNP, senior nursing director with Duke Heart & Vascular! Kester has been named to the NC Great 100 Nurses for 2025. She is one of five Duke nurses who made this year’s list. The others are Melinda Busi and Kathy Sandel with Duke Regional Hospital; Derrick Glymph with Duke School of Nursing; and Blaise Nieve with Duke University Hospital.

Those named to the NC Great 100 exemplify excellence in nursing practice, leadership, and service — they will be honored at the 37th Annual NC Great 100 Gala on October 11 at The Maxwell Center in Goldsboro.

Well deserved, Kelly!

 

Successful JC VAD Visit

The Joint Commission visit this past week to review and reaccredit our Ventricular Assist Device program was a success! The Joint Commission is a major accrediting body for VAD programs, particularly for destination therapy VADs. 

We had a successful visit with no findings. Many thanks to the teams who worked hard to prepare for the visit, to those who remained regulatory-ready, and to the leadership, faculty, and staff who participated in the survey itself.

Great job, all!

Protecting Patients’ Access to Duke Health

In a message shared with all Duke Health team members this week, Tom Owens, MD, COO of DUHS, and Lisa Goodlett, CFO of DUHS, announced the following:

Duke Health has relationships with health insurance companies, including Cigna, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, and more. As a responsible care provider, we regularly assess these contracts and negotiate with insurance providers to secure fair agreements that protect our patients’ access to Duke Health and appropriately reimburse us for the expert, complex care only we can provide.

We are currently negotiating a new agreement with Aetna to support these goals. If we are unable to reach a fair agreement, our contract with Aetna will end on Monday, October 20, and Duke Health will be considered out-of-network for patients with Aetna insurance. This may result in higher out-of-pocket costs for patients with Aetna insurance and may even force patients to find a new clinician that is included in Aetna’s network.

This negotiation will not impact Duke employees. Duke medical plans are managed under a separate Aetna agreement that is not included in the current negotiations.

While we hope to have an agreement with Aetna by Monday, October 20, we will begin communicating with patients about the ongoing negotiations soon. Our goal is to ensure patients experience minimal disruption throughout this process and continue to receive care from our incredible teams. We understand the outcome of this negotiation may impact some of our current processes, including scheduling, and how we support continuity of care. We will keep you updated with current information every step of the way.   

Your Role in Supporting Patients

Our patients may have questions about the negotiation with Aetna. Please assure patients that nothing changes prior to Monday, October 20, and use this resource and FAQ page to support your conversations and direct patients to the following resources:

• To speak with a representative: 919-620-4555 or 800-782-69
• To review additional information: org

Thank you for everything you do for our patients, our teams, and the communities we serve every day.

 

Thompson Named ACNO, DUH; Craft Named AVP, Ambulatory Nursing & Patient Care

Chantal Howard, Chief Nursing & Patient Care Services Officer for Duke University Hospital (DUH) this week announced that Amanda Thompson, MHA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC, has joined the Duke Health team and been named the new Associate Chief Nursing Officer for DUH. She will support Med-Surg and Critical Care Services, Neurosciences, Musculoskeletal and Emergency Services.

Thompson brings more than 30 years of progressive nursing leadership experience spanning inpatient, procedural, and critical care environments. Her most recent roles include serving as Chief Nursing Officer at Advocate Health – Atrium Stanly and Executive Director of Heart & Vascular, Critical Care and Surgical Services at Wake Med. She is recognized for her ability to drive clinical excellence, lead large teams, and foster strong collaboration across disciplines. Her track record in advancing quality, operational performance, and workforce engagement makes her an exceptional addition to our nursing leadership team.

Howard this week also expressed her deep gratitude to Dawn Craft, DNP, RN, NE-BC, who has recently been named Assistant Vice President for Ambulatory Nursing and Patient Care Services. Craft’s impact on inpatient and ambulatory nursing operations at DUH has been profound, Howard said in her announcement, adding that “we are fortunate to continue benefiting from her leadership in her new role during a critical time of growth.”

Welcome to Duke, Amanda, and congratulations, Dawn!

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Duke Heart Fall CMEs

The Duke Cardiac Imaging Symposium is scheduled for Saturday, October 4, 2025. It will be held in the Trent Semans Center.

Our 2025 agenda features expert-led sessions on updated ASE guidelines, coronary artery disease evaluation, strain imaging in cardiomyopathies, tricuspid valve disease, cardiac POCUS, and technical skills development through hands-on breakout sessions.

To register, please visit https://events.duke.edu/DukeCIS2025.

 

The 17th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium will take place on Friday, October 31, 2025, at the Durham Convention Center.

Our 2025 symposium will include clinically challenging presentations, including CTD-PAH, CPPC PH, CTEPH, PH associated with ILD, COPD, portopulmonary hypertension (PoPH), and PH in end-stage renal disease. All will be addressed through interactive lectures and robust case-based discussions.

To register, please visit: https://events.duke.edu/17PH2025.

 

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call 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: 

July 17 — Joseph Turek

Popular Science

Surgeons develop 2 ways to ‘restart’ hearts without a donor’s body

July 17 — Joseph Turek

Becker’s Hospital Review

Duke Health surgeons perform world’s 1st on-table infant heart reanimation

July 18 — Ashley Ward (Nicholas Institute)

JAMA Medical News

Why Capturing Heat-Related Illness in the Medical Record Matters More Than Ever

July 18 — Christina Cui and Dawn Coleman

Vascular Specialist

‘Parenthood in vascular surgery a personal choice, not a professional deadline’

July 19 — Nishant Shah

Good Housekeeping

When Is the Best Time to Take Low-Dose Aspirin — Morning or Night?

July 19 — Branson Whitaker (peds heart patient) and Duke Children’s

WTVD/ABC 11

8-year-old patient who has spent time in Duke Hospital pays it forward

July 20 — Joseph Turek

Science Alert

Surgeons Resuscitate ‘Dead’ Heart in Life-Saving Organ Transplant to Baby

July 22 — Marat Fudim

HCP Live

GLP-1 RAs in Heart Failure and Patient Monitoring, with Marat Fudim, MD

July 23 — Duke Health

Becker’s ASC Review

10 recent cardiology firsts

July 24 — Sana Al-Khatib

Medscape

Everyone Deserves a Shot at the American Dream: Sinus Rhythm

Chief’s message:  Updates for the week:

We are happy to report that Tracey Koepke is back and doing well.  She is helping again with the Pulse and we have some more stories of Amazing team work to save lives in our clinics, new research on pediatric heart transplants from Joe Turek and team, international work by Gerald Bloomfield and team, and the many day to day excellence in research, clinical care and teaching from our fellows, faculty, and staff. Stay out of the heat.

Highlights of the week:

Quick Thinking & CPR Saves Patient

On Tuesday, one of our Duke electrophysiology patients experienced a VT arrest just outside the front door of the Arrington clinic. The patient had just seen Anna Turner, NP and was leaving clinic to go home when they went into polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and arrested.

Marquis Holland, one of our new security officers who had only been on the job for three weeks, along with colleague Christopher Dees, promptly attended to the patient and delivered immediate and high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Holland resuscitated the patient, who was then transported to the hospital.

This patient is alive today because of Marquis, Christopher, and their inspiring actions. We are so grateful for their quick thinking and life-saving actions. The Duke University Police Department is planning to honor them for their heroism.

Marquis is shown here with Anna Turner.

Way to go, Marquis, Christopher, and team!

 

Selvaraj Named Faculty Lead for CRU HF Cluster

Senthil Selvaraj, MD, assistant professor of medicine in cardiology specializing in advanced heart failure, and a faculty member in both the Duke Molecular Physiology Institute and the Duke Clinical & Translational Science Institute’s Center for Precision Health, has been named the faculty lead for the Duke Heart Clinical Research Unit’s Heart Failure Cluster.

Selvaraj leads several translational studies in cardiometabolism in HF using mechanistic randomized trials. He has significant experience in successful recruitment strategies and study execution in site-based research. This experience will continue to foster the ongoing success of the HF cluster.

Please join us in congratulating Senthil on his new role.

 

 

New Technique Could Increase Infant Heart Transplant by 20%

Duke Health has pioneered a world’s-first technique that could expand by up to 20% the donor pool for pediatric heart transplants in the U.S. — offering new hope to families on the waitlist.

The New England Journal of Medicine published the case study on Wednesday, July 16. It details a groundbreaking approach to overcome barriers to heart donation after circulatory death (DCD) in infants.

“This innovation was born out of necessity,” said Joseph Turek, MD, PhD, senior author of the study and chief of pediatric cardiac surgery at Duke Health. “We were determined to find a way to help the smallest and sickest children who previously had no access to DCD heart donation.”

DCD is a technique which allows for heart donation to take place after a circulatory death, rather than brain death (once the standard in donation), as long as the functionality of the heart can be assessed on a perfusion device. DCD has previously been used in adult and adolescent transplants, but existing perfusion devices are too large to fit infant hearts.

A technique called normothermic regional perfusion (NRP) could reanimate the heart inside of the body, but it carries logistical and ethical barriers – leading many centers to avoid using it. The lack of NRP uptake causes viable pediatric donor hearts to go unused.

To overcome this, the Duke team developed a novel technique that temporarily reanimates the donor heart outside of the body, on a surgical table using a heart-lung machine (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or ECMO) – allowing surgeons to assess the organ’s viability before transplant. The approach avoids the barriers associated with NRP and could become a new standard of care.

Duke scientists are calling the new technique on-table heart reanimation. The first-of-its-kind case saved the life of a then 3-month-old patient, who received the procedure earlier this year.

Every year in the U.S. about 700 children are added to the waitlist for a pediatric heart transplant, and of those about 10-20% die while waiting on the list, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing.

Turek estimates the new on-table heart reanimation technique has the potential to save as many young lives as there are viable pediatric donor hearts currently going unused.

“This is a major step forward in pediatric transplant medicine,” Turek said. “On-table heart reanimation could dramatically expand the availability of precious donations — transforming loss into life with greater stewardship and hope.”

Duke Health has a history of pioneering research in DCD hearts transplants, performing the nation’s first DCD heart transplant in an adult in 2019 and the first in an adolescent in 2021.

Turek has also led several pioneering pediatric heart transplant techniques, including the partial heart transplant, the living mitral valve replacement, and the thymus-heart co-transplantation for tolerance.

In addition to Turek, other authors include John A. Kucera and Douglas M. Overbey.

 

Redefining Cardiac Care in Underserved Communities Across the Globe

Gerald Bloomfield, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine in cardiology at Duke, is a leader in cardiovascular global health research dedicated to combatting heart disease in under-served areas of the United States and in low to middle-income countries.

“My early ideas of medicine were about having a skill and knowledge that I could use to help other people. Medicine isn’t the only way to do that, but it was the way that resonated with me as a kid,” Dr. Bloomfield said.

Dr. Bloomfield is the associate director for research at the Duke Global Health Research Institute where he leads research and funding initiatives. It’s where he combines his passions for cardiology and global health research.

“I’ve known since I was in grade school that I wanted to be a doctor,” he said. But it was his grandmother, a nurse, who inspired him to pursue medicine. His parents gave him a view that put the world at center stage.

“My parents immigrated to the US from Jamaica, and I always had the perspective that the issues that we’re dealing with today aren’t only happening where we live, they’re happening all over the globe,” he added. “Having seen medical care delivered in places with less resources than we have in the US, I was interested in doing the same for other areas like that,” he said.

After graduating from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, completing its internal medicine residency, master of public health programs and chief residency, he was admitted to Duke University’s School of Medicine’s cardiovascular fellowship program, and later, Duke’s Global Health Residency-Fellowship Pathway and the Fogarty International Clinical Research Fellowship. As a fellow, he got the opportunity to spend one year treating patients in rural Kenyan clinics.

“Heart disease, historically, in Kenya was always a terminal diagnosis. There was no expert to treat hypertension, a heart attack, or stroke,” Dr. Bloomfield said. “What really stuck with me was the fact that patients did not have a general knowledge around cardiovascular disease. The health literacy around heart disease was almost non-existent.”

To deliver the best care, he gained the trust of the community by actively listening to their concerns and educating them in Swahili about chronic conditions like high blood pressure. “I really wanted to hear what the needs are and then figure out if our team are the right people to address those needs,” said Dr. Bloomfield.

Most traditional cardiac fellowship programs didn’t include the opportunity to gain skills to be used specifically in under-resourced populations but spending a year of his cardiology fellowship learning and practice medicine and research in Kenya, closed the gap in training for Dr. Bloomfield.

Providing Care and Leading Research in Kenya

Afterward, Dr. Bloomfield and his family began spending six months out of each year in Kenya, and the other six months in North Carolina, which was supported by a career development award from Fogarty International Center. During that time, he launched a clinical research program to determine the causes of heart failure among East Africans at the Moi University School of Medicine, in Eldoret, Kenya.

From there, he, along with several mentors, established the Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Disease Center of Excellence at the University, which led to the development of the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital-Duke Cardiovascular Fellowship Program, and the construction of a cardiac care unit.

He conducted research projects, mentored Kenyan physicians, and trained nurses and sonographers to perform heart procedures, echocardiograms (EGC), and ECG readings. Dr. Bloomfield instituted didactic talks, educational lectures, and served as a cardiac consultant in the hospital.

“When people saw others getting better, they started coming to the hospital on death’s door, and we were treating them and sending them home after they improved,” Bloomfield said.

As demand grew, more senior cardiologists were brought in to care for patients and mentor future clinicians, creating a new opportunity for Dr. Bloomfield. He discovered a passion for mentorship, a role he developed over time, and now leads with a specific approach.

“My overall approach to our training program has always been to listen first. When we’re seeing patients in clinic and hearing their stories, it applies to our research and what the community needs are,” he said.

After handing over the reins to Kenyan leaders, and with Duke doctors visiting intermittently, Dr. Bloomfield now only returns to Kenya two-three times a year to advise on the future growth of cardiac care and research. “The programs there are essentially sustaining themselves, and we get to collaborate on a higher level” he said.

Research in the US

Dr. Bloomfield is now bringing the lessons he’s learned abroad to the U.S. health care system. “Although the language and some details may be different, the issues around delivering high quality care to people who are sick and don’t have access to the resources they need, are very similar in many parts of the world, including in the U.S.,” he said. “Global includes international and domestic. We need global health approaches in the U.S. as well.”

He is currently working with a team of experts to address cardiovascular health in rural areas. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. and accounts for every one in four deaths globally.  Rural areas experience 60,000 more deaths than urban areas yearly due to limited access to health care providers and resources. Most rural hospitals don’t have specialists or the cardiac imaging machines required to detect, diagnose, and manage cardiovascular disease. 

To combat this, Dr. Bloomfield is co-leading the Echocardiography Core Lab on the mobile examination unit for the Risk Underlying Rural Areas Longitudinal (RURAL) Study. It’s an ongoing population-based cohort study that helps physicians identify risk factors for heart and lung diseases in rural counties in Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi that have higher cardiovascular disease death rates than the rest of the country.

“We are bringing early diagnosis to individuals,” he said. The mobile examination units are outfitted with a lab, private exam rooms, and cardiovascular assessment and imaging tools. “We’re seeing community volunteers and assessing their heart health. Then we’re following them over time to figure out how we can prevent heart disease or treat it better in the future,” he added.

Dr. Bloomfield ensures the echocardiograms are performed correctly and then the scans are sent to Duke for analysis. Unlike similar studies, the results are returned to participants and shared with their doctors if abnormalities, like signs of heart failure, are found.

More than 3,000 participants have been enrolled in the study. The team engages with community leaders first and then hosts a free day for residents to tour the truck and get familiarized with the study. Researchers are comparing the data they gathered and comparing it to four counties that have lower cardiovascular disease rates.

*This piece was authored by Synclaire Cruel for Duke’s Dept. of Medicine, July 11, 2025.

Kudos to Kim

We received a wonderful kudos for Yoo Jin Kim, first year cardiology fellow, from Bharathi Upadhya, MD this week and wanted to share it here with our readers.

“Anna Lisa, I cannot believe this week marks Yoo Jin’s first week at Duke. She performed like a seasoned fellow. On the very first day, she knew all the patients. We had a jam-packed DHP service this week. She is very efficient. The service had 18 to 19 patients, and interns can only take 8. Interns are also new, and one was very stressed. She pre-rounded and primarily worked like an intern for a few patients. She did not complain and was happy to do that. She has the leadership quality. Her clinical skills are excellent. She is energetic.” — Regards, Bharathi

“Yoo Jin – great job on a new and busy service in a new hospital with new interns!” — Anna Lisa Chamis, MD

Excellent work, Yoo Jin!

 

Summer Fun Shout-out!

A shout-out on behalf of Carolyn Lekavich to Kara Lawson, head coach of the Duke women’s basketball team and to her players! Lekavich shared a happy parent moment with us this week. Her daughter, Venia, participated in Coach Lawson’s camp — a new program offering this year — and this week Venia was awarded Defensive Player MVP.

Venia is shown here alongside Duke women’s basketball team members.

Way to go, Venia and go DUKE!

 

Duke Heart Gains New Family Member

We are pleased to share that Duke Heart has gained a new family member — Niko Massengale, the son of Ashley and Johnny Massengale, was born on July 7. Diane Sauro received a message of gratitude from Ashley this week and asked us to share it here.

“First, I wanted to say how thankful I am to be part of such a kind team. Each text, visit, meal/Door Dash, and care package has been so thoughtful and sweet. I’ve been amazed by the outpouring of support. It’s made a tough time more manageable and means a lot to me and Johnny.

Our son, Niko Patrick Massengale, was born on 7/7. [Due to his early arrival] he will remain admitted until closer to his due date. He’s doing great and transitioned to room air yesterday! We are so relieved that he has done okay and hopeful that he continues to do well. I’m doing just fine. We’re at the hospital daily so I’m sure I’ll see y’all soon. Thank you again for all the love, Ashley, Johnny, Maya, and Niko.”

 

CME Programming Updates

The Duke Cardiac Imaging Symposium is scheduled for Saturday, October 4, 2025. It will be held in the Trent Semans Center.

Echocardiography remains a critical component in the diagnosis, management, and surveillance of cardiovascular disease. As cardiovascular care continues to evolve, so too must the knowledge and skills of clinicians utilizing imaging in practice. This year’s symposium is designed to address emerging clinical questions, updated guideline recommendations, and new imaging modalities through case-based learning and practical applications. The 2025 agenda features expert-led sessions on updated ASE guidelines, coronary artery disease evaluation, strain imaging in cardiomyopathies, tricuspid valve disease, cardiac POCUS, and technical skills development through hands-on breakout sessions.

To register, please visit https://events.duke.edu/DukeCIS2025.

 

The 17th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium will take place on Friday, October 31, 2025, at the Durham Convention Center.

The symposium aims to equip physicians and allied health professionals with current, evidence-based knowledge in the diagnosis and treatment of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH). With a focus on frontline providers, this symposium will explore optimal diagnostic strategies, treatment selection, and timely referrals to specialized PH centers. Clinically challenging presentations, including CTD-PAH, CPPC PH, CTEPH, PH associated with ILD, COPD, portopulmonary hypertension, and PH in end-stage renal disease—will be addressed through interactive lectures and robust case-based discussions. The format encourages dialogue and debate to foster practical insights and collaborative decision-making in complex scenarios.

To register, please visit: https://events.duke.edu/17PH2025.

 

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call 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: 

June 4 — Bradi Granger and Anna Tharakan (Health Policy summer intern)

American Hospital Association/Advancing Health Podcast

How Duke University Is Fighting Hypertension Through Community Collaboration

June 10 — Brittany Zwischenberger

STS.org/Surgical Hot Topics Podcast

Same Surgeon, Different Light w/ Dr. Brittany Zwischenberger

June 16 — Duke Health (mitral valve transplant)

Becker’s Clinical Leadership

6 1st-of-its-kind procedures performed in 2025

June 17 — Neha Pagidipati

Healio

Research updates in health technology, nutrition and diabetes management

 

June 18 — Pamela Douglas and Neha Pagidipati

JAMA Cardiology

Editorial: The Last Mile in Prevention—Can Coronary CT Angiography Help?

June 18 — Nishant Shah

Everyday Health

Is Exercise Safe When You Have Pericarditis?

June 20 — Neha Pagidipati, Stephen Greene, and Robert Califf

HCP Live

HCPLive Five at Heart in Diabetes 2025

June 23 — Adrian Hernandez and Robert Harrington

Medscape

Commentary: Academic Entrepreneurship Key for Clinician Researchers Given NIH Funding Uncertainty

June 25 — Pamela Douglas and Neha Pagidipati

tctMD

CCTA Bests CV Risk Scores for Bolstering Lifestyle Changes, Medication Uptake

July 2 — Robert Califf

HCP Live

Cardiology Month in Review: June 2025

July 3 — Jonathan Piccini

Heart Rhythm TV

HRX Innovation Summit

July 11 — Nishant Shah

Everyday Health

When Should You Take Blood Pressure Medicine?

July 14 — Marat Fudim

HCP Live

FDA Approves Finerenone (Kerendia) for Heart Failure with Ejection Fraction of 40% or More

July 14 — Jonathan Piccini

tctMD

PRAGUE-25: Ablation Improves Rhythm Control, but Don’t Discount Lifestyle Changes

July 16 — Joseph Turek

Associated Press

Researchers try new ways of preserving more hearts for transplants

*This story was picked up by local news affiliates across the U.S.

July 16 — Joseph Turek

Science

New transplant techniques keep organ donors’ hearts healthy—even after they stop beating

July 17 — William Kraus

Today/NBC

This Is the Worst Time of Day to Eat, According to a Cardiologist

July 17 — Joseph Turek

Medpage Today

New Heart Transplant Technique Avoids NRP Restrictions

 

Chief’s message: Fellow Graduation and Happy Father’s Day!

Dear Duke Heart Community: We hope you all got to spend time with family celebrating father’s day.  We also hope all the fathers and father figures on our team are having a wonderful day today, especially all those who are celebrating for the first time.

This weekend we also celebrated the general fellows graduation.  We were able to have a fun gathering celebrating all the amazing fellows who have gone through our fellowship, their supportive families, and the village of people including faculty, staff and colleagues who help us train the next generation. We are especially appreciative at this time of those in our communities that support our fellowship – and we had the pleasure of having Malbert and Alisa Smith join us.  Their Academic Cardiology Excellence award and support joins our other awards and support that include the Greenfield award, the Cassel-Saperstein Award, and the Brandt and Belinda Louie award.  All of these and other support is much appreciated as we continue to work to keep the fellowship program the best we can make in the country.  Please find some photos from the evening included

 

DCRI Welcomes New Co-Chief Fellows & Incoming Fellows

The Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) Fellowship Program leadership team has announced that Allison “Allie” Levin, MD, MSc (Cardiology) and Henry Foote, MD (Pediatrics) will be the co-chief fellows during the 2025-2026 academic year. Beginning this July, they will step into the positions currently filled by co-chief fellows Mark Kittipibul, MD, and Annette Roberts, MD. Both Levin and Foote bring a wealth of experience and a passion for advancing medical research and patient care.

“I really look forward to working with Allie and Henry in the upcoming academic year,” said Sana Al-Khatib, MD, professor of medicine in cardiology at Duke and DCRI Fellowship Program Director. “As co-chief fellows, they will undoubtedly be committed to supporting their peers and to taking our program to new heights.”

Henry Foote, MD

Henry Foote grew up outside of Boston before attending Yale University for undergraduate training, where he majored in mechanical engineering and molecular biophysics and biochemistry. He earned his medical degree from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine while conducting cell biology research at Duke University. Foote then returned to Duke for residency, where he completed his combined Internal Medicine-Pediatrics training. Foote is currently pursuing his fellowship training as a Pediatric Cardiologist and Pediatric Critical Care Medicine fellow. He is also working on his master’s in clinical research degree through Duke’s Clinical Research Training Program. His research interest is in improving outcomes in critically ill children.

 

Allie Levin, MD, MSc

Levin grew up in northern New Jersey and earned her bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Columbia University. She went on to pursue a master’s degree in biostatistics at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health while concurrently serving as the research coordinator for the institution’s mechanical circulatory support program. Levin subsequently earned her medical degree from Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, where she was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. She was also selected by faculty to receive the Janeway Award, presented to the graduating student with the highest achievement and abilities in the graduating class.

Following her many years in New York, Levin completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. She is now a third-year Duke general cardiology fellow and in the first of two years of the Duke Clinical Research Institute Fellowship Program. She plans to pursue an advanced fellowship in Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology, with a special interest in the intersection of heart failure and adult congenital heart disease.

Congratulations, Allie and Henry!

The incoming DCRI fellows from cardiology for 2025-2026 are Jonathan Hanna, Seamus Hughes, Anthony Lin, Joshua Rushakoff, Husam Salah, and Aarti Thakkar. Their fellowships begin on July 1. Continuing fellows include Allison Levin and Paula Rambarat.

 

From Data to Decisions: A Model for Returning Individual Results to Research Participants

Returning individual research results to clinical study participants has not historically been the norm, even for participants with abnormal findings. The paradigm, though, is shifting, with return of results becoming not only a scientific responsibility but also an ethical imperative. However, best practices haven’t been established yet.

A team of Duke researchers led by Svati  H. Shah, MD, MS, Ursula Geller Distinguished Professor of Research in Cardiovascular Diseases, and Neha Pagidipati, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine in cardiology, have developed a model using the Project Baseline Health Study (PBHS) for how to effectively communicate results to patients and help empower them towards their health and medical choices. The study also detailed the large number of abnormal results that were returned to participants, highlighting the need to consider these processes early in study design. Results were published in the American Journal of Medicine Open.

As scientific research shifts to emphasize transparency, participant empowerment, and the democratization of data, this model demonstrates the feasibility and value of a comprehensive, systematic approach to returning clinically significant findings in a research context.

Project Baseline launched in 2017 to create a comprehensive reference point, or “baseline,” of good health and to build a robust data platform for studying how health transitions to disease. Over 2,500 participants across three sites, including Duke and Stanford, enrolled and completed assessments conducted by the study team that included a wide range of health data, like clinical, genetic, behavioral, and environmental information, through baseline eye, heart and lung imaging and annual visits, wearable devices, surveys, and biospecimen collection.

Among the 2,002 participants analyzed, nearly 40% would receive at least one result that required immediate or urgent attention. In some cases, individuals received as many as eight separate findings, again highlighting the need to return results to study participants to help them manage and be in control of their health choices. The participants had abnormal results returned to them for a variety of conditions, including vital signs, clinical laboratory testing, chest CT scans and X-rays, electrocardiograms, echocardiograms, and ophthalmologic assessments.

To accomplish this task, a Return of Results (RoR) Committee was established early in the study to oversee the return of findings. They developed a systematic, ethical, and clinically informed process for returning individual-level urgent and emergent results to participants and detailed determination for what types of results should be returned and within what time period.

Some results were more pertinent to get to participants faster than others, given potential clinical implications of the abnormal findings, so the team developed a color-coded flag system to prioritize and categorize results:

Red flag: Emergent, requiring immediate clinical attention

Orange flag: Urgent, but less time-sensitive

Yellow flag: Actionable or uncertain results

Green flag: Within expected clinical range

Participants had their results returned to them by site principal investigators — practicing physicians — or their designees.

However, with that many results to return, there is also a strong need for a streamlined process to alleviate the burden placed on health care professionals. So, the Project Baseline team also developed a predictive model using widely available clinical and demographic variables, like age, sex, body mass index, blood pressure, smoking status, and history of chronic conditions, which helped identify which participants were most likely to have actionable results.

As the research community continues to evolve its approach to participant engagement, the Project Baseline study offers a robust framework for returning results ethically and effectively. It also raises important questions for future studies, such as how to define “urgent” findings and how to balance return policies with participant preferences, and the need to consider design and funding for return of results prior to study initiation.

Project Baseline is a groundbreaking initiative between Duke University, Stanford University and Verily Life Sciences. The Duke Clinical Research Institute serves as the coordinating center. Story by Alissa Kocer for Duke School of Medicine.

 

IM Resident Works to Raise Awareness of ‘Resi-teering’ Opportunities

Victor Ayeni, MD, a PGY-1 Duke Internal Medicine Resident who is currently interning with electrophysiologist Camille Frazier-Mills, MD, is working to raise awareness of community engagement opportunities throughout Durham for Duke IM residents (and others) who might have time to volunteer with organizations that need some support.

His latest ‘resi-teering’ outreach message:

This is Victor again with more community engagement opportunities for June! Many thanks to those of you who came out last month, especially those who came and danced with the kiddos of Bull City Fit. As a reminder, the goal of these events is to help people know and love the Durham community for as long as we’re here, and hopefully create a lot of fun activities that let residents bond with each other, too!

Here’s what we have for the coming month:

Root Causes: Fresh Produce Program

Take a driving tour of Durham and help Root Causes, a Duke organization fighting food insecurity in Durham, by driving groceries to families around the city! They’re in desperate need of help, especially during the summer months. Volunteers are also needed to help pack groceries.

Time: Every Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. (for packing) or 10 a.m. to Noon (drivers)

Location: Uncle Harry’s General Store (1925 Yearby Avenue)

Sign-Up: select a time slot at this link

Contact: Scott Brummel (419-708-4569, scott.brummel@duke.edu)

 

Durham Refugee Day

Come and celebrate Durham’s refugee and immigrant communities at Durham Refugee Day 2025!

Time: Saturday, June 21 from 3-6 p.m.

Location: Durham Central Park

Sign-Up: You can just drop by and celebrate, but they’re also in need of volunteers and you can sign up for that here!

Contact: None but please let Victor Ayeni– 678-894-5948, victor.ayeni@duke.edu know if you plan to attend so he can get a group together!

 

Duke Memorial Mobile Market

This opportunity is courtesy of Matt Wood, husband of Jenny Van Kirk, MD. Join one of many local groups fighting food insecurity in Durham as you load and organize food for distribution to our neighbors in Durham.

Time: Saturday, June 20 from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. (but happens every third Saturday)

Location: Duke Memorial (504 W Chapel Hill St)

Sign-Up:  Here (there are multiple sign-up times with various tasks to choose from!)

Contact: Matt Wood at 828-301-9703

Finally, for those who can’t make it to these events but want to help out, the group we’ve chosen to highlight for donations this month is CWS Durham. In the spirit of celebrating Durham’s rich refugee and immigrant community, CWS is a major organization in Durham for helping refugee families get resettled. The group helps incoming families with everything from finding housing to getting jobs to providing legal aid. Even more, under the “Get Involved” tab of their site, they have concrete action steps to advocate for refugee populations asynchronously, which hopefully empowers those who want to make a change but don’t know where to start.

As always, these events are either suggested or led by members of the IM residency. If you have any ideas at all about community volunteering events, or about happenings in Durham that could help others get to know the city better, reach out to victor.ayeni@duke.edu to get it added to the next email.

Way to go, Victor! Special thanks to Camille for sharing this with us. We love highlighting the excellent work being done by members of the Duke community!

 

AAHFN 2025 Update

The American Association of Heart Failure Nurses annual meeting was held June 11-14 at the Westin Savannah Harbor in Savannah, Georgia.

Duke was well-represented with presentations from Stephanie Barnes, Midge Bowers, Mike Felker, Steve Greene, Rob Mentz, and Ashlee Davis, as well as a poster presentation by Johana Fajardo.

Allison Fox and Krystan Coble developed and facilitated a simulation session for physical examination of the heart failure patient. Laura Blue moderated the Mechanical Circulatory Support pre-conference. 

Duke had representation from patients, as well! 

Heart failure care is multidisciplinary and the role of nurses from bedside through advanced practice and nursing research was highlighted throughout the meeting.

Kudos to all!

 

DUHS Leadership & Campus Updates:

Duke Health Breaks Ground on Cary Expansion

Duke Health broke ground on a new facility on Thursday, June 12, that adds hospital services at its existing Duke Health Cary location, providing access to health care closer to the homes and workplaces of the community’s rapidly growing population.

The new facility will include phase one of a new inpatient hospital campus, including an emergency department, surgical services, imaging, and a small number of inpatient beds, as well as gastro-intestinal endoscopy, cancer care, and other infusion services in the same building. The building housing these services is expected to be completed in 2027.

“At Duke Health, we strive to provide hope, health, and healing by bringing high-quality care closer to where our patients live and work,” said Craig Albanese, MD, chief executive officer of Duke University Health System. “Cary, and the broader Wake County community, is one of the fastest-growing areas in North Carolina. We want to grow together by providing greater access to the world-class care Duke Health is known for.”

The new hospital services are part of a broader plan for the 85-acre campus at Duke Health Cary. The health system has already received state approval for 40 hospital beds at the location. When fully built, the Cary hospital campus is projected to employ about 1,600 people.

“In 2022, we were excited to open Duke Health Cary with several clinics including primary care, pediatric care, and urgent care,“ said Morgan Jones, chief strategy officer for Duke University Health System. “This next phase of the campus provides a convenient option for emergency and inpatient care. We envision adding more specialized services in the future to round out the needs of the local community. As a live-work-play-care campus, Duke Health Cary will provide high quality, convenient healthcare in a vibrant, mixed-use community and drive further economic development.”

For Cary residents needing hospital services and emergency care, these new services will reduce travel time, which studies show saves lives. Providing Cary residents with convenient, accessible care is aligned with Duke University Health System’s goals for our patients, including:

• Improved adherence: Reduced travel time can enhance patients’ ability to adhere to treatment schedules.
• Lower financial burden: Decreased travel expenses can alleviate the financial strain on patients and their families.
• Enhanced quality of life: Less time spent traveling allows patients more time for rest and recovery, potentially improving overall health.

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

June is Men’s Health Awareness Month and Pride Month

June 19 is Juneteenth

Cardiology Grand Rounds

June 17:  Updates from HRS 2025: What does the cardiology community need to know? with Jonathan Piccini, MD. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.

If you missed any of our CGR’s from the past year, all Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:

• 2025 CGR Recordings
• 2024 CGR Recordings

NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

June 18: Board Review with Paula Rambarat and Nishant Shah. Noon, Hybrid: DMP 7E39 and Zoom.

June 20: No conference

June 25: TBD.

June 27: Returning Fellows Orientation with Anna Lisa Chamis. Noon, Zoom.       

Upcoming Duke Heart CMEs

The following CME activities, sponsored by Duke Heart, have been scheduled. Registration is coming soon.

• October 4, 2025: Duke Cardiac Sonography Symposium (live event at Trent Semans Center)
• October 31, 2025: 17th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center)

 

DCRI Research Forum

The Duke Clinical Research Institute will welcome Durham Mayor Leo Williams as their guest for the final DCRI Research Forum of the 2024-25 season. We hope you’ll join us for this fireside chat from Noon-1 p.m. on Tuesday, June 24. 

What: DCRI Research Forum: A Fireside Chat with Durham Mayor Leo Williams

When: Noon-1 p.m., Tuesday, June 24.

Where: Zoom: https://duke.zoom.us/j/99974125544?pwd=UvTBQn3QOeF2JYXfwQJ4QmfU89XMpf.1

Webinar ID: 999 7412 5544

Duke School of Medicine Events

State of the School Address

Thursday, June 26, 12 p.m. — 12:45 p.m.; Great Hall, Trent Semans Center for Health Education

More information

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call 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: 

June 1 — Harry Severance

Emergency Physicians Monthly

Add Another Year to Physician Residency Training?

June 6 — Craig Albanese

Triangle Business Journal

Battling Bed Shortage

June 6 — Duke University Hospital

HIT Consultant

Avant-garde Health Reveals the Top 13 Research Hospitals in the U.S.

June 6 — Stephen Greene

HCP Live/Podcast

Don’t Miss a Beat: CONFIDENCE Trial and Combination T2D, CKD Therapy at Heart in Diabetes 2025

June 7 — Stephen Greene

HCP Live

Contemporary Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy Underused in Heart Failure

June 7 — Neha Pagidipati

HCP Live

Improving Evidence-Based Cardiometabolic Care, with Neha Pagidipati, MD, MPH

June 8 — Robert Califf

HCP Live

Confronting Cardiology’s Data Accessibility Problem, with Robert Califf, MD

June 9 — Adrian Hernandez

NBC News

As ivermectin goes over the counter, some pharmacists worry about a lack of guidance

June 10 — Scott Gibson

Duke Chronicle

How the School of Medicine plans to cut $125 million by next year

June 12 — Duke University & Duke CTSI

NC Newsline

HHS budget cuts threaten America’s health and innovation—including in NC

 

 

Highlights of the week:

Dzau Awarded Order of the Rising Sun by Emperor of Japan

The government of Japan announced in April that Victor J. Dzau, MD, Chancellor Emeritus and James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Medicine at Duke, and president of the National Academy of Medicine, has been awarded one of its highest honors — the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon — bestowed by the Emperor of Japan for his contributions to the promotion of academic exchange, global health and mutual understanding between Japan and the United States.

The Order of the Rising Sun was founded in 1875 by Emperor Meiji and is bestowed on foreigners for significant contributions to Japan.

Dzau, a cardiologist and principal-investigator with the Duke Cardiovascular Research Center, has made a significant impact on medicine through his seminal research in cardiovascular medicine and genetics and his leadership in healthcare innovation. His work on the renin angiotensin system (RAS) paved the way for the contemporary understanding of RAS in cardiovascular disease and the development of RAS inhibitors as widely used lifesaving drugs. He also pioneered gene therapy for vascular disease, and his work on stem cell paracrine mechanisms and the use of microRNA in direct reprogramming has provided insight into stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. Dzau has actively contributed to the G20 Health Task Force during his presidency at NAM, and has co-led the Japan-U.S. Global Health Dialogue, which brings together government officials, academics, and industry leaders from the fields of international health in Japan and the U.S.  He is also a member of the prestigious Japan Academy, and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science’s Program Committee of the Japan World Premier International Research Center Initiative. The initiative brings together global university presidents, Nobel laureates, industry experts, and other prominent leaders to steer Japan’s efforts to become a world-class research center.

“I am proud to contribute to efforts to advance excellence in Japan’s scientific and medical enterprise and help it build lasting connections with the global health community,” said Dzau.  “I am honored to receive this recognition from the Japanese government and look forward to continuing this important work of mutual benefit to both Japan and the U.S.”

Other spring 2025 recipients of the award include the former Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsieh Loong, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, and U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty, former U.S. ambassador to Japan.

Congratulations, Dr. Dzau!

 

DCRI Fellowship Program Graduates Eight Researchers, Recognizes Excellence

On May 8, the Duke Clinical Research Institute hosted a celebration at the University Club in Durham to honor eight graduates of the DCRI Fellowship Program.

The event gathered fellows, mentors, leaders, and family members to recognize the accomplishments of the 2025 graduates of the fellowship program.

Sana Al-Khatib, the program director, along with associate directors Neha Pagidipati and Adam Goode, presented awards and shared personal congratulations with the fellows.

“To our remarkable fellows, you have consistently impressed us with your commitment to this program and your passion for advancing patient care,” Al-Khatib said. “We are immensely proud of all you have accomplished during your time with us and excited to see the impact you will continue to make in your careers.”

Rachel Greenberg received the Robert M. Califf Award for Outstanding Mentorship. This award recognizes a DCRI faculty member who has demonstrated excellence in mentorship activities for DCRI research fellows. Current DCRI fellows select the award through nominations, discussion, and voting.

Veraprapas “Mark” Kittipibul, 2024-2025 co-chief fellow, was presented with this year’s Robert A. Harrington Excellence in Fellowship Award, which recognizes a graduating DCRI research fellow who has contributed the most to the program during his or her tenure. It recognizes excellence in academic accomplishment, participation in clinical research operations, and peer-to-peer mentoring.

The Karen S. Pieper Teaching and Fellowship Support Award was awarded to Jenny Jackman in recognition of a non-faculty colleague at the DCRI who a consistent contributor to the education of fellows and a strong supporter of the fellowship program has been.

 

This year, two Eric D. Peterson Manuscript Awards were presented, one to Andrew Andreae and the other to Jeeyon “Grace” Rim. This honor is awarded to a graduating DCRI research fellow whose writing excellence is demonstrated in an impactful and novel article, as well as for their superior writing skills and potential impact on the field.

This year’s DCRI Fellowship Citizenship Award recipient is 2024-2025 co-chief fellow Annette Roberts. Awardees are graduating DCRI fellows chosen for their strong character and leadership, devoted service to the institution, acceptance of responsibilities and duties, and positive attitude towards peers, the DCRI, and the medical community. The recipients of this award are also recognized for demonstrating an eagerness to learn, showing care for others, and helping when needed.

 

Congratulations to this year’s awards recipients and the following 2025 graduating fellows:

Andrew Andreae, MD, specialty: cardiology, mentor: Jonathan Piccini

Benjamin Catanese, MD, specialty: nephrology, mentor: Daniel Edmonston

Pishoy Gouda, MB, BCH, BAO, MSC, specialty: cardiology, mentor: Schuyler Jones

Veraprapas “Mark” Kittipibul, MD, Co-Chief Fellow, specialty: cardiology, mentors: Robert Mentz, Marat Fudim

Nkiru “KiKi” Osude, MD, MS, specialty: cardiology, mentor: Neha Pagidipati

Jeeyon “Grace” Rim, MD, specialty: pulmonary/critical care, mentors: Jamie Todd, Scott Palmer

Annette Roberts, MD, MPH, Co-Chief Fellow, specialty: pediatrics/gastroenterology, mentors: Rachel Greenberg, Brian Smith

Manasi Tannu, MD, MPH, specialty: cardiology, mentor: Schuyler Jones

 

Heart Failure Symposium Held

Duke Heart held its annual Duke Heart Failure Symposium yesterday, June 7, 2025, at the Durham Convention Center. It was a resounding success – our largest so far with more than 255 registrants and 25+ industry sponsors. This year’s theme was Leading Edge in Medical Management.

We had broad representation from across NC and SC, making this a truly regional conference. We also had external speakers, including former Duke fellow Josephine Harrington, MD who joined us from Colorado, and Carlos Santos Gallegos who joined us from NYC.

A special shout out to Christy Darnell, who did a tremendous job both in planning and execution of the symposium, as well as Anthony Doll who ensured excellence with audio and visual presentations.

Congratulations to the entire Duke Heart Failure team – keep up the amazing work!

 

Cardiac MRI Reaccredited by IAC

Duke Heart’s Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging team has received renewed three-year Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) accreditation for demonstrating excellence and documenting quality care in the field of Cardiovascular MRI.

IAC accreditation is a means by which MRI facilities can evaluate and demonstrate the level of patient care they provide.

Congratulations to the entire cMRI team and thank you for your skill and dedication to ensuring this distinction of quality for all Duke Health patients!

 

Moore Reaches Career Milestone!

Congratulations to Annette Moore, Health Center Administrator for cardiology at Duke Health Center Arringdon who is celebrating 40 YEARS with Duke! This is an amazing achievement and a tremendously important career milestone. We are grateful for her support, commitment, and unwavering leadership throughout her time at Duke Health. She is a leader that people trust and follow, and she has truly left her mark on Duke Heart. 

Annette, congrats on 40 years of making a difference to our patients and to your teammates, and for directly impacting so many people!

 

Teves Appointed NM, Operations 7100, Effective June 9

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Melissa Teves, BSN, RN, CCRN, as Nurse Manager of Operations for the Cardiology Stepdown Unit 7100 at Duke University Hospital, effective June 9th. We also acknowledge the significant contributions Ashley Frazier made to Duke Heart patients and staff during her service as the 7100 Nurse Manager. We wish her well with her future endeavors!

Melissa earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Hawaii Pacific University in 2001. She began her nursing career in Hawaii as a GenMed/MICU nurse before joining Duke Health in March 2003. Her first role at Duke was in the Trauma/Surgical Stepdown Unit (formerly 2300, now 6DCT), and she soon transitioned to the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (6W), where she served as an Assistant Nurse Manager.

While in the SICU, Melissa played a pivotal role in advancing safety, quality, and educational initiatives. Notably, she co-created and presented the SICU Core Classes and participated in a range of leadership activities both within her unit and across the broader nursing community. During this time, she also became a Clinical Ladder Advisor.

In January 2023, Melissa transitioned into hospital administration as an Operations Administrator. In this role, she continued to demonstrate her leadership through active participation in the Schedule, Standard Work, and Orientation Committee. She has also been a contributor to the Workplace Violence Committee and the Behavior Concern Flag Oversight Committee.

Melissa’s leadership extends beyond Duke. She is actively engaged in the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), serving in local and national roles. Most recently, she served as co-president of the Triangle Chapter and as a national Beacon Reviewer. She also completed a three-year term as Chapter Advisor (CAT) for Region 5, covering North and South Carolina. Through her work with AACN, Melissa has become an enthusiastic advocate for Healthy Work Environments and a commitment to wellness and excellence.

Please join us in congratulating Melissa on her new role!

 

Quote of the Week

“The Pacers have a really fast-paced game, but I think Jalen Brunson’s the real deal. My prediction is the Knicks in six.” — Sunil Rao, director of interventional cardiology, NYU Langone. (Quoted in The New Yorker article “Knicks in Six? Ask Fran Lebowitz, Alison Roman, and Spike Lee”)

 

Save the Dates: Upcoming SOM Events

Two notable events for Duke School of Medicine are scheduled for this month. Please save the dates and consider attending.

June 10: School of Medicine Leadership Town Hall: Financial and Operational Strategy Updates

12 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. via Zoom.

 

June 26: School of Medicine State of the School Address

12 p.m. — 12:45 p.m.; Great Hall, Trent Semans Center for Health Education

More information

 

DUHS Leadership & Campus Updates:

June is Pride Month

As we enter the month of June, we take the opportunity to recognize Pride Month and celebrate the strength, resilience, and contributions of the LGBTQ+ community – both within our organization and beyond.

At Duke Health, we are deeply committed to fostering an environment where every individual is safe, respected, and valued. We believe that delivering exceptional care, groundbreaking research, and top-notch education requires us to stand for values and actions that promote health for all communities.

Pride Month is not only a time of celebration, but also a time for reflection and continued commitment to lead with compassion, cultural humility, and a steadfast dedication to treating all people with dignity and respect.

We take pride in each other – this month and every month. Thank you for being part of a community that champions dignity, humanity, and respect for all.

 

Register Now for the 2025 Duke Health Juneteenth Celebration

Everyone is invited to attend the 2025 Duke Health Juneteenth Celebration on Tuesday, June 17 from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. The hybrid event will take place in the Great Hall of the Trent Semans Center (registration is full) and virtually.

The guest speaker will be Christopher Wolfe, a West Point graduate and Bronze Star recipient. He served in the U.S. Army before earning an MBA from Duke. He later pursued an MFA at Columbia University, where he was selected as the inaugural Artist-in-Residence at the Eric H. Holder Jr. Initiative for Civil and Political Rights, teaching creative writing at Columbia and at Rikers Island through the university’s Justice-in-Education Initiative.

 

The Duke Children’s Health Center Turns 25!

The Duke Children’s Health Center (CHC) is celebrating 25 years since its doors first opened. To celebrate, CHC team members gathered for remarks from Clinical Operations Director, Kristen Ammon who spoke on the history of CHC and recognized team members who have been with the CHC from the beginning. Frozen treats followed and to ensure everyone could celebrate, Kristen Ammon, Heather Harrison, and Kristin Parker delivered treats and commemorative pens to each floor of the CHC.

Congratulations on this milestone, Duke CHC!

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

June is Men’s Health Awareness Month and Pride Month

June 9-15: Men’s Health Week

 

Cardiology Grand Rounds

June 10: Revascularization for Ischemic Cardiomyopathy: Disproving the 45-year-old Concept of Hibernating Myocardium with Aman Kansal, MD. 5 p.m., Zoom only.

June 17: Updates from HRS 2025: What Does the Cardiology Community Need to Know? with Jonathan Piccini, MD. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.

If you missed any of our CGR’s from the past year, all Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:

• 2025 CGR Recordings
• 2024 CGR Recordings

NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!

 

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

June 11: DHP with Mugdha Joshi. Noon, DMP 7E39.

June 13: Annual Duke Cardiovascular Disease fellowship program review with Anna Lisa Chamis. Noon, Zoom.

June 18: Board Review with Paula Rambarat and Nishant Shah. Noon, Hybrid: DMP 7E39 and Zoom.

June 20: No conference

June 25: TBD.

June 27: Returning Fellows Orientation with Anna Lisa Chamis. Noon, Zoom.        

 

Upcoming Duke Heart CMEs

The following CME activities, sponsored by Duke Heart, have been scheduled. Registration is coming soon.

• October 4, 2025: Duke Cardiac Sonography Symposium (live event at Trent Semans Center)
• October 31, 2025: 17th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center)

 

2025 Duke Health Juneteenth Celebration

Everyone is invited to attend the 2025 Duke Health Juneteenth Celebration on Tuesday, June 17 from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. This in-person event will take place in the Great Hall of the Trent Semans Center. Team members can also attend virtually.

The guest speaker will be Christopher Wolfe, a West Point graduate and Bronze Star recipient. He served in the U.S. Army before earning an MBA from Duke. He later pursued an MFA at Columbia University, where he was selected as the inaugural Artist-in-Residence at the Eric H. Holder Jr. Initiative for Civil and Political Rights, teaching creative writing at Columbia and at Rikers Island through the university’s Justice-in-Education Initiative.

 

2025 Duke Caregiver Community Event – Register Now!

The annual Duke Caregiver Community Event provides education, support, and valuable resources for those who are navigating the complex journey of caring for others. Attend informative presentations from experts in caregiving and wellness and visit our exhibit hall to connect with representatives from more than 100 organizations to discover tools that can assist in every aspect of caregiving.

The event will be held on September 3 and 4 from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel in Durham. You can attend one or both days. Learn more and register here.

 

Duke School of Medicine Events

Leadership Town Hall: Financial and Operational Strategy Updates

Tuesday, June 10, 12 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. via Zoom.

 

State of the School Address

Thursday, June 26, 12 p.m. — 12:45 p.m.; Great Hall, Trent Semans Center for Health Education

More information

 

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call 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 31 — Dawn Coleman

Vascular Specialist

Taking the lead: The vascular surgeon in the pediatric vascular surgical space

June 2 — Duke University Hospital

Cardiovascular Business

The top 25 heart hospitals in the United States (#15)

June 2 — Susan Faye Dent (formerly DCI)

Pharmacy Times

ASCO 2025: Expert Insights on Endocrine, Cardiac, Ocular, and Dermatologic Toxicities in Breast Cancer Care

June 3 — Mitch Krucoff

tctMD

Words of Wisdom for Early-Career Interventional Cardiologists

June 3 — Stephen Greene

HCP Live

Cardiology Month in Review: 2025

June 4 — Bradi Granger and Anna Tharakan (formerly with Bass Connections)

American Hospital Association Advancing Health Podcast

How Duke University Is Fighting Hypertension Through Community Collaboration

June 4 — Adrian Hernandez

Newsweek

Can Trump Tackle US ‘Chronic Disease Crisis’? Experts Weigh In

June 5 — Stephen Greene and Robert Califf

Healio/Endocrinology

What not to miss at the upcoming Heart in Diabetes meeting

June 6 — Joseph Turek

The Charlotte Observer

After mystery staph infection, heart surgery, Charlotte girl is back on her feet

Chief’s message:  End of Year events and looking back to see the future

Hopefully you all are having a wonderful weekend.  This month marks the end of the school year and full spring in North Carolina.  We will have our end of year fellow events and see our graduates off into the world of cardiovascular medicine – charged with the skills, will, and drive to improve cardiovascular health in our communities and those they practice in around the world.  We will highlight those events in the upcoming weeks.  There were also high school and college graduations in the last weeks.  For those of you with graduates – congratulations – the time, love and energy to get to these moments is amazing and worth celebrating.

Finally, we are also rely on our own past, culture, and work to see how we can move forward to continue to improve and change science and health.  Perhaps no one has been as much a part of that culture in Duke Cardiology and Duke Heart as Rob Califf, for whom there was a celebration this weekend.  We will share more photos as they become available – but Rob was remembered by colleagues near and far (including collaborators, trainees, and many of our own cardiovascular team members) that came to the Granger’s Farm to celebrate Rob. The evening was filled with funny stories, memories, and most of all a testament to the culture and commitment to science, truth, data, and patient care that Rob Califf has instilled over 40 years at Duke.  Whatever the challenges we face to improve the lives of people with cardiovascular disease, we are blessed by the people, teams and culture of discovery and excellence in care over the years. 

 

Congratulations to Rob and we look forward to his continued leadership and direction on our journey of continual improvement in CV health.

 

Highlights of the week:

Adult Cardiac STS Results Through December 2024

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) has released analyzed results for Harvest 1 2025, which include the three-year period from January 2022 through December 2024. The data are from the STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (ACSD) and announced by STS as part of their public reporting initiative.

Duke received 3-star (Better than Expected) ratings for isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures, isolated aortic valve replacement (AVR) surgery, and isolated mitral valve replacement or repair (MVRR) surgery; and 2-star (As Expected) ratings for AVR+CABG and MVRR+CABG.

A new Multiprocedural Overall rating has been added to the latest analysis by STS, and we are pleased to announce Duke received a 3-star rating in that category. The Multiprocedural cases include CABG, AVR, AVR+CABG, MVRR, MVRR+CABG, AVR+MVRR, and AVR+MVRR+CABG.

The STS star rating system is one of the most sophisticated and highly regarded overall measures of quality in health care, rating the benchmarked outcomes of cardiothoracic surgery programs in the U.S. Star ratings are calculated using a combination of quality measures for specific procedures performed by an STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (ACSD) participant.

Great job, everyone!

 

Mobile Cath Lab Opens at Duke Raleigh

The Duke Raleigh Hospital’s cardiac catheterization team has opened a temporary mobile cath lab space while their Cath Lab Room 1 is being upgraded. The mobile unit was placed in April and several weeks were spent securing and equipping the space for approval by the NC Division of Health Service Regulation (DHSR).

The team shut down Cath Room 1 on May 22 and moved into the new mobile space. Their first cath patient was in the mobile unit the next day.

 

Construction to Room 1 is expected to last about six months. The newly upgraded space should be operational in November.

Julie Yamadi, director of Heart and Procedural Services for Duke Raleigh expressed, “special thanks to Kyarra Rogers from hospital operations; the Facility, Planning, Design and Construction team; Materials Management — especially Kevin Lawson, the supply chain team lead; to J.P., our cath lab nurse manager and to the entire cath team, and Dr. James Mills, who is supportive of everything we do.”

Great progress, Raleigh team!

 

McDermott Named VAD Team Lead, Effective July 1

We are excited to share that Jaime McDermott, DNP, will become the Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Team Leader starting July 1. Jaime has been with our VAD team since 2024 and previously was a valuable member of the Cardiology Advanced Practice Provider team at Duke University Hospital.

Jaime is well respected by her peers and colleagues. Her passion for supporting teams and the patient experience, coupled with her past involvement in VAD program development and quality and process improvement, make her a wonderful choice for this role.

Congratulations, Jaime!

 

 

 

Leadership Changes within Cardiology APP Team, Effective July 1

Allison Lindgren, PA-C, will be stepping down from her role as Co-Team Leader of the Cardiology APP team at the end of June. While her leadership in this capacity will be missed, we are pleased that she will continue to be with the APP team as a provider.

“I want to take a moment to sincerely thank Allison for her dedication, hard work, and the thoughtful leadership she brought to her role,” said Diane Sauro, director, Advanced Practice for Duke Heart. “Her contributions have made a lasting impact, and her commitment to excellence has helped shape the strong, collaborative team we are today. Please join me in expressing our heartfelt appreciation to Allison for all she has done, and in looking forward to the continued opportunity to work alongside her.”

 

Nicolena D’Sola, APRN, NP-C, will step into the role of Co-Team Leader for the Cardiology APP team on July 1. She will join the current Co-Team Leader Faith Williams. Nicolena has been a dedicated provider on the Cardiology APP team for the past four years.

“Throughout her time with us, she has consistently demonstrated a deep commitment to our patients and a genuine passion for supporting her colleagues,” Sauro said. “Her calm composure, thoughtful approach, and ability to foster positive relationships have made her a trusted and respected member of our team. Nicolena is a passionate advocate for our team’s well-being and success, and we are confident that her leadership will bring continued strength and unity to our group.

Congratulations, Nicolena and thank you, Allison!

 

 

 

Shout-out to Champion!

We received a wonderful compliment this week about cardiology fellow Cosette Champion, MD.

“I just wanted to put in a shout-out to what an incredible doctor Cosette is. I have been on echo with her for several days over the past few weeks and she always goes above and beyond for patient care (including escorting a chest wall patient to the bathroom; going to check on a gen med patient with endocarditis to make sure they were well enough for the floor; always knowing patient histories thoroughly). A truly empathetic and caring doctor!” — Svati Shah, MD, MHS

Way to go, Cosette!

 

Boyd Named to Chron15 List

Congratulations to Thoracic Surgery resident Rebekah Boyd, MD! She was named this week to the 2024-2025 Chron15: Duke’s icons, leaders, pioneers list by the Duke Chronicle. At the end of each academic year, The Chronicle names five icons, five leaders and five pioneers. Boyd made the ‘Icons’ list along with Cooper Flagg, Manny Diaz, Ed Sheeran, and Luis Alonso Juárez.

Nominated by Chronicle readers and selected by a committee of Chronicle staff, this year’s Chron15 members are both individuals and groups who have built community and rallied around a cause. The article states, “They’re people who have dedicated themselves to making the Duke community a more welcoming place to be. They are people who have inspired us all, and they are people who make Duke, Duke.”

Read all about it here. Congratulations, Rebekah!

 

Tannu Presented CGR on May 27

Thank you to everyone who joined us on Tuesday evening last week for Cardiology Grand Rounds. If you missed this CGR, Manasi Tannu’s presentation, Post MI Inflammation and Trials of Emerging Therapies, can be found in Warpwire: https://warpwire.duke.edu/w/I-AIAA/

 

This Week: CGR Presenter will be Andrew Andreae, MD

Please join us on Tuesday, June 3 at 5 p.m. for Cardiology Grand Rounds with Andrew Andreae, MD. He will present Leadless Pacemakers: Are We Ready to Cut the Cord? The location will be DN 2002, or you can join via Zoom. See your calendar invitation for the link.

 

Save the Dates: Upcoming SOM Events

Two notable events for Duke School of Medicine are scheduled for this month. Please save the dates and consider attending.

June 10: School of Medicine Leadership Town Hall: Financial and Operational Strategy Updates. 12 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. via Zoom.

June 26: School of Medicine State of the School Address. 12 p.m. — 12:45 p.m.; Great Hall, Trent Semans Center for Health Education. More information

 

Submissions for Pulse, June 16-July 11

Please send any news content for Pulse directly to Manesh Patel from June 16 – July 11. Our communications director will be on leave during this time. Thank you!

 

DUHS Leadership & Campus Updates:

Thomas Appointed Chief FEOO

Robin Thomas has been appointed Chief Facilities, Engineering & Operations Officer, Medical Center & Duke Health, effective immediately. The news was announced on Thursday by Tom Owens, MD, executive vice president and chief operating officer of DUHS, and Scott Gibson, executive dean for administration of the Duke SOM.

Many of you have had the opportunity to work with Robin over the past several years in her role as Executive Director of Engineering & Operations for Duke Health. In that time, she has demonstrated exceptional leadership, integrity, and a deep commitment to our teams and facilities. Her ability to drive meaningful transformation while building strong, collaborative relationships has positioned her as a trusted and respected partner across our health system.

In her new role, Robin will provide strategic and operating leadership for the Engineering & Operations (E&O), Facility, Planning, Design & Construction (FPDC), and Occupational & Environmental Safety Office (OESO) teams who support our Duke Health facilities, including Duke University Health System hospitals and clinics, and the Duke University Schools of Medicine and Nursing. 

Robin is a certified general contractor, has a PMP certificate, LEED AP BD+C, EIT Certification, and has completed Lean Six Sigma Green Belt training. She will work closely with leaders across DUHS, SOM, SON, and Duke University to support our long-term strategic priorities and ensure our physical environment continues to serve as a strong foundation for discovery, healing, and learning.

Congratulations, Robin!

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

June is Men’s Health Awareness Month

June 9-15: Men’s Health Week

 

Cardiology Grand Rounds

June 3:  Leadless Pacemakers: Are We Ready to Cut the Cord with Andrew Andreae, MD. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.

If you missed any of our CGR’s from the past year, all Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:

• 2025 CGR Recordings
• 2024 CGR Recordings

NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!

 

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

June 4: HF/Tx with Aubrie Carroll. Noon, DMP 7E39.

June 6: EP Case Presentation with Hannah Schwennesen and Jemi Galani. Noon, Zoom.

June 11: DHP with Mugdha Joshi. Noon, DMP 7E39.

June 13: Program Review with Anna Lisa Chamis. Noon, Zoom.

June 18: Board Review with Paula Rambarat and Nishant Shah. Noon, Hybrid: DMP 7E39 and Zoom.

June 20: No conference

June 25: TBD.

June 27: Returning Fellows Orientation with Anna Lisa Chamis. Noon, Zoom.        

 

Upcoming Duke Heart CMEs

The following CME activities, sponsored by Duke Heart, have been scheduled. Registration coming soon; now open for June 7^th symposia.

• June 7, 2025: Duke Heart Failure Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center in Durham). Registration is required.
• October 4, 2025: Duke Cardiac Sonography Symposium (live event at Trent Semans Center)
• October 31, 2025: 17th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center)

 

Duke School of Medicine Events

Leadership Town Hall: Financial and Operational Strategy Updates

Tuesday, June 10, 12 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. via Zoom.

 

 

 

 

State of the School Address

Thursday, June 26, 12 p.m. — 12:45 p.m.; Great Hall, Trent Semans Center for Health Education

More information

 

 

 

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call 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 25 — Duke University Hospital

The Signal (Santa Clarita Valley, CA)

Ventura family in SCV awaits life-saving transplant for newborn

May 28 — Robert Califf

Spectrum News Central NC

Changes on COVID vaccine recommendations – how do agencies interact on health policy?

May 28 — Adjoa Boateng Evans (Anesthesiology)

Woman’s World

Broken Heart Syndrome Symptoms Can Mimic a Heart Attack—What You Need to Know to Stay Safe

Chief’s message:

Happy Memorial Day weekend

We appreciate all of you in our armed forces and those who have supported our troops and families through the years. We take a moment to reflect, remember, and honor those who have made the sacrifices and served our country.

Highlights of the week:

Bloomfield, Frazier-Mills & Landstrom Receive 2025 SOM Faculty Awards

The School of Medicine 2025 Faculty Awards were presented on Monday, May 19th at a reception held in the Great Hall of the Trent Semans Center. The faculty awards honor outstanding contributions in teaching, research, clinical care, professionalism, and service, celebrating the excellence and dedication of faculty members who embody the School’s mission and values. We are thrilled to share the following Duke Heart awardees:

Gerald Bloomfield, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine in cardiology, received a Research Mentoring Award for Mentoring Excellence in Health Services Research. This award recognizes excellence in mentoring across clinical, translational, population health, and basic sciences. Bloomfield is associate director for research at Duke Global Health Institute.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Camille Frazier-Mills, MD, professor of medicine in cardiology, was awarded a Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award, which honors faculty who demonstrate compassion, clinical excellence, and respect in patient care. Frazier-Mills is an electrophysiologist and serves as vice-chief in the division of cardiology.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Andrew Landstrom, MD, PhD, associate professor of pediatrics in cardiology, received the Ruth and A. Morris Williams Jr. Faculty Research Prize, which honors faculty who demonstrate compassion, clinical excellence, and respect in patient care. Landstrom is a principal investigator in the Duke Cardiovascular Research Institute and serves as director of the Duke Pediatric Research Scholars Program for Physician-Scientist Development.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For a full list of awardees, please visit: https://duke.is/9/4t8v

Congratulations, Camille, Jerry, and Andrew, on these well-deserved awards!

 

Study Suggests Dosing of Heart Failure Medication Can Be Safely Simplified

An estimated 32 million people globally have heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, a condition where the lower left chamber of the heart does a poor job of pumping blood to the rest of the body.

While there are approved medications for the condition, not all providers escalate patient doses to target levels, increasing the risk of adverse events, hospitalizations and death.

In a study led by a Duke scientist – presented at a late-breaking research session on May 17 at the 2025 European Society of Cardiology conference and to be published May 20 in the European Journal of Heart Failure – researchers found patients could safely start vericiguat (a medication for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction) at a dose of 5 mg instead of the conventional 2.5 mg starting dose, streamlining the process to reach target dosing from three steps to two. 

The study was funded by Bayer AG and Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. Both companies are makers of vericiguat.

Stephen Greene, MD, is the corresponding author of the study and associate professor of medicine in cardiology in the Duke University School of Medicine. He said reducing the steps to target dosing could help overcome clinical inertia.

“In real-world practice, most patients never achieve the target doses of recommended heart failure medications,” Greene said. “Despite clinic visit after clinic visit, medication changes are relatively rare. If titration of heart failure medications is rare in clinical practice, then it stands to reason that reducing the number of titration steps would give our patients a better chance to ultimately achieve target dosing.”

The study enrolled 106 patients across seven countries who started the 5 mg dose of vericiguat over the course of two weeks. The researchers compared safety and tolerability of the higher dose group with those of study participants receiving the current dosing standard. The study found safety measures for both groups to be comparable, with more than 9 out of 10 patients safely tolerating initiation of vericiguat at the higher 5 mg starting dose.

“I think simplicity is the key when we talk about implementation of heart failure medications in clinical practice,” Greene said. “Real-world settings come with logistical challenges, and oftentimes clinics are very busy with limited appointment availability and limited available time per patient. These factors unfortunately set a stage for clinical inertia and for patients to go without important medication changes. Simplifying the way that we initiate and titrate heart failure medications may help overcome this and improve the quality of care our patients receive.”

In addition to Greene, study authors include Stefano Corda, Ciaran J. McMullan, Giovanni Palombo, Christina Schooss, Vanja Vlajnic, Katrin Walkamp, and Michele Senni.

 

Patel Interviewed by Dean Klotman on Role of Philanthropy

Dean Klotman recently spent time interviewing Manesh Patel, MD for a School of Medicine video related to how philanthropy has helped to support cardiovascular research and care throughout Duke Heart. Check it out here!

 

CRU Celebrates Clinical Research Day & Launches List of Studies

The Heart Center Clinical Research Unit (CRU) celebrated Clinical Trials Day on May 20th.  Clinical Trials Day is an opportunity to pause in reflection, recognition, and admiration of all that has been accomplished thanks to clinical trials and the people behind them. We are grateful for and appreciate all the hard work done to give our patients the opportunity to participate in clinical trials at Duke.

 

 

 

Additionally, the Heart Center CRU has created a Currently Enrolling Research Studies list to deliver providers with the most up-to-date information about research studies in the Heart Center. Arranged primarily by therapeutic area, providers can click in that area and see a list of all currently enrolling studies with a short description, the principal investigator, and upcoming studies. Descriptions will eventually include key inclusion/exclusion criteria listed as well as the primary coordinator’s name and contact information.

We hope this will provide more enrollment opportunities for patients, in addition to ensuring our Heart Center providers know all the research clinical trial options available. You can access the list by scanning the following QR code or following this link. Providers will soon start seeing this QR code in patient care areas.

The Heart CRU team is excited to share this information with everyone in order to increase our research opportunities. If you have any questions, please reach out to Krista Camuglia.

 

Annette Winkler Retiring Effective May 30

After 33 years of service at Duke Health, Annette Winkler has announced her plans to retire at the end of May. Annette first joined the Duke Cardiology Intensive Care Unit in 1992 after moving from Michigan. She provided top-notch clinical care, established herself as a leader, and won the Friends of Nursing Award in 2005. She has given presentations at the Premier Health Care Conference, American Heart Association Get With the Guidelines Conference, Duke Quality & Safety Conference, National Cardiovascular Data Registry National Conference, and American College of Cardiology STEMI Simulation.

Since 2007, Annette has worked with the Center of Excellence as the STEMI coordinator and Transcatheter Valve Therapy database manager. She has served as a Team Lead, building knowledge and serving as a resource across all heart registries. She has been a driving force in our STEMI processes and has overseen TAVR data since the beginning of the program in 2012.

As Dr. Chris Granger recently said at Annette’s last STEMI committee meeting, “Annette has led collaborative, constructive, interdisciplinary quality improvement around an opportunity to save lives.”

She has brought professionalism and humor to all her efforts. When you pass by the stained glass art near the 7^th floor elevators at Duke North, take a moment to think of Annette who helped craft the piece.

We thank Annette for all her contributions and will truly miss her!

 

Kudos to Cath Lab Early Start Teams!

Kudos to our Cath Lab team at Duke Hospital! Over the past several months, a number of team members have volunteered to come in for “Early Start” days in order to complete cases ahead of the usual shift. We recognize that team members are going above and beyond in order to care for patients and help with the case load — many of these instances occurring in addition to our Saturday Caths pilot program.

We are deeply appreciative of the many staff members and attendings who have participated to support exceptional and timely patient care and we are proud of the team and how they work together. A very special hat tip to Tony Van for coordinating care across rooms — no easy feat. Thank you, all!

 

Thomas Presents at Duke Health Leadership Summit

Dr. Kevin Thomas served as a presenter on May 19, 2025 at the LeadForward Summit for Duke Health leaders titled Our Duke Health Pledge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nenadic Wood wins EP Course Jeopardy

Ivan Nenadic Wood, one of our second-year cardiovascular disease fellows, attended an EP mapping course in Minneapolis, MN last weekend. He learned a lot and shared that there was a Jeopardy competition at the end. Ivan’s team ended up winning with a question Ivan answered correctly about a chest x-ray of a patient with persistent left SVC syndrome and a pacemaker.

He attributes getting the correct answer because he saw a similar case in clinic with Kevin Jackson.

Way to go Ivan!

 

Yamanaka, Osude Presented CGRs

Thank you to everyone who joined us on Monday and Tuesday evening last week for Cardiology Grand Rounds. We had two excellent presentations!

Monday’s presenter was Shinya Yamanaka, MD, PhD, senior investigator at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease and the L.K. Whittier Foundation Investigator in Stem Cell Biology at the University of California, San Francisco. He presented on Recent Progress in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPS) Cell Research and Application. Tuesday’s presenter was Duke cardiovascular fellow Nkiru Osude, MD, who presented All Hands on Deck: The Necessary Path Toward Improving Quality in Healthcare.

Thanks for the excellent presentations!

 

This Week: CGR Presenter will be Manasi Tannu, MD

Please join us on Tuesday, May 27 at 5 p.m. for Cardiology Grand Rounds with Manasi Tannu, MD. Her topic is Post MI Inflammation and Emerging Therapies.

 

DUHS Leadership & Campus Updates:

Carter Appointed President, COO, of Duke Regional

Jason Carter has been named President and Chief Operating Officer of Duke Regional Hospital (DRH), effective immediately. The announcement was made on May 19th by Greg Pauly, MHA, Group President, Duke University Health System and President of Duke University Hospital.

“Jason has served as interim president and COO of Duke Regional for the past six months and done so with tremendous steadiness, focus, and care,” Pauly said. “His thoughtful, people-first leadership and clear operational insight have helped guide DRH forward, and I’m excited he’ll continue in this role permanently.”

Carter joined Duke Health in November 2023 as COO of DRH and quickly became an integral part of the leadership team. He brings 20 years of health care leadership experience and a deep understanding of what it takes to lead high-performing teams in complex systems. He’s passionate about creating an environment where every team member feels supported, valued, and equipped to deliver outstanding care.

“Stepping into this role permanently is both a humbling and inspiring moment for me.” Carter shared. “Every day, I’m reminded of the strength, heart, and resilience of our DRH teams, and I’m energized by the opportunity to shape our future together. As we enter a new chapter together, my vision is to build on what we’ve achieved and stay rooted in the values that define us: collaboration, innovation, and unwavering service to our community.”

Congratulations, Jason!

 

Page Retiring; Perrier Named AVP HR

On Friday, May 23, Greg Pauly, president of Duke University Hospital announced that Deborah Page, chief human resources officer for DUH, will retire effective June 30. Deborah has been a vital leader and an unwavering champion of compassionate care within our hospital for more than 25 years. Her dedication, insight, and steadfast commitment have left a lasting impact on our community and culture. Deborah will be deeply missed by colleagues and friends alike. Please join us in wishing her all the best as she embarks on this exciting new chapter of her life.

Anita Perrier will be joining Duke University Hospital as the associate vice president of human resources, effective June 1. In this vital leadership role, Anita will strategically organize and lead the delivery of HR services across DUH operations, providing critical support that empowers our leaders to put our people first and provide an exceptional team member experience. She will work in close collaboration with our DUH HR business partners, entity HR leaders, and DUH senior leadership to help align HR solutions with key business initiatives—supporting volume growth, building culture, and developing our team members. She is joining us from Mass General Brigham, where she most recently served as their vice president of human resources, patient care services & operational excellence.

Please join us in congratulating Deborah on her well-earned retirement and in warmly welcoming Anita to Duke University Hospital and the Duke Health team. We look forward to the leadership, insight, and collaborative spirit Anita will bring as we continue to advance excellence in patient care, research and education.

 

Campus Road and Utility Projects, Summer 2025

Ongoing utility and building projects will bring adjustments for pedestrians, motorists and Duke Transit this summer. Much of the work is related to upgrades and renovations to decades-old buildings funded largely through philanthropic donations. Here’s a look at the road and utility work Duke Facilities Management will oversee this summer and how it will affect vehicular and pedestrian traffic on campus: Duke Today story. 

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

May is: American Stroke Month, Jewish Heritage Month, and National Asian Pacific American Month

May is also: Celebrating Each Other month at Duke

June is Men’s Health Awareness Month

June 9-15: Men’s Health Week

Cardiology Grand Rounds

May 27: Post MI Inflammation and Emerging Therapies with Manasi Tannu, MD. 5 p.m., Zoom only.

If you missed any of our CGR’s from the past year, all Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:

• 2025 CGR Recordings
• 2024 CGR Recordings

NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

May 28 & 30: No Core Curriculum Conferences will be held.

June 4: HF/Tx with Aubrie Carroll. Noon, DMP 7E39.

June 6: EP Case Presentation with Hannah Schwennesen and Jemi Galani. Noon, Zoom.

June 11: DHP with Mugdha Joshi. Noon, DMP 7E39.

June 13: Program Review with Anna Lisa Chamis. Noon, Zoom.

June 18: Board Review with Paula Rambarat and Nishant Shah. Noon, Hybrid: DMP 7E39 and Zoom.

June 20: No conference

June 25: TBD.

June 27: Returning Fellows Orientation with Anna Lisa Chamis. Noon, Zoom.        

 

Upcoming Duke Heart CMEs

The following CME activities, sponsored by Duke Heart, have been scheduled. Registration coming soon; now open for June 7^th symposia.

• June 7, 2025: Duke Heart Failure Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center in Durham). Registration is required.
• October 4, 2025: Duke Cardiac Sonography Symposium (live event at Trent Semans Center)
• October 31, 2025: 17th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center)

 

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call 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 16 — Stephen Greene

HCP Live/Don’t Miss a Beat podcast (Apple podcasts)

Navigating the ATTR-CM Care Landscape, with Ahmad Masri, MD

 

May 16 — Junjie Yao (Biomedical Engineering)

AOL.com

New light-activated heart tissue revolutionizes heart repair

 

May 17 — Audrey Blewer (Family Medicine/Community Health)

EMS1

CPR confidence fills in the missing link in cardiac arrest survival

 

May 19 — Stephen Greene

HCP Live

Vutrisiran Lowers Cardiovascular Events, Mortality in HELIOS-B Analysis

 

May 20 — Duke Health

Becker’s Hospital Review

The 25 most human health system brands (#14)

 

May 20 — Harry Severance

Medpage Today

The UnitedHealth CEO Is Resigning. That Won’t Fix Patient Outrage.

 

May 20 — Taylor Pennigar (Nursing) and Marissa Pentico (OESO)

WFLB 96.5 (Laurinburg, NC)

Too Much Sitting Tied to Heart Disease and Muscle Loss, Studies Find

 

May 21 — Duke University Hospital

Becker’s ASC Review

The top 1% cardiology research hospitals in US: Avant-garde

 

May 21 — Stephen Greene

tctMD

TITRATE-HF: Use of GDMT for HF Is Getting Better but Still Not Ideal

 

May 22 — Radha Kachhy

Tyla.com

Little-known heart attack symptom common among women that might be completely ignored

 

May 22 — Nishant Shah

Cosmopolitan

Beta Blockers Can Calm Your Nerves Before a Big Event—Here’s What You Need to Know

 

Highlights of the week:

Duke Heart Earns 6^th MVRR Center Award

We are thrilled to announce that our mitral valve program has earned the 2025 Mitral Valve Repair Reference (MVRR) Center Award  — it is the sixth consecutive year for this recognition from the Mitral Foundation.

Mitral valve repair is one of the most challenging heart operations, but the results for patients with degenerative mitral valve disease can be outstanding, with improved survival and few long-term complications. The recommended treatment for degenerative mitral valve disease is mitral valve reconstruction, as opposed to valve replacement with a bioprosthetic or mechanical valve because valve repair is associated with improved survival and fewer long-term complications. Many patients who would benefit from repair receive replacement valves, with higher rates of death or complications within five years after surgery. 

Based on 2024 data (the 2025 list is not yet publicly available), Duke was one of only 22 centers in the U.S. recognized by the Mitral Foundation as having the volume and outcomes needed to qualify as an MVRR Center.

The MVRR Center designation recognizes those centers that have a demonstrated record of superior clinical outcomes, as well as an ongoing commitment to reporting and measuring quality and outcome metrics specific to mitral valve repairs. It also serves to promote the availability of such MVRR Centers to improve geographic access for patients across the U.S.

Congratulations to our extraordinary mitral valve team and Drs. Don Glower, Jeff Gaca, Brittany Zwischenberger, Andrew Wang, and our MitraClip team for the outstanding work they are doing for all of our mitral patients!

 

Blazing Receives Clinical Excellence Award

Congratulations to Mike Blazing, MD, associate professor of medicine in cardiology! Blazing is one of seven Department of Medicine (DOM) faculty members selected as 2025 inductees to the DOM’s Clinical Excellence Society.

Annually, the DOM recognizes faculty who exemplify exceptional dedication to patient care, innovation in clinical practice, and the training of future physicians. Membership in the Department’s Clinical Excellence Society honors individuals who have demonstrated outstanding clinical skill, leadership, and commitment to advancing the practice of medicine. These clinicians are selected for their impact on patient outcomes, contributions to clinical innovation, and efforts to mentor and support the next generation of healthcare providers.

Blazing was nominated by cardiology division chief Manesh Patel, MD, who wrote “Dr. Blazing is not just reserved for the many faculty members who seek him out as their doctor, but open to any patient with a cardiac problem. He has modeled his professional practice as the standard, always taking on the hardest patients and toughest assignments in the best interest of patients and Duke’s cardiology practice. His communication with patients is effortless, and he always finds a way to connect with his patients, focusing on their needs, allowing him to direct them to optimal, evidence-based care.”

Congratulations, Mike! Well-deserved!

 

New Cardiovascular Funding Awards, April 2025

Congratulations to the following faculty members in the Division of Cardiology who received new funding award notifications in April:

Sponsored research:

• Robert McGarrah III has received a sub-award (1OT2HL156812-01) through the DCRI-Duke-Site for a project entitled “RECOVER-ENERGIZE.”

Industry Sponsored Clinical Trials:

• James Daubert has received an award from Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Ltd for a project entitled “The Natural History of Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy with Pathogenic PKP2 Variants (PKP2-ACM): An observational cohort study.” Total funding will be $201,026.
• Marat Fudim has received an award from AstraZeneca AB for a project entitled “A Phase III, Randomised, Double-blind Study to Evaluate the Effect of Balcinrenone/Dapagliflozin, Compared with Dapagliflozin, on the Risk of Heart Failure Events and Cardiovascular Death in Patients with Heart Failure and Impaired Kidney Function.” Total funding will be $232,815.
• Christopher Granger has received an award from Alnylam Pharmaceuticals for a project entitled “KARDIA-6 CVOT SUA.” Total funding will be $17,952,477.
• Schuyler Jones has received an award from Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation for a project entitled “V-Intervention.” Total funding will be $41,317,740.
• Michel Khouri has received an award from Moleculin Biotech, Inc. for a project entitled “MB-108 (Core Lab).” Total funding will be $2,029,841.
• Daniel Mark has received an award from Cytokinetics, Inc. for a project entitled “Comet-HF Health Economics.” Total funding will be $1,407,475.
• Andrew Wang has received an award from Lexicon Pharmaceuticals for a project entitled “SONATA-HCM A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Parallel-group, Multicenter Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of SOtaglifloziN in symptomATic obstructive And non-obstructive Hypertrophic CardioMyopathy (SONATA-HCM).” Total funding will be $207,376.

Congratulations to all!

 

Duke Heart EKG Team Competes in DUH “Feud”

Congratulations to Duke Heart’s EKG Support Unit for sending a team to compete in Duke Hospital’s “Team Feud” on May 8, 2025! Team Feud is one of many events taking place across Duke this month and is modeled after the television game show “Family Feud.” The competition took place in Duke South Amphitheater and was hosted by emcee Jonathan Bae, MD, associate professor of medicine and a hospitalist at Duke.

The Five Heart Beats included EKG Support Unit team members Lyka Woods; Bernice Whitaker; Kimberly Starkey; Russ Burnett, and Denita Green (shown L-R, above).

“I am so thankful that my team and I got to participate in Team Feud during Celebrating Each Other month,” said Starkey, clinical operations supervisor of the EKG Support Unit at Duke University Hospital. “Times like this allow us to step away from our busy daily tasks to enjoy some fun. We had an amazing time, we won our round and we can’t wait to do it again!”

The Five Heart Beats competed against the Divine Interventions, a group of staff members from Duke Hospital’s Chaplain Services and Education team, and our Duke Heart EKG specialists won the round.

Solid work!

 

Senthil Selvaraj, MD: Improving HF Outcomes Through Metabolic Research

For Senthil Selvaraj, MD, a heart failure physician-scientist in the Duke Heart Center, and an assistant professor of medicine in the Duke Molecular Physiology Institute and the Division of Cardiology, the path to improving care for patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) starts with a deceptively simple question: what does the heart and skeletal muscle actually use for fuel—and can we change that? 

HFpEF affects more than half of all people with heart failure and is notoriously difficult to treat. These patients retain normal pumping function but still experience debilitating symptoms like shortness of breath and reduced ability to exercise. 

“HFpEF is a systemic problem,” Dr. Selvaraj explains. “It’s not just the heart. It’s also skeletal muscle, blood vessels, and the body’s metabolism.”

Recent studies have shown that failing hearts rely more heavily on ketones, a type of energy source the body normally produces in small amounts during fasting or metabolic stress. Inspired by that discovery, Dr. Selvaraj began testing whether raising ketone levels on purpose—through exogenous ketone drinks—could help HFpEF patients function better.

He recently led a clinical trial known as “KETO-HFpEF”, published in JACC: Heart Failure, which tested the effects of a single dose of ketone therapy vs. placebo in patients with HFpEF. The study did not show improvements in exercise performance, but the treatment led to several potentially beneficial physiologic changes, such as lower heart pressures, shifts in metabolism away from carbohydrate utilization, and increased heart rate during exercise.

“These findings were intriguing,” he says. “We didn’t see a direct improvement in exercise capacity, but we saw a lot of changes that may be relevant.”

From Proof-of-Concept to Longer-Term Impact

Selvaraj is now preparing to launch a new trial to test whether longer-term ketone supplementation might do what a single dose could not. The upcoming study, supported by a Swann Lee Award through the Duke School of Medicine, will follow 20 HFpEF patients over an eight-week period using a crossover, double-blind, placebo-controlled design. Participants will receive a commercially available ketone drink, (R)-1,3-butanediol (KetoneIQ), and undergo testing to evaluate changes in exercise capacity, cardiac function, metabolic health, and vascular stiffness. This research team includes Heart Center faculty Drs. Svati Shah, Robert Mentz, and Neha Pagidipati.

“Exercise intolerance in heart failure is driven by multiple overlapping issues,” he says. “That’s why we’re investigating ketone therapy—which has the potential to address several pathophysiologies at once.”

Selvaraj also studies how the heart consumes fuel in real time. In a translational research project at Duke, he and his colleagues collect paired blood samples from the arteries and veins of the heart to measure what nutrients the heart consumes. This work, done in collaboration with Drs. Marat Fudim, Imran Islam, Zach Loring, and Dan Friedman, helps map the heart’s metabolic profile across the spectrum of cardiovascular health.

Research with a Broader Purpose

Selvaraj traces his interest in heart failure back to his third year of medical school, when he first began working in the field. His early work focused on large-scale clinical trial data, but he has since shifted toward leading his own investigator-initiated studies—smaller in scale, but rich in mechanistic insight.

He credits much of his growth as a researcher to the mentorship of Dr. Svati Shah and sees his current work as part of a broader effort to redefine how metabolic therapies are used in cardiovascular disease.

“Ketones are a natural substrate, something our bodies already make,” he says. “If we can harness that safely and effectively, we may be able to offer patients a new option—one that works across systems, not just on the heart alone.” Beyond ketone therapy, altering metabolism with other therapies (i.e. SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists) has already underscored the relevance of this line of inquiry.

(This story was published May 7 by the Dept. of Medicine.)

 

Hernandez, Spaeder Present PTC Grand Rounds

On Friday, May 16, Adrian Hernandez, MD, MHS professor of medicine in cardiology and executive director of the Duke Clinical Research Institute, joined Jeffrey Spaeder, MD, MBA, chief medical and scientific officer at IQVIA, to present the NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory’s (PTC) Rethinking Clinical Trials Grand Rounds lecture. Their presentation was entitled, “Pivoting Clinical Trials Into a New and Evolving World.”

Hernandez serves as co–principal investigator of the NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory Coordinating Center.

 

This Week: CGRs on Monday with Yamanaka, Tuesday with Osude

Don’t forget to join us for a special Cardiology Grand Rounds session on Monday evening, May 19^th. Our guest will be Shinya Yamanaka, MD, PhD, senior investigator at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease and the L.K. Whittier Foundation Investigator in Stem Cell Biology at the University of California, San Francisco. His CGR topic is Recent Progress in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPS) Cell Research and Application.

Yamanaka is a co-recipient of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering that mature cells can be reprogrammed into a stem cell state, offering a way to generate pluripotent stem cells without using embryos. He shared the prize with Sir John B. Gurdon of the Gurdon Institute at the University of Cambridge.

On Tuesday evening, May 20, we’ll hear from Duke cardiovascular fellow Nkiru Osude, MD, who will present The Solution: Quality in Healthcare. 

Both sessions begin at 5 p.m. More details under Upcoming Events, below.

 

 

 

 

New NIH Public Access Policy Effective July 1, 2025

Researchers holding federal funding should be aware of critical updates to the NIH Public Access Policy that will take effect on July 1, 2025.

Originally scheduled to go into effect on December 31, 2025, these changes have been expedited by the federal government, and it is imperative that researchers understand and comply with the new requirements to avoid jeopardizing their current and future funding opportunities.

Key Changes to Note:

• Immediate Submission to PubMed Central: Researchers must submit their Author Accepted Manuscripts to PubMed Central without delay. This ensures that research is accessible to the public as soon as possible.
• No Embargo Period: There will no longer be an embargo period for journals. Full-text must be made publicly available in PubMed Central upon publication.
• Impact on Funding: Non-compliance with these new requirements could affect current and future funding opportunities, including grant renewals. It is crucial to adhere to these guidelines to maintain funding status.
• No Cost to Authors: Authors can submit their manuscript files to PubMed Central at no cost, regardless of whether they have published open access or not.

Researchers with NIH funding are encouraged to take this matter seriously and make the necessary preparations to make sure their manuscripts accepted for publication on or after July 1, 2025 comply with the new NIH Public Access Policy.

For more information on the NIH Public Access Policy compliance submission process, please see Duke Medical Center Library & Archives’ NIH Public Access Policy Guide. If you have any questions or need assistance, do not hesitate to reach out to the NIH Public Access Policy team at the Medical Center Library (nihpublicaccesscompliance@duke.edu).

 

DUHS Updates:

Padilla Appointed DUHS CNSBOO

Blanca “Iris” Padilla, PhD, MBA, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, FAANP has been appointed as the new Chief Nursing Strategic Business Operations Officer (CNSBOO) at Duke University Health System.

In this role, Padilla will be pivotal in shaping the strategic direction of nursing services, ensuring alignment with economic, financial and business objectives and driving innovation in transforming models of patient care, workforce management, and financial sustainability.

Padilla is an Associate Professor at the Duke University School of Nursing with extensive experience in trauma-critical care, emergency department, and primary care. Her education includes a PhD from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, a postdoctoral fellowship from the University of Michigan, and an MBA from Elon University.

Congratulations, Iris!

 

Empowerment Through Innovations Launched by DUHS NPCS

DUHS Nursing and Patient Care Services (NPCS) is excited to launch Empowerment Through Innovations — a new systemwide initiative created to spark real change from the frontlines. All nursing and patient care services teams are invited to share ideas that can improve how we deliver care, support our teams, and solve everyday challenges. The program recognizes the everyday innovators across Duke Health, one idea at a time. It embodies our commitment to Put People First by listening and seeking out new ideas. It also reflects our pledge to Be Clear and Empower by trusting the values and perspectives of those closest to the work and turning ideas into action.

Do you see something that could be better? Visit the Empowerment Through Innovations intranet site to learn more and submit your ideas.

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

May is: American Stroke Month, Jewish Heritage Month, and National Asian Pacific American Month

May is also: Celebrating Each Other month at Duke

  

Cardiology Grand Rounds

 May 19: Recent Progress in iPS Cell Research and Application with Nobel laureate Shinya Yamanaka of the Gladstone Institute for Cardiovascular Disease; the University of California, San Francisco, and Kyoto University. 5 p.m. DN 2002 or via Zoom.

 May 20: The Solution: Quality in Healthcare with Nkiru Osude. 5 p.m., Zoom only.

If you missed any of our CGR’s from the past year, all Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:

• 2025 CGR Recordings
• 2024 CGR Recordings

NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!

 

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

May 21: HF/Tx with Cosette Champion. Noon. In-person. DN 2001

May 23: EKG with Neil Freedman. Noon. Zoom only.

May 28: EP with Hannah Schwennesen and Jemi Galani. Noon, in person. DMP 7E39.

May 30: TBD  

           

Upcoming Duke Heart CMEs

The following CME activities, sponsored by Duke Heart, have been scheduled. Registration coming soon; now open for June 7^th symposia.

• June 7, 2025: Duke Heart Failure Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center in Durham). Registration is required.
• October 4, 2025: Duke Cardiac Sonography Symposium (live event at Trent Semans Center)
• October 31, 2025: 17th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center)

 

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call 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 9 — Duke Health

WFMY News 2 (Greensboro, NC)

Branson’s mission: Filling Duke’s treasure box with hope and joy

May 9 — Stephen Greene

Espanol News

Los beneficios de los inhibidores de SGLT2 para HF afirmados en un estudio grande en el mundo real

May 12 — Audrey Blewer

The Kansas City Star

Fast action from bystanders can improve cardiac arrest survival. Many don’t know what to do

May 13 — Sean Pokorney

Medscape

Self-Administered Etripamil Cuts Emergency Department Visits for Paroxysma

May 13 — Duke University Hospital/Duke Raleigh Hospital

Becker’s Hospital Review

377 top hospitals for patient experience: Healthgrades

May 13 — Duke University Health System

Winston Salem Journal

Three major healthcare providers vying to build hospital in

Alamance. Residents can offer their thoughts on June 18.

May 14 — Duke Heart Network

WHKY

Frye Regional Celebrates 50th Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

May 14 — Robert Califf

Cath Lab Digest

Robert M. Califf, MD, Shares His SCAI 2025 Keynote Summary

May 15 — Marat Fudim and Joanna Kipnes (hospitalist & PRMO)

Cardiovascular Business

Duke specialists to detail the benefits of treating heart failure with Barostim

May 16 — Manesh Patel

Daily Herald (Chicago)

‘Cough CPR’ is a social media myth

 

Chief’s message:

Happy Mother’s Day & Graduation Season Begins

  

To all the moms and mom-figures throughout our team, we wish you a very happy Mother’s Day, and to any of our team members with graduates in their midst – it’s the start of graduation season (this weekend is Duke University’s)–  so congratulations to all!

 

In Memoriam: Robert A. Waugh, MD, Associate Professor Emeritus of Medicine in Cardiology

We are saddened to share that our dear friend and colleague, associate professor emeritus of medicine in cardiology, Dr. Robert Andrew Waugh died yesterday, May 10, 2025, at Hillcrest Convalescent Center in Durham where he had been residing. He was 85.

Waugh’s work while at Duke included the use of patient simulation and computers in medical student and graduate medical education, the use of noninvasive technologies in the evaluation of patients with heart disease, and the role of stress and behavior modification in the care and evaluation of patients with known or suspected heart disease. He assisted Joe Kisslo in establishing echocardiography at Duke, along with the Cardiac Diagnostic Unit.

He had a number of collaborations during his time at Duke, including one with the University of Miami School of Medicine’s Medical Training and Simulation Laboratory to advance and further the use of patient simulators, including Harvey (the cardiopulmonary patient simulator, shown left) and computer modeling in medical training. He served on a multicenter consortium of educators and physicians to develop and evaluate multimedia teaching programs specifically for cardiovascular disease, and later across a variety of medical sub-specialties. He also partnered with Dr. James Blumenthal’s Behavioral Medicine Laboratory at Duke as a collaborator on clinical trials centering around the relationships between exercise, weight loss, and blood pressure, and the role of mental stress and ischemia in patients with known coronary artery disease.

“Bob had just completed his fellowship when I came to Duke in 1972 — he was in the same fellowship class as Galen Wagner and a year behind Bob Rosati,” said Joseph Kisslo, MD, professor of medicine in cardiology at Duke. “Shortly thereafter, Bob went into the Navy and was stationed at Bethesda. He tried private practice for a year in Virginia after the Navy and then returned to Duke when Galen Wagner served as the acting chief of cardiology while Andy Wallace was on sabbatical.

“He was the supreme clinician and cared dearly about teaching our medical students about heart disease,” Kisslo added. “Bob was very instrumental in the beginning of the original stress echo and Holter monitoring lab and he was a big help to me in establishing echo at Duke, and then the Cardiac Diagnostic Unit. Without Bob, the cooperative entity of the CDU would have never worked — he was the ultimate “team player”. One of the saddest days I’ve ever had was when Bob told me he was stopping clinical practice because he just couldn’t manage anymore.”

Born on Christmas Day, 1939 (the very same day as Galen Wagner!), Waugh would earn his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1966. His survivors include his wife, Carol Ann; their daughter, Dianna Joseph of Georgia, and a grandson, William.

We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and former colleagues.

We are grateful to the following faculty members for sharing their thoughts and memories of Dr. Waugh with us:

“Bob Waugh was a great guy and excellent cardiologist. One of my favorites. I interviewed with Bob for Cardiology Fellowship. It just so happened that at the time I was the resident on the cardiology consult service and he was the Attending. So I showed up with my suit and folio ready for an interview. He looked at me and said ‘Let’s go round’ and we saw all the consult patients that afternoon.” — Sunil Rao, MD, Director of Interventional Cardiology at NYU Langone

“Bob was unique among us. Great laugh and very skilled as a clinician and an educator. I was in need of an echo tech and Bob pitched a guy that he had worked with in the Navy. I thought, ‘Just what I need… an old drinking buddy of Bob’s.’ But, of course, Roger [Harsh] was one of the best hires ever.” — Ken Morris, MD

“He was so much fun to have around. Loved his laugh.” — Mark Donahue, MD

“A great educator! He was so fun to read echos with.” — Mike Sketch, MD

“He was one of the greats.” — Tom Povsic, MD

“Dr. Waugh was a gifted educator, beloved by everyone who interacted with him. He taught generations of medical students, residents and fellows EKGs and physical exam using Harvey, the cardiology patient simulator. He taught, inspired and mentored me to pursue a career as a cardiology clinician- educator. I will be forever grateful.” — Anna Lisa Chamis, MD

“Another of the founders of the Duke Cardiology Division has passed. Bob Waugh was the consummate clinician and teacher at Duke. He loved teaching so much that he helped develop a manikin named “Harvey” in an effort to educate everyone from med students to faculty on how to properly perform a physical exam. Named after Proctor Harvey of Georgetown fame, the Duke cardiology manikin was located on the seventh floor. Pulsations and apical movements were incorporated along with the auscultatory heart sounds heard at differing locations on the torso. One could select the murmurs associated with any structural heart ailment. His passion for teaching and his devotion to the housestaff and fellows were boundless, even though he began his career at Duke as a basic scientist. His office was the story of legends, as he was a hoarder of first magnitude- books and magazines were stacked sky-high everywhere. Despite that, he always knew where everything was, and everyone was always welcome to come and chat about just about anything at any time. He was a wonderful listener, a friend to all, and had opinions on everything. Bob was truly one of the giants in cardiology that built the Duke program. His kindness, humor, teaching prowess, and clinical competence made him one-of-a-kind. He was the best. He will be greatly missed by all of us who benefited from his presence and influence..” – Tom Bashore, MD

“I first saw Bob Waugh on a video as a medical student at Emory – introducing the Harvey training manikin. When I met him, it became clear that Bob was a caring clinical role model for all of use who had to privilege of knowing him.  Duke Cardiology and Duke Medicine benefited from his love of teaching, easy going style, and most importantly dedication to being a great clinician.  Despite having his  desk piled high with articles and books, he would always make time to listen to a case or just provide advise. He will be missed.”  Manesh Patel, MD

Reminder: Culture Pulse Survey!

Please take part in the (very quick!) Culture Pulse Survey which runs through tomorrow, May 12. You can access the survey here. By participating, you can help system leadership to better understand the current culture here at Duke Health. Your voice matters, so please participate – it’s quick, confidential, and will go a long way in helping leadership pave the way for an even stronger Health System.

With participation, you may even win a great prize! Five team members across the health system who complete the Culture Pulse survey will be randomly selected to win a pair of Duke men’s basketball tickets, a pair of tickets to a DPAC production, or four tickets for a Durham Bulls baseball game!

Please visit the Culture Pulse page to learn more.

Thank you!

 

AATS 2025 Duke Highlights

The 105th annual meeting of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) was held May 2-5, 2025 at the Seattle Convention Center in Seattle, WA.

Thomas D’Amico, MD, the Gary Hock Distinguished Professor of Surgery and Section Chief for General Thoracic Surgery at Duke along with Maral Ouzounian, MD of Toronto General Hospital were the Program Directors for the AATS — well done, Tommy! Several faculty members served on program committees for this year’s event, including Carmelo Milano, MD (Adult Cardiac Program Committee); Joseph Turek, MD (Congenital Program Committee), and Betty Tong, MD (Thoracic Program Committee).

Highlights from Duke presenters included:

• A presentation on optimal strategies for neuroprotection during aortic surgeries which require circulatory arrest, given by Edward P. Chen, MD;
• Publication of outcomes of children undergoing partial heart transplant, co-authors included Joe Turek, MD; and a
• Presentation on the Duke Donation After Circulatory Death (DCD) heart transplant outcomes, given by cardiothoracic surgical resident, Abigail Benkert, MD

We are especially delighted to share that surgical research fellow, Dr. Krish Dewan, won the prestigious C. Walton Lillehei Resident Forum prize for cardiac gene therapy work conducted in the laboratory of Dawn Bowles, PhD, assistant professor in surgery.

The Lillehei award is named for C. Walton Lillehei, MD, PhD, known as the father of open heart surgery. Lillehei forever changed the face of cardiac surgery through his research, groundbreaking developments and innovative techniques. In 1952, Lillehei participated in the world’s first successful open heart surgery at the University of Minnesota, and in 1954, he headed the first successful open heart surgery using cross-circulation. Lillehei himself was well decorated, having received such honors as the Bronze Star for World War II service in Italy, the 1955 Lasker Award, the Order of Health Merit Jose Fernandez Madrid by the government of Colombia in 1959, the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement in 1968, induction in 1993 into the Minnesota Inventors Hall of Fame, and the 1996 Harvey Prize in Science and Technology. The AATS honors his legacy and contributions by selecting a resident researcher each year as the recipient of his namesake award for their own cutting-edge breakthroughs and research efforts.

Congratulations to all!

 

Made for This Campaign

As we mentioned last weekend, the Made for This campaign for philanthropic support of Duke’s missions was held last weekend with board members from across Duke and Duke Health. The capstone event of the weekend was a discussion that took place on Saturday with former men’s basketball coach, Mike “Coach K” Krzyzewski. We were able to get some photos of him with Manesh Patel, MD and Craig Albanese, MD from their panel discussion on leadership, innovation and advances at Duke Health.

 

 

Upadhya Receives Excellence in Education Award

Congratulations to Bharathi Upadhya, MBBS, associate professor of medicine in cardiology! She is one of thirteen Department of Medicine faculty members to receive the 2025 Excellence in Education Award. The DOM recognizes and appreciates the hard work and dedication of its outstanding faculty and their enduring commitment to the education of its fellows, residents, and students. The annual Excellence in Education Award recognizes a faculty member in each division for excellent teaching and commitment to the education and professional development of Duke trainees.

Dr. Upadhya is recognized as an outstanding teacher and committed educator of trainees giving high-yield lectures to cardiology fellows, sonographers, and sonography students. Additionally, she is a gifted bedside clinician-educator.

Congratulations, Bharathi! Well-deserved!

 

 

Neha Pagidipati, MD: Diminishing Fragmented Care & Shaping New Leaders in Research

Neha Pagidipati, MD, MPH, associate professor in the Division of Cardiology, is working to improve care fragmentation and inspire the next generation of researchers.  She’s a cardiovascular prevention specialist dedicated to finding therapies that work for all patients through her combined interests of public health and clinical medicine.

“Obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol are just some of the factors that contribute to heart disease, and I enjoy helping people manage those aspects on an individual basis by lifestyle modification and using effective medications. But I also really enjoy thinking about how to improve those risk factors on a population level,” Dr. Pagidipati said. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.

She is one of several providers that treats patients through Duke’s Cardiometabolic Prevention Clinic. “It’s a multidisciplinary clinic that aims to provide coordinated care to the highest risk and most complex patients in the health system,” Dr. Pagidipati said. The team is comprised of cardiologists, endocrinologists, hepatologists, and nephrologists.

“This is practicing medicine the way all of us want to practice medicine. We get to work together with other clinicians and take care of patients in the best way possible,” she said. They refer and coordinate with each other often to prevent vulnerable patients from being overlooked. “Patients who have multiple cardiometabolic issues tend to see many different providers, and that care can be very fragmented, which is worse quality care,” Dr. Pagidipati said. But it also poses a problem for patients themselves.

“They’re just one person trying to manage all of their issues. But they’re going to many different clinicians who may or may not be telling them the same thing,” she said.

Dr. Pagidipati helped build the program which patients have been able to access through a variety of Duke clinics, including the South Durham Clinic, for the last eight years. “Having providers practice in different clinics is helpful because some locations are more convenient for patients than others,” she said.

“I think I always knew I wanted to be a physician,” Dr. Pagidipati said. Both her parents were doctors, and that exposed her to medicine early. She briefly considered other career paths, but a trip to India during her sophomore year in college confirmed her decision to pursue medicine.

“After doing public health work there and studying cardiovascular disease prevention in women, I realized health care was something that I was meant to do,” she said.

Dr. Pagidipati fell in love with cardiology as a fourth-year medical student at Harvard University School of Medicine after doing a cardiology critical care unit rotation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “It was the first time in my life that I remember thinking, ‘I would actually pay to be allowed to work every day in the CCU,” Dr. Pagidipati said.

It’s also where her interest in women’s health broadened and her desire to improve maternal health outcomes deepened. “Women are at just as much as risk of cardiovascular disease as men. Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in women, just as it is in men, yet heart disease in women tends to be under-recognized and undertreated,” Dr. Pagidipati said.

Addressing that disparity is another part of what drives her to improve care for her patients.

“There are aspects to women’s cardiovascular health that are different from the cardiovascular health in men that need additional focus and research,” Dr. Pagidipati said. “Unfortunately, women are not included in many cardiovascular trials and have largely been underrepresented in them for a long time, and I don’t think that has served anyone well,” she said.

After graduating from medical school, she completed Brigham and Women’s Hospital Internal Medicine Residency and Global Women’s Health Fellowship Program’s and earned a Master of Public Health from Harvard University.

Dr. Pagidipati has remained at Duke’s School of Medicine since completing a cardiology fellowship in 2017. “A critical piece of staying in an academic center is growing the next generation of investigators and clinicians,” she said. While mentorship isn’t something she set out to do, it’s become a large part of her life.

“The single most rewarding thing about being a doctor is taking care of patients. It’s an integral part of who I am, but I absolutely love and value the research and education aspects as well,” Dr. Pagidipati said. She was selected as an Associate Program Director of the Duke Clinical Research Institute Fellowship Program in 2018.

“It’s becoming increasingly harder to become a researcher, and we need people going into research because our medical enterprise doesn’t work without them,” she said. “I enjoy fostering that interest and teaching trainees that it can be done successfully and in a way that gives them a balance in their lives and clinical work.”

(This story was published April 14 by the Dept. of Medicine)

 

McGuire Presents CGR on GLP-1 Receptor Agonists

We had an excellent Cardiology Grand Rounds on Tuesday evening with former Duke cardiology trainee Darren McGuire, MD of UT Southwestern. He presented, “Getting to the heart of the matter: GLP-1 receptor agonists and CV disease” — if you missed it, you can check it out here: https://warpwire.duke.edu/w/HdgIAA/ (Duke NET ID is required). 

 

 

 

 

 

Avery Ongman Featured by SOM

Congratulations to Avery Ongman, a student in our Cardiac Ultrasound Certificate Program — she is one of 14 students from across the School of Medicine’s education and training programs highlighted in their 2025 Student Graduation Profiles series.

Avery was recently named one of the 2025 Waggoner scholarship award winners by the American Society of Echocardiography. You can find her profile here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DUHS Updates:

Construction in Parking Garage 2 (PG2)

Construction began on level two of Duke University Hospital’s Parking Garage 2 last week. Travel lanes will remain open for motorists, but you may encounter minor changes in traffic patterns. This work will continue for approximately six weeks. Please maintain a safe speed and watch for workers and pedestrians as you drive through the garage. Please do not remove the barriers in these areas.

Please allow additional time for your commute morning, as delays are anticipated and may impact your arrival.

 

Leadership Changes

Joanna Lowery has been promoted to Vice President of Support Services. With over 15 years of leadership experience—including the past eight in healthcare—Joanna is known for her strategic vision and operational excellence. In her most recent past experience, Joanna served as a leader at Aramark, an industry leader in hospitality management. As AVP at Duke, she has streamlined many processes and engaged other departments to improve turn-around times and solutions to expedite throughput.  In early 2025, she led DUH to its first-ever compliant inspection on the initial attempt, earning recognition from the Fire Marshal. Her results-driven leadership continues to strengthen our support services.

Bryan Mallory, Vice President for Medicine, Surgery, Critical Care and Dialysis (MSCC) will be responsible for Emergency Services at DUH. In his expanded role, Bryan will be responsible for strategic planning, day-to-day operations, financial and resource management of the Emergency Department, Clinical Evaluation Unit, and Emergency Preparedness. He will continue to partner and collaborate with providers, nursing, and support teams across the hospital.  Bryan has more than 15 years of healthcare experience across several organizations and specialty areas. Since returning to Duke in 2017, he has served as a vice president for several service lines, including Ambulatory, Children’s, and MSCC. Bryan began his career in healthcare as an EMT and volunteer rescue squad member. 

Congratulations, Joanna and Bryan!

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

May 6-12: National Nurses Week

May 12: International Nurses Day

May is: American Stroke Month, Jewish Heritage Month, and National Asian Pacific American Month

May is also: Celebrating Each Other month at Duke

 

Cardiology Grand Rounds

May 13: Somatic Mutations and Cardiovascular Disease with Jess Regan. 5 p.m. DN 2002 or via Zoom.

If you missed any of our CGR’s from the past year, all Duke Cardiology Grand Rounds recordings are housed on Warpwire. To access recordings please visit:

• 2025 CGR Recordings
• 2024 CGR Recordings

NET ID and password are required. Enjoy!

 

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

May 14: DHP with Tess Allan. Noon. In-person. DMP 7E39.

May 16: Pericardial Disease with Nishant Shah. Noon. Zoom only.

May 21: HF/Tx with Cosette Champion. Noon. In-person. DN 2001

May 23: EKG with Neil Freedman. Noon. Zoom only.

May 28: EP with Hannah Schwennesen and Jemi Galani. Noon, in person. DMP 7E39.

May 30: TBD  

           

2025 Joseph C. Greenfield Visiting Professor of Medicine Lecture Series

May 9: Medicine and Mindset: Exploring New Targets and Re-Imagining the Clinical Encounter with Lidia Schapira, MD, FASCO, Professor of Medicine, Oncology with Stanford Medicine. 8 a.m., DN 2002.

July 25: Topic TBD with Amy S. Oxentenko, MD, Professor of Medicine with Mayo Clinic. 8 a.m., DN 2002.

 

Upcoming Duke Heart CMEs

The following CME activities, sponsored by Duke Heart, have been scheduled. Registration coming soon; now open for June 7^th symposia.

• June 7, 2025: Duke Heart Failure Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center in Durham). Registration is required.
• October 4, 2025: Duke Cardiac Sonography Symposium (live event at Trent Semans Center)
• October 31, 2025: 17th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium (live event at Durham Convention Center)

 

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call 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 5 — Jonathan Piccini

tctMD

Studies Spotlight Safety Concerns With Pulsed-Field Ablation for AF

May 5 — Audrey Blewer (Family Med/Community Health)

Public Good News

Bystanders can improve cardiac arrest survival. Here’s how.

May 6 — Emily D’Agostino (Population Health)

The Carolinian News

Meeting Patients Where They Are: NC Mobile Medicine in rural NC

May 6 — Adrian Hernandez

WRAL

NC House OKs bill expanding access to ivermectin despite lack of hard evidence

May 8 — Stephen Greene

tctMD

STRONG-HF Analysis Quantifies Gains From Rapid Uptake of GDMT

May 8 — DUH CTICU

Healthcare Purchasing News

AACN’s Healthy Work Environment Standards Implemented at Duke University Hospital’s CTICU