Message from the Chair
It is my great pleasure to welcome you to Perigee, the annual newsletter of Duke University Department of Emergency Medicine. We hope that you appreciate the various ways to stay abreast of the exciting developments occurring in the department.
Among the new developments is the growth in leadership of our people. Faculty members David Gordon, Julian Hertz, Jason Theiling, as well as Duke EM Residency alumnus JJ Hoff, have assumed new leadership positions within Duke and are highlighted in this issue.
As befitting the department’s vision statement, “care for all, when needed most”, another theme is health equity. Faculty member John Purakal won the University’s highest recognition, the Presidential Award, for his social emergency medicine work in the ED. Duke EM residency alum and assistant residency program director, Kendrick Kennedy, is conducting community-engaged research to understand ways to create better representation in research studies.
Training and development remain important priorities of the department. Of course, our residency program continues to shine and train outstanding emergency physicians for future generations. We are finding new ways to train the next generation of scientists and scholars including through our local Resident Research Fellowship. Two of our most recent fellows, Mitchell Veverka and Lauren Coaxum are highlighted here.
Lastly, we have some exciting news in the realm of clinical research. Duke was selected as one of 13 Hubs to help lead the NIH-funded SIREN trial, which focuses on new treatments for emergency cardiovascular and neurologic diseases. And our participation in the BRAVIO IV study is leading the world towards better treatment for snakebites.
I am pleased with our progress in our first year as the Department of Emergency Medicine in the Duke University School of Medicine, and excited to share these outstanding developments. We thank you for your continued support, interest, and collaboration with the department.
Charles J. Gerardo, MD, MHS
Interim Chair
Professor of Emergency Medicine
Department of Emergency Medicine
Duke University School of Medicine
per-i-gee (n.)
the point in the Moon's orbit at which it is nearest to Earth.
Here at Duke EM, we use "perigee" to symbolize the myriad ways in which our faculty, trainees, and staff accomplish great things and continuously strive for excellence in all we do.
A Time of Transition
As we pass the one-year anniversary of being a department, settle into the newly formed Duke Health Integrated Practice (DHIP), which became effective on July 1, 2023, and work through the dissolution of the Private Diagnostic Clinic, PLLC (PDC); this period marks the beginning of a new chapter for Duke Health and the faculty and staff at Duke.
Thoughts from Our Advisory Dean: David C. Gordon, MD
Dr. Gordon reflects on the opportunity to become an Associate Dean for Student Affairs at the Duke University School of Medicine.
Dr. John Purakal Receives Prestigious Duke University Presidential Award
Under the leadership of John Purakal, MD, an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, "ParallelED" was created. This initiative, staffed by Duke undergraduate students, operates from the Duke University Hospital ED waiting room and aims to address unmet social needs in parallel with patients’ medical care.
Duke Life Flight
Duke Life Flight serves both the local region and beyond as a premier critical care transport agency, utilizing both air and ground vehicles to not only transport patients, but also provide excellent care.
Duke EM Resident Research Fellows Explore New Territory
Mitchell Veverka and Lauren Coaxum write about their experiences as resident research fellows.
SIREN Hub Award Announcement
Funded by NHLBI and NINDS, the award (1U24NS129498-01) provides nearly $2 million over 5 years for a robust infrastructure to implement clinical trials for emergency neurologic and cardiopulmonary conditions.
Welcome to New Fellows, APPs, and Residents
Meet the latest additions to the Duke Emergency Medicine team!
Selected Research Publications
See recent research published in journals with the highest Impact Factor, a measure of the average number of citations to articles in that journal.
Give to Duke Emergency Medicine
The Duke Department of Emergency Medicine relies on individual gifts and philanthropic partnerships to help support our clinical, research, and educational missions and to secure funds for the future.