Three people and two groups throughout the College of Drugs are amongst Duke’s 2022-23 Presidential Award winners.
From finishing ground-breaking medical procedures to designing modern methods to complement the coed expertise, this yr’s Presidential Award winners shined each whereas taking up large challenges and creating small, significant moments.
The eight people and 5 groups who earned Duke’s highest workers and college honor had been chosen from nominations from throughout the college and well being system. The winners might be honored with a ceremony at 4 p.m. Tuesday, February 28, in Web page Auditorium. Following the ceremony, there might be a reception in Penn Pavilion. The Duke group is invited to attend; please RSVP.
The awards are organized by the Workplace of the President in partnership with Duke Human Assets and honor groups and people who greatest display Duke’s core values of respect, belief, inclusion, discovery and excellence.
“This yr’s Presidential Award honorees are a rare group, and I’m delighted to acknowledge these devoted workers and college with one in every of Duke’s highest honors for service and excellence,” mentioned Duke College President Vincent E. Value. “By way of their tireless efforts and dedication to our shared values, the honorees are shaping Duke’s id and advancing our schooling and affected person care missions. I’m grateful for the Presidential Awards Committee, which has devoted a substantial amount of time and a focus to creating these recognitions potential.”
The 2022-23 Presidential Award Winners from the College of Drugs are:
People
Joseph William Turek, Chief of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgical procedure, Duke College Medical Heart
As a gifted surgeon, Dr. Joseph William Turek has achieved ground-breaking work, performing the world’s first co-transplant of coronary heart and thymus tissue, the world’s first partial coronary heart transplant for a new child with out functioning aortic or pulmonary valves, and led the groups finishing the nation’s first pediatric donation after circulatory demise (DCD) coronary heart transplant and the primary toddler DCD coronary heart transplant using normothermic regional perfusion.
Throughout his time because the chief of Duke’s pediatric congenital coronary heart surgical procedure unit, the amount of sufferers has elevated by 80 % whereas the risk-adjusted survival charges stay among the many greatest within the nation. Turek has additionally spearheaded efforts to make sure all youngsters with congenital coronary heart illness in North Carolina have entry to high quality care by constructing collaborations with different well being care methods.
“His constructive power has actually developed a constructive work tradition inside our program,” mentioned nominators and doctor assistants Laura Sullivan and Victoria Wildman. “He’s actually making a distinction within the lives of everybody. … We really feel that Joe’s distinctive contributions to the sector of congenital coronary heart surgical procedure, to the Duke Well being system, to our sufferers, their family members and one another exemplifies our institutional values.”
John Purakal, Assistant Professor, Emergency Drugs, Duke College Medical Heart
Dr. John Purakal has devoted himself to making sure emergency medication sufferers obtain care that goes past moments of disaster. Working with college students, Purakal developed “ParallelED,” a screening process which assists emergency division sufferers with social wants reminiscent of housing, meals and transportation. He additionally helped Duke implement NCCare360, a program from the North Carolina Division of Well being & Human Companies designed to assist sufferers deal with social wants by way of referrals to group organizations. Purakal was just lately invited to the White Home to share info on his work with different well being fairness leaders.
A founding member of the Emergency Drugs Division’s Justice, Fairness, Range & Inclusion Committee, Purakal has additionally labored to make his division a extra inclusive place by growing a well being fairness curriculum for Duke’s Emergency Drugs Residency Program which options lectures from consultants in well being disparities. He’s additionally earned awards from his division colleagues and the American Faculty of Emergency Physicians for his instructing of first- and second-year medical college students.
“Dr. John Purakal represents the values our college holds most pricey and can proceed to be an exemplar of management as a clinician, advocate and educator,” wrote nominators Gene Moon, Duke Inhabitants Well being Administration program coordinator, and Debra Jones, Duke Well being assistant vp.
Sheba A. Corridor, Administrative Coordinator for the Workplace of Scholar Affairs, Medical Training
Over 30 years at Duke, Sheba Corridor has constructed a popularity as a trusted colleague and smart useful resource within the Duke College of Drugs.
By way of quiet and devoted service within the Workplace of Scholar Affairs, she fastidiously manages the delicate nature of pupil info, fashions arduous work and has remained adaptable to the altering wants of her work. For instance, when the workplace just lately reformed its Medical Scholar Efficiency Analysis, Corridor eagerly adjusted to the brand new insurance policies and procedures.
However her worth to Duke is greatest summed up by her crucial position for the reason that pandemic started. Within the early days of COVID-19, Corridor volunteered to stay on web site most days to function a useful resource to college students, display entrants to the constructing and guarantee in-person lessons continued. Because the pandemic work preparations advanced, she has remained a constant a part of easing the transition.
“Finally, Ms. Corridor is the epitome of excellence at the same time as she stays curious and supportive,” wrote nominators Dr. Joseph A. Jackson, affiliate dean & director, Workplace of Scholar Affairs and Jennifer Averitt, affiliate dean for Medical Training Administration. “She refuses to attract consideration to herself and stays the glue that holds the Workplace of Scholar Affairs collectively. Since Ms. Corridor is a real inspiration and position mannequin, it’s our privilege to appoint her for the Presidential Award.”
Groups
Duke Regional Hospital Tracheostomy Workforce
Noticing methods to enhance how tracheostomy sufferers had been dealt with earlier than and after they had been discharged from the hospital, a group of 10 Duke Regional Hospital colleagues put within the work to maneuver the care enhancements ahead.
The group of speech and language pathologists, medical nurse specialists, bodily and occupational therapists, docs, and directors acknowledged inconsistencies in take care of sufferers coping with surgical procedures to handle their airways. They developed options, reminiscent of weekly rounds to guage and focus on care approaches for earlier than and after discharge, and the creation of emergency tools baggage which stick with every affected person, making entry to probably life-saving instruments simpler. The group additionally created new protocols for evaluating and speaking with sufferers earlier than and after they’ve left the hospital.
Because of this work, the readmission and mortality charges of Duke Regional Hospital’s tracheostomy sufferers has dropped significantly.
“These outcomes display important enhancements in high quality and security for the trach inhabitants and value financial savings for Duke Regional Hospital,” mentioned Affiliate Chief Nursing Officer Gloria McNeil, one of many group’s nominators.
Thymus Transplant Regulatory Affairs and High quality
When Dr. Louise Markert invented a life-saving remedy to deal with immunodeficiency in sufferers who’ve congenital athymia, a deadly illness which means they’re born and not using a thymus, the Thymus Transplant Regulatory Affairs and High quality Workforce performed a crucial position in serving to the drug get from the lab to the clinic.
In October 2021, the remedy that offers sufferers t-cell operate of their immune system to stop infections was granted Federal Drug Administration approval as a result of arduous work and experience of the group. The group of researchers created a secure and high-quality course of to make use of discarded thymus tissue and switch a ground-breaking discovery into actuality.
In 2022, Duke College Hospital handled eight youngsters with congenital athymia which led on to the Duke pediatric coronary heart and immunology consultants performing the world’s first mixed coronary heart transplant and cultured thymus tissue implantation in a child with immunodeficiency and coronary heart illness.
“The Thymus Transplant Regulatory Affairs and High quality Workforce epitomizes the Duke shared values of respect, belief, inclusion, discovery, and excellence,” wrote Dr. Susanna Naggie, professor of Drugs and Vice Dean for Medical Analysis within the Duke College of Drugs. “Our sufferers belief that they’re receiving cutting-edge care. The group’s dedication to discovery and excellence will proceed to enhance healthcare for all.”
To study in regards to the different 2022-23 Presidential Award winners throughout Duke, go to Duke Right now.
