Voices of Duke Health

Robert Califf, MD, spent the majority of his career as a physician, administrator, leader, and innovator at Duke University. He's moved on to a job at Verily Life Sciences and Google Health, but we caught up with him to ask about his early work and how it prepared him to be commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.

Dr. Jack Hughes celebrated his 100th birthday in November 2019, so he he had a lot to share with our oral historian, Joseph O'Connell. Here Dr. Hughes talks about what inspired him to a long career in urology in Durham, North Carolina, and about his tour of duty as a Navy medic during World War II. Read more about Dr. Hughes at https://forestduke.org/d-day-memories-from-a-survivor/

We're happy to announce that plans for season 2 are in the works! In the meantime, we thought Voices of Duke Health listeners might enjoy this vignette about Nancy C. Andrews, MD, PhD, produced by Joseph O'Connell. As a teenager, Dr. Andrews brought some unusual house guests back to her parents' home in upstate New York: 30 live horseshoe crabs. In this bonus episode, Andrews looks back on her early formation as a physician-scientist and her journey to becoming the first woman dean of a top ten medical school.

Dr. David Zaas was diagnosed with leukemia on Valentine's Day of 2017. In the weeks that followed, he faced many challenges—breaking the news to his sons, undergoing chemotherapy, and learning how to be a patient. David Zaas, MD, MBA is president of Duke Raleigh Hospital and associate professor of medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine. Aimee Zaas, MD, MHS, is the director of the Duke Internal Medicine Residency Program and associate professor of Medicine and of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology. Find the full transcript at www.listeningbooth.info.

Stay tuned for the full conversation, available Thursday, March 21.

Tell Me Something Good—that’s the name of a weekly email Emily Depetris sends to her coworkers in the pediatric cardiac ICU. In the PCICU, they take care of really sick kids. So Emily wanted to give the PCICU staff a weekly reminder of the good things that come from their work—in the form of pictures of their patients playing in the park, dressing up for Halloween, and graduating from high school. Emily is joined by Anne Schmelzer, a nurse in the PCICU, to talk about why she started Tell Me Something Good, and how it’s brought joy and inspiration to the staff. Find the full transcript at www.listeningbooth.info.

Stay tuned for the full conversation, available Thursday, March 14.

It was just a typical Monday for Betsy Hames, at work on the sixth floor of Duke South. But suddenly, she went into cardiac arrest. In the minutes that followed, the puzzle pieces fell into place to get Betsy the help that ultimately saved her life. In this episode, we hear from Betsy, Dr. Adrian Hernandez, Dr. Jonathan Bae, Dr. Cara O'Brien, Evelyn McClure, and Cory Miller. Find the full transcript at www.listeningbooth.info.

Stay tuned for the full conversation, available Thursday, March 7.

Dr. Ahmad Adi was born to Syrian parents and went to medical school in Saudi Arabia. Dr. Heather Kim was born in Korea and grew up in Canada. Now, they’re both fourth year psychiatry residents at Duke. In this episode, they share what brought them to Durham, what psychiatry has taught them, and what it's like to be immigrant physicians. Find the full transcript at www.listeningbooth.info.

Stay tuned for the full conversation, available Friday, March, 1.

For Krunal, it was a car accident. For Jess, an unrelenting, life-threatening illness. Everyone has a different reason for pursuing a career in medicine. In this episode, we hear from six first year med students, who share their motivation, their hopes, and their fears. Krunal Amin, Sonali Biswas, Grant Cabell, Fred Heller, Elana Horwitz, and Jess Rames are first year med students at Duke. They recorded this conversation in August 2018. Find the full transcript at www.listeningbooth.info.

Stay tuned for the full conversation, available Thursday, February 21.

What is the right thing to say to someone who's grieving? Maybe there are no right words, says Dr. Anthony Galanos. Dr. G, as he's lovingly known, understands this better than most. On September 19, 2018, his son Nick died. Since then, he's heard the words "I'm so sorry" too many times. And received many condolences that, while well-intended, hurt more than they healed. Dr. G came to our listening booth to have a conversation about grief, humor, Nick's love for the Blue Devils, and a whole lot more. Anthony Galanos, MD, is professor of medicine in the Division of Geriatrics, and a specialist in palliative care. Find the full transcript at www.listeningbooth.info.

Stay tuned for the full conversation, available Thursday, February 7.

Allison Chrestensen worked as an occupational therapist for years. Through her job, she thought she had a pretty good understanding of the patient experience. That was until Allison suffered a cardiac arrest and spent days in a coma. She survived, and walked away with a completely changed perspective on what it means to be a patient. In this episode, Allison and her husband, Mike, share their patient and caregiver experiences. Since her cardiac arrest, Allison started her own business. Tandem Healthcare Solutions helps bridge the gap between patients and medical professionals. Mike works as an IT analyst for Duke Health. Find the full transcript at www.listeningbooth.info.

Stay tuned for the full conversation, available Thursday, January 31.

A few months after her 40th birthday, Jane Shealy woke up and realized she'd forgotten to get married and have children. One thing led to another, and a few years later, Jane found herself in China with baby Maggie in her arms. In this episode, the mother-daughter duo shares what makes their relationship so special. Jane is an editor for the Duke School of Nursing. Find the full transcript at www.listeningbooth.info.

Stay tuned for the full conversation, available Thursday, January 24.

Duke employees Kara Lyven and Marianne Drexler wake up every day and go to work at the very place that saved their lives. They share their patient stories, and reflect on how their experiences help them find joy and gratitude in everything they do. Lyven is senior associate for patient safety at Duke University Hospital. Drexler is program coordinator for the Longitudinal Clinical Skills Foundation course in the Duke School of Medicine. Find the full transcript at www.listeningbooth.info.

Stay tuned for the full conversation, available Thursday, January 17.

This past November, we launched the Voices of Duke Health podcast. We heard a lot of powerful stories, learned how to use a stress ball, and were reminded that every single member of the Duke Health community has something to share. You can find the first 6 episodes on our website, www.listeningbooth.info. You can also find us wherever you get your podcasts. And this is just the beginning! Stay tuned for more new episodes, starting Thursday, January 17.

Dr. Sophia Smith is a 2-time cancer survivor, so she's well acquainted with the anxiety that persists after treatment ends. Her research found that many cancer survivors also struggle with PTSD. This led her to create something really innovative—an app, called Cancer Distress Coach. In this episode, Dr. Smith is joined by Bridget Koontz, MD, who shares how her patients responded to the app. Dr. Smith is an associate professor in the Duke School of Nursing. Dr. Koontz is a radiation oncologist and an associate professor of radiation oncology. Find full transcript at www.listeningbooth.info.

Stay tuned for the full conversation, available Thursday, December 20.

We hate to break it to you, but you're probably using a stress ball wrong. Don't worry—Dr. Mehul Mankad is here to enlighten us. Also, Dr. Mankad shares what inspired him to a career in psychiatry, what's challenging about his job, and what makes it all worth it. Dr. Mankad is a psychiatrist and assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke. Find full transcript at www.listeningbooth.info.

Stay tuned for the full conversation, available Thursday, December 13.

In the aftermath of an unimaginable tragedy, Dr. Beatriz Blanco Morris found a powerful support system—her Duke family. In this episode, Dr. Morris and her 15-year-old son, Will, share their story. Dr. Morris is a pediatrician and assistant professor of pediatrics at Duke. Find full transcript at www.listeningbooth.info.

Stay tuned for the full conversation, available Thursday, December 6.

Dr. Will Bynum is worried that resiliency is at risk of becoming the “dirty R word.” Dr. Bynum is joined by Duke med students Ashley Adams and Claire Edelman to talk about why it’s important that resilience be more than just a buzzword. Will Bynum, MD, is assistant professor in community and family medicine. He serves as associate program director of the Duke Family Medicine Residency, and researches self-conscious emotion (shame, guilt, & pride) in medical learners. Medical students Ashley Adams and Claire Edelman work with Dr. Bynum on that research. Find full transcript at www.listeningbooth.info.

Stay tuned for the full conversation, available Thursday, November 29.

A few years ago, a group of Duke med students started the Duke Navigators Program. The program gives med students opportunities to practice talking about death and end-of-life care with patients. In this episode, we get the inside story of what it’s like to have these incredibly difficult yet important conversations.

The Voices team — Karishma, Anton, Jon, and Susannah — sat down in the listening booth to introduce ourselves and have a conversation about what we hope Voices of Duke Health can be for our colleagues across Duke University and Health System.

Stay tuned for the full conversation, available Thursday, November 15.