EP 45: The Journey of Dr Alin Gragossian, Physician, Heart Transplant Recipient & Advocate
Two and a half weeks before her urgent orthotopic transplantation, Alin led the life of a busy emergency medicine resident. The warning signs of her dilated cardiomyopathy were drowned out by the demands of a 24-hour shift at her critical care unit. She recalls being confused while she was transferred to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and was signed up for the organ transplant list.
After the heart transplant, while coming to terms with her condition, she decided not to let this “inconvenient life event” bring her down and take over her thoughts, and wrote the first post on her blog “a change of heart”. The blog is a space for raising awareness of organ donation, research and charities.
Dr Ankur Kalra’s guest is Dr Alin Gragossian, a critical care fellow, heart transplant recipient and advocate. In this episode, Alin talks about her journey as a patient, the psychological aspects of her recovery and her advocacy work. Ankur asks Alin about the mindset behind her sense of purpose and her dedication to help raise awareness of organ donation and young heart failure patients.
How did Dr Gragossian receive her diagnosis? How does she feel about her new reality? What drives her? What is her message to our listeners?
Read more about Dr Alin Gragossian's journey here: www.achangeofhe.art/blog
Questions and comments can be sent to “podcast@radciffe-group.com” and may be answered by Ankur in the next episode. Guest @AG_EM33, hosted by @AnkurKalraMD. Produced by @RadcliffeCARDIO.
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According to Dr Eric Adler, at the core of all impactful research is a powerful narrative that makes us reflect on the human condition. In 2006, when the ground-breaking discovery was made that specialized cells can be turned into stem cells, Dr Eric Adler was thinking about how he could create a synergy between his passion for clinical work and his determination to ask compelling questions in research.
Parallax’s guest this week is Dr Eric David Adler, Medical director of heart transplant and mechanical circulatory support at UC San Diego Health.
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Parallax’s guest this week is Dr Eric David Adler, Medical director of heart transplant and mechanical circulatory support at UC San Diego Health.
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This week’s guest, Prof Roxana Mehran, Professor of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Founding Director of Women as One, is a phenomenon in interventional cardiology. Her pioneering work as clinician, trialist and advocate is well known within the community. In this episode, we learn what makes Roxana tick and what were the odds she had to defy as an immigrant from Iran to fulfil her ‘impossible dream’.
The charity organisation, Women as One is an agent for women and men to be part of medicine that is built on talent, rather than a privilege. Roxana and Ankur discuss the role of mentorship and family-friendly work environment in mending the broken house of cardiology. Roxana talks about the practical tools that are available for women to take the next steps in their career and achieve their goals.
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The charity organisation, Women as One is an agent for women and men to be part of medicine that is built on talent, rather than a privilege. Roxana and Ankur discuss the role of mentorship and family-friendly work environment in mending the broken house of cardiology. Roxana talks about the practical tools that are available for women to take the next steps in their career and achieve their goals.
This week’s guest is Dr Laura Mauri who became Vice President of Global Clinical Research and Analytics at Medtronic in 2018 after an illustrious career in academic medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
Dr Kalra asks Dr Mauri about early influences and her traineeship with legendary interventionalists, the late Donald Baim and Richard Kuntz. Dr Mauri talks openly about her decision-making process and the importance of selecting your priorities and committing to them. Ankur asks Laura about her decision to go into industry. Laura shares her thoughts on medical innovations and meeting urgent needs with unique perspectives.
What is Dr Mauri’s advice for a young cardiologist? How did she balance research and patient care? What are the questions that helped her decision making? How does Dr Mauri think about innovations in medicine?
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Dr Kalra asks Dr Mauri about early influences and her traineeship with legendary interventionalists, the late Donald Baim and Richard Kuntz. Dr Mauri talks openly about her decision-making process and the importance of selecting your priorities and committing to them. Ankur asks Laura about her decision to go into industry. Laura shares her thoughts on medical innovations and meeting urgent needs with unique perspectives.
What is Dr Mauri’s advice for a young cardiologist? How did she balance research and patient care? What are the questions that helped her decision making? How does Dr Mauri think about innovations in medicine?
In the early days of the Black Lives Matter movement, a group of internal medicine residents posed a question: What can we do about racial disparity within our institution?
Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s Health Equity Committee decided to confront the status quo by asking: How is racism on a structural level present within our walls?
Ankur Kalra’s guests Michelle Morse (Founding Co-Director of EqualHealth and Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School) and Lauren Eberly (Cardiology Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania) are co-authors of a retrospective study that demonstrated what had previously only been observed: That black or brown heart failure patients ended up in general medicine rather than specialised cardiology services. Following the publication of the study in November 2019, the Health Equity Committee started to roll out anti-racism trainings and to work on objective admission guidelines to mitigate biased behaviours.
Aarti Bhatt (Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Minnesota), member of the Minnesota chapter of Campaign Against Racism, talks about their initiative to support projects that have a positive impact on local communities on a global scale.
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Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s Health Equity Committee decided to confront the status quo by asking: How is racism on a structural level present within our walls?
Ankur Kalra’s guests Michelle Morse (Founding Co-Director of EqualHealth and Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School) and Lauren Eberly (Cardiology Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania) are co-authors of a retrospective study that demonstrated what had previously only been observed: That black or brown heart failure patients ended up in general medicine rather than specialised cardiology services. Following the publication of the study in November 2019, the Health Equity Committee started to roll out anti-racism trainings and to work on objective admission guidelines to mitigate biased behaviours.
Aarti Bhatt (Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Minnesota), member of the Minnesota chapter of Campaign Against Racism, talks about their initiative to support projects that have a positive impact on local communities on a global scale.
Heart surgery is not the best option for every patient suffering from structural heart disease. This was recognized by interventional cardiologist Anmar Kanaa’N and cardiac surgeon Joseph Lahorra who decided to unify their skillsets and bring the Structural Heart Program to life. Their vision was to offer patients with heart valve diseases all available options at Cleveland Clinic’s Akron General.
In this week’s Parallax, Dr Kanaa’N, the director of the program, and Dr Lahorra, chairman of the Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Department of Akron General introduce the listeners to the foundations of their program and the paradigm shift brought by TAVR.
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In this week’s Parallax, Dr Kanaa’N, the director of the program, and Dr Lahorra, chairman of the Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Department of Akron General introduce the listeners to the foundations of their program and the paradigm shift brought by TAVR.
The State of Ohio reported its first coronavirus cases on March 9. Prior to that, on February 28, the Cleveland Clinic announced that they are prepared to open 1,000 additional hospital beds if needed. Ohio was one of the states to follow recommendations and intervene quickly.
Ankur Kalra asks Grant W Reed, Director of the Cleveland Clinic’s STEMI program, to reflect on the actions they took and the challenges of delaying cardiovascular procedures in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Dr Reed offers insight on the factors that influenced the Cleveland Clinic’s STEMI policy for COVID-19. Ankur and Grant discuss the triage considerations for patients with structural heart disease and the steps the clinic took to protect its healthcare workers.
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Ankur Kalra asks Grant W Reed, Director of the Cleveland Clinic’s STEMI program, to reflect on the actions they took and the challenges of delaying cardiovascular procedures in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Dr Reed offers insight on the factors that influenced the Cleveland Clinic’s STEMI policy for COVID-19. Ankur and Grant discuss the triage considerations for patients with structural heart disease and the steps the clinic took to protect its healthcare workers.
Lisa Rosenbaum has been writing extensively about the human face of medicine. Her articles have been widely circulated by publications like The New York Times, The New Yorker and The New England Journal of Medicine.
In this edition of Parallax Dr Kalra asked Dr Rosenbaum about the influences that shaped her choices as a writer and as a healthcare professional. Dr Rosenbaum opens up about her childhood and how she connected to her grandfather through writing and medicine. We learn about Lisa’s first day at medical school and her latest writing project.
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In this edition of Parallax Dr Kalra asked Dr Rosenbaum about the influences that shaped her choices as a writer and as a healthcare professional. Dr Rosenbaum opens up about her childhood and how she connected to her grandfather through writing and medicine. We learn about Lisa’s first day at medical school and her latest writing project.
A week after Jag Singh had tested positive for 2019-nCoV, he became a patient in his hospital’s intensive care unit. This week he joins Ankur Kalra, MD to tell us about his journey as a clinician-scientist.
Jagmeet P Singh, associate chief of the cardiology division at Massachusetts General Hospital and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School joins Ankur Kalra for a deep conversation about his journey across three continents. Dr Singh talks about the importance of choosing fulfilment over success. We gain more insights on the recent late-breaking trial, MADIT-CHIC focusing on cardiac resynchronization therapy. Ankur asks Jag about his experience of being on the other side of the healthcare system and his enrolment in the since halted remdesivir trial.
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Jagmeet P Singh, associate chief of the cardiology division at Massachusetts General Hospital and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School joins Ankur Kalra for a deep conversation about his journey across three continents. Dr Singh talks about the importance of choosing fulfilment over success. We gain more insights on the recent late-breaking trial, MADIT-CHIC focusing on cardiac resynchronization therapy. Ankur asks Jag about his experience of being on the other side of the healthcare system and his enrolment in the since halted remdesivir trial.
“It’s a tsunami not just a wave. The worst tsunami you can imagine”
Prof Michele Senni is Director of Cardiology at Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital, Bergamo Italy. He contracted COVID-19 himself and in this latest podcast he meets with Ankur Kalra, MD to discuss his personal experience in dealing with patients and COVID-19 in Europe’s outbreak epicentre.
Hear them discuss the burden on healthcare, patient selection, the importance of testing and PPE and how COVID has resulted in a reduction of acute myocardial infarction and heart failure in patients.
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Prof Michele Senni is Director of Cardiology at Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital, Bergamo Italy. He contracted COVID-19 himself and in this latest podcast he meets with Ankur Kalra, MD to discuss his personal experience in dealing with patients and COVID-19 in Europe’s outbreak epicentre.
Hear them discuss the burden on healthcare, patient selection, the importance of testing and PPE and how COVID has resulted in a reduction of acute myocardial infarction and heart failure in patients.
“We are at war with a pandemic and the enemy is not each other, it’s the virus.”
In this latest episode, Ankur Kalra, MD meets with Andrew Sauer, MD, co-author of an upcoming paper in US Cardiology Review on COVID-19 and Cardiovascular Disease that provides a concise and current summary of cardiovascular complications from COVID-19.
Hear them discuss the latest issues surrounding the pandemic, the known cardiac implications and the rapidly emerging data.
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In this latest episode, Ankur Kalra, MD meets with Andrew Sauer, MD, co-author of an upcoming paper in US Cardiology Review on COVID-19 and Cardiovascular Disease that provides a concise and current summary of cardiovascular complications from COVID-19.
Hear them discuss the latest issues surrounding the pandemic, the known cardiac implications and the rapidly emerging data.
In these unprecedented times, we provide an early release episode to gain insight on dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic from Deputy Editor in Chief of US Cardiology Review, a BDG interventional cardiologist, Bill Gogas, MD, PhD practising in East Asia.
Hear Bill’s take on how East Asia responded to and successfully managed the pandemic and how they are now seeing a significant reduction in cases outside the epicentre. Hear how the strategy resulted in only 93 patients in Bill’s city of Nanjing, testing positive for coronavirus with a city population of 8 million.
Learn about effective responses, the importance of early control and how as a cardiovascular physician, your life and practice may be impacted by the virus.
Submit your question to Ankur via: podcast@radciffe-group.com.
Hosted by @AnkurKalraMD. Produced by @RadcliffeCARDIO.
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Hear Bill’s take on how East Asia responded to and successfully managed the pandemic and how they are now seeing a significant reduction in cases outside the epicentre. Hear how the strategy resulted in only 93 patients in Bill’s city of Nanjing, testing positive for coronavirus with a city population of 8 million.
Learn about effective responses, the importance of early control and how as a cardiovascular physician, your life and practice may be impacted by the virus.
Submit your question to Ankur via: podcast@radciffe-group.com.
Hosted by @AnkurKalraMD. Produced by @RadcliffeCARDIO.
In this inspiring episode, Dr Ankur Kalra’s guest is Dr Sohail Khan, Chief Operating Officer at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases in Karāchi.
Dr Khan talks about education in the US and his decision to move back to Pakistan. Ankur asks Sohail about his new professional home: NICVD, a free clinic providing primary heartcare for Pakistanis. They discuss some of the innovations Dr Khan works on to improve patient care that utilise simple but effective interventions. We learn more about free screening clinics and about Dr Khan’s work on the largest ever study in Pakistan on association of Lpa and CV disease in South Asians.
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Dr Khan talks about education in the US and his decision to move back to Pakistan. Ankur asks Sohail about his new professional home: NICVD, a free clinic providing primary heartcare for Pakistanis. They discuss some of the innovations Dr Khan works on to improve patient care that utilise simple but effective interventions. We learn more about free screening clinics and about Dr Khan’s work on the largest ever study in Pakistan on association of Lpa and CV disease in South Asians.
In this personal interview, Dr Itchhaporia recalls her early years and the influences and decisions that led her to medicine and cardiology. She talks about her connection to ACC and the importance of choosing a professional home where one can find their purpose under the mentorship of their community. Ankur asks Dr Itchhaporia about the most memorable moments of her presidency. They talk about South Asian identity and curbing CVD in this population.
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This nurturing episode focuses on questions that touch on what it is that we seek as human beings and how can we cultivate awareness and authenticity while practicing modern medicine. Ankur asks Kavitha about what it means to be spiritual as a cardiologist. Kavitha talks about the experiences made possible by mindfulness. They discuss the difference between conditioning and growth. Kavitha talks about burn out and how we could make changes by embracing medicine not only as a measurable science but as an art.
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In this refreshing and spiritual episode Carolyn reflects on her journey and the decisions and mentors that shaped her career as a heart failure specialist, trialist and as a public speaker. Ankur and Carolyn dive into the question whether being balanced is what we should be all aiming for. Ankur asks Carolyn about her work as a co-founder of Us2.ai, a start-up dedicated to the automation of the fight against heart disease by applying AI to echocardiography.
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This week’s guest on Parallax is Dr Jonathan Fisher Cardiologist and Organizational Well-Being and Resiliency Leader at Novant Health.
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