Clinical Researcher—December 2019 (Volume 33, Issue 10)

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

Jim Kremidas

As we wait for the giant ball to drop in New York’s Times Square, it’s only natural to reflect on the year ending in just a few weeks. Here at ACRP, we’re excited about what has transpired over the past 12 months, and all that we’ve accomplished together. I thought this month’s column would be a good occasion to review a few of your organization’s “greatest hits.”

In some ways, I think we’re most proud of the complimentary eLearning and ethics training we released in July. Without a strong ethical foundation, clinical trial practitioners will not fulfill their mission. There are few higher callings than protecting the safety of vulnerable patients and clinical trial participants.

Working together, we’re making clinical trials safer, more efficient, and more effective for the people who need them most. As a member of ACRP, you are helping lead the way to raise the bar for clinical trial performance.

More Greatest Hits

We’ve also had some other exciting events in 2019, including:

In April, we unveiled the ACRP Medical Device Professional, or ACRP-MDP®, a subspecialty designation which can be earned through successful completion of a 60-question multiple choice exam designed to validate clinical research professionals who have demonstrated knowledge in medical device trials.

We also enjoyed some great progress with the Partners in Workforce Advancement initiative (PWA), which provides a unique, high-profile opportunity for organizations to partner with ACRP and support initiatives focused on creating a sustainable workforce for the future—including a flagship initiative to implement an “Awareness of Clinical Research as a Career Option” campaign targeting healthcare professionals and students.

New PWA members in 2019 include the Medical University of South Carolina, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, Covance, the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences’ Department of Clinical Research and Leadership, and Wake Forest Baptist Health/Wake Forest University. They joined existing members FOMAT Medical Research, Javara, Inc., National Institute for Health Research, OhioHealth Research Institute, Roche/Genentech, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Further, we secured some exciting partnerships in 2019, including a program with VIARES to help contract research organizations address global workforce challenges, with VirTrial to help sites prepare for “hybrid” clinical trials, and with Forte to advance technology competency in the clinical research workforce.

I wish you a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2020, and I thank you for all you are doing to further improve the worldwide clinical trial enterprise. Here’s to greater things to come!

As always, I welcome your thoughts and input on how we can better serve you and the broader industry. Please feel free to e-mail me directly at jkremidas@acrpnet.org.

Jim Kremidas is Executive Director for ACRP.