You Are the Association’s Vital Signs

Clinical Researcher—January 2020 (Volume 34, Issue 1)

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

Jim Kremidas

 

One of the best parts of my job here at ACRP is the opportunity to meet so many of our interesting members and “take the pulse” of what belonging to the Association means to you. I’ve been inspired countless times since I became Executive Director by your dedication and commitment to helping deliver the most innovative therapies to patients.

I’ve always welcomed the opportunity to get your input on ACRP as an organization. Whether it’s a request for additional educational offerings or new certification opportunities, or something more basic like more coffee breaks at the annual conference, I always take your ideas and concerns back to our team in the Alexandria, Va. home office.

In 2019, we conducted a massive member survey. I’d like to thank you if you found the time to participate. The data it yielded represent the vital signs of this organization, and serve as a diagnostic tool for us to know where we are helping you to do your job better and thrive in your career, and to learn where we can improve.

I’m happy to report the member survey told us there are a lot of things you are happy about with your organization. Perhaps more importantly, however, it alerted us to a few areas where we need to get better.

I’d like to use my first column of 2020 to address a few of those core areas:

  • Customer service. You told us you sometimes had difficulty navigating our website, especially when it came to finding our services online. We heard you loud and clear, and I’m excited to report we’re making important strides toward vastly improving your user experience in 2020. It’s a big project and we ask for your patience as we hone it and build out a better website to help make it easier to access all the benefits of being an ACRP member.
  • A revitalized eLearning program. You asked for upgrades and improvements, and we’re just about to deliver them. You’ll soon have access to more interactive, simulated training modules, culled from the best practices and most innovative adult learning techniques. Watch this space for a big announcement in February.
  • Member communications. We’re working toward better targeting our communications with you. Translation: fewer, but more on-point e-mails from us to you in 2020.
  • Exciting news on the Chapters front. We’re launching innovative pilot programs in the Research Triangle Park region of North Carolina, in Las Vegas, and in New Orleans designed to remove much of the business and administration burden from chapter leadership, freeing them up for more networking and educational events. The early returns are good, but I’ll report back on these pilots in the months ahead.

Finally, allow me to take this opportunity to once again thank you both for your valuable work, and for giving back to the clinical trial enterprise by being a member of ACRP. As always, I welcome hearing from you directly at jkremidas@acrpnet.org.

Jim Kremidas is Executive Director of ACRP.