This package is a replay of 11 on-demand session recordings and presentation slides from the Workforce Development Track at the ACRP 2024 Conference, May 3 – 6, Anaheim, California. Understand the workforce landscape and gain strategies to build smarter teams.
Member: $99 | Nonmember: $149
Participants can earn up to 12 ACRP contact hours. Upon purchase, the sessions will be accessible from your My Courses Dashboard. Replay sessions expire on May 31, 2027.
As a workforce crisis continues to complicate goals for hiring staff with existing clinical research experience, one small contract research organization (CRO) addressed the issue by creating a successful clinical research associate (CRA) training program. This session offers actionable strategies for enhancing clinical research training programs and empowering teams, and lessons learned for fostering a culture of excellence and growth by setting high expectations and providing early guidance for self-sufficiency. Speakers: Kathleen Kane, MBA, CCRP, Senior Manager, Clinical Operations, NMDP; Alisha Mussetter, Manager, Clinical Monitoring Operations, NMDP; Kassandra Nealon, BS, Clinical Research Associate II, NMDP
A thoughtfully crafted clinical research internship experience can create pathways for students to find post-graduation employment and reduce the burden of employers to identify and onboard future professionals. This session focuses on how one institution is targeting undergraduate-level students in the life and health sciences and providing clinical research training during their studies in order to create a new and up-and-coming workforce of clinical research talent. Speakers: Kevin Gardner, Director, Clinical Trials Office, Penn State College of Medicine; Andrea Stevens, Assistant Professor, Penn State University Greater Allegheny
In a time when study coordinator burn-out can have dire add-on effects for entire study teams, this session presents a new role–the study manager–and the tools for making it an effective site-level solution to adjust to a radically changing world of sponsor expectations. Speaker: Jean Kelly, Associate Director of Clinical Operations, Rochester Clinical Research
Patient engagement in clinical research remains a complicated process. Beyond timelines for meeting enrollment targets, effective patient engagement provides opportunities for participation while removing barriers. This session describes leading practices for equipping clinical research professionals with knowledge, comprehension, analysis, and practical application for research. Speakers: Erika Stevens, Faculty Lecturer, MS ACRM Track & Director, Clinical Research Experience, Recherche Transformation Rapide, LLC; Bridget Strong-Benson, PhDc, MBA, CCRP, Associate Executive Director, Clinical Research Education & QI
This session looks at the implementation of the Joint Task Force for Clinical Trial Competency (JTFCTC) Framework for competency-based job positions at two research-intensive academic medical centers (AMCs)–at Duke starting in 2014 and at UAB starting in 2018–and provides an update on related workforce efforts at the institutions. The results will be tied to ongoing national conversations about the clinical research professional workforce shortage. Speakers: Denise Snyder, MS, RD, Associate Dean for Clinical Research, Duke University School of Medicine; Mark Marchant, MBA, MPH, Director, Clinical Trial Administrative Office, The University of Alabama at Birmingham
This session will focus on building competencies, gaining stakeholder buy-in, and enhancing development in clinical research settings. Attendees will gain hands-on experience they can use to improve their companies and teams. With specific competencies being practiced by the right people, teams will see streamlined processes and eliminated or reduced non-essential tasks, leading to spending optimal time on revenue-generating activities. Furthermore, organization-specific competencies can facilitate better communication and increase the effectiveness of employee development. Speakers: Mallory Frazier, MS, Manager of Learning and Development, Javara Inc.; Lauren Fregonese, Senior Director of Learning and Development, Javara Research; Michaela Mahin, Talent Management Specialist, Javara Inc.
This session focuses on one organization’s experience with developing its clinical project management workforce through interdepartmental cooperation and the incorporation of the Joint Task Force for Clinical Trial Competency’s framework for job roles. Examples will be shared of the tools and diverse communication methods used to encourage better engagement and synthesis of information leading to a highly trained and agile clinical research team. Speakers: Kim Bloom, MPA, CCRC, Clinical Research Project Manager, University of Utah, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Critical Care, Data Coordinating Center; Heather Gramse, BS, CCRP, Program Director, University of Utah, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Critical Care, Data Coordinating Center; Marie Kay, BA, PMP, LSSGB, CCRC, Program Director, University of Utah, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Critical Care, Data Coordinating Center
This session will evaluate clinical trial operations at the site level and provide novel approaches for improving operations while providing effective oversight. These approaches will include redefining the roles of research team members to help retain quality professionals on board, from coordinators to principal investigators and everyone in between. Speakers: Lacey Andrews, MS, CCRC, CCRA, Lead Clinical Research Coordinator, Marshall University’s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Department of Family and Community Health; Todd Davies, PhD, Associate Director of Research, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine
This session highlights industry pioneers with novel approaches to facing workforce challenges and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) issues in clinical trials and overall trial enrollment. Featured are a nonprofit organization focused on community grassroots efforts, an innovator of partnerships with higher education to offer clinical research as an intentional career option, and sponsors who are driving inventive programs to build site capacity with a focus on DEI. Speakers: Lora Black, RN, MPH, Executive Director, Clinical Research – Sanford Research, Sanford Health; Kelly Clark, BScN, MSHS, Head of US Partnerships and Global Site Development, Merck; Michaele Linden Johnson, FACHE, MBA, Senior Director of Clinical Trials and Business Development, Medical Center of the Americas; Sandra Smith, RN, MSN, AOCN, SVP, Clinical Solutions & Strategic Partnering, WCG; Leslie Wolfe, BS, MHA, Director, Clinical Research – Early Talent Development, Merck; Denise Snyder, MS, RD, LDN, Associate Dean for Clinical Research, Duke University School of Medicine (Moderator)
Too many clinical research professionals recall being “thrown into” their first role and the sink-or-swim sense of pressure that resulted. Thankfully, clinical research training has evolved to better prepare individuals for real-world research situations. This session looks at how today’s in-person and virtual tools for simulation-based learning create a safe but realistic environment for individuals entering the field to master research processes, apply critical thinking skills to problem-solve challenges, practice using clinical trial technologies, and gain confidence. Speaker: Sharleen Traynor, PhD, MPH, Director, Clinical Trials Research Associate Program, Durham Technical Community College
Explore how one institution implemented an informed consent training program through both didactic training and simulated consenting scenarios. Upon completion of this activity, learners will be able to implement similar programs at their home institutions. Speaker: Kevin Gardner, Jr., Director, Clinical Trials Office, Penn State College of Medicine