May Proclaimed Clinical Trials Awareness Month
May was a big month for IACT Health in terms of bringing awareness to clinical trial research. Mayor Teresa Tomlinson signed a proclamation declaring May Clinical Trials Awareness month which led to a month-long celebration and drive to help people understand the critical need for volunteers in clinical trials. Dr. Jeff Kingsley, CEO of IACT Health and Dr. Christine Senn, CIO of IACT Health, accepted the proclamation during a city council meeting and spoke with the Council about the critical need for public awareness.
Without participation, advancements in medicine and treatment of diseases do not exist. CEO, Dr. Jeff Kingsley made it very clear the ramifications of not meeting enrollment goals in order to conduct a trial by stating, “If we develop the cure for cancer today, it will not be available to patients who need it for 20 years due to time wasted trying to find people to enroll in research trials. Twenty years! That is unnecessary and unacceptable”. Currently, there is a severe shortage of clinical trial participants, which slows the process of approving medications and moving them to market for patients. Consequently, many groundbreaking, life-saving medications remain stuck in the approval pipeline. With increased participation in clinical trials, however, patients and care providers will have greater access to approved medications.
Riding in Cars With Researchers
In order to help people understand what clinical trials are, and address concerns people have about participating, Dr. Kingsley has begun a new video blog (vlog) series called Riding in Cars With Researchers. Dr. Kingsley speaks candidly about different aspects of clinical trials and what it means to participate. The goal is to help you understand the importance of volunteering in clinical trials. Physician participation-and-partnership is also crucial to facilitating various trials that require specialists in areas such as cardiology, pulmonology, and internal medicine. We often hear that physicians don’t have the time or information to discuss available trials with their patients. We also hear of patient’s fear of the unknown, when it comes to participating in trials. We hope to address these fears and move forward to enrolling patients and partnering with physicians in a way that will lead to major advancements in the treatment of diseases and improving the quality of life for everyone.
A Cook-Out to Say Thank You
IACT Health also hosted it’s 1st Clinical Trials Awareness Cook-out to thank our past, present, and future participants. In the middle of cooking hamburgers and hotdogs, IACT physicians and employees were assessing blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and BMI. Dr. Kinglsey was found sitting at the tables talking with guests while they ate about the importance of clinical trials. It was so much fun to see everyone and thank them personally! We’d like to thank our sponsors who donated raffle items to our guests – CVS pharmacy, Rivertown Dental Care, Solcioty Fitness, Wrightcare Moving Company, and even our in-house Sales and Marketing team!
Bringing information and awareness about current clinical trials cannot just happen in May. If we want to see new treatments and medications for diseases that touch all of our lives, we need participants! If you have questions about clinical trials, concerns about participating, or have topics you would like Dr. Kinglsey to address during his vlogs, please email us at connect@iact-health-staging.ycjrvwt5-liquidwebsites.com.