Paul Barr, M.D., with lymphoma clinical trial coordinators Alyssa Williams and Mijamin Friend
Clinical Trials Office Steps Up Its Game Innovating in a Busy Clinical Environment Requires a New Mindset — to “Build an Airplane as You’re Flying It.”
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any small business growth stories — whether it involves a benefit people with cancer. food retailer, a fashion brand, or even Zoom, which was much Against this backdrop, Wilmot’s Clinical Trials Office, known as less known until 2019 — have things in common with the Wilmot the CTO, set out to climb a big hill during the past few years. Cancer Institute’s Clinical Trials Office: They all require infrastructure, The goal is to meet the strictest requirements by the National recruiting, and acting swiftly and Cancer Institute for the way creatively to change. CTOs are organized and operate. At Wilmot, however, when Wilmot is pursuing a special improvements are underway grant awarded to the most elite — when a major new software cancer centers in the country, system goes online, for example, and as part of this effort, the or a new governing charter is NCI demands a comprehensive thoughtfully devised — it’s not evaluation. In response to the Helen Peck, executive director for Clinical as if business can pause, even upcoming review, the CTO began Trials Operations for a moment. Cancer is everplotting a strategic path for present, and patients rightfully growth and improved efficiencies. expect and rely on cutting-edge treatment. Clinical trials are often All Wilmot programs — research, community outreach, education the best way to get those therapies, and in keeping with the mission — are going through the same thorough analysis, but the CTO has of an academic medical center, Wilmot is committed to continually been making its changes while simultaneously providing cancer moving science out of laboratories and into studies that can directly care, and in the midst of a pandemic.
“Coming together, embracing change, adapting on the fly: You can’t do any of that in isolation.”
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