Clinical Trials Network
Clinical Trials Network
VISN 1 is committed to researching health issues important to America’s Veterans. Together with the Massachusetts Veterans Epidemiology Research and Information Center (MAVERIC), VISN 1’s Clinical Trials Network (CTN) is expanding the availability of clinical trials and integrating clinical research into medical practice by bringing health care providers and researchers together to ensure a fully integrated health care organization capable of providing state-of-the-art care to our Veterans.
“It is our hope to increase clinical trials available to Veterans in the VA New England Healthcare System. This expands their access to emerging therapies. It also leverages our integrated healthcare system to speed the development of important new clinical knowledge that can benefit Veterans across the country and indeed all Americans,” said Network Director Dr. Michael Mayo-Smith.
From the beginning, the effort to grow CTN has been a partnership with Veterans.
Veterans enrolled in VISN 1 for their care have access to New England’s best talent in medicine and to support from national research programs such as the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG), known for its advances in fighting cancer.
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Dr. Mary Brophy provided American Legion Past National Commander Charles Schmidt and Legionaires a briefing on CTN research
CTN Director and MAVERIC Co-Director, Mary Brophy, MD, said “Continuous discovery and improvement is the bedrock of a top-notch health care system. Our leaders expect us to provide first-rate care, and our Veterans deserve it. By embedding research into clinical care through innovative research programs such as Point of Care Research and research for precision oncology, together as a VISN, we can deliver on the promise of providing the best and highest quality care to the Veterans we serve.”
What we learn from science and research advances healthcare.
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Dr. William E. Boden
Working alongside Dr. Brophy is VISN 1’s Physician Research Lead, William E. Boden, MD, FACC, FAHA. Dr. Boden is the Scientific Director for CTN and also serves as Professor of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine. "While our overarching goal in VISN 1 is to provide our Veterans with exceptional clinical care, with access to the very best primary and specialty care services to both treat disease and promote wellness, our many accomplished physician investigators and post-doctoral researchers are equally committed to accelerating both the pace of scientific discovery and the translation of novel treatment options to the bedside and in our clinics to enhance the care for Veterans we are proud to serve," Boden said. "Our VA New England Healthcare System boasts one of the largest and most productive research programs within VA nationally, and through the important collaborative relationships we enjoy with our many academic partners throughout the region, we are ideally positioned to fulfill our important educational and research missions that likewise so favorably impact the quality of care we are able to provide our Veterans in VISN 1."
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Colleen Shannon, MPH
CTN Colleen Shannon said the expansion’s success is due to its collaborative business model and people who are committed to expanding Veteran access to clinical research. “Together, MAVERIC and CTN provide the logistical, technical, administrative and operational support researchers need so that they can focus on scientific discovery, innovation and medical advancement. Researchers can leverage resources such as the Cooperative Studies Program Coordinating Center, the VA infrastructure, and expertise,” Shannon said.
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Sara Schiller, MPH
CTN Project Manager, MAVERIC, Sara Schiller, MPH, helps to manage the growing portfolio of trials that fall under the Clinical Trials Network. “By collaborating with our researchers and developing partnerships both internal and external to the VA, the CTN is able to expand research through a large number of innovative projects in the area that affect Veterans the most,” Schiller said.
