Press Release: Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation Receives National Award from Health Industry Leaders

CAMBRIDGE, MA – The Healthcare Leadership Council (HLC) honored the Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP) with its Redefining American Healthcare Award at a ceremony in Cambridge on Monday, June 6. The event was hosted by BMS, a collaborator of CISCRP’s.

The Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating and informing the public, patients, medical/research communities, the media, and policy makers about clinical research and the role each party plays in the process. Its vision is to educate and empower patients and the public to be viewed and engaged as partners in clinical research.

Healthcare Leadership Council executive vice president, Michael Freeman, praised CISCRP for its impact on clinical trial diversity. “Having a deep understanding of what information influences the decision to participate in a clinical trial has enabled CISCRP to address concerns and make the public feel heard. The multi-pronged approach this group has taken to strategically improve health literacy in targeted communities while working to build trust in the process, has resulted in greater diversity in participation of clinical research trials.”

“CISCRP is truly a pioneer and a leader, bringing together stakeholders across the clinical trial universe to help us improve the accessibility and experience for patients. You have been at the forefront of promoting the importance of diversity. When the pandemic hit, it was CISCRP who was the very first organization to reach out about what this means from the diversity perspective,” stated Richard Campbell, Vice President of Global Clinical Trial Planning & Alliance Management at BMS,

“We are thrilled to be receiving this award,” said Ken Getz, CISCRP Founder and Board Chair. “It is an honor to join such a notable community of past awardees, each of them passionate and committed to educating patients and the public, improving access to care, and engaging with patients and their families as valued partners in clinical research and clinical care.”

Assistant Speaker of the House Katherine Clark, provided a recording to congratulate CISCRP for receiving the award. “CISCRP is improving outcomes for individual patients as well as research and participation for years to come….Your dedication to patient outreach and education has improved countless lives, and on behalf of my colleagues in Congress, I thank you for your contribution to our nation’s health.”

Another collaborator of CISCRP, Jonathan Jackson, Executive Director of the CARE Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, shared with the audience, “The best group in town for healthcare education and patient engagement is also the best group in the nation when it comes to this work….The secret to this approach is ensuring that every patient and participant irrespective of their background or history with clinical research has an opportunity to be fully empowered in navigating clinical trials….To Ken and to CISCRP, congratulations on recognition of your decades of engagement work.”

The Healthcare Leadership Council created the Redefining American Healthcare Award to recognize best practices and programs in communities and organizations across the nation that optimize care for vulnerable patients. Award recipients are organizations developing and activating cost-effective, measurable community programs promoting a patient-centered approach to care that considers outside social factors to achieve the best outcomes.

A link to the recording of the ceremony can be found here: https://vimeo.com/user38481162/review/717969368/393f250f1f