The BC Academic Health Science Network (BC AHSN) is pleased to provide the following update on current activities within the BC AHSN organization.
This month’s update includes:
BC AHSN CEO search expands
Recently, BC AHSN’s Board of Directors issued a call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) for Founding BC AHSN CEO. Unfortunately, BC AHSN has been unable to secure a match that would fully meet organizational needs.
Therefore, the Board has decided that BC AHSN will expand the search to include consideration of individuals outside BC who have specific AHSN or related experience. A more active, targeted search process led by a search firm is now being initiated. More information will be available shortly.
Clinical Trials BC plans for the future
The Clinical Trials BC transition project is progressing on schedule and is nearly finished its analysis of existing activities and services. The next step will be to conduct a needs assessment survey, which will determine stakeholder perspectives of the strengths, needs and gaps in the current clinical research environment. This work, along with guidance from an Advisory committee, will help inform the development of a new service delivery model as part of the integration into BC AHSN operations, including the BC SUPPORT Unit.
For more information, visit BC AHSN’s Clinical Trials BC page.
Resources available to clinical research professionals
Clinical Trials BC continues to actively support key partnerships and programs originally established under the BC Clinical Research Infrastructure Network (BCCRIN). Professional development and education opportunities available province-wide include:
ACRP e-learning program
Thanks to a partnership between Clinical Trials BC and the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI), the large e-learning platform offered by the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) is available free of charge to any clinical research professional in BC.
ACRP’s eLearning catalog of 20+ programs cover the essentials of clinical research, including the new “Introduction to Good Clinical Practice” eLearning course, which provides training on the new ICH GCP E6(R2) as the international industry standard for designing, conducting, and reporting clinical trials.
To access ACRP membership through the Clinical Trials BC/VCHRI partnership, please contact education.award@vch.ca.
Clinical Research Professional Certification Program
Clinical Trials BC supports clinical research professionals at BC-based academic research sites to achieve certification from the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SoCRA). The program is administered by the Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences (CHÉOS) on behalf of Clinical Trials BC, and includes reimbursement of 80% of the SoCRA certification exam fee. Up to 25 successful program applicants will be funded in 2017/18.
The next certification exam is set for February 2, 2018; further information will be shared in September. For general information, read more about SoCRA certification.
BC SUPPORT Unit update
The BC SUPPORT Unit is part of BC AHSN. Throughout the summer, the Unit has reached several key milestones and continues to work on initiatives that are central to their work to increase patient-oriented research in BC.
Milestones and initiatives include:
Profile: BC Emergency Medicine Network
The BC AHSN organization is supporting a new provincial initiative aimed at improving emergency patient care in BC. The BC Emergency Medicine Network receives oversight and financial support from BC AHSN, including funding through the BC SUPPORT Unit.
Under a vision for “Exceptional emergency care. Everywhere”, this network connects all Emergency Departments in BC through a collaborative, clinical network supported by a web-based platform. Four core programs are delivered by the Network:
- Clinical Resources: a suite of point-of-care clinical support tools;
- Innovation: research initiatives to improve practice;
- Continuing Professional Development: access to on-going learning opportunities; and,
- Real-Time Support: consultation with peers in real-time.
The BC Emergency Medicine Network is set to launch in September 2017. It’s anticipated that this innovative, systems approach will provide real and sustainable improvements in all BC emergency departments and will ultimately create a robust network of emergency practitioners and stakeholders to share expertise in continuous quality of care and system-wide solutions.
In addition to its BC AHSN support, the Network is funded by the UBC Faculty of Medicine, the Institute for Health System Transformation and Sustainability, the Ministry of Health, and the Rural Coordination Centre of BC.
For more information, visit the BC Emergency Medicine Network website.
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