Clinical Trial Unit for Saint Mary's Health Care

Planning Underway For Phase I Facility

April 2010 - We announced on March 22 that planning is underway for Saint Mary's Health Care to develop a 6000-square foot, 12-bed Clinical Trial Unit on its downtown campus.

The unit will house Phase I clinical trials but may expand to later phases. "The relationships developed with the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, the Van Andel Institute, and TGen have created the opportunity for Saint Mary's to expand into this new area of research," commented Susan Hoppough, RN, PhD, Saint Mary's Director of Research and Innovation. Saint Mary's is making a significant capital investment in the project, which is slated to begin construction soon.

Three 4-bed unit modules providing inpatient or extended stay outpatient clinical trial services to customers 24-hour, seven days/week are planned. One module of the unit will include specific security and safety features allowing for the conducting of CNS clinical trials with particular concerns for the cognitively impaired. The other two modules will focus on non-CNS therapeutic areas including but not limited to oncology, neuroscience and other clinical areas in which Saint Mary's has special expertise.

"A clinical trials unit is another step forward in rapidly enlarging the scope and rigor of clinical research we can do in Grand Rapids. We will be able to solve some of the most challenging clinical research questions confronting medical science through this inpatient clinical research facility.," remarked David Kaufman, DO, Professor and Chair, Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology at Michigan State University and Chair, Department of Neuroscience at Saint Mary's.

The Clinical Trial Unit will advance translational medicine through collaboration among public, private, and academic partners in the conducting of early phase clinical trials.

"I believe the capability and options to participate in and provide novel care to our patients in West Michigan will be a tremendous asset for our community. The addition of a phase I clinical trial unit will provide this unique service along with the opportunity to treat our patients in West Michigan in the comfort of their homes and community as opposed to traveling for these options. This is another example of how West Michigan is advancing care not only locally but far beyond in multiple disciplines and clinical disease states. As Chief Medical Officer for ClinXus having Saint Mary's Health Care as one of our members and supporters of research this provides a terrific corridor for advancing healthcare and life sciences in West Michigan," commented William Baer, Pharm.D., Executive Director/Chief Medical Officer of ClinXus.