New Haven, Conn. — Yale School of Medicine and Equitable Breakthroughs in Medicine Development (EQBMED) — a multi-institute collaboration focused on clinical trial diversity — announced today a new partnership with 14 community and faith-based organizations and professional societies, furthering its mission to foster equitable access to clinical trials.
“Yale School of Medicine has been working to increase diversity within clinical trials through groundbreaking community partnerships and initiatives for more than a decade, which has been the foundation of much of our EQBMED work,” said Dr. Nancy J. Brown, the Jean and David W. Wallace Dean of Yale School of Medicine. “We are honored this tremendous group of professional societies and community and faith-based organizations have agreed to partner with us in establishing a new infrastructure that will positively impact clinical trial diversity.”
EQBMED — led by Yale School of Medicine, along with Morehouse School of Medicine, the Research Centers in Minority Institutions Coordinating Center at Morehouse School of Medicine, and Vanderbilt University Medical Center — has developed a collaborative approach, working with trusted voices within the community to address critical barriers facing communities of color and rural residents. The program works to increase awareness of clinical trials and address misinformation and historical mistrust while ensuring trials are easily accessible.
Community and faith-based organizations will partner with EQBMED to co-develop strategies to engage and incorporate community perspectives in clinical trials more effectively. The groups will hold listening sessions and develop tested tools, models, and messages to support community engagement and participation.
Professional societies will design tools and continuing education, including training sessions, webinars, and workshops, to train and retain health care providers and researchers. They will also partner with EQBMED to support development models that ensure clinical research can be a sustainable element of community and rural clinical practices.
“These collaborations are essential in furthering EQBMED's goal of advancing equity and access to innovative clinical trials,” said Tesheia Harris (Johnson), chief strategy officer at Yale Center for Clinical Investigation at Yale School of Medicine. “Through our combined commitment to fostering diversity in clinical trials, we can continue to forge a path toward a more inclusive landscape for medical research.”
Community organization partners include the Community Action Agency of New Haven, the Community Education Group, the Emerson Clinical Research Institute, The Balm in Gilead, the Urban League of Southern Connecticut, and Urban Marketing Network and the Creative Gods Agency. Faith-based group partners include Choose Healthy Life and the Conference of National Black Churches.
Professional society partners include the Association of Black Cardiologists, the W. Montague Cobb Institute, the National Black Nurses Association, the National Hispanic Health Foundation, the National Hispanic Medical Association, and the National Medical Association.
"This collection of organizations is unique, with various focus areas brought together under one concentrated effort,” said Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, associate dean for health equity research and the C.N.H Long Professor of Internal Medicine, Public Health, and Management at Yale University. “With the collective knowledge, valued trust, and deep community ties of our partners, we are creating an accessible landscape for medical research and ultimately driving more equitable breakthroughs in health care."
EQBMED is funded and supported by a grant from Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).
“This is the next positive step in building and supporting a strong network of community-based clinical trial sites that can lead to institutional change and better health equity,” said Stephen J. Ubl, president and chief executive officer of PhRMA.