GA - Greater Augusta

Welcome to the Greater Augusta Chapter of the Association of Clinical Research Professionals Web page. The Greater Augusta Chapter, with its unique geographical location aims at bringing together and serving the day-to-day educational and networking needs of the clinical research communities of Georgia and South Carolina.

Seeds of initializing this chapter were sown in early 2005 when Deidra Poucher, President of the Atlanta Chapter, was invited to Augusta for a clinical research seminar. A very high turnout suggested a huge clinical research workforce and interest in the Augusta area. With the hard work and dedication of the board members and a strong and persistent support from the local clinical research community, the chapter was fully established in April 2006.

In an effort to achieve the chapter goals and mission, we encourage everyone in clinical research within commutable distance of Augusta (GA) to register with the Greater Augusta Chapter of ACRP. Participation in chapter events are open to both national ACRP members and nonmembers (no membership required). It is advisable (economically) to become members to avail discounts for chapter events.

Greater Augusta Chapter President’s Message
We would like to extend a warm welcome to all new chapter members who have recently joined the Greater Augusta Chapter.

One of our chapter’s primary goals is to provide all research professionals educational opportunities in the Augusta Area. To further this goal our chapter board members recently raised money for the purchase of a CD-Rom featuring sessions from the 2007 ACRP Global Conference. The fundraiser was a huge success, and we would like to thank everyone for their participation. The CD-Rom will allow us to hold monthly/bi-monthly meetings to make available the most popular seminars presented at the Global Conference. Since these seminars were presented at the Global Conference, we will be able to offer continuing education credits to all ACRP members. Chapter members will be able to attend these educational meetings free of charge, and non-chapter members will be required to pay a small registration fee.

We hope that these educational meetings will encourage more research professionals to join our chapter. We would like to see our membership increase by at least 20% during 2007, and we hope to accomplish this goal by offering more educational/networking opportunities. We will be discussing these educational meetings with regards to the meeting schedule and topic selection at our June social event, and we hope to get input from everyone attending. We look forward to seeing everyone in June.

Free CRC Certification for MCG School of Medicine Employees
Are you a coordinator at the Medical College of Georgia in the School of Medicine (SOM)? If so, now there is no reason that you should not be certified through ACRP. Did you know that the Office of Clinical Investigative Services (OCIS) will pay the exam fee for any SOM employee who takes the CRC or CRA exam and passes? That’s right, you can obtain your certification for FREE.

ACRP certification is one way that you can be formally recognized as a clinical research professional that has met the professional eligibility requirements and demonstrates a basic level of job-related knowledge and skills. The certification exam consists entirely of multiple-choice questions. In 1992, the first exam for CRCs was offered. Since then, over 11,700 CRCs have earned certification worldwide.

Benefits of Certification
A survey of 357 experienced CCRCs cited personal satisfaction, increased knowledge, and professional recognition as the primary reasons for achieving certification.

In addition:

• Certification is increasingly recognized by today’s global clinical research industry.
• Study sites use certification for documentation to sponsors and CROs that the site is professionally managed.
• The largest investigator online databases include a request for the study coordinator’s certificate number.
• Certification assists the public, healthcare professionals, and the industry itself by identifying standards for professional practice.

For more information on how to get your exam paid for by OCIS, please contact Amy Claus at aclaus@mcg.edu or 706-721-4125. Study materials and helpful test taking tips can be found on the ACRP web site; Ivy Tillman at the Office of Human Research Protection (OHRP) at MCG can also be contacted for testing tips at itillman@mcg.edu. Nancy Sickafoose is lending assistance to candidates sitting for the September exam and can be contacted at nsickafoose@mcg.edu.

Certification Maintenance
All certified professionals are required to maintain their certification every two years from the date of their original certification. Certification Maintenance requires the completion of 24 documented continuing education contact hours. Fifty percent (50%) of these hours MUST be in clinical research continuing education. Examples of these types of continuing education programs include home study articles from The Monitor and the Research Practitioner as well as ACRP’s Global Conferences and training programs. Often times, the specialty meetings/conferences present research and/or trial-based presentations. And of course, you can obtain continuing education hours at the programs offered by the Greater Augusta Chapter of the ACRP.

Contact Information

President/Chair
Amanda Houston, BS, CCRC
ahouston@medicalparameters.com

Vice President
Lynette Henley, MSA
lhenley@mail.mcg.edu

Newsletter Committee Chair
Brenda Brunner-Jackson, BA, NCPT, CCRC
bjackson@mcg.edu

Membership Committee Chair
Elizabeth Forbes-Weeks, MA
lizybeth76@hotmail.com

Education Committee Chair
Lynette Henley, MSA
lhenley@mail.mcg.edu

Hospitality Committee Chair
Nancy Sickafoose, RN, BSN, CCRC
nsickafoose@mcg.edu