Alegent Health is a not-for-profit, integrated, comprehensive health care delivery system providing health care to communities in Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa. Alegent Health provides health services in nine hospitals (1,829 licensed beds), two long-term care facilities (453 beds) and 35 outpatient sites. These sites serve a population of over one million. In the metro area admissions total over 26,371 annually. Highly trained and dedicated physicians (1,000) and employees (7,500) provide our "Higher Standard of Care".

In addition to clinical practice, Alegent Health physicians and clinicians are active in clinical research. Research teams include physician investigators, clinical research coordinators/specialists, pharmacists, nurses, statisticians, consultants and others with research expertise. These teams have participated as site principal investigators for hundreds of clinical research studies. See research link at www.Alegent.com/research.

Scope of Research & Research Support Services
Over 300 research protocols are active at Alegent Health through the dedicated effort of over one hundred investigators and research coordinators/specialists. Research space is allocated at each hospital campus with lead research coordinators. Alegent Health provides computer and technological support across the system with access to a variety of statistical and database management software. Alegent Health has a Clinical Research & Sponsored Programs Office (CR&SPO) with a doctorate prepared director and researcher. The Research Office provides multiple services across the system including:

• Research proposal development support
• Regulatory expertise related to human research participation and protection and research
• Human research protection, HIPAA and shipping infectious substances training (49 CFR 172.700 and IATA 1.5)
• Literature search
• Grant search
• Manuscript preparation
• Coordination of legal review for research agreements
• Coordination with finance for budget and billing consultation

Institutional Review Board (IRB)
Alegent Health holds a Federal Wide Assurance (FWA) through the Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP). Alegent Health has a contractual relationship with a premier independent, accredited, central Institutional Review Board (IRB) as one of the institutional review boards of record. These services provide excellent protection of research participants and promote timely review of protocols for Alegent Health investigators and sponsors. The institution is the recipient of federal grants. There have been no FDA audits for cause and all random audits have been without citations.

Areas of Research
The focus of clinical research at Alegent Health includes Behavioral Health, Cardiovascular, Medicine, Nursing, Oncology, Orthopaedics, Pharmacy, Rehabilitation, Senior Services, Women & Children and others. Select areas of research are highlighted below.

Behavioral Health
Alegent Health Behavioral Health services consists of over 19 psychiatrists, 4 psychologists, 6 advanced practice registered nurses and 39 outpatient therapists providing access to behavioral health services for urban and rural clients in Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa. Alegent Health Behavioral Health services offer superior care using the most up-to-date therapy provided by a skilled and dedicated team. The professional staff at Alegent Health Psychiatric Associates offers expertise in personal issues, family problems, relationship in turmoil or addiction and chemical dependency. A wide range of services are offered including:

• acute inpatient treatment
• partial hospitalization/intensive outpatient programs
• residential services
• community support services and
• support services
• outpatient services

Behavioral Health services in 2003 totaled 118,966 outpatient visits, 5,438 inpatient admissions, 36,924 inpatient days and 12, 995 partial hospitalization days. Alegent Health provides services through 9 outpatient clinics, 5 inpatient units, and 5 partial hospitalization programs. Physician excellence is the cornerstone of these services.

Behavioral Health
Diverse education and training is evident by the variety of institutions where Alegent Health Behavioral Health physicians have trained:

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Creighton University Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Georgetown University Medical College of Virginia

Northwestern University University of Georgia University of Maryland University of Nebraska Medical Center Yale Medical Center

Investigators:

Jennifer Cyr, MD. Fellowship training at Mayo Graduate School of Medicine. Board Certified in Psychiatry and Neurology

Michael W. Holland, MD. Fellowship training at Creighton University School of Medicine. Board Eligible, General Psychiatry. Specializing in child and adolescent psychiatry. Experienced in child and adolescent pharmaceutical research.

Sriramamurthy Ravipati, MD. Board Certified Psychiatry and Neurology, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Narendra Reddy, MD. Specializing in adult psychiatry with focus on depression and anxiety.

David A. Schmidt, MD. Fellowship training at Yale Medical Center. Board Certified, Psychiatry and Neurology. Specializing in adult psychiatry, with focus on anxiety and mood disorders.

Rebecca A. Schmidt, MD. Board Certified, Psychiatry and Neurology. Treating children, adolescents and adults. Specializing in child and adolescent psychiatry.

Craig Seamands, MD. Board Certified in Psychiatry and Neurology.

Arun Sharma, MD. Board Certified in Psychiatry and Neurology

Rev. James M. Sullivan, MD, PhD. Specializing in the treatment of adults with focus on Neurology. Rev. Dr. Sullivan has published extensively and presented nationally in the area of neuroscience.

Behavioral Health

Contact:
Debra G. Saldi, RN, LMHP, NCC
Alegent Health Behavioral Health Services
Research Nurse & Quality Improvement Specialist
7101 Newport Avenue
Suite 203
Omaha, NE 68152-2167
402-572-2949
Fax: 402-572-2520

Alegent Health is a 9 hospital, faith-based, community health care system serving an ethnically diverse urban and rural population across the age span. Alegent Health provides health care services in a 100-mile radius in Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa with a population of more than 1 million.

For more information, please contact:

Alegent Health Clinical Research & Sponsored Programs Office
7101 Newport Avenue
Suite 208
Omaha, NE 68152-2167 USA
Phone: 402-717-6915
Fax: 402-717-6925
E-mail:

If you are interested in contacting this center to discuss placing a clinical trial there, please complete and send the E-mail form below. A representative from the research center will then follow up with you.

Name:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip:
Phone:
Email address:
Message:

Please note: A number of commercial online services display an error message after you click on Send. Please be assured that your message has been received.

Last updated on February 19, 2008

PAC>