Overview

About Us

• Academic Hospital Based Phase I –IV Centers
  • Added layers of safety
    • On-site access to a full array of specialized procedures and technologies
    • Hospital code team 24-hour emergency coverage
  • Access to specialists and patient populations
    • Research arm for the 800+ University of Tennessee physicians
  • On-site clinical lab for same day results and USP pharmacy capabilities
• Complex Clinial Trials
  • 50 bed capacity Phase I unit
  • First-in-Human and complex early phase study specialization
  • Phase II – IV units in Knoxville and New Orleans
  • On-site imaging services and specialized testing
    • MRI / Functional MRI
    • Open MRI
    • CT
    • PET / CT
    • Mammography
    • Arthrography
    • Bone Density
    • Nuclear Medicine
    • Ultrasound
    • X-Ray
    • Fluoroscopy
    • Echocardiography
• Experience and Expertise:
  • Over 30 years dedicated to clinical research
  • More than 1500 trials conducted in all phases of research
  • Types of studies:
    • Early phase
    • Complex
    • Biological mechanistic
    • Imaging research
• Therapeutic Areas
  • Gastroenterology / Hepatology
  • Nephrology
  • Obesity
  • Cardiology
  • Internal Medicine
  • Rheumatology
  • Women’s Health
  • Pain Management
  • Psychiatry
  • Infectious Disease
  • Pulmonology
  • Urology
  • Endocrinology
  • Oncology
  • Neurology (including Alzheimer’s)
  • Sexual Dysfunction
  • Elderly
  • Smoking Cessation

Experience

Over the past 35 years, NOCCR/VRG has enrolled approximately 26,000 volunteers in over 1500 Phase I-IV clinical studies in the following therapeutic areas:

Facility

Volunteer Research Group/New Orleans Center for Clinical Research is part of the Alliance for Multispecialty Research, LLC. AMR is is a nationwide company of 17 Clinical Research locations recognized as among the most experienced in the industry. AMR acknowledges the importance of multi-site coordination using our standardized processes. This allows us to maximize economies of scale and consistency in order to exceed Sponsor goals ahead of schedule and under budget.

Senior Management
William B. Smith, MD, FACC. Founder, President and Principal Investigator, is board certified in Internal Medicine, Critical Care Medicine, Nephrology, and Cardiology. He has been involved in over 1500 clinical trials. Dr. Smith is a frequent lecturer and author, publishing extensively in clinical and scientific journals.

Richard L. Gibson, MD, is a Principal Investigator and has been with NOCCR for 15 years. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Nephrology, Psychiatry, and Forensic Psychiatry, with an MPH in Tropical Medicine.

Nyda Brook, JD, Vice President and General Counsel has been with NOCCR since 1999. Prior to joining our team, she practiced healthcare law in New Orleans.

Sandra Gibson, RN, MBA, Operations Director, has been with NOCCR since 1999. Sandy is certified in Nephrology and Critical Care Nursing as well as clinical research coordination.

Volunteer Enrollment Services

• 26,000 volunteer database regularly reviewed and cleaned
• Dedicated recruitment staff utilizes social and Web-based media extensively along with traditional advertising resources
• Variety of advertising mediums
• Competitive volunteer stipends

Rapid Start-Up Services

• 5 – 7 days for IRB review
• 7 days for contracting process
• 5 – 10 day source generation and staff training

Other

While NOCCR is and has been open to working with a Central IRB, a majority of our studies are reviewed and followed by Crescent City IRB, a nonprofit local organization.

Organizational Values:

• Rapid Volunteer Enrollment
• Volunteer Retention
• Volunteer Compliance
• Accurate Quality Data
• Protect Volunteer Safety
• Complete Regulatory Compliance

Our Commitment:

To provide the highest quality health care and most accurate research data, we will continually evaluate NOCCR based on the following:

• A commitment to exceptional performance
• Volunteer care as our primary focus
• Respecting all individuals
• Satisfying client requirements
• Open and positive communication
• Excellence in customer service and satisfaction
• Creativity and innovation
• Community involvement and service