Year 5
In the fall of 2018, the City of Hope Alpha Stem Cell Clinic (ASCC) started to transition from the outpatient Day Hospital to the COH Clinical Research Unit (CRU). During this reporting period we finalized the transition. This unit’s home is the Judy & Bernard Briskin Center for Clinical Research (BCCR), a newly renovated, modern facility that brings together clinical research services, treatments and the respective multidisciplinary teams, including pharmacy, phlebotomy, and specimen processing. The COH ASCC leadership and Research Operations, and the Day Hospital staff staff worked together on making this transition as smooth as possible for all studies, patients and the clinical and research staff involved. The BCCR includes 17 infusion areas, two nursing stations, and three exam and procedure rooms, an onsite pharmacy and lab services, a dedicated registration site, and direct connection to biospecimen coordination services. In its new home, the ASCC continues to benefit from nursing staff with competencies in: 1) drug clinical trials, including PK studies and antibody infusions; 2) management of very sick patients, and 3) efficient implementation of complex research protocols. During the reporting period since 04/01/19, we approved the implementation of 3 new clinical trials and are currently working on implementing CoVID-19 studies throughout the ASCC network.