The Society for Clinical Research Sites (SCRS) and the National Association of Veterans’ Research and Education Foundations (NAVREF) have teamed up to bring more effective clinical trials and treatments to the veteran population.

“We are thrilled to be joining forces with SCRS,” NAVREF CEO Rick Starrs said in a statement. “Our nonprofit foundations and the VA have been actively working to deliver more clinical research studies to veterans. This partnership with SCRS will bring NAVREF closer to achieving our vision of a nation in which veterans receive the finest care based on innovative research and education.”

NAVREF represents organizations working with the Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers and provides them the means to conduct research on potential treatments. Through the partnership, SCRS will bolster NAVREF’s efforts by ensuring site sustainability.

The lack of site sustainability, a challenge facing many locations, is caused largely by the high turnover rate among physicians performing the research. A lack of preparation and knowledge in terms of sustainability, execution, patient recruitment, and financial management exasperate the problem and hinder efforts to bring new treatments to patients.

“When we have high turnover of investigators, like we experience in this industry, we have a shortage of sites,” SCRS President Christine Pierre said. “And with a shortage of sites we don’t have enough places to place the clinical research opportunities that we need to do, at the highest level of quality, to hopefully bring those products to market, for medicines for tomorrow for patients.”

Through this partnership, NAVREF members will also become sponsored SCRS members, securing benefits such as mentoring, advocacy, education, and collaboration that help create research-site sustainability.

“Clinical trials represent the most cutting edge care for treatments, and we believe the veterans are currently an underserved population for clinical trials and cutting-edge care,” Starrs told Associations Now. “Through this partnership with SCRS, I think we will be in a better position to help bring clinical trials to veterans and get them the latest in care.”

While government-related research sites do differ some from the traditional sites SCRS works with, Pierre said that these differences can be overcome to ensure patient protection, quality, and sustainability.

“Research sites associated with Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers have not always had an easy time making a good fit with industry-sponsored clinical trials,” she said in the release. “We are dedicated to assisting NAVREF establish VA associated research sites as first in class sites enabling them to offer clinical research opportunities to our veterans and their families.”