"The evidence-based medicine of today is the research of yesterday. This grant allows us to tap into a network of clinical trials that are being performed across the country, and will improve the access our rural populations have to high-quality care." 

- Robert Kramer, MD, Director of Research and Quality Improvement in the division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at MMC

To achieve this goal, a comprehensive mentorship and educational program will provide MMC with the necessary skills in clinical research to expand the capacity of cardiothoracic surgery clinical trials in the region. The evidenced-based mentorship plan draws from current best practices in clinical research and 11 years of investigator experience with CTSN trials. As the only CTSN clinical investigator who has also served as a member of the CTSN Data Coordinating Center, Dr. Alexander Iribarne brings unique experience in clinical trial recruitment and planning to MMC. DHMC will also work with MMC to develop a clinical trial unit that not only operates efficiently and with high quality, but also incorporates multiple specialties such as cardiology, neurology, and anesthesiology. DHMC’s 31-year history of collaborative quality improvement with MMC through the NNECDSG combined with a mutual dedication to rural patients makes this mentorship plan highly feasible.

MMC will receive mentorship from a team of DHMC and Dartmouth College investigators with significant experience in cardiac surgical trials, research infrastructure development, and implementation science.

Dedication to rural, underserved, & aging populations with a high cardiovascular disease burden

The Northern New England states of NH, VT, and ME are among the most rural states in the US and serve as the major catchment areas for DHMC and MMC.

DHMC & MMC are separated by a 2.5-hour drive, making direct, in-person supervision highly feasible.

A significant opportunity to improve cardiovascular health in rural communities

Cardiovascular disease deaths in Vermont, New Hampshire, & Maine

Rural communities have a significantly higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease than urban communities. Moreover, rural patients are often underrepresented in cardiovascular clinical trials. DHMC and MMC are well positioned to recruit rural patients into clinical trials. Through a long-standing commitment to rural communities, DHMC and MMC have established a robust network of affiliate hospitals throughout NNE that all refer to either DHMC or MMC for cardiac surgery and interventional cardiology. These affiliate partners are located in some of the most rural counties in NNE. DHMC has a total 14 affiliate partners and MMC has 16 affiliate partners. Our large network of community affiliates combined with our dedication to clinical excellence and research, makes DHMC and MMC an ideally suited team for advancing cardiothoracic surgery research in rural populations as Linked Clinical Research Centers in the CTSN.