Shown at the clinic are (left to right) Kim Medellin, research coordinator; Sherry Cantu, RN; John Roache, Ph.D., FIRST program scientific director; Deborah Mote, program coordinator; Tiffaney Williams, echographic technician; and Deborah Centeno, RN, FNP.
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April 2 was a milestone for a UT Health Science Center San Antonio outpatient clinic that provides support for Health Science Center physicians and researchers conducting clinical trials.

The Frederic Bartter Institutional Resource to Support Transition (FIRST) Outpatient Research Unit (known as the FORU) just enrolled its 1000th patient. FORU is one of four early phase clinical trials support units of the Institute for Integration of Medicine & Science (IIMS), part of the Office of the Vice President for Research.

The IIMS integrates clinical and translational research across all Health Science Center schools, as well as with the Health Science Center’s diverse group of public and private partners throughout South Texas.

“We are proud of this accomplishment,” said John Roache, Ph.D., FIRST program scientific director. “We saw our first patient in November 2007, so we have only been open for a little more than a year.” Dr. Roache is also professor and deputy chair for research, and chief of the Division of Alcohol and Drug Addiction in the Department of Psychiatry.

Off-campus location provides convenience and free parking
FORU is located in the Carrington Building, 3939 Medical Drive, a couple of blocks west of Medical Drive’s intersection with Interstate Highway 10. “It’s easier and more convenient for outpatient clinical trials participants to come here than to fight the traffic and pay for parking in the medical center,” Dr. Roache said.

Patient enjoys accessibility, flexibility
One patient, Mark Spiekerman, 38, who is participating in a trial involving a new treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease), enjoys going to the FORU for several reasons. “I’ve been in the trial for about a year now and I like it because of the superior accessibility. It is easy to get in and get out and everything is set up for my needs. Fortunately, I have only a few problems with getting around, but there are people here who make it easy and treat you with respect, and that’s a nice thing,” Spiekerman said.

Offers clinical participation away from a hospital setting
Pamela Kittrell, M.S.N., RN, a research nurse in the Department of Neurology’s Neuromuscular Division, added that the welcoming, open feel to the facility is an encouraging psychological boost for patients who are fighting life-threatening diseases. “If you don’t need to stay overnight in the hospital and can go to an outpatient clinic, that’s a real plus,” she said. “Our patients have also commented that they like the fact that there is plenty of parking. This is especially helpful for people who have limited mobility and need some extra room to get into and out of a vehicle.”

FORU provides clinical support for physicians
“Our objective is to provide quality resource support that assists investigators with translational clinical science research in a convenient venue that enhances the ethical conduct of research,” Dr. Roache said. “We provide many of the amenities investigators need to conduct clinical trials including skilled nursing and nurse practitioner services; X-Ray and ultrasound imaging; collection, storage and shipment of biological specimens; and pharmacy services.”

Currently, the FORU is assisting with 13 studies for 10 Health Science Center investigators and is about to start four new trials, Dr. Roache said.

Supporting HSC physicians and CTSA clinical partners throughout South Texas
The FORU began as an initiative of the IIMS to expand the operations of the Frederic Bartter General Clinical Research Center in anticipation of the Health Science Center receiving the $26 million Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA). The National Institutes of Health/National Center for Research Resources awarded the CTSA grant to the Health Science Center in May 2008.

Four IIMS units supporting research
The FORU is one of four units of the IIMS that support clinical and translational science investigations of Health Science Center researchers and CTSA clinical partners throughout South Texas.

• The Frederic Bartter General Clinical Research Unit provides support for hospital-based clinical trials involving adult patients. This unit is located in the South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division.


• The Children’s Health Advocacy Research Treatment (CHART) Center supports inpatient and outpatient pediatric studies at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital downtown.


• The FORU, located at 3939 Medical Drive, provides support for outpatient clinical trials involving adult patients.


• The FORU Mobile Unit provides support so that patients who cannot travel easily, such as those in retirement communities or nursing homes, can be included in clinical trials.

For more information about the FIRST program and the FORU outpatient unit, please call (210) 562-6616.