Creating an initial partnership to enhance veterans’ health research between the healthcare industry, Department of Veterans Affairs, and VA-Affiliated Nonprofit Research Corporations

WASHINGTON, DC, (MARCH 31, 2021) -- NAVREF hosted a virtual Kick-Off Meeting to officially launch the NAVREF Industry Partner Consortium.  This initiative marks a significant step toward achieving NAVREF’s vision of a nation in which Veterans receive the finest care based on innovative research and education. 

With the launch of the Consortium, NAVREF brings together bio-medical research industry stakeholders with VA-affiliated Nonprofit Corporations (NPCs) to establish a regular forum for exchanging information, sharing goals, and building relationships that will generate improved collaborations and drive solutions that meet the health needs of Veterans. 

As shared by Phil Wellington, Vice President Federal Accounts, Siemens Healthineers, an Industry Founding Member, “The Consortium provides a conduit for deeper, more meaningful discussions with bio-medical leaders in the private sector. This helps us better understand the needs of VA and helps VA better recognize the expertise we can bring to solving challenges.”

The Kick-Off Meeting enjoyed participation from 7 VA-affiliated NPCs and 8 Founding Members including:

Founding Members:                            NPC’s:

Candel Therapeutics                             Veterans Medical Research Foundation (San Diego, CA)

Cohen Veterans Bioscience                   Veterans Health Foundation (Pittsburgh, PA)

Eisai, Inc.                                             Greater LA Veterans Research and Education Foundation

Janssen                                               Chicago Association for Research and Education in Science

Regeneron                                           Dallas VA Research Corporation

Siemens Healthineers USA                   Cleveland VA Medical Research and Education Foundation

Taiho Oncology, Inc.                             North Florida Foundation for Research and Education

Tonix Pharmaceuticals             

Special guest attendees included the leadership team from the VA’s Office of Research and Development.  Chief Research & Development Officer Rachel Ramoni discussed her office’s priorities, accomplishments, and challenges in their efforts to build a VA research enterprise. 

“Today was a great start toward our goal of fostering deeper collaboration with industry partners,” stated NAVREEF CEO Rick Starrs.  “I thank the Founding Members for taking these first steps with us and look forward to working with them in pursuit of innovative treatments, therapies, devices, and products to help Veterans.”

Formed in 1992, the National Association of Veterans' Research and Education Foundations (NAVREF) is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization of research and education foundations affiliated with Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers. These nonprofits, also known as the VA-affiliated nonprofit research and education corporations (NPCs), are authorized by Congress under 38 USC §§7361-7366 to provide flexible funding mechanisms for the conduct of research and education at VA facilities nationwide. More information can be found on our website: www.navref.org

For more information regarding the NAVREF Industry Partner Consortium, please contact Mr. Hawk Tran at consortium@navref.org

(Washington, D.C.) - The Board of Directors of the National Association of Veterans' Research and Education Foundations announces the appointments of Genet D’Arcy, M.D. and Rebecca Rosales, MBA, to the NAVREF Board as Directors.  Dr. D’Arcy serves as the Associate Chief of Staff for Education at the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System in Denver, CO.  Ms. Rosales serves as the Executive Director of the Northern California Institute for Research and Education affiliated with the San Francisco VA Health Care System in San Francisco, CA. 

“We are thrilled to have these stellar leaders join our board,” said Board Chair Ron Hakes.  “Their experience, expertise, and passion for supporting veterans will be tremendous assets to the board and the 75 VA-affiliated nonprofit research and education foundations that comprise our membership.” 

Dr. D’Arcy earned her undergraduate degree from Colorado College and her medical degree from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.  She began working at the Department of Veterans Affairs as a Neurologist in 1992.  Ms. Rosales earned her Master of Business Administration from St. Mary’s College of California.  She is a Certified Research Administrator and has been a member of the Society of Research Administrators International since 2004.  Ms. Rosales joined NCIRE in 2017. 

(Washington, D.C., September 16, 2020) - The National Association of Veterans’ Research and Education Foundations (NAVREF) held its sixth annual awards event on September 16^th, honoring NAVREF members and staff nominated by their peers for demonstrating excellence in support of research and education for Veterans. The award ceremony was hosted by NAVREF CEO Rick Starrs in conjunction with NAVREF’s 28th Annual Conference.

The 2020 winners included Ms. Amy Kimball of the Boston VA Research Institute (BVARI), who was awarded NAVREF’s prestigious Barbara West Award for Distinguished Service. Other awardees included Ms. Elaine Staats, Director of Research Administration at the Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research (PAVIR) in Palo Alto, California, and Ms. Margaret Tiktin, Director, Clinical Research Center, at the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System in Cleveland. 

Ms. Kimball was recognized for her outstanding service and dedication both to her nonprofit corporation (NPC) and to NAVREF.  She has served as Chief Executive Officer at BVARI for the last two years.  In that short time, she has revamped training and SOPs, restructured staffing to align with BVARI’s business model, reduced the reliance on Intergovernmental Personnel Act appointments, and effectively leveraged national and local relationships to improve performance.  She generously shares her knowledge and expertise with other NPC leaders in a compassionate, confident, and professional manner.  She provided several best practice models and strategic approaches to problem solving that other NPCs have used to improve their systems. Ms. Kimball demonstrates the persistence, passion, and strategic understanding necessary to excel in this highly complex environment.

Ms. Staats took home the NAVREF Board of Directors Award for her comprehensive leadership and management of PAVIR's extensive sponsored research program. She has supervised the growth of PAVIR's research program to more than $30 million annually through effective collaboration with her local Chief of Staff and Research offices and with VA Central Office’s R&D Service, General Counsel and CRADA offices; she is also PAVIR's principal liaison with Stanford University, responsible for compliance with the affiliation agreement. Ms. Staats manages these complex relationships in a steady, calm, engaging and resourceful manner and has deservedly earned the confidence and respect of her colleagues in each of these institutions and offices.  She is widely regarded as an expert in her field and routinely advises other NPC and VA personnel on all things related to sponsored research.

Ms. Tiktin was awarded the Best Practice and Innovation Award for the tremendous value she added to NAVREF’s Clinical Trial Committee over the last year.  She provided expert insight and understanding as the Committee developed guidelines for leading multi-site industry-sponsored studies. She helped identify those skills and attributes a site needs to successfully lead.  Ms. Tiktin’s selfless contribution of time, effort, and expertise exemplified the spirit of collaboration between VA and NAVREF to advance the health of veterans. 

– NAVREF and VA Partnership Helps Propel COVID-19 Trial in Less Than a Week –

NEW YORK, May 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Cohen Veterans Bioscience (CVB) announced today it is extending its commitment to the brain health of Veterans by supporting the National Association of Veterans Research Education Foundation (NAVREF) and the new VA Office of Research and Development (ORD) led Partnered Research Program (PRP). As an outcome of the Access to Clinical Trials (ACT) for Veterans initiative, the PRP increases veterans’ access to high-quality clinical trials and streamlines the start-up of new, innovative trials to give Veterans access to world-class health solutions. By improving infrastructure, the PRP is helping agencies and organizations to partner more rapidly on critical research trials, specifically targeting the enhanced inclusion of Veterans.

“With critical support from our Champion Circle sponsor, Cohen Veterans Bioscience, and other partners, we have helped establish a program with VA ORD where dedicated facilitators will interface with industry sponsors and coordinate with VA-affiliated non-profit research corporations (NPCs) and VA medical center research services,” says Rick Starrs, CEO, NAVREF. “Moving forward, this will expedite study start-up and the evaluation of a new generation of therapeutics for our Veterans and other patients.”

One example of the effectiveness of the launch of the PRP is that it allowed the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to partner with the VA on its COVID-19 trial, which was rapidly activated in under a week.

“Veterans have made many sacrifices for our country and deserve access to best-in-class healthcare. In a short time, the new Partnered Research Program has already demonstrated that it can enhance the VA’s research capacity and position the VA as a leading clinical studies partner,” says Magali Haas, MD, PhD, CEO of CVB. “A testament to this accelerated implementation is the VA’s new partnership with NIAID on a critically important COVID-19 trial.”

As architects of the PRP, NAVREF and ORD will help streamline start-up activities and provide other efficiencies for VA multi-site clinical trials. In doing so, they hope to encourage more industry sponsors and enable Veterans to participate in clinical trials to give them access to new therapeutic interventions.

About Cohen Veterans Bioscience

CVB is a non-profit research biotech dedicated to fast-tracking the development of diagnostic tests and personalized therapeutics for the millions of veterans and civilians who suffer from the devastating effects of trauma-related and other brain disorders. Learn more at www.cohenveteransbioscience.org

About NAVREF

Formed in 1992, the National Association of Veterans’ Research and Education Foundations (NAVREF) is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization of research and education foundations affiliated with Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers. These nonprofits were authorized by Congress under 38 USC §§7361-7366 to provide flexible funding mechanisms for the conduct of research and education at VA facilities nationwide.

VA-affiliated NPCs administered more than $1 billion of research activity at VA hospitals over the last 4 years.

VA-affiliated NPCs annually support more than 2,000 investigators

VA-affiliated NPCs annually administer more than 3,000 research projects

(Washington, D.C.) - The National Association of Veterans’ Research and Education Foundations (NAVREF) held its fourth annual awards event on September 10^th, honoring NAVREF members and staff nominated by their peers for demonstrating excellence in support of research and education for Veterans. The awards dinner was hosted by NAVREF CEO Rick Starrs at The Ritz Carlton Hotel Pentagon City in Arlington, Virginia in conjunction with NAVREF’s 26^th Annual Conference.

The 2018 winners included Ms. Mary Thornton of the Palo Alto Veterans Institute of Research (PAVIR), who was awarded NAVREF’s prestigious Barbara West Award. Other awardees included Ms. Rebecca Rosales, Executive Director of the Northern California Institute of Research and Education (NCIRE) in San Francisco, and Mr. Kevin Hull, Executive Director of the West Side Institute for Science and Education (WISE) in Chicago.

Ms. Thornton was recognized for her outstanding service and dedication both to her nonprofit corporation (NPC) and to NAVREF.  For 20 years, Ms. Thornton has provided valuable service to principal investigators and research staff through a variety of roles and responsibilities. Ms. Thornton participated in the establishment of the Palo Alto Institute for Research & Education, PAVIR's predecessor organization, and established most of the policies and procedures that have enabled PAVIR to become the second largest VA-affiliated NPC. Ms. Thornton is well-known and respected by her peers across the NPC community for developing systems and sharing her expertise.

Ms. Rebecca Rosales took home the NAVREF Board of Directors Award for the various contributions she has made to her local nonprofit corporation and the NAVREF community. Although she joined NCIRE less than two years ago, Ms. Rosales has overcome several local challenges while contributing her expertise and insight to the broader NAVREF community as a member of the conference program committee and the clinical trials committee.

Mr. Kevin Hull was awarded the Best Practice and Innovation Award for his novel approaches to engaging and partnering with the local community to improve the lives of veterans at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center.  Mr. Hull’s creative thinking is bringing a new approach to how NPCs can build successful, meaningful, and sustaining partnerships within their communities. His passionate outreach has generated projects to beautify and improve his medical center and raised additional funding sources to support VA research and education activities.

Non Profit Association Honors Excellence

Washington, D.C. - The National Association of Veterans’ Research and Education Foundations (NAVREF) held its third annual awards event on September 11^th, honoring NAVREF members and staff nominated by their peers for demonstrating excellence in support of research and education for veterans. The awards luncheon was hosted by NAVREF CEO Rick Starrs at The Linq Hotel on the Strip in Las Vegas in conjunction with NAVREF’s 25^th Anniversary Conference.

The 2017 winners included Ms. Priscilla West of the Veterans Research and Education Association of Norther New England (VERANNE), who was awarded NAVREF’s prestigious Barbara West Award. As a special treat, the award’s namesake, Ms. Barbra West, was on hand to present the award.  Other awardees included Ms. Alanna Caffas, Executive Director of the Veterans Research and Education Foundation of Pittsburgh and Mr. Hawk Tran, NAVREF Operations Officer.

Ms. P. West was recognized for her outstanding service and dedication to her nonprofit corporation (NPC) and NAVREF, serving on the NAVREF Board of Directors for X years and as the Board Chairperson for the last two years. Under her direction, VERANNE has been a leader for growing a NPC education program and has obtained funding for high quality, important educational activities for Veterans. In addition, VERANNE’s projects have received press attention and helped to raise awareness of the work of her NPC.  As Chairperson of the NAVREF Board, one of her first duties was to identify new staff leadership. Once the new CEO was in place, Ms. West moved forward the vision of expanding access to clinical trials for Veterans through the NPCs. 

Ms. Alanna Caffas took home the NAVREF Board of Directors Award for a wide variety of contributions to her local nonprofit corporation and the NAVREF community.  She established a centralized clinical trials center (CTC) which has become a model for the rest of the country and has provided many Veterans with additional research related treatments and interventions to which they would not otherwise have had sufficient access.  She developed a clinical trials management system adopted by NAVREF and other NPCs as a best practice.  Ms. Caffas participated as an active and integral member of advisory work groups and served as co-chair of the conference program committee for NAVREF’s 25^th annual conference.  In all these endeavors, Ms. Caffas demonstrated integrity, commitment, excellence, and selfless service to others.

Mr. Hawk Tran was awarded the Best Practice and Innovation Award for consistently offering contemporary solutions to address the needs of NAVREF members.  Mr. Tran has been at the forefront of improving NAVREF’s communication with and among the members and the public.  In the past year alone he introduced new survey and polling tools, established a webinar series, organized countless virtual meetings, and most significantly, overhauled the NAVREF website to be more responsive to member needs.  His innovative web development strategy cut costs by more than 50%. 

NAVREF congratulates each of the award winners for their hard work and dedication supporting the VA research and education missions, and we wish them future success in all their endeavors.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AVAHO and NAVREF Announce Partnership

Washington, DC, September 18, 2017 – The Association of VA Hematology and Oncology (AVAHO) and the National Association of Veterans’ Research and Education Foundations (NAVREF) are pleased to announce an alliance between the two organizations.  This relationship will help promote VA sites and clinicians to the clinical trials industry while creating a more efficient process from identification of appropriate study sites to smoother study implementation.

“The members of AVAHO believe veterans deserve greater access to innovative oncology/hematology clinical trials in VA medical centers,” said Julie Lawson, Executive Director of AVAHO. “We know NAVREF shares our passion for veterans and by partnering we can extend our reach and ability to impact the lives of more veterans.”

“We are thrilled to be joining forces with AVAHO,” said Rick Starrs, CEO of NAVREF. “We share common values and common goals, ultimately seeking to improve the health of veterans. This partnership with AVAHO will bring NAVREF closer to achieving our vision of a nation in which veterans receive the finest care based on innovative research and education.”

About AVAHO
AVAHO is a nonprofit organization with the mission of providing a forum for interaction with Hematology/Oncology professionals who are dedicated to caring for our nation’s veterans.  Current membership comprises medical oncologists and hematologists, surgical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pharmacists, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, social workers, cancer registrars, and other allied health professionals.  AVAHO facilitates cooperation among VA staff to enhance professional careers and improve patient care. Visit avaho.org.

About NAVREF

Formed in 1992, the National Association of Veterans' Research and Education Foundations (NAVREF) is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization of research and education foundations affiliated with Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers. These nonprofits, also known as the VA-affiliated nonprofit research and education corporations (NPCs) are authorized by Congress to provide flexible funding mechanisms for the conduct of research and education at VA facilities nationwide. Currently, NAVREF has 76 members.

Visit navref.org.

NAVREF Changes Leadership

Names New Board of Directors Chairperson

Washington, DC - The National Association of Veterans' Research and Education Foundations announced today that Ms. Robin Rusconi has been selected to serve as the Chairperson of the NAVREF Board of Directors effective September 10, 2017. Ms. Rusconi replaces Priscilla West who is rotating out of the position at the conclusion of her two-year tenure.  Ms. Rusconi is the executive director of the Midwest Biomedical Research Foundation in Kansas City, MO.

“I am honored to assume this responsibility and believe passionately in NAVREF’s mission to advance the success of the VA-affiliated research and education corporations,” stated Ms. Rusconi.  “Priscilla did a superb job as the Chair and I hope to bring the same dedication and spirit of collaboration to the role.  I look forward to working closely with the membership to deliver highly valued services that benefit veterans.”    

Before leading MBRF, Ms. Rusconi served in various roles at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, culminating as the Director of Research Administration and Project Management.  She earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Kansas School of Law and her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Kansas.

Under Ms. West’s leadership, NAVREF conducted a national search to select a new Chief Executive Officer and forged strategic relationships across the biomedical research industry.  Ms. West will continue to serve on the NAVREF Board and remains the executive director of the Veterans Education and Research Association of Northern New England based in White River Junction, VT. 

Click here for the full press release. 

The Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) announces today that the National Association of Veterans’ Research and Education Foundations (NAVREF) is the latest subscriber to ACRP’s Site License program for clinical research training.

The program provides NAVREF members access to ACRP’s full catalog of online clinical research training programs.

With 20-plus programs included in ACRP’s eLearning curriculum delivered on a state-of-the-art Learning Management System, NAVREF members now have direct access via a site license to one of the most well respected and highest quality suite of training programs available on the market.

The proprietary, NAVREF-branded hosting environment not only provides cutting-edge clinical research training, but administrator control of user and learner records.

“We are thrilled to work with NAVREF as the latest organization to license the full suite of ACRP eLearning training programs,” says Jim Kremidas, ACRP Executive Director. “NAVREF is an outstanding organization with a true commitment to quality and we’re honored that they trust ACRP to provide an additional element of training for their members.”

“We’re excited to partner with ACRP to provide this terrific learning opportunity to clinical research professionals associated with NAVREF and our member nonprofit corporations,” said Rick Starrs, NAVREF Chief Executive Officer.

“NAVREF is offering this free training to ensure site staff have the tools they need to conduct safe and high-quality research focused on improving the health of veterans.”

ACRP’s eLearning programs are developed with the distinct goal to drive performance improvement for those engaged in clinical research. Each program delivers interactive material aimed at enhancing human subject protection, data quality, and regulatory compliance for organizations of all size within the clinical research space.

This article was a jointly produced by NAVREF and ACRP and also appears on the ACRP website here.

Non Profit Association Seeks Broader Impact

(Washington, D.C.) - The Board of Directors of the National Association of Veterans' Research and Education Foundations announces the appointment of Stephen R. Conafay to the NAVREF Board as a Class B Director. Mr. Conafay is the sole principal at The Conafay Group, a government relations and management consulting firm that specializes in representing biomedical companies.

“We are thrilled to have Steve join our board,” said Board Chair Priscilla West. “His experience, expertise, and passion for supporting veterans will be tremendous assets to the board and the 80 VA-affiliated nonprofit research and education foundations that comprise our membership.” Mr. Conafay is a veteran Washington, D.C. government affairs executive with decades of experience in non-dilutive funding, federal affairs and public policy. Mr. Conafay is a lawyer and a decorated Vietnam veteran. He served as an infantry platoon leader and was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Medal and the Army Commendation Medal, among others.

Mr. Conafay has a deep association with the US military. His father served in World War I and then worked for the Veterans Administration for almost 30 years. His son John served honorably in the Air Force. “My emotional attachment to the military is one thing, but I believe my perspective as a lawyer, pharmaceutical executive, Washington lobbyist, public relations executive, and small business owner who has close ties to the biotechnology industry will provide some seasoned and imaginative viewpoints to achieving NAVREF’s mission.”