Our Initiatives

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TRANSFORM SC

South Carolina’s children have high rates of asthma, obesity, diabetes and conditions such as ADHD, autism, depression and anxiety, all of which are concerning to parents and impact our future as a state. Medical research can lead to solutions that will minimize or reverse the impact of devastating conditions. However, opportunities for children and their families to take advantage of these research opportunities are few, particularly in rural and medically underserved communities. On September 21, 2016, the National Institutes of Health awarded a four-year, $1.6 million grant to the University of South Carolina (USC) School of Medicine Columbia to establish a statewide Pediatric Clinical Trials Network. Health Sciences South Carolina (HSSC) and the Medical University of South Carolina are working with the USC School of Medicine, Columbia, and other collaborators across the state to improve the health of children across South Carolina through the TRANSFORM SC clinical trials and research network.

HSSC is proud of this initiative that leverages our ability to bring together collaborators with a shared commitment making good health possible for South Carolina’s children.

Snapshot

Initiative Data

How this is Funded:

Why We Are Involved

South Carolina’s children are vulnerable to a variety of serious health conditions including asthma, diabetes, obesity, and neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD, autism, depression, and anxiety. Currently, distance, lack of transportation, lack of finances, and time constraints can prohibit participation in studies seeking to help children struggling with these health conditions. This is particularly true in rural communities where children and families are disproportionately affected by poor health.

On September 21, 2016, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded more than $150 million for a seven-year initiative called the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program. The ECHO program is designed to investigate how exposure to a range of environmental factors in early development—from conception through early childhood—influences the health of children and adolescents. As part of this initiative, the NIH awarded the USC School of Medicine, Columbia, a four-year, $1.6 million grant to establish a statewide Pediatric Clinical Trials Network.

Health Sciences South Carolina (HSSC) and the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) will join the USC School of Medicine, Columbia, in leading the TRANSFORM SC clinical trials and research network. HSSC played a critical role in convening collaborators and is providing education, training, and research-enabling informatics tools for the network. MUSC’s Telehealth Research and Innovation Program is providing its extensive telemedicine expertise and resources to establish a virtual clinical trials office for the network. These sites will help pediatricians and staff across the state enhance their research capacity.

The first six months of the grant will be spent establishing research sites and infrastructure to support the recruitment and training of pediatricians and research teams. Once in place, the sites will begin efforts to engage children and families. This pediatric research network will allow pediatric researchers at TRANSFORM SC sites to attract federally funded research programs to further understand important child health issues.

Parents- Get Involved

Participating in research studies on children’s health issues will soon be easier for families across South Carolina. Thanks to a grant from the National Institutes of Health, TRANSFORM SC will build a patient and family-centered program that establishes research sites throughout the state. Our goal is to enable families and children with health issues to participate in research studies you might otherwise be unable to take advantage of due to distance and time constraints. These include studies on challenging health issues like asthma, diabetes, obesity, ADHD, autism, and depression and anxiety in children and adolescents.

Why should you get involved? You may be concerned about a medical condition that your child has and want answers. You may have a niece, nephew, or grandchild with health issues. Or, you may simply want to be more informed and hear about ways you can help make South Carolina’s children healthier.

We are in the process of creating the statewide TRANSFORM SC pediatric clinical trials network. If you would like to receive updates on our progress, please connect with us using the contact form located at the bottom of this page. 

To see a list of TRANSFORM SC network participants, Click Here.

Contact Us for more information.

Pediatricians- Get Involved

South Carolina’s children are at risk for many chronic health conditions as well as neurodevelopment disorders and no one understands that better than our state’s pediatricians. Now, thanks to a grant from the National Institutes of Health’s ECHO program, TRANSFORM SC is supporting pediatric research sites in communities across the state. Clinicians and staff participating in TRANSFORM SC will have access to education, training, research-enabling informatics tools, and a virtual clinical trials office to boost their research knowledge. Pediatricians with an interest in research and improving the health and wellbeing of children are invited to get involved.

This initiative is led and supported by resources from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, Health Sciences South Carolina (HSSC) and the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). The principal investigators are:

  • Dr. Christine Turley, Chief Medical Officer and Vice Chair for Research, Department of Pediatrics USC School of Medicine, Columbia
  • Dr. Lisa Knight, USC, Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics (Pediatric Endocrinologist)
  • Dr. Andrew Atz, MUSC, Interim Chair, Department of Pediatrics

Why should you get involved? The success of TRANSFORM SC depends largely on individuals like yourself who want to make South Carolina’s children healthier and provide new opportunities for your patients and their families.

We are in the process of creating the statewide TRANSFORM SC pediatric clinical trials network. If you would like to receive updates on our progress, please connect with us using the contact form located at the bottom of this page. 

To see a list of TRANSFORM SC network participants, Click Here.

Get Involved

Are you interested in learning more about TRANSFORM SC? Please complete the following form and we will get back to you promptly. Please provide a detailed query to ensure that we have the information needed to assist you.

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