Providing access to national and local research trials at McLeod allows patients to stay in their community and participate in research or studies that otherwise would only be available at nationally recognized institutions in other parts of the state or country.

To safeguard the rights and welfare of patients who participate in research studies at McLeod Health, the Institutional Review Board is responsible for protecting patients from physical, emotional and economic harm. In addition, the IRB goes to great lengths to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of each patient is protected through consent and authorization. Any healthcare organization that participates in research trials must have an IRB to review and monitor the trials.

Over the years, the McLeod Health IRB has approved numerous types of clinical research, primarily in Cancer and Cardiac disease. This research has ranged from pharmaceuticals and devices to registries, databases, etc. Research has proven to be instrumental in not only providing an additional opportunity for a patient to be offered another avenue of care with a new treatment, but also in improving the performance and the long-term safety and effectiveness of the research and devices.

Oncology is one of the largest areas of research at McLeod. Areas of cancer clinical research currently available at McLeod include: Brain Cancer, Breast Cancer, Head & Neck Cancer, Leukemia, Pancreatic Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Sarcoma, Small or Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Smoking Cessation.

This research is part of our certification as a Comprehensive Community Hospital Cancer Program by the Commission on Cancer of the America College of Surgeons. Participating in research also significantly differentiates the quality of our program from other cancer centers in our region.