Clinical Trials Network
Creating a VA Learning Healthcare system
VA New England Healthcare System (VISN 1) has unique strengths to support research that is important to America’s Veterans. Through its well-supported partnerships across New England and the Nation, VISN 1 is positioned to integrate clinical research with medical practice to ensure a patient-driven, science-driven learning health care enterprise.
Since its inception in 2013, VISN 1 leadership has continued to support the VISN 1 Clinical Trials Network (CTN) with the objective to expand the availability of clinical trials for all New England based Veterans. The goal is to better integrate clinical research into medical practice by bringing health care providers and researchers together in a way that would ensure VISN 1 continues forward as a fully integrated health care organization capable of providing state of the art care.
After tremendous growth, today’s CTN has more than doubled the number of active clinical trials unifying the VISN's 8 medical centers while providing New England Veterans broader access to emerging therapies through clinical investigation targeting diseases relevant to our population through disease-based consortia in cardiology, oncology, and mental health. In addition, CTN is increasing research opportunities in New England and allows the VA to implement key findings from these trials into clinical practice resulting in better healthcare.
Major accomplishments include:
- Establishing a VISN-wide consortium-based membership to NCI’s SWOG Cooperative Group, allowing all New England Veterans access to NCI-sponsored clinical trials.
- Developing and piloting a Precision Oncology Program to provide state of the art cancer care to our Veterans.
- Expanding access to the Million Veteran Program (MVP) to all VISN 1 Medical Centers.
- Engagement in our nation’s Cancer Moonshot initiatives.
The program is directed by:
Mary Brophy
Program Director of the CTN and MAVERIC Co-Director, Mary Brophy, MD, MPH said “Continuous discovery and improvement is the bedrock of a top-notch health care system. Our leaders expect us to provide first-rate care, and our Veterans deserve it. By embedding research into clinical care through innovative research programs such as Point of Care Research and research for precision oncology, together as a VISN, we can deliver on the promise of providing the best and highest quality care to the Veterans we serve.”
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Dr. Mary Brophy provided American Legion Past National Commander Charles Schmidt and Legionaires a briefing on CTN research
Working alongside Dr. Brophy is VISN 1’s Research Service Line Lead, and Boston VA Cardiologist William E. Boden, MD, FACC, FAHA. Dr. Boden is the Scientific Director for CTN and also serves as Professor of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine. "While our overarching goal in VISN 1 is to provide our Veterans with exceptional clinical care, with access to the very best primary and specialty care services to both treat disease and promote wellness, our many accomplished physician investigators and post-doctoral researchers are equally committed to accelerating both the pace of scientific discovery and the translation of novel treatment options to the bedside and in our clinics to enhance the care for Veterans we are proud to serve," Boden said. "Our VA New England Healthcare System boasts one of the largest and most productive research programs within VA nationally, and through the important collaborative relationships we enjoy with our many academic partners throughout the region, we are ideally positioned to fulfill our important educational and research missions that likewise so favorably impact the quality of care we are able to provide our Veterans in VISN 1." 
Dr. William E. Boden
