In the past minorities have suffered medical atrocities in the name of research.  Though regulations are now in place to prevent such things from happening again, the trauma resulting from these acts continues to linger within minority communities.  The lack of trust has resulted in a lack of participation in clinical trials.  

The question we face now is what is needed to establish trust and increase minority participation in clinical trials?  Trust is most easily granted to those who acknowledge the past and not only empathize with the minority communities, they understand and relate to their plight.  People trust those they can relate to, and most often those are individuals who are members of their community.  More minority investigators are needed in order to achieve true diversity.  

In this article I will share the journey one site has taken as they launched into the clinical research realm.

In 2017 Chattanooga native, Michalle Morris, MSN, made the decision to open her own practice in order to provide the minority communities of the Chattanooga area with better healthcare.  Michalle is a nurse practitioner who for years witnessed minority patients continuously facing a “pervasive lack of empathy and compassion”.    She decided it was time to take action by opening a practice where the patients, as well as the community, are the priority.  It was then that she opened Scenic City Wellness.  

Michalle and her staff pride themselves on placing the total well-being of the patient above all else.   Patients who receive care at Scenic City Wellness which is why they established a practice where patients receive longer appointments where time is spent talking to each patient about their quality of life, stress and anxiety levels, and other root causes of health concerns.  By establishing such a practice, Scenic City Wellness established themselves as a trusted primary and acute care provider in Chattanooga, especially within the African American and Hispanic communities.  

Scenic City Wellness is not just a part of the community they work for the community and give back to the community.  Health screenings, health fairs and contributions to community functions are just a few of the ways Scenic City Wellness gives back to the Chattanooga community.

Being a primary care practice, Scenic City Wellness treats patients with both chronic and acute conditions.  This includes diabetes, hypertension, asthma, COPD, and much more.  Scenic City Wellness also works in conjunction with Dr. La’Mara Henderson, owner of Scenic City Therapy, with whom they share an office space.  Like Michalle, Dr. Henderson believes in not just treating symptoms but also the causes of illnesses.  Mental health is often an underlying cause of illness.  Many people visit the doctor to treat symptoms that are related to mental health issues, like trouble sleeping, anxiety and even hypertension.  

Several years after opening, the Covid pandemic raised fears around the world.  The minority communities in this country suffered huge losses.  It was during this time Michalle saw an opportunity to not only treat the community but to also educate the community.  Michalle not only administered Covid vaccines she began educating the community about Covid preventative measures as well as the importance of clinical trials.  

Michalle has always known the importance of increasing minority participation in clinical trials and after years of building a successful practice and gaining the trust of the community, she is now launching her own clinical research site as an extension of Scenic City Wellness.  Michalle has enlisted Colleen Canion to help with this endeavor.  Colleen is an experienced clinical researcher who owned her own clinical research site for 10 years prior to working with Sanofi as a Scientific Affairs Medical Lead.  Sanofi recently closed their Chattanooga operations leaving Colleen ready and available to work with Michalle to bring more clinical trials to the Chattanooga area.  

For Scenic City Wellness the circle is now complete.  They have a state-of-the-art facility and a large database of patients, age 17 and above.  Having built an excellent rapport by providing compassionate and empathetic care, Michalle, Colleen and the Scenic City Wellness staff are ready to do their part to advance diversity for the clinical trial patient population.

Myra Fonville

Myra Fonville is the Executive Editor of Interim Visits magazine.  Myra is a former pharmacist who has worked in the clinical research industry for the past 28 years.  She brings a wealth of knowledge about pharmacy, pharmaceuticals and clinical research.  Myra is very passionate about diversity and health equity which is one of the primary reasons Interim Visits is educating the public about the importance of clinical trials.