Tri-Valley – A Growing Nexus for Team Science Research

February 14, 2024 - By Sarah Paris

Clinical care has grown dramatically at Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley in the past decade, with significant investments in both inpatient and outpatient infrastructure and many different medical specialties represented among the 119 full-time faculty. This growth, spurred by a rising, diverse patient population, is opening up new opportunities for clinical research and team science.

Research at Tri-Valley was jumpstarted in 2020, when the Covid pandemic prompted the launch of a clinical trial in a matter of weeks. Since then, half a dozen more trials have been started or were completed. Originally, the focus was on Covid, in particular, the RECOVER trial, conducted concurrently at SHC Tri-Valley and Stanford, which has now successfully met the target enrollment.

Since then, other research areas have been added or are being explored. “We are very much in an expansion phase,” said Minjoung Go, MD, Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley’s Academic Physician-in-Chief. “Our team science approach has created more access to patients interested in participating in trials in the East Bay.”

“For our first trials, it took some time and effort to develop the workflows with the physicians and staff, update the compliance and finance teams, and raise the IT infrastructure. Each additional trial is easier now,” said David Svec, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer for Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley. “We can scale to more patient types, clinical conditions, and a broader geography.”

The faculty at Tri-Valley currently represent 13 departments and 20 divisions. Hospital medicine is a strong presence and has led the way in team science, given their frequent interaction with all other specialties. Overall, given the smaller faculty cohort, co-mingling is a vital part of the culture, leading to frequent exchanges of ideas, experience, and collaborative projects.

The outlook is very positive, and Stanford faculty out here eager to get involved in research. The school presence will continue to expand, with more service lines and more specialties, creating a mini campus of Stanford Medicine and many new opportunities for team science.

With its two main locations in Pleasanton and Livermore and clinics around the area, Tri-Valley is ideally positioned to provide both primary and specialized care to an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse patient population. Add to that the proximity of national labs and pharmaceutical hubs, and you have “a rich research environment and the potential for exciting collaborations,” according to Svec.

These parameters also create a fertile learning ground for future physicians. “We are creating a family medicine residency program, hopefully starting in 2025,” said Go. Already, Tri-Valley provides training to PA students, engages with the community for summer academies, and hoping to soon host medical students.

“The outlook is very positive, and Stanford faculty out here eager to get involved in research,” said Go. “The school presence will continue to expand, with more service lines and more specialties, creating a mini campus of Stanford Medicine and many new opportunities for team science.”

The expansion will use a phased approach, in collaboration with Clinical Research Quality (CRQ) Director Jennifer Brown, RN, who has been closely involved in the expansion process and provided necessary oversight to ensure compliance and quality science. Go also acknowledged the support of the Program Management Office (PMO) under Ken Mahaffey, MD, and especially that of Senior Associate Dean of Research Ruth O’Hara, PhD. “Dr. O’Hara’s leadership has been instrumental in the success of research expansion at SHC Tri-Valley,” said Go.