Clinical Research Coordinator

This is a limited appointment. 

We are looking for a Clinical Research Coordinator who is passionate about addressing health disparities, as well having a familiarity with chronic disease management and clinical trials. This position will function as a member of a multidisciplinary research team and as someone who has experience working in care settings serving low-income patients. Experience working with racially, ethnically diverse, and lower health literacy patient populations is desired. 

This role requires a high level of comfort and skill with communicating with a diverse range of stakeholders in the public health setting. This role will perform independently or with general direction at the fully operational journey level of the series to execute, manage, and coordinate research protocols, as directed by the Project Manager, Project Coordinator, and/or Principal Investigators (PI); may coordinate the data collection and operations of several concurrent clinical research studies under the guidelines of research protocols, UCSF and regulating agency policies.

The CRC will be asked to help with INS2PiRED (Implementation Strategies for Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring in Racially and Ethnically Diverse Populations), a randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluating strategies to improve hypertension control through self-measured blood pressure (SMBP) monitoring in urban safety-net healthcare systems serving low-income and racially/ethnically diverse populations. The study aims to increase adoption and sustained use of SMBP monitoring among English-, Spanish-, and Cantonese-speaking adults with uncontrolled hypertension across six primary care clinic sites.

The project includes a patient-level randomized controlled trial enrolling 330 participants who will be randomized to either a low-intensity intervention consisting of SMBP education and text-message reminders, or a high-intensity intervention that additionally incorporates group classes and caregiver engagement. Concurrently, the study will implement clinic-level strategies to improve integration of SMBP data into clinical care workflows, including staff education, workflow shadowing, audit-and-feedback activities, and optimization of electronic health record (EHR) use.

The duties may include, but will not be limited to supporting the management and coordinating the tasks of single or multiple clinical research studies, depending on their size and complexity; recruit study participants; act as intermediary between services and departments while overseeing data management; manage and report on study results; create, clean, update, and manage databases and comprehensive datasets and reports; manage Investigator’s protocols in the IRB/Institutional Review Board online system, as well as renewals and modifications of protocol applications and the implementation of new studies; participate in the review and writing of protocols to ensure institutional review board approval within University compliance; help assure compliance with all relevant regulatory agencies; oversee study data integrity; implement and maintain periodic quality control procedures; interface with departments to obtain UCSF approval prior to study initiation; maintain all regulatory documents; report study progress to investigators; participate in any internal and external audits or reviews of study protocols; and perform other duties as assigned. 

Other responsibilities include supporting additional patient engagement activities outside of recruitment, including facilitating group education sessions (hybrid and in-person).

This position will need to travel to various clinic sites in-person across the Bay Area.

Department Description:

The UCSF Division of General Internal Medicine (DGIM) at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center (ZSFG) delivers innovative, comprehensive and complex primary medical care to San Francisco’s vulnerable patients; carries out highly impactful translational research focused on generating new knowledge to improve the health of vulnerable populations; engages in meaningful policy work focused on reducing health disparities and ensuring access to care; and trains the next generation of physician leaders and researchers in the care of vulnerable and underserved populations. DGIM works closely with the UCSF Action Research Center (ARC), which carries out innovative research to prevent and treat chronic disease in populations for whom social conditions often promote or make management of the chronic diseases more challenging. ARC is nationally and internationally known for its research in health communication and health policy to reduce health disparities, with special expertise in the social determinants of health, including literacy, food policy, poverty, and minority status, with a focus on the clinical conditions of pre-diabetes, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

• HS graduation and sufficient experience and demonstrated skills to successfully perform the assigned duties and responsibilities; and/or equivalent experience/training. 

• Bilingual proficiency in written and oral communications in Cantonese and English or Spanish.

• Attention to detail; strong interpersonal skills; excellent, effective verbal and written communication skills to coordinate with subjects, team members, other departments and outside institutions; and the ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment while working with a diverse subject population.

• Ability to work well independently, complete projects in a timely manner, and prioritize multiple projects to ensure the completion of essential tasks by deadlines.

• Basic knowledge of relevant policies and regulatory requirements. Basic knowledge of health professions education industry. Basic knowledge of administrative analysis and operations research. Skills in developing and implementing processes and systems. Familiarity with the administrative and operational implications in a program.
• Communication skills; includes verbal, written and active listening, empathy, humility, and warmth. Service oriented and responsive to questions and requests. Ability to interact in a professional, resourceful, and courteous manner. Ability to convey complex concepts in an understandable manner to a lay public.
• Demonstrated ability to develop working relationships study team as well as community/patient partners.
• Organizational and analytical skills, has ability to work with complex faculty calendars / schedules and requires well organized and detail-oriented precision.
• Investigative, data analysis, and reporting skills. Ability to generate computer reports, checking for errors, correcting and submitting accurate reports. Skills include entering, maintaining, extracting, and analyzing data in electronic systems.
• Familiarity and comfort with use of mobile phone apps, preferred knowledge of apps designed to promote wellness.
• Capacity for self-monitoring and improvement, demonstrated excellent punctuality, attendance, and reliability. Follow-up and works well under pressure and deadlines.
• Documentation skills, ability to set priorities, work collaboratively, 
• Excellent computer and word processing skills, using standard software (such as Microsoft Word Excel, Access and/or PowerPoint). 
• Proven flexibility to adjust to constantly changing priorities.

• Understanding of patient population to create rapport and a relationship, while also giving insight to what is realistic and appropriate for patient participation.

• Proactive in helping lead the development and implementation of recruitment strategies. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in health or public health or related discipline
• Certification by the Society of Clinical Research Associates or the Association of Clinical Research Professionals 
• At least one year of previous experience as a clinical research coordinator or equivalent combination of experience / training
• Experience with research tools such as REDCap, Qualtrics, Dedoose or Atlas.ti.

• Fluency in the usage of Institutional Review Board (IRB) online system for submission, renewal, and modification of protocols through this system.

• Certification by the Society of Clinical Research Associates or the Association of Clinical Research Professionals 
• Experience working with diverse populations, knowledge of community resources and experience working with a variety of community-based organization.

• Experience with electronic medical records.

• Knowledge of UCSF and departmental policies for dealing with reimbursement, guidelines for research, confidentiality and HIPPA regulations, following the UCSF mission statement and purpose for research, and a clear understanding of policies and procedures on patient safety and confidentiality (electronic and hard copy medical records, patient charts, communication, etc.); knowledge of medical terminology, research policies and guidelines, guidelines for packing/shipping infectious substances, database building/analysis, and data management within some of the following: REDCap, Qualtrics, and Microsoft Excel.

• Experience applying the following regulations and guidelines:

Good Clinical Practice Guidelines

Health Information and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

The Protection of Human Research Subjects

IRB regulations for recruitment and consent of research subjects

Effective Cash Handling Procedures

Environmental Health and Safety Training 

Fire Safety Training