VAIRRS Ambassador Program

In each issue of the VAIRRS newsletter (every other month), a leading site utilizing the VAIRRS program is selected as a “VAIRRS Ambassador.” Facilities are evaluated based on participation, enthusiasm, and commitment to improving the system and contributing to the benefits the VAIRRS enterprise has to offer. The selected VAIRRS ambassador serves as a great role model to other sites across the country, who want to learn more about VAIRRS and how the program can make their job more efficient and effective.

November Ambassador: Atlanta VA

Kallie Medbery, R&D Coordinator, Atlanta VA

Throughout the VAIRRS transition, the Atlanta VA has been recognized as a top-performing VAIRRS site - serving as a great model for others to follow.

Kallie Medbery, the R&D Coordinator at the Atlanta VA, reported on the site's experience, challenges, and success throughout the VAIRRS implementation process.

The Atlanta VAHCS has an extensive research program with over 400 studies, including 300+ studies conducting human research. As one of the first sites to get on board, Atlanta was a part of the Tier 1 sites to transition to VAIRRS and is currently conducting all local research committee reviews and facility PO and ISSO reviews within the IRBNet system.

Medbery stated, "We found success during the transition by starting with a phased rollout and regularly communicating with our investigators as we implemented each new element of the software."

The site created a dedicated space on their facility webpage to store all communications and guidance documents for easy reference (Research - IRBNet/VAIRRS Guidance - Atlanta VA Health Care System) to facilitate employee experience throughout the transition. In addition to the guidance documents, Atlanta created submission checklists for each of their external IRBs, which they store in their local libraries in IRBNet. According to Medbery, the site "found these checklists to be instrumental in assisting the investigators with tracking the varying requirements and procedures for each IRB."

We applaud your commitment to VAIRRS & encourage other sites to follow suit to optimize all that IRBNet has to offer!