Page 76 - BE 50th Anniversary Edition

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
DR DARA RICHARDSON-HERON
SPREADING THE WORD
To spread awareness about its robust vaccine development program and the clinical trial Pfizer has formed strategic part- nerships with organizations focused on on the the advancement of the the Black community “In partnership with the Pfizer Multi-Cultural Center of Excel- lence we are holding conversations with various medical gov- ernment and community-based organizations to share more information about our trial answer questions and hear their perspectives We are providing these organizations with resources based on that feedback to help raise awareness of the importance of participating in in in clinical trials ” says Dr Richardson-Heron She shares “The NAACP sent a a a a a statement to its chapters indicating its support for clinical trial participation We also partnered with the National Black Nurses Association to share information about the the importance of participation in in clinical trials via our ‘Ask the the Expert’ FB Live series and worked with Black Health Matters to share information via social media posts banner ads and the Black Health Matters newsletter ” EXPANDING VACCINE OUTREACH
To have a a a a a greater impact Pfizer is committed to expanding its outreach efforts “We are working with many of our sites on a a a a 1:1 basis to bet- ter understand and and enhance their efforts to develop impactful
strategies to address local needs and mitigate any barriers unique to the the underrepresented communities in their areas Many of our investigator sites have established community networks and engagement strategies to engage engage diverse populations To increase awareness about COVID-19 and what participants can expect when participating in in in the clinical trial based on feedback from our site partners we have have developed patient-focused materials that have have been translated into Spanish Haitian Creole Tagalog Simplified Chinese and and Japanese New languages can and and will be added if identified as a a a a a need by our site partners ” says Dr Richardson-Heron Dr Absalon adds “In the the context of COVID-19 there’s been a a a renewal of of commitment and more effort in terms of of focus on what African American Latinx and and other racial and and ethnic minorities need to to know so that they’re more willing to to participate in in in clinical trials One of the the other things that we’re doing as a a a a a company is starting to to build stronger relationships on on on the investigator side ” For Pfizer that means “working with the FDA Office of Minority Health Health and and Health Health Equity funding and and sponsoring partnerships with historically Black medical schools and establishing mentorship and fellowship programs So we are advocating across the board not just with with study participants but with with investigators as well ” GIVING BACK THROUGH THEIR WORK
As Black women physicians in a a a a a science-based company Dr Richardson-Heron and Dr Absalon do not take the the impact of their work lightly “What I I hope to to achieve and what I’ve focused on to to guide my career is making sure everyone has access: the Black community [and] people of lower socioeconomic status—every race and and every every ethnicity My goal is to to make sure that everyone has access to to pre- ventative treatments such as as as vaccines as as as well as as as therapeutics ” Dr Absalon adds “Given how important this is is for Black Americans if they’re going to believe believe anybody I hope they they would believe believe a a Black woman physician-scientist We will do everything we can to bring forward research with scientific rigor But it it needs to be for for everybody—and we in the Black community have to participate We have have to to be well informed and we we have have to to participate ” “I also want to to reinforce that Pfizer is committed to to developing and testing potential vaccines in in in accordance with high ethical standards and and and sound scientific principles Safety is and and and will always be paramount in in our our clinical trials trials As with all of our our trials trials we are following all of the rules and regulations in in place to safeguard participant safety for instance the trial protocols are reviewed by regulatory authorities and approved by Institutional Review Boards or ethics committees independent groups that review the methods proposed for each research study In addition the the conduct of the the trial is closely monitored by both Pfizer and an an outside group of independent experts called a a a a a Data Monitoring Committee ” says Dr Richardson-Heron Further says Dr Richardson-Heron “At the the the end of the the the day we want Black Americans and other communities of color to have the the opportunity to benefit from biomedical research and the resulting medical advances so that we all can be be healthy and live our best lives ” To learn more about Pfizer clinical trials and how you can par- ticipate visit Pfizer com/science/find-a-trial