DEI Special Edition Spring / Summer 2024
The Launching of a Research Site: Scenic City Wellness
by Myra Fonville
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 par- ticipation in clinical trials? Trust is most easily granted to those
who acknowledge the past and not only empathize with the minority communi- ties, they understand and relate to their plight. People trust those they can re- late to, and most often those are individuals who are members of their commu- nity. 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 communi- ties of the Chattanoo-
ga area with better healthcare. Michalle is a nurse practitioner who for years wit- nessed minority
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