Clemson Rural Health signs agreement to bring clinical research opportunities to women in rural and underserved communities 

Clemson Rural Health (CRH) is pleased to announce its affiliation with Precia Group, a contract research organization (CRO) with a focus on women’s health. In alignment with Clemson University’s new strategic plan, Clemson Elevate, CRH and Precia Group will bring clinical research opportunities to rural communities typically excluded from trials centralized in hospital systems or universities.

Ron Gimbel, professor and director of Clemson Rural Health, said the partnership is a natural fit, as both organizations are deeply committed to improving health outcomes through decentralized clinical research practices.

“Since 2019, we have built a strong leadership team and founded a network of rural hub clinics in order to serve as a foundational leader for decentralized clinical trials in our state,” said Gimbel. “Our next step is to join forces with strategically aligned partners, like Precia Group, to accelerate the transformation of health outcomes in rural and underserved communities.” 

Setting itself apart from other CROs, Precia Group is dedicated to increasing the number of women in research studies by establishing the first-of-its-kind community-based network across the United States and globally, engaging women as partners.

Precia Group’s commitment to comprehensive research practices is at the heart of its mission to ensure that more women from diverse backgrounds participate in clinical trials by bringing those trials to the community setting, where most women seek and receive their care. Their goal is for all women to have equal opportunities to engage in research, contribute to the data and generalizable knowledge, and play a pivotal role in shaping and improving medical advancements and treatments.  

“We are thrilled to welcome Clemson Rural Health Network as our first rural health sites within the Precia Network,” said Donna Russell, founder and CEO of Precia Group. “Together, we are addressing the critical need to expand clinical trial access for underserved rural patients who often face significant health disparities. This partnership between Clemson Rural Health Research Network and Precia Group is committed to ensuring that rural communities are given an opportunity to actively participate in the advancement of medical treatments tailored to their unique needs.” 

About Precia Group 

Headquartered in Seattle, Precia Group is a Contract Research Organization (CRO) established in 2020. Its mission is to provide research opportunities, improve the quality of research data and ultimately improve patient outcomes by dramatically increasing the number of underrepresented communities and populations in clinical trials.  

About Clemson Rural Health 

Clemson Rural Health is a part of the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, a 21st-century land-grant college joining together a unique combination of schools and departments: communication, nursing, parks, recreation and tourism management, political science, psychology, public health sciences and sociology, anthropology and criminal justice. These areas have distinctive characteristics and missions – all joined together by a common thread of service to people and communities. For more information, visit ClemsonRuralHealth.org.