Travis Sheffield says reaching this milestone shows the community trusts Intermountain.
Continued caregiver support and patient participation have greatly contributed to the HerediGene: Population Study stretching past 125,000 participants.
“We’re so pleased to reach this study enrollment milestone as it demonstrates the community’s trust in Intermountain Healthcare,” says Travis Sheffield, HerediGene’s operations director and applied genomics director for Intermountain Precision Genomics. “Our patients and their families are sharing their precious lives with us as we discover new ways to define and treat ailments that have afflicted humanity for thousands of years.”
HerediGene reached 100,000-participants in February. Now at more than 125,000 participants, we have more than 6,000 people joining the study each month. And Travis says this monthly enrollment rate is forecasted to steadily increase. He reports about 100 caregivers focus on HerediGene in research, lab work, patient communications, and other operations—and there are many more caregivers supporting the study’s cause to help surpass enrollment goals.
Howard McLeod says HerediGene is already having an impact on patient care.
“HerediGene is already having an impact on the care of Intermountain patients and is poised to discover more ways we can help them live their healthiest lives,” says Howard McLeod, PharmD, executive clinical director for precision health.
Intermountain Precision Genomics leads HerediGene and is part of what Intermountain CEO Marc Harrison, MD, says will disrupt the future of healthcare.
“Intermountain Precision Genomics is disruptive by design,” Marc says. “No one is better positioned to address equity, social determinants of health, and provide hope to those in need than Dr. McLeod and his pioneering team. Empowered by philanthropy, we’re unlocking groundbreaking, personalized insights to help individuals live their healthiest lives possible. With your help, we can usher in a new era of transformative healthcare and life-saving solutions that serve everyone.”
“The HerediGene initiative is building an infrastructure that will serve our patients and caregivers for many years to come,” Dr. McLeod says. “The extraordinary work of the HerediGene caregiver team is inspiring and an incredible testament to the heart of these individuals. We also appreciate the generosity of our volunteer participants, who have literally given of themselves with no requirement of directly receiving anything in return.”
Thanks to HerediGene participants, we’ve learned about the genetic underpinnings of vertigo and we’ve found more connections between genetics and disease that will be published in the coming months. From Cassia Regional Hospital in southern Idaho to St. George Regional Hospital in southern Utah, patients and visitors have been joining HerediGene by consenting online at HerediGene.org and then giving a small amount of blood at Intermountain hospital or clinic lab draw stations in Utah and at Cassia Regional in Idaho. To learn more about the study and to sign up, visit HerediGene.org.