Many exciting initiatives are taking place at the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre’s new Centre for Education and Research. Among them, RVH Chief Research Scientist, Dr. Giulio Didiodato, and the Volunteer Resources Department have recently implemented an exciting program called Volunteers for the Conduct of Experimental Studies (VforCES).

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The VforCES program seeks to bring together volunteers from across Simcoe County to help conduct innovative health research at RVH. The VforCES program not only seeks to teach our patients, students, and community members about how research leads to better healthcare for all, but also allows them to participate in a variety of local projects. The program challenges the traditional roles of volunteers by expanding both the complexity and relevance of the services they provide. VforCES members are trained to assist local investigators with all aspects of their research, including patient identification, screening, enrollment, and data collection.

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Modeled after the Paediatric Research Academic Initiative in SickKids Emergency (PRAISE) program, VforCES aspires to help increase locally-led research activity, so that we can ensure patients in our community have access to the best possible treatments. The program is the first of its kind in Canada and has already gained attention for its novelty and positive impact from our academic and industry peers.

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To learn more about becoming a member of the VforCES program, please contact Volunteer Coordinator Helen Sarris in the Volunteer Resources Department or Dr. Giulio DiDiodato in the Centre for Education and Research.

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For investigators wishing to learn more about how the VforCES program can help with their research, please contact Dr. Giulio DiDiodato in the Centre for Education & Research or consult the VforCES program manual.