Geisinger receives accreditation from the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs
DANVILLE, PA -- Geisinger’s research effort has been accredited by the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP), the Washington, D.C.-based organization announced Thursday. Geisinger is one of eight newly accredited organizations to have demonstrated its commitment to protecting human subjects in research.
Geisinger now joins such organizations as the National Institutes of Health, the Baylor College of Medicine, and global pharmaceutical giant Pfizer in holding AAHRPP accreditation, which denotes a commitment to quality surpassing that of state and federal requirements.
To earn the accreditation, organizations must not only adhere to high standards of research, but demonstrate that they have built extensive safeguards into every level of their research operation. Geisinger’s Human Research Protection Program comprises the Institutional Review Board (IRB), the Office of Research Compliance, the Office of Sponsored Projects, and various oversight, education, and quality assurance review units, including program administration.
“This accreditation underscores the commitment Geisinger has to continuing high quality, ethical research practices and the strong desire we have to translate these efforts into practical benefits for our patients,” said IRB Co-Chair Thomas D. Challman, M.D.
Dorothy C. Sellers, Geisinger Director of Research Compliance and Training, said: “This is a very exciting time to be involved in research at Geisinger and receiving this accreditation demonstrates Geisinger’s commitment to ‘making it the best.’”
In today’s global, collaborative research enterprise, organizations increasingly rely on AAHRPP accreditation status to help identify trusted research partners. “AAHRPP accreditation standards have earned a reputation as the benchmark for quality human research protection programs,” AAHRPP President and CEO Elyse I. Summers said. “As a result, we continue to see strong interest in accreditation from organizations across the research spectrum and around the globe,” she said.
To date, 227 organizations have earned AAHRPP accreditation. Of these, 32 are located outside the United States. All major U.S. independent institutional review boards have earned AAHRPP accreditation. In addition, more than 60 percent of U.S. research-intensive universities and over 65 percent of U.S. medical schools are either AAHRPP accredited or have begun the accreditation process.
About Geisinger
Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the non-profit system generates $10 billion in annual revenues across 134 care sites - including 10 hospital campuses, and Geisinger Health Plan, with 600,000 members in commercial and government plans. The Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 5,000 medical professionals annually and conducts more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With 26,000 employees, including 1,600 employed physicians, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers with an estimated economic impact of $14 billion to the state’s economy. On March 31, 2024, Geisinger became the first member of Risant Health, a new nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country. Learn more at geisinger.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.