Birmingham-based Acclinate has launched a partnership with Alabama Regional Medical Services that has led to a new hire at ARMS and potential growth for the startup.
Acclinate, a digital health startup specializing in health equity through inclusive research, established the partnership with ARMS, a federally qualified health center that provides health care to underserved communities. The move comes as Acclinate expands its reach and reinforces its mission — ensuring access to research opportunities for people of color. The partnership with ARMS is a bid to further amplify its impact.
To kick off the partnership, the ARMS team has brought on Terisa James who will act as a dedicated liaison between ARMS and Acclinate, and she will work closely with both teams to ensure coordination and maximization of the partnership’s impact. The role is sponsored by Acclinate to help ARMS build capacity.
"We hope to expand our work at Acclinate to other FQHCs across the country, which would lead to more liaisons like Terisa and a larger team at Acclinate to manage the workload," an Acclinate spokesperson said.
Tiffany Whitlow, co-founder and chief development officer at Acclinate, added, "As a cofounder here at Acclinate, I understand the value of community and understand that in order to reach people we must lean on partners like ARMS."
Acclinate and ARMS will collaborate in identifying research, educational and funding opportunities that are relevant to inclusive research and aimed at supporting the sustainability of research infrastructure and operations at ARMS.
"By establishing a research outlet at ARMS' clinics and leveraging Acclinate's expertise, we aim to create a lasting impact on community health in Alabama," said Del Smith, co-founder and CEO of Acclinate. "This partnership is a testament to our commitment to health equity, and I believe it’s just the beginning of our work with federally qualified health centers."
Ted Greer Jr., CEO of ARMS and leader in clinical trials and community participatory research, said Acclinate is playing a "pivotal role" in building out the research extension.
"With Acclinate as a partner, we are strengthening our relationships with research organizations, helping our patients receive the best care and opportunities possible," he said. “We pride ourselves on offering our patients premier health care options, particularly to those who are high risk. There’s often a misconception that subsidized health care is inferior, but it’s not. We provide top-notch quality of care at an accessible level for our patients, and including clinical research opportunities in said offerings will continue to drive our mutual vision of health equity."
