MINNEAPOLIS (April 26, 2023) — Allina Health is honored to earn AAHRPP accreditation. An independent, non-profit accrediting body, AAHRPP uses a voluntary, peer-driven, educational model to ensure that Human Research Protection Programs meet rigorous standards for quality and protection. To earn accreditation, organizations must provide tangible evidence—through policies, procedures, and practices—of their commitment to scientifically and ethically sound research and to continuous improvement. AAHRPP also asks that organizations demonstrate their protections exceed the safeguards required by the international guidelines and laws governing research involving humans in the U.S. and other countries.
“AAHRPP is a prestigious organization, and Allina Health is proud to achieve and uphold the high standards of AAHRPP accreditation,” said Sarah Kleaveland Kupczak, senior vice president and Allina Health Chief Risk Officer. “We want research participants to feel confident knowing Allina Health is deeply committed to promoting their health and well-being by ensuring their rights and safety are protected. Like AAHRPP, Allina Health focuses on continuous quality improvement.”
Annually, Allina Health conducts more than 500 research studies in the following areas: cancer, cardiovascular, care delivery, infectious disease, neuroscience, nursing, rehabilitation, spine, and sports and orthopedics.
“This designation recognizes the high quality of our research teams and the rigor and expertise with which they conduct the research which immensely benefits our patients,” said Badrinath Konety, MD, Chief Academic Officer and Allina Health Cancer Institute president. “We are passionate about continuing medical progress in order to best serve our communities and the safety and well-being of our participants is paramount to the research we conduct.”
“AAHRPP accreditation is a mark of excellence that’s recognized by the global research enterprise,” AAHRPP President and CEO Elyse I. Summers said. “It’s also an invitation to join the community of accredited organizations at the forefront of efforts to address today’s research challenges and opportunities.”
The mission of Allina Health's Human Research Protection Program and its Institutional Review Board is to protect and respect the rights and welfare of subjects involved in human research overseen by Allina Health. That includes human subjects research involving Allina Health employees, facilities, patients or data.
All actions of Allina Health Research, including conduct and review, are guided by the principles set forth in the Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research.