Norton Healthcare

Marti Gardner

Marti Gardner serves as the System Director of Clinical Research Operations at Norton Healthcare, combining strategic leadership with a passion for enhancing patient care through research. With extensive experience in healthcare management, she ensures the seamless integration of clinical trials into the healthcare system. This provides patients access to groundbreaking treatments without the need to travel far.

Marti is dedicated to improving the efficiency and accessibility of clinical research, whether through adopting new technologies or optimizing operational processes. Her collaborative approach, both with her team and external partners, aims to advance medical research and improve patient outcomes.

Expanding Access to Advanced Medical Treatments

I lead a dedicated team of 135 clinical staff with the mission of expanding access to innovative treatments through a wide range of clinical research. This includes phase I to IV investigational drug studies, device trials, and more.

My daily focus is on empowering my team to overcome any obstacles in trial activation and patient enrollment, ensuring that every patient has access to life-changing therapies right where they are.

Innovating Specialty Care

Under my leadership, specialized teams in areas like cardiovascular care, pulmonary hypertension, and oncology have expanded access to advanced treatments.

Whether it's through device trials for heart failure, our involvement in the development of FDA-approved pulmonary hypertension drugs, or offering early-phase cancer trials, we aim to provide patients with cutting-edge therapies.

Our goal is to ensure they receive these treatments while staying close to home and surrounded by their support systems.

Building Trust and Overcoming Challenges

I believe in eliminating barriers for both investigators and patients. Streamlining clinical responsibilities and ensuring trials are aligned with patient needs are at the heart of our work.

Clear communication with sponsors builds trust and ensures that we only take on trials we are fully equipped to support, which leads to successful enrollments and smooth trial execution.

Leveraging Technology for Future Success

Looking to the future, I see technology playing a bigger role in clinical trials. The integration of electronic health records (EHR) and electronic data capture (EDC) systems will boost efficiency, improve data sharing, and reduce errors.

My focus will be on ensuring that both our staff and research participants are well-supported as trials grow more complex.

Bringing Specialized Care to Local Communities

I am incredibly proud of our pediatric research program, which is anchored by the largest children’s hospital in the state. This program plays a significant role in improving our hospital’s national rankings and ensures that families have access to clinical trials locally.

We help ensure that children receive the latest treatments without the need for travel, which is a crucial part of our mission to provide exceptional care by offering specialized care close to home.