December 18, 2025
The OCHIN-led ADVANCE Clinical Research Network hosted the PCORnet® Roadshow in September to advance clinical research that improves care delivery and patient outcomes in community health organizations.
Held at OCHIN headquarters in Portland, Oregon, the one-day regional conference brought together researchers, patient partners and OCHIN members from across the West Coast to share insights and explore opportunities for research that reflects the communities our members serve.
Connecting research and community care
OCHIN members are leaders in providing high-quality, patient-centered care, but community health organizations and their patients don’t always have the opportunity to contribute their experiences or expertise to traditional academic research.
The OCHIN-led ADVANCE Clinical Research Network is working to connect community health organizations to research opportunities. It is the only PCORnet Clinical Research Network led by a nonacademic institution serving community health organizations.
PCORnet—the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network—is funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). PCORnet comprises eight clinical research networks, uniting health care institutions nationwide through a shared commitment to accelerate and support patient-centered research.
Advancing patient-centered research through OCHIN member leadership
The PCORnet Roadshow promoted understanding of PCORnet infrastructure, capabilities and research opportunities, laying the foundation for future cross-network collaboration. The event drew 114 virtual and in-person attendees across 36 institutions, building momentum for partnerships that address the needs of community care organizations and the patients they serve.
A highlight of the Roadshow was a panel featuring ADVANCE patient and health center partners. Three patient partners, members of the ADVANCE Patient Engagement Panel, shared how they guide research development, conduct and dissemination based on their lived experience. Representatives from three OCHIN member community health centers—Erie Family Health Services, One Community Health, and Asian Health Services—offered insights on research in community-based primary care settings.
Panelists shared powerful reflections on how research teams can center patients and health centers in their work, including recommendations for early and frequent involvement.
“Research is really a requirement for everything that we do. It’s at the heart of moving forward … and I want our communities to be a part of that moving forward,” said Wendy Walwyn, grant manager at One Community Health.
Presentations featured PCORnet resources, PCORI funding mechanisms and researchers’ experiences leading PCORnet Studies—collaborative research projects involving multiple clinical research networks. Presenters showcased study designs ranging from simple data-only studies to complex clinical trials.
“We were honored to bring together so many trailblazing researchers from the West Coast at our PCORnet Roadshow event at OCHIN headquarters,” said Erika Cottrell, Principal Investigator of ADVANCE. “PCORnet has enabled ADVANCE’s work since 2014, and we look forward to growing the breadth and depth of research that includes community health organizations and leverages the resources of PCORnet.”
Driving innovation and opportunity through research
Participating in clinical research offers a range of benefits, including diversifying revenue streams, connecting patients with promising interventions, and helping retain staff through professionally rewarding opportunities. OCHIN members interested in participating in a research project, sharing ideas or discussing priorities for future research can contact us at research@ochin.org.
The research reported in this work was powered by PCORnet®. PCORnet has been developed with funding from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute® (PCORI®) and conducted with the Accelerating Data Value Across a National Community Health Center Network (ADVANCE) Clinical Research Network (CRN). ADVANCE is a Clinical Research Network in PCORnet® led by OCHIN in partnership with Health Choice Network, Fenway Health, University of Washington, and Oregon Health & Science University. ADVANCE’s participation in PCORnet® is funded through the PCORI Award RI-OCHIN-01-MC.
