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Facilities and Services

Do you need facilities and equipment to conduct your research?

The Heritage Medical Research Clinic provides University of Calgary researchers with a wide range of services and state of the art facilities designed to support clinical research.  In addition to our core services, which include specimen collection and lab testing, we also offer expert assistance with test and procedure selection and various other operational inquiries. Consultations for all services are offered at no cost.

We provide following facilities, services and equipment:

The HMRC offers clinic space for research that requires outpatient visits.

  • 8 rooms for patient examination and consultation that are equipped with adjustable stretchers, examination tables and physical assessment/vital signs equipment. Specialized rooms include:

    • 1 dedicated pediatric room - for patients with pediatric needs

    • 1 dedicated disability room - for studies involving participants with disabilities

  • 6 infusion bays with infusion chairs

  • Phlebotomy area

  • Sample processing areas (within on-site laboratory)

  • Dedicated space for laboratory kits and shipping materials

  • Workspaces for industry monitors

  • Capacity for storage of regulatory and patient binders

  • AHS Research pharmacy

Our skilled nursing and medical office staff are certified in the following:

  • Good Clinical Practice (GCP)

  • Phlebotomy

  • Medication administration, including infusions

  • Vital sign monitoring

  • ECG

  • Specimen collection

  • Injections

Our on-site laboratory technicians can support your research study with numerous services and can offer expert advice on test selection, specimen handling and more. Services include:

  • Protocol consultation 
  • Specimen collection processing
  • Specimen shipping (dry ice available)
  • Temporary storage of specimens (-80 degrees celsius and -20 degrees celsius freezers for sample storage)
  • Dry ice for sample shipping
  • Class 2 Biological Safety Cabinets
  • Pregnancy testing (urine)
  • Urinalysis
  • 3 Eppendorf centrifuges:

    • 5403R (14) max 5000rpm or 3920 g/rcf

    • 5804R (16) max 5000rpm or 4165 g/rcf

    • 5810R (18) max 4000rpm or 3220 g/rcf

The HMRC clinic includes standard laboratory and testing equipment, in addition to specific equipment designed to support a variety of clinical research activities. 

  • ECG Machines
  • Wheelchair scale
  • Infusion pumps
  • Defibrillator
  • Oxygen and suction apparatus
     

The HMRC facility includes a co-located, fully operational AHS Research pharmacy. Pharmacy staff include a licensed pharmacist, pharmacy technicians and a pharmacy coordinator - all of whom hold experience and knowledge of the regulatory requirements for clinical research in Canada.

  • Receipt, storage and dispensing of clinical trial medications exclusively (no direct-dispensing to patients)

  • Temperature monitored storage (room temperature, walk-in cooler, standard freezer and ultra-low freezer)

  • Protocol consultation

  • Billing, randomization and packaging services

  • Class 7 sterile and ante room

  • Class 2, type B2 biosafety cabinet

  • Supports both industry-sponsored and investigator-initiated trials

The HMRC and associated on-site AHS Pharmacy are fully staffed by a team of knowledgeable and experienced professionals who support the researchers conducting trials at the clinic. Staff are trained and certified to perform numerous procedures, including phlebotomy, drug infusion, sample collection and protocol/budget consultation.

  • Registered nurses

  • Medical office assistant

  • Pharmacist and pharmacy technicians

  • Administrative staff

  • Medical technologists

  • Medical laboratory assistants

  • Phlebotomist

For studies involving patients who require overnight stays, the HMRC coordinates the use of two dedicated research beds in the ICU Clinical Research Unit at the Foothills Hospital.