By Julie Carrico, MBA, CCRC
We’re delighted to introduce you to the newest member of the Clinical Research Center – Rich Tomasco, RN. Rich’s career path is a little bit different than the typical clinical research nurse. Although Rich has always had an interest in life sciences, he ended up following in his father’s footsteps and studied engineering. He initially worked for a large company on the east coast to develop scientific instruments. However, an opportunity arose to attend medical school via military service so Rich pivoted back to studying life sciences. Fortunately for us (!), the military program was canceled and Rich returned to working as an engineer for many years, ultimately working right here in Corvallis at Hewlett Packard. Eventually Rich decided to return to school and he became an RN.
Rich really enjoys direct patient care which he has been providing in the Willamette Valley now for the last 8 years. Whether he’s using his nursing skills to apply a simple bandage to a Special Olympics competitor or providing complex care of courageous patients within an ICU setting, Rich knows that nursing is the career of choice for him.
Rich feels – and we agree – that his life-long love of science, years of scientific research and cross-discipline technical collaboration in engineering and nursing make him uniquely suited to help improve the advancement of science and, ultimately, improve patient care and outcomes. At the Clinical Research Center, we can’t ask for more than that!
When not working, Rich takes full advantage of all the wonderful outdoor activities the Pacific Northwest has to offer. He can be found kayaking, camping, hiking and fishing with his wife and teenage son. And, as an avid reader, he appreciates ebooks, especially for their portability.
Rich is currently “learning the ropes” in our department and is already contributing to patient care in our diabetes, asthma, and dust mite allergy studies.
The Clinical Research Center is currently seeking volunteer participants in studies for reducing cardiovascular risk in obese patients with existing heart disease, house dust mite allergies in children 5-11, and a non-treatment (observational) study of patients with severe asthma. Click here if you’d like to be contacted about one of these studies.
If you are interested in learning more about clinical trials, contact the Clinical Research Center at 541-766-2163 or send an email to research@corvallisclinic.com. Or, follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/corvallisclinicresearch
Julie Carrico is a Senior Associate Coordinator with The Corvallis Clinic Clinical Research Center.
