Center History
In 1985, Dean Kereiakes, M.D. partnered with Charles Abbottsmith, M.D. and began participating in formal research trials at The Christ Hospital. The first studies administered early thrombolytic agents for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction. In 1988, Dr. Kereiakes received the opportunity to participate in a large percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty/restenosis trial that demanded a formal staff for execution and management. The Christ Hospital Cardiovascular Research Center was opened to provide resources for this study. Dr. Kereiakes was named medical director and Charles Abbottsmith, M.D., was appointed associate medical director. The primary goal of this new department was to make new technology and therapies for cardiovascular diseases available and to enhance the quality of cardiovascular care in our region.
In 1996, the center’s name was changed to The Carl & Edyth Lindner Center for Clinical Cardiovascular Research, to honor the couple who have contributed so much to The Christ Hospital and the community. Trials grew in number and scope. In 1999, the Center became an independent and formed two separate organizations: The Lindner Clinical Trial Center, an S-corporation that executed the then more than 120 trials on an ongoing basis, and the Carl & Edyth Lindner Center for Research and Education, a 501c3 that provided education to both consumers and physicians through forums, publications and formal hands on and observational preceptorships. By 2000, the Center was also conducting multi-specialty medical research trials, in areas such as oncology, dementia, orthopedic, gastrointestinal, infectious disease and anesthesia.
In 2009, the Center formally re-joined The Christ Hospital and continues in name as The Carl and Edyth Lindner Center for Research and Education at The Christ Hospital, earning full accreditation from The Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP). The Christ Hospital is one of few organizations worldwide to achieve this status. The HRPP includes an Institutional Review Board (IRB) which must approve all research, as well as clinical investigators, nursing and hospital departments.
The Lindner Research Center has a reputation of providing fast project start up, with more than 50 percent of trials being the first site initiated, as well as strong patient enrollment and high quality efficient data reporting. Through research, four first-in-man and five first-in-the-U.S. procedures have been performed at The Christ Hospital. The Lindner Research Center continues to grow through the years in number of trials and the complexity of the protocols. The comprehensive center offers hundreds of active clinical trials, the production of more than 50 publications a year, as well as educational forums for both physicians and consumers.