How Trusted Relationships Enhance Keenova’s Clinical Trials—And the Industry Takes Notice

Keenova’s focus on smarter, more efficient clinical trials is gaining industry attention. Area International’s Outsourcing in Clinical Trials 2026 report and Clinical Leader recently featured insights from three members of our team. The articles highlight how their work strengthens site partnerships and trial performance, all in support of patient care.

Becoming a Clinical Trial Sponsor of Choice

The feature in OCT underscores that becoming a sponsor of choice comes from steady, long‑term partnership. Carrie Lewis, Executive Director, Clinical Program Optimization at Keenova, shares that our approach centers on building trust and collaboration with the clinical sites.

Key takeaways for sponsor-of-choice hopefuls:

• • Invest in dedicated site relationship roles to incorporate site perspectives in decision-making. 
  • Listen to sites and act on their feedback.
  • Understand each site’s unique preferences and adapt workflows, communication styles, and team interactions accordingly.
  • Build a payment model that is fair, timely, and reflective of the real costs of site participation.
  • Support research‑naïve sites with personalized guidance and targeted strategies.
  • Create a Site Operational Advisory Board that brings sites together for open, candid feedback. 

Breathing New Life Into a Stalled Study

Clinical Leader explores Keenova’s strategy to revive a Phase 3 orthopedic study that had lost momentum after nearly two years. The article highlights the work of Suzy Montanye, Site Relationship Manager, and Dana Plummer, Clinical Trial Manager, who focused on relationships and communication.

Their approach included:

• • Partnering with a smaller recruitment vendor recommended by high‑performing sites.
  • Redesigning weekly communications to make them more engaging and useful.
  • Turning monthly coordinator calls into collaborative discussions that encouraged sites to share what worked for them.
  • Shifting tone from monitoring performance to offering support.

Why These Stories Matter

Keenova’s core approach is evident in both stories. Our clinical trial operations strategy relies on solid execution, strong relationships, and a willingness to rethink how we work with sites. Our proven approach helps us to build partnerships that support patients every day.

Read the Two Keenova Spotlights