MAVERICK is a 40-foot motorcoach that travels the Mountain State to increase access to clinical trials, with the aid of donor support.
A little more than a year into a first-of-its-kind clinical trial in West Virginia, East Bank resident Steve Burford feels relief from debilitating pain caused by gout, the inflammatory joint condition he has attempted to manage for a decade.
“Thank the Lord,” Burford said. “I’ve only had one flare-up in one year, and it wasn’t as severe as my gout before the treatments.”
Burford is participating in the TRUST clinical trial as part of a novel patient experience designed to bring the latest medical advances closer to home for rural West Virginia residents. His medical exam, laboratory tests and interview were completed aboard the Mobile Access Vehicle Enhancing Research and Inspiring Community Knowledge, or MAVERICK, a 40-foot motorcoach equipped with the necessary technology and supplies to conduct on-site clinical trials.
A dedicated group of researchers at the West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute (WVCTSI) and the West Virginia Practice-Based Research Network launched MAVERICK in mid-2024. The leadership team relies on private funding to make MAVERICK possible, enrolling more than 100 people in two clinical trials since its inception.
Buford, a retired coal miner and Kanawha County Schools electronic technician, is among 20 participants in the TRUST trial, which compares two strategies for gout treatment — daily prescription therapy and flare-directed medications. He got involved at the encouragement of his primary care provider at Cabin Creek Health Center in Dawes.
According to WVCTSI Mobile Clinical Research Coordinator Jonathon Dukich, partnerships with rural healthcare facilities are integral to increase trial participation.
“Patients will trust insight and recommendation from their doctors,” Dukich said. “The providers and staff help bridge that gap. Then, once the patient gets in here for the first couple visits, they start to get to know us and trust us.”
While welcoming, many of the rural clinics are hard pressed to provide space to researchers and patients for follow-ups during lengthy clinical trials.
“If we couldn’t fund MAVERICK, we couldn’t do these studies,” Dukich said. “We’re lucky at Cabin Creek because they have the room to facilitate visits. But many clinics are so small they can’t spare a room for us.”
The mobile unit includes a reception area, two private exam rooms, a lab area for drawing and processing patient samples, and a restroom.
Because much of the state’s research is conducted in more populated cities such as Morgantown, Huntington and Charleston, finding study volunteers is often further complicated by geography.
“A patient might not be able to travel to a larger clinic for assessments and follow-ups,” Dukich said. “But we can bring the bus closer to home for them, and the problem is solved.”
MAVERICK navigates the Mountain State, taking clinical trials to Gilmer, McDowell, Wayne and Wood counties. Instead of driving 175 miles to Morgantown, Burford travels 8 miles from his house to the clinic for continued participation in the study.
“If I can be a part of this study and they can find the medicine that would take care of the pain from gout in one day, or preferably five minutes, I feel like I’ve been a part of making things better,” Burford said.
MAVERICK launched with support from a $350,000 National Institutes of Health grant to improve rural health care access. The mobile unit operates on an estimated $251,882 annual budget, relying on continued NIH funding and private gifts from donors.
Since July 2024, 29 donors have made $11,620 in gifts to support MAVERICK.
Both Dukich and Burford anticipate better health outcomes in West Virginia if MAVERICK continues to take clinical trials statewide.
“By supporting MAVERICK, maybe that donor’s children or grandchildren won’t have to deal with pain from gout,” Burford said. “This could be one more thing we can mark off like polio and stuff like that, and we can just eliminate it.”
WVCTSI Mobile Clinical Research Coordinator Jonathon Dukich and patient Steve Burford meet to follow up on assessments for a clinical trial for gout treatment. (WVU Photo/Sunshine Wiles)
Extending clinical trials into additional counties could have profound impacts on patient health and well-being.
“There is a new type of cancer screening where we draw two tubes of blood to test for 56 types of cancers,” Dukich said. “Generally, that’s just happening in Morgantown. Now that we can take it out on the road, who knows how many cancer diagnoses we could catch early and treat before it becomes life-threatening.”
Individuals and businesses interested in supporting MAVERICK can visit the WVCTSI giving page. All gifts are made through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the WVU and its affiliated entities.
WVCTSI Background
WVCTSI is funded by an IDeA Clinical and Translational Research award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (U54GM104942) to support the mission of building clinical and translational research infrastructure and capacity to improve health outcomes in West Virginia.
WVR3 is funded by a National Institutes of Health CARE for Health™ award (OT2 OD038378).