SCRS Talks

Clinical research software has rarely been built with sites in mind. In this episode of SCRS Talks, Jimmy Bechtel sits down with Storm Stillman, CEO of Sitebase, by Curebase and one of SCRS’s newest Global Impact Partners, to talk about how that’s changing.

Storm shares what SiteBase is, why Curebase is offering it free to sites, and how starting with eSource aims to cut down on data entry so coordinators can spend more time with patients. They also dig into why Curebase joined the GIP program, what they hope to learn from sites, and how that feedback shapes what they build next.

In this episode of SCRS Talks, Jimmy Bechtel sits down with Tom Farrand, Co-Founder and CEO of Delfa, to break down what a healthy recruitment funnel looks like from first inquiry to scheduled visit. Tom shares benchmark rates sites can measure themselves against, how to spot where a funnel is leaking, and why both speed to contact and consistent follow-up matter.

They also walk through the three Cs of capacity, cost, and conversion, a simple framework to guide weekly staffing and spend decisions. Whether you’re managing a handful of leads or a large network, you’ll leave with practical numbers to track and ideas to try.

Technology is consistently one of the top pain points for research sites, and a big reason is that sites often aren't part of the conversation until a solution is already built. In this episode of SCRS Talks, Jimmy Bechtel sits down with Ashley O'Brien, Executive Director of Product Management, and David Stecklair, Director of Product Management, both of Signant Health, to talk about what it looks like to develop technology with sites instead of on top of them. They cover where vendors tend to miss the mark, why discovery should come before design, and what surprised them when they gathered site feedback on their Rater Station solution. They also get into balancing sponsor requirements with site burden, planning for the unhappy path, and why closing the feedback loop matters just as much as listening in the first place. 

Site engagement often shows up only after a study is already in trouble. In this episode of SCRS Talks, Jimmy Bechtel sits down with Julie Wilhjelm, Senior Director of Site Strategy and Engagement at Novotech, to talk about why it should be built into how studies are planned and run from day one.

They cover what separates real engagement from checkbox outreach, how early feedback during feasibility and protocol design can head off costly amendments, and why trust and responsiveness give CROs a real edge with the sites they work with. Julie also gets honest about the revolving door of site contacts, what it costs everyone, and why continuity is so hard to solve at scale.

If you work with sites, or you are one, this one is worth a listen.

Lauren Stockwell sits down with Jennifer Larkin, VP of Business Development at M3 Wake Research, to break down what a modern site BD function actually looks like day to day. Jennifer walks through how data intelligence and AI platforms have reshaped feasibility and pipeline management, why relationships alone aren't predictive of future business, and the tiering framework she used to re-rank client accounts based on pipeline fit rather than tenure.

The conversation also covers what turns a sponsor-site relationship from transactional to genuinely partnered, why sites should be willing to say no, and the specific metrics, from proposal-to-award conversion to time from award to first patient screened, that reveal whether a BD strategy is actually working.

Jimmy Bechtel sits down with Mike Hutton of Almac Clinical Technologies to talk about where site burden really starts, and what sponsors can do earlier in study design to reduce it. They dig into the difference between protocol complexity and operational complexity, why fragmented systems and workflows quietly pile friction onto site staff, and what a more connected, site-first approach to trial design actually looks like. Mike also shares the one question he wishes more sponsors would ask sites before finalizing a protocol. 

Jimmy Bechtel sits down with Megan Richards, Director of Sponsor Operations at CRIO, to talk about how research sites can get more strategic with their data. Megan walks through where to start when identifying the right KPIs, how to build dashboards that actually get used (and the four common pitfalls to avoid), and how benchmarking against industry standards helps sites spot both wins and opportunities for improvement. The conversation wraps with practical advice on turning operational data into a compelling story for sponsors and CROs, strengthening relationships, and winning future study awards. 

Jimmy Bechtel talks with Catherine Gregor, Chief Clinical Trial Officer at Florence Healthcare, about Operation Trialblazer and what it means for sites and sponsors. Drawing on her experience running sites (including at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center) and now working in trial technology, Catherine unpacks why regulatory ambiguity holds both sides back, how CRAs lose major visit time to admin work instead of clinical review, and why data still moves so inefficiently between sites and sponsors. The conversation touches on AI's potential to ease that burden, what rising eTMF pass rates really signal, and what it will take for sites to move faster without losing critical context. 

Lauren Stockwell sits down with Rick Greenfield, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of RealTime eClinical Solutions, to talk about three awards making their debut at the 2026 Global Site Solutions Summit Eagle Awards Gala.

Rick and Lauren break down what each award is looking for, from the best exhibit booth in the hall to the person who best embodies the spirit of the summit itself. The bulk of the conversation centers on the Bright Idea Award, which is open to anyone across sites, sponsors, CROs, and vendors who has a solution worth sharing with the industry. Rick also makes a case for why participant experience is one of the biggest areas ripe for a fresh idea.

If you are heading to Global this October and have been sitting on an idea or just want to know what to look forward to at the gala, this is a quick and worthwhile listen.

In this episode of SCRS Talks, Lauren Stockwell sits down with Dave Damrau, VP of Global Clinical Operations for the Americas, and Amy Cramer, Global Head of eSource Data Acquisition, both from Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, to unpack J&J's EHR to Sponsor initiative. They discuss why duplicative data entry remains one of the biggest burdens on site staff, what the data shows about the time and error costs of manual transcription, and how eSource solutions are already improving data accuracy. Dave and Amy walk through why oncology became the starting point for this work, what site-driven collaboration has meant for adoption, and what's next as J&J expands EHR to Sponsor into additional therapeutic areas in 2027. Tune in to hear how this initiative aims to reduce friction for sites while creating a more efficient, connected model for clinical research.

Join Dave and Amy for the J&J SCRS Summit EHR Action Panel on October 18th from 9:00 to 10:00 AM.