What makes a good facility for one person might not be the same for person. That in itself will determine what the Hallmarks of a Good Facility are. In the 25+ years of working at RIVA, I have worked with many facilities, so this list reflects what I believe to be what is important. There are so many things that could be included, but here are my top five.
First and foremost, I believe in a good relationship between you and your facility Project Manager (PM). What does that look like? For me, it means open communication and treating my PM as a partner not just a vendor. It is a two-way street. There are several PMs that when I reach out to them, we catch up on our personal lives, not just what is going on with a project. Having that personal connection for me is invaluable.
The next thing feeds off the first for me. They go the extra mile for you. If you have a good relationship with your PM and facility they will more than likely go out of their way to make sure everything for your study runs the way you need it to. There is more of a connection and sometimes that means they go beyond the norm to ensure success for both of you.
I value the recommendations I receive from a facility. Recruiting and hosting is what they do best, so it only seems right to ask their advice on group times, stipends, demographics, incident rates, etc. I can take an educated guess based on my experience, but if I want to be really sure, I go to the experts. I do not need to be right; I need to have the correct information for our clients to get what they need.
I love it when I get an email from a facility asking for something that they need that is on my “to-do” list. They are one step ahead of me. This takes some pressure off me, and I also know they are on top of things. This could be anything from sending a recruiting update to asking how many clients will be at the session to if we need video conferencing to what to do with the recordings after the sessions. I know them having this information is what helps make the project run smoothly and efficiently. Their proactiveness leads to more faith and trust in our partnership
Honesty. When a facility is honest and upfront from the beginning of the project. Maybe it is they are not 100% confident they can fully recruit. Maybe it is the stipend we are offering is not enough. Maybe it is the methodology that we are requesting. When I hear from a facility what their concerns are, it gives me something to work with. The worst is when you have a facility that agrees to a project and halfway through you are told they cannot fully recruit. Or they must put out a social media post or something else. Halfway through is most of the time too late in the process to make the project be a success. Clear, honest communication can cut off issues before they arise.
So, the next time you are looking for a facility, think about what is important to you. Seek out with the intention of building relationships with the facility PMs, something more than just a service you need from them. In my opinion, it is about the whole ride, beginning, middle, and end.
Written by: Amber Tedesco, CEO