Sanford Health earns full accreditation in human research

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Program, or AAHRPP, announced that Sanford Health earned full accreditation.

To earn that, organizations must show that their protections exceed the safeguards required by the U.S. government.

The health system based in the Dakotas joins five other organizations to be newly accredited. AAHRPP has accredited 247 organizations, including 46 international entities. The nonprofit accredits organizations that conduct or review human research.

“This is a testament to the careful and ethical research we do here at Sanford,” said David Pearce, Ph.D., executive vice president of research and innovation. “We’re honored to receive this designation for the high standards we have for human research.”

Sanford Health is the only fully AAHRPP accredited health care system in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and all of North Dakota.

“Each new accreditation signifies the organization’s unwavering commitment to protect the volunteers who make research possible,” said Elyse I. Summers, president and CEO of AAHRPP.

The purpose of AAHRPP accreditation is to strengthen protections for research participants. Each accreditation advances that objective and helps build public trust and confidence in research.

About Sanford Health
Sanford Health is an integrated health system headquartered in the Dakotas. It is one of the largest health systems in the nation with 45 hospitals and nearly 300 clinics in nine states and four countries. Sanford Health’s 28,000 employees, including more than 1,300 physicians, make it the largest employer in the Dakotas. Nearly $1 billion in gifts from philanthropist Denny Sanford have allowed for several initiatives, including global children’s clinics, genomic medicine and specialized centers researching cures for type 1 diabetes, breast cancer and other diseases. For more information, visit sanfordhealth.org.