Developed for:
Access Patients in Their Communities
Hawthorne Health is a community-based site network designed to support enrollment, retention, and execution.
Access changes everything.
Hawthorne Health is a pharmacy-based site network designed to support sponsors, like Boehringer Ingelheim, seeking to expand patient access through community-based clinical research across a wide range of indications within cardiometabolic studies.
Our model engages patients through trusted healthcare settings, including clinics, pharmacies, and affiliated community care locations across the United States. Centralized operational oversight and standardized workflows support protocol-compliant execution while helping reduce barriers to participation and retention.
Pharmacy-Based Site Network
Built to reach patients traditionally excluded from existing research models, Hawthorne Health brings clinical trials to the heart of communities through a nationwide network of pharmacy-based sites.
Familiar settings and convenient locations help to reduce barriers to participation while improving patient retention and study outcomes.
Proposed Network Overview
We have identified a set of community-based sites and investigators aligned to support your pipeline, selected based on:
Existing patient flow within relevant populations
Established care relationships in local communities
Geographic distribution to support enrollment coverage
Ability to support both site-based and lower-burden visit structures
Hawthorne Health Site Locations
Hawthorne Site Demographics
Therapeutic Area Coverage
Hawthorne investigators support programs across respiratory, cardiometabolic, immunology, hepatology, and neurology. The therapeutic areas differ; the model does not. Each of these sites sits inside a community where patients already receive their care, which is what makes identification and enrollment work across conditions as different as COPD and lupus. Sponsors reach the full network through one CTA and one project management structure, regardless of how many indications or locations a program touches.
Investigators aligned to each indication, with relevant patient populations and trial experience:
COPD
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PI Highlights:
Board-certified in Allergy, Asthma & Immunology and in Pediatrics, Dr. Mela has served as Principal Investigator on Phase II and Phase III respiratory programs spanning COPD, asthma, severe uncontrolled asthma, and cystic fibrosis. Her work across respiratory and inflammatory disease, including biologic therapies, supports reliable candidate identification and protocol-compliant execution in complex airway populations.
Catchment:
Community-based site serving a diverse South Florida catchment with approximately 36% minority representation, including 22.4% Hispanic and 20.8% Black patients, populations historically under-enrolled in respiratory research. Access to roughly 12,000 patients with a high chronic disease burden supports identification of COPD candidates, including those managed in primary care rather than pulmonology.
Experience:
42 total trials; 10 COPD; 22 asthma; 7 cystic fibrosis
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PI Highlights:
Board-certified in Allergy & Immunology and in Internal Medicine, Dr. Raphael has spent more than 35 years as a Principal Investigator, including 95 respiratory trials across COPD, asthma, and rhinitis. His dual certification and long experience managing chronic airway disease support accurate candidate identification and confident handling of the comorbid populations COPD protocols typically enroll.
Catchment:
Community-based site in the greater Philadelphia metropolitan area, serving a broad suburban catchment across Horsham and surrounding Montgomery County. Established referral networks and consistent patient flow support efficient identification of COPD candidates with relevant comorbid conditions.
Experience:
176 total trials; 95 respiratory trials including COPD, asthma, and rhinitis
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PI Highlights:
Board-certified in Family Medicine and Obesity Medicine, Dr. Valledor has served as an investigator on 43 trials spanning respiratory, cardiometabolic, endocrinology, and infectious disease. His active primary care practice keeps him in continuous contact with adults carrying the chronic disease burden COPD protocols screen for, in a region traditional research models rarely reach.
Catchment:
Site located in the Rio Grande Valley, one of the most predominantly Hispanic regions in the United States, with Hispanic representation exceeding 85%. The area carries significantly elevated rates of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease relative to national averages, the comorbidity profile that complicates COPD management. Access to a large, medically underserved population and established community engagement support enrollment of participants who are consistently underrepresented in respiratory research.
Experience:
43 total trials across respiratory, cardiometabolic, endocrinology, and infectious disease; 1 COPD
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PI Highlights:
Board-certified in Internal Medicine and in Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Dr. D'Olimpio is Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, with a clinical focus on COPD and advanced lung disease. He founded the Advanced Lung Disease Special Interest Group for the AAHPM and has built his career around diverse and underserved patient populations, experience that supports both accurate identification of COPD candidates and retention across long protocols.
Catchment:
Community-based site in a diverse, high-density New York catchment including approximately 11.4% Hispanic and 16.9% Asian representation. Consistent urban patient flow and established access to medically complex adults support efficient identification of COPD candidates, including patients underserved by traditional trial models.
Experience:
47 total trials spanning pulmonology, neurology, and oncology; 1 COPD
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
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PI Highlights:
Experienced investigator with direct clinical trial experience in obstructive sleep apnea, including Phase 3 studies. Strong background in managing patients with obesity and related comorbidities supports effective identification, enrollment, and retention of OSA patients.
Catchment:
A site located in a highly diverse South Florida market with approximately 36% minority representation, including 22.4% Hispanic and 20.8% Black populations— Access to ~12,000 patients with high rates of obesity and metabolic disease supports strong recruitment potential.
Experience:
56 total trials; direct experience in OSA clinical trials, supported by additional experience in obesity and metabolic indications
Type 2 Diabetes
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PI Highlights:
Family medicine investigator with direct clinical trial experience in Type 2 diabetes and obesity, including insulin titration and glucose-lowering therapy studies. Strong background managing T2DM in a primary care setting supports identification and longitudinal management of patients.
Catchment:
Established site located in a densely populated and highly diverse catchment area, with approximately 53% minority representation (28.3% Black, 19.6% Hispanic). Access to ~22,500 patients supports strong recruitment across metabolic populations.
Experience:
7 total trials; 4 direct T2DM trials, including insulin and glucose-lowering therapy studies
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PI Highlights:
Board-certified neurologist with fellowship training in headache medicine, Dr. Ravitz has served as an investigator on three diabetes-related trials, including studies in diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Her practice concentrates the complication populations that type 2 diabetes programs increasingly enroll, and she supports patients across multiple states through a combination of in-clinic care and telemedicine.
Catchment:
Community-based site in a diverse, high-density New York catchment including approximately 11.4% Hispanic and 16.9% Asian representation, both populations carrying elevated type 2 diabetes prevalence relative to non-Hispanic White adults. Consistent urban patient flow supports identification of patients with established disease and related complications.
Experience:
11 total trials; 3 diabetes-related trials, including diabetic peripheral neuropathy
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GLP-1
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PI Highlights:
Family medicine investigator with direct clinical trial experience in Type 2 diabetes and obesity, including insulin titration and glucose-lowering therapy studies. Strong background managing T2DM in a primary care setting supports identification and longitudinal management of patients.
Catchment:
Established site located in a densely populated and highly diverse catchment area, with approximately 53% minority representation (28.3% Black, 19.6% Hispanic). Access to ~22,500 patients supports strong recruitment across metabolic populations.
Experience:
7 total trials; 4 direct T2DM trials, including insulin and glucose-lowering therapy studies
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PI Highlights:
With more than 22 years in clinical practice and over a decade as a Principal Investigator, Dr. Bhalodia focuses specifically on type 2 diabetes, obesity, and GLP-1-relevant metabolic trials. He has led studies for major pharmaceutical sponsors, with direct experience in insulin titration and glucose-lowering therapy protocols, and manages a large primary care panel that supports both recruitment and longitudinal retention.
Catchment:
Established site in a densely populated and highly diverse catchment with approximately 53% minority representation, including 28.3% Black and 19.6% Hispanic patients. Access to roughly 22,500 patients supports recruitment across metabolic populations, including groups carrying disproportionate obesity and type 2 diabetes burden.
Experience:
7 total trials; 4 direct type 2 diabetes trials including insulin titration and glucose-lowering therapy; 2 GLP-1-relevant metabolic studies including obesity
SLE/PsA
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PI Highlights:
Board-certified rheumatologist with more than 30 years managing autoimmune and inflammatory disease, Dr. Samuels has served as an investigator on 102 trials, including 7 in systemic lupus erythematosus. His portfolio spans SLE, lupus nephritis, rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and biologic therapies, supporting confident assessment of disease activity and consistent execution of complex rheumatology protocols.
Catchment:
Community-based site in the greater Philadelphia metropolitan area, serving a broad suburban catchment across Horsham and surrounding Montgomery County. Established referral networks support recruitment of reproductive-age women, the population in which SLE is most prevalent, across varied backgrounds.
Experience:
102 total trials; 7 SLE; 79 arthritis, including rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis
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PI Highlights:
Board-certified in both internal medicine and rheumatology and certified in musculoskeletal ultrasound, Dr. Garg has served as Principal Investigator across 11 trials spanning systemic lupus erythematosus, lupus nephritis, osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia. His ultrasound training supports precise joint assessment in inflammatory arthritis protocols, and an active rheumatology practice gives him continuous access to patients with immune-mediated disease.
Catchment:
Community-based site in a growing and diverse North Carolina catchment with approximately 32 to 35% minority representation, including 18.6% Black and 14% Hispanic patients. Lupus is both more common and more severe in Black women, making this a catchment that supports enrollment of a population SLE programs consistently under-enroll.
Experience:
11 total trials; 2 SLE; 1 arthritis; additional experience across lupus nephritis, osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia
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PI Highlights:
Dr. Kane has served as an investigator across 65 trials spanning immune-mediated and neurologic conditions, including 4 plaque psoriasis and 2 atopic dermatitis studies. Her experience with immune-mediated skin disease and with patient-reported outcome measures supports assessment in psoriatic arthritis protocols, where cutaneous and joint involvement are evaluated together.
Catchment:
Community-based site in a diverse South Florida market with approximately 36% minority representation, including 22.4% Hispanic and 20.8% Black patients. An established panel of roughly 12,000 patients supports identification of candidates with immune-mediated disease, including groups consistently under-enrolled in lupus and inflammatory arthritis research.
Experience:
65 total trials; 4 plaque psoriasis; 2 atopic dermatitis
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PI Highlights:
Board-certified in Anesthesiology, Critical Care Medicine, and Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Dr. Roan has served as an investigator on randomized, controlled osteoarthritis studies, with experience in structured pain and function assessment and in protocol-driven efficacy and safety monitoring. His background supports rigorous execution of musculoskeletal protocols in a rural community setting.
Catchment:
Community-based site serving Gadsden, Etowah County, and surrounding rural and underserved communities in Northeast Alabama, including approximately 29.5% Black/African American patients. Lupus is both more common and more severe in Black patients, and rural populations face added barriers to specialty rheumatology care, so this catchment reaches patients lupus programs rarely enroll.
Experience:
21 total trials; 2 osteoarthritis
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PI Highlights:
Dr. Morton has served as Principal Investigator on 56 trials, including studies in psoriasis, dermatitis, and eczema, alongside early-phase rheumatoid arthritis work involving ascending-dose administration and pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic assessment. Her experience with immune-mediated skin disease supports identification of psoriatic arthritis candidates, who commonly present with cutaneous psoriasis well before joint involvement.
Catchment:
Regional healthcare hub for southwest Missouri and northern Arkansas, drawing patients from rural and medically underserved communities across a wide referral area. The site's reach into populations without ready access to specialty rheumatology or dermatology supports enrollment of patients typically absent from inflammatory disease trials.
Experience:
56 total trials; 1 rheumatoid arthritis; additional experience across psoriasis, dermatitis, and eczema
Mental Health
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PI Highlights:
Board-certified neurologist with fellowship training in headache medicine and prior service as chief neurology resident at Harbor-UCLA, Dr. Ravitz brings trial experience in neuropsychiatric agitation associated with Alzheimer's disease and in major depressive disorder, along with routine use of complex behavioral and cognitive assessments. She supports a multi-state patient population through in-clinic care and telemedicine, reducing travel burden across the frequent rating-scale visits mental health protocols require.
Catchment:
Community-based site in a diverse, high-density New York catchment including approximately 11.4% Hispanic and 16.9% Asian representation. Consistent urban patient flow, combined with telemedicine reach beyond the immediate area, supports identification and retention of participants across behavioral and cognitive protocols.
Experience:
11 total trials; 1 major depressive disorder; 1 agitation associated with Alzheimer's disease
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PI Highlights:
Board-certified in Family Medicine and Obesity Medicine, Dr. Valledor has direct Phase II clinical trial experience in schizophrenia across both young-adult and elderly populations. His work with psychiatric participants, structured treatment regimens, and age-diverse cohorts, combined with an active primary care practice, supports identification and retention of mental health study candidates in a community setting.
Catchment:
Site located in the Rio Grande Valley, one of the most predominantly Hispanic regions in the United States, with Hispanic representation exceeding 85%. Access to a large, medically underserved population with limited availability of specialty psychiatric care supports enrollment of participants consistently under-represented in mental health research.
Experience:
43 total trials; 1 schizophrenia, spanning young-adult and elderly populations
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PI Highlights:
Dr. Garg has direct experience in adult ADHD research, including evaluation of a digital therapeutic intervention, alongside trial work in fibromyalgia, a population carrying high rates of depression and anxiety. His familiarity with behavioral interventions, technology-delivered treatment, and decentralized research methods supports mental health protocols that pair in-clinic assessment with remote data capture.
Catchment:
Community-based site in a growing and diverse North Carolina catchment with approximately 32 to 35% minority representation, including 18.6% Black and 14% Hispanic patients. Established community relationships support engagement and retention among populations that report lower rates of mental health treatment and are consistently under-enrolled in behavioral health research.
Experience:
11 total trials; 1 adult ADHD, including a digital therapeutic intervention; additional experience across fibromyalgia and neurology
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PI Highlights:
Dr. Kane has supported controlled clinical trials in insomnia and sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, alongside studies in episodic and chronic migraine. Her experience with sleep-related symptoms, cognitive assessment, and patient-reported outcome measures supports mental health protocols in which sleep quality and daytime functioning serve as primary or secondary endpoints.
Catchment:
Community-based site in a diverse South Florida market with approximately 36% minority representation, including 22.4% Hispanic and 20.8% Black patients. An established panel of roughly 12,000 patients seen longitudinally supports identification of candidates whose sleep and behavioral health symptoms surface in routine care rather than through specialty referral.
Experience:
56 total trials; 1 insomnia; additional experience across sleep apnea and migraine
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PI Highlights:
Dr. Samuels has served as an investigator on a controlled study evaluating insomnia and daytime functioning in patients managing a chronic medical condition. Across more than 30 years and 102 trials, he has worked extensively with patient-reported outcome and functional assessment instruments, the measurement approach mental health protocols depend on.
Catchment:
Community-based site in the greater Philadelphia metropolitan area, serving a broad and diverse suburban catchment across Horsham and surrounding Montgomery County. An accessible location and established community presence support consistent patient flow and efficient identification of qualified study participants.
Experience:
102 total trials; 1 insomnia
MASH / NASH
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PI Highlights:
Board-certified in Family Medicine and Obesity Medicine, Dr. Valledor has served as Principal Investigator and Sub-Investigator across Phase II and Phase III studies in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis and steatotic liver disease, including trials assessing fibrosis, compensated cirrhosis, and liver-related outcomes. His obesity medicine practice keeps him in continuous contact with the population MASH arises from.
Catchment:
Site located in the Rio Grande Valley, one of the most predominantly Hispanic regions in the United States, with Hispanic representation exceeding 85%. The area carries significantly elevated rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome relative to national averages, the precise risk profile that drives MASH, and Hispanic populations carry higher prevalence of metabolic liver disease. Access to a large, medically underserved population supports enrollment of a group consistently under-represented in hepatology research.
Experience:
43 total trials; 21 across MASH, NASH, MASLD, and NAFLD
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PI Highlights:
Board-certified neurologist with fellowship training in headache medicine and prior service as chief neurology resident at Harbor-UCLA, Dr. Ravitz brings trial experience in neuropsychiatric agitation associated with Alzheimer's disease and in major depressive disorder, along with routine use of complex behavioral and cognitive assessments. She supports a multi-state patient population through in-clinic care and telemedicine, reducing travel burden across the frequent rating-scale visits mental health protocols require.
Catchment:
Community-based site in a diverse, high-density New York catchment including approximately 11.4% Hispanic and 16.9% Asian representation. Consistent urban patient flow, combined with telemedicine reach beyond the immediate area, supports identification and retention of participants across behavioral and cognitive protocols.
Experience:
11 total trials; 1 major depressive disorder; 1 agitation associated with Alzheimer's disease
Operational Model
One operational partner across sites and homes.
Hawthorne’s operating model is designed to simplify study execution across community sites and in-home settings through centralized governance and standardized processes.
Capabilities include:
One CTA across participating community sites
Centralized feasibility and startup oversight
Standardized workflows and reporting
One project management structure across visit locations
Nationwide in-home support capabilities
2,000+ GCP-trained clinicians
Coverage across all 50 U.S. states
Community Trial Solutions
Connecting Boehringer Ingelheim to community-based care environments patients already utilize every day.
Benefits to Partnering with Hawthorne Health:
Eliminate patient barriers
Drive greater enrollment
Increase retention
Improve study compliance
Salima Eljaiek-Justino
Director, BD
Salima brings more than 15 years of experience across clinical trial operations, decentralized research delivery, patient-centric services, and business development. As Director of Business Development at Hawthorne Health, she works with sponsors and CROs to support community-based and hybrid clinical trial strategies designed to improve patient access, operational flexibility, and study execution.
Prior to joining Hawthorne, Salima held leadership and operational roles at ICON/Accellacare, Marken, Firma Clinical Research, LabCorp Clinical Trials, and Atlantic Health System. Her experience spans project management, home visit operations, patient-centric trial services, and decentralized clinical trial delivery across a broad range of therapeutic areas and study models.
