All of Us Southern Network v.2.0 - The All of Us Southern Network (AoUSN) has been enrolling in the All of Us Research Program since 2018. It consists of sites in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, led by a team at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). In addition to UAB, participating sites include UAB branch campuses in Huntsville, Selma, and Montgomery, AL; Cooper Green Mercy Health Services Authority in Birmingham; University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa; University of South Alabama in Mobile; University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, MS; Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) and Tulane University in New Orleans, LA. Two of these sites, UAB, and LSUHSC, are also active in the Nutrition for Precision Health program. The AoUSN was highly successful in enrollments pre-COVID-19, though it took some time for the Network to recover full capacity when enrollments resumed. The AoUSN is currently functioning in an extension phase from July 2023 - February 2024. During this time, it has consistently exceeded recruitment goals, reflecting in part the initiation of multiple innovations that will continue to expand through the funding period of the new OTA. These include: inpatient enrollment at UAB and several collaborating sites; establishment of a new site affiliated with UAB in Dothan, AL; opening “pop-up” enrollment sites throughout the region; use of several mobile clinical research units to reach participants in rural areas; use of Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI) to facilitate retention; development of a relationship with Lakeshore Foundation in Birmingham, AL to engage and enroll persons with disabilities. We expect to continue and expand upon these innovations in the next five years. Inpatient enrollment has proved to be especially productive and efficient in terms of staff resources and will be expanded at UAB and at partner sites that have inpatient units. Our experience in setting up a new site in Dothan, AL prepares us to establish additional sites in larger cities in our region. We currently have four mobile units, including one exclusively dedicated to All of Us, and have another on order that will be dedicated to enrollment in rural areas of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. We have several active pilots intended to improve our ability to retain participants, including use of retention navigators and providing financial incentives for retention. Each of the AoUSN sites is prepared to enroll children (including four with affiliated dedicated children’s hospitals) and will support participant reassessments once these components are launched. In conclusion, the AoUSN remains committed to the principles of the All of Us Research Program to ensure broad inclusion in the program. Precision medicine is a major theme in UAB and our affiliated institutions, and we see All of Us as a key opportunity to engage individuals from our region to ensure that the benefits of precision medicine are widely available in our community.
