Hospitales HIMA•San Pablo, collaborating institution of The Alliance, acknowledges its Clinical Research Coordinator Ms. Migdalia Arce-Calderón for her 25-years career in clinical research, as we celebrate Clinical Trial Month in May 2023.
Born in The Bronx, NYC, Migdalia started her professional life as Assistant Administrator at a multiple-apartments building complex for 13 years. This experience provided her with the administration skills required in clinical research coordination. Upon moving to Puerto Rico, she got educated as a Cardiovascular Technician and started her clinical research career in 1998 with Dr. Miguel Colón. She continued at Altamira Family Medicine and Research Institute (Dr. Jaime Claudio) and in 2016 she joined Hospital HIMA•San Pablo Caguas as we revamped our Office of Clinical Research.
During her career, Migdalia has successfully facilitated or coordinated many dozens of clinical research studies (industry and government funded) with high participant enrollment (in the hundreds) for adults and children in multiple therapeutic areas, giving the opportunity to Hispanic patients in Puerto Rico to consider their participation in clinical research studies. Her work has earned appreciation by participants, investigators, clinical research staff, contract research organizations, and sponsors. Migdalia has gained notable recognition for her work for the SPRINT, SELECT, and ALLHAT studies. In addition, her clinical research coordinator role has been key for our Children’s Oncology Group (COG) studies, including earning additional funding through the 2017 COG Foundation and St. Baldrick’s Foundation’s High-Impact Initiative and 2021-2022 Amazon High-Impact Initiative and presenting a poster at 2018 COG’s Clinical Research Associate Poster Session. Notably, Migdalia is Sub-Investigator for the annual “Cancer Risk Factors, Preventive Measures, and Screening Practices for Cancer in a Population at Central-Eastern Puerto Rico” study and has co-authored 5 abstracts. Furthermore, she has contributed to the training of clinical research staff, peers, and trainees, as she has co-mentored 12 undergraduates, 7 post-bacs, 6 medical students, 2 graduate students, and 6 medical interns.
When not in clinical research, Migdalia spends family time with Willy and their dogs Chocolate, Mister, and Snoopy and activities like Zumba®, salsa dancing, and kickboxing.
Ms. Migdalia Arce-Calderón is a team-working, responsible, reliable, loyal, and trustful representative of the Clinical Research Coordinator profession, while being respected and loved by her patients (especially children and their caregivers) and peer employees. For those reasons, Hospitales HIMA•San Pablo thanks her for her contribution to clinical research in the Caguas area and Puerto Rico.
