Meet Our Team of CTRI Experts
Tyna Williams, BSN, MSN, VP/Chief Quality Officer
Abrazo Health, Abrazo Health Clinical & Translational Research Institute
Office 602.674.1404 | twilliams1@abrazohealth.com
Tyna Williams is the Vice President and Chief Quality Officer for Abrazo Health and Abrazo Health Clinical & Translational Research Institute (CTRI). She is responsible for creating a culture of clinical accountability through high reliability science design, developing infrastructure for regional collaboration and best practice implementation, creating a centralized credentialing verification office for one stop medical staff credentialing and privileging, a system infection prevention program, and establishing a clinical outcomes management program, and building the Abrazo Health Clinical & Translational Research Institute in Phoenix.
Williams has served as the Director of Quality Management for Saint Joseph Healthcare in Lexington, KY., Quality Resource Coordinator, Critical Care Educator and Staff Nurse for The University of Louisville Hospital. She published on the Preceptor Leadership Program, which exists today at a 404-bed tertiary care teaching hospital, Practice Development, Patient-Centered Care, and Anticoagulation Management. She has given national, state, and corporate presentations on staff development, preceptor programs, anticoagulation safety, ventilator management, creating dashboards, publicly report data, Perinatal harm reduction, and the process of writing for national awards. Williams is a trained state Baldrige Examiner, has served and a surveyor and editorial review board for state Baldrige applications. Williams received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with highest distinction from Indiana University Southeast and a Master of Science in Nursing from Bellarmine University.
Patricia Ames, PhD, CCRC / Director
Abrazo Health Clinical & Translational Research Institute
Office 602.604.5224 | pames@abrazohealth.com
Dr. Ames is the Director of Abrazo Health Clinical & Translational Research Institute (CTRI). Dr. Ames oversees the operational and logistical tasks of research efforts for all Abrazo Health facilities. She is responsible for determining what services researchers across the health system need beyond what Abrazo Health CTRI currently offers. Dr. Ames will also focus on opportunities to increase the research marketing efforts, raising awareness and providing greater access to research for all Abrazo patients in the region.
Dr. Ames comes to Abrazo Health with more than 19 years of experience in the field of clinical research where she most recently served as the director of clinical research for Aptium Oncology, Inc. in Culver City, CA. Prior to that role, Dr. Ames served as the operations manager of the clinical trials office at the Los Angeles Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases. She also served as the director of clinical research education at St. Jude’s Research Hospital in Tennessee. Her work has included research at several of the top hospitals and cancer institutes in the United States and has contributed her knowledge and expertise to numerous field-related abstracts, publications and speaking events. Dr. Ames holds a master’s degree in Public Administration – Health Care and is a certified clinical research coordinator through ACRP. She holds a PhD in Public Health – Epidemiology from Walden University.
Angela Allender, MA, CRC
Primary Coordinator
Office 602.604.5021 | Mobile 602.908.9029
amallend@abrazohealth.com
Angela Allender is the Primary Coordinator at Arizona Heart Institute, working on studies for the treatment of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms, treatment of aneurysms of descending thoracic aorta, and treatment of complex pathology of descending thoracic aorta. Angela is back-up coordinator on many other studies as well.
Ann Becker
Regulatory Affairs Specialist
Office 602.604.5270 | abecker@abrazohealth.com
As the Regulatory Affairs Specialist, Ann Becker works with the study sponsor throughout the duration of the study. She is responsible for completion of the feasibility questionnaire, conducting the pre-study qualification visit, site submission to the IRB, contract coordination, study maintenance, and final close out of the study.
Brooke Kragness, MA, CRC
Primary Coordinator
Office 602.604.5277 |
bkragness@abrazohealth.com Brooke Kragness is a Primary Coordinator at Arizona Heart Institute, working on device and drug studies for the treatment of peripheral artery disease and carotid stenosis.
Virginia Ramirez, MPH
PBH-Cord Blood Consenter
Office 602.246.5698 | Mobile 602.930.2924
FAX 602.246-.5507 |
vramirez1@abrazohealth.com
Virginia Ramirez leads the umbilical cord blood collection at Phoenix Baptist Hospital.
Laura Vigliotti, MA, CCRC
Primary Coordinator
Office 602.604.5277 | Mobile 602.670.4870
lvigliotti@abrazohealth.com
Laura Vigliotti is a Primary Coordinator at Arizona Heart Institute, working on studies for the treatment of in-stent re-stenosis, abdominal aortic aneurysms, laser atherectomy, thoracic stent-grafts for thoracic aortic pathologies, and acute lower extremity native artery or bypass occlusions.