Sinai Chicago and ElixirTrials Partner to Expand Access to Clinical Trials in Underserved Communities

Sinai Chicago and ElixirTrials partner to bring clinical trials into local communities through trusted care, technology, and research infrastructure.

CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, September 30, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Sinai Chicago and ElixirTrials today announced a partnership to bring clinical trials directly into the communities Sinai serves, combining Sinai Chicago’s trusted community-based care network with ElixirTrials’ clinical research infrastructure, technology, and operational support.

Through the collaboration, the organizations will integrate clinical trial opportunities into Sinai Chicago’s care settings, making it easier for patients to participate in research without leaving the neighborhoods and providers they trust. The partnership is designed to expand access to cutting-edge treatments, strengthen representation in research, and create a scalable model for community-based clinical trials.

“Access to innovation should not depend on where you live,” said Dr. Ngozi Ezike, President and CEO of Sinai Chicago. “Pairing Sinai Chicago’s deep relationships in the communities we serve with ElixirTrials’ research infrastructure, we can bring the future of medicine directly to our patients by removing barriers, building trust, and ensuring our communities are represented in the discoveries that shape healthcare for generations to come.”

Clinical trials have traditionally been concentrated in large academic medical centers, leaving many community hospitals and clinics without the resources to participate. In fact, 88% of U.S. health centers lack the infrastructure needed to conduct clinical trials, and fewer than 5% of patients enroll in them. This gap disproportionately affects diverse populations, contributing to inequities in access, care, and research outcomes.

Together, Sinai Chicago and ElixirTrials aim to help change that.

ElixirTrials provides a turnkey model that equips community health systems with the staffing, technology, regulatory support, and operational workflows needed to conduct high-quality clinical research at no upfront cost. Sinai Chicago brings the clinical expertise, trusted patient relationships, and community presence needed to embed those capabilities into local care environments. The combined model allows patients to access new therapies close to home while continuing to receive care from providers they know and trust.

“Sinai Chicago is exactly the kind of health system this model was built to support: deeply trusted, clinically sophisticated, and committed to expanding opportunity for the communities it serves,” said Heather Grey, CEO and Co-Founder of ElixirTrials. “This partnership brings together Sinai’s community leadership and ElixirTrials’ trial infrastructure so sponsors can conduct high-quality research in settings that have historically been left out and patients can access tomorrow’s innovations where they already receive care.”

The initiative is also designed to remove common barriers to participation, including transportation challenges, awareness gaps, and historical mistrust. Sinai Chicago and ElixirTrials will work together on community-centered outreach, culturally relevant education, caregiver engagement, and patient support throughout the research experience.

For Sinai Chicago, the partnership advances its leadership in community-based research and health equity. For ElixirTrials, it demonstrates how its infrastructure model can enable trusted health systems to participate in sponsor-grade clinical trials. Together, the organizations are building a more inclusive model of research intended to ensure that medical breakthroughs better reflect the diversity of the populations they are meant to serve.

Sinai Chicago and ElixirTrials are now setting up the full infrastructure, integrating the ElixirTrials’ Cauldron platform, training and supporting clinical teams, engaging caregivers, and partnering with community organizations to raise awareness and support patient participation. The organizations will also work collaboratively to identify clinical trial opportunities aligned with the needs of Sinai Chicago’s patient population.

For more information, visit sinaichicago.org and elixirtrials.com

About Sinai Chicago
Sinai Chicago is the largest private safety-net healthcare system in Illinois, providing high-quality, compassionate care to the communities of Chicago’s West and Southwest sides. Sinai’s network includes Mount Sinai Hospital, Schwab Rehabilitation, Sinai Medical Group, Sinai Urban Health Institute, and Sinai Community Institute—working together to advance health equity and improve the health of the communities it serves.

About ElixirTrials
ElixirTrials is a clinical trial infrastructure and technology company built to help community health systems participate in high-quality clinical research. Its turnkey model combines technology, staffing, regulatory support, and standardized operational workflows to help hospitals and clinics activate and conduct sponsor-grade trials at no upfront cost. By bringing research capabilities into trusted local care settings, ElixirTrials expands patient access, enables sponsors to reach previously inaccessible sites and populations, and improves representation in medical innovation.

Media Contacts:
Sinai Chicago
Dan Regan
Vice President of Communications and Marketing
dan.regan2@sinai.org

Heather Grey
ElixirTrials
heather@elixirtrials.com
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook

Media gallery