COVID-19 Business Continuity Planning Pulse - February 2021

Customer Colleagues,

At Syneos Health, our priorities in 2021 continue to be protecting health and safety, while partnering with our customers, sponsors and investigators to deliver life-saving medicines to patients worldwide. As part of our commitment to continuous communication, following our initial Business Continuity Planning (BCP) update and weekly editions throughout the majority of 2020, we’re now issuing a monthly BCP PULSE to keep you aware of our efforts. 

MANAGING OUR TOTAL SELVES

January brought optimism in the form of vaccines and the fresh promise of a new year. However, fatigue associated with COVID-19 variants, slower than expected vaccination rollouts and the long winter is real. The blur between work and life continues to test even the most resilient amongst us.

To remain strong while managing through the pandemic, at Syneos Health, our Total Self culture focuses on our emotional, physical, financial and community wellbeing. From tapping employee insights to tailor programming, to deploying well-being apps to minimize stressors, we remain committed to fostering resiliency in our workforce. Our Syneos Health Communications agencies are partnering with customers to do the same. Read more about challenges and global workforce solutions in their recent white paper, “Fostering Resiliency at the Crossroads of Trying Times.”

Regardless of the challenges, we’re optimistic and maintain the tremendous momentum we built in 2020, delivering for our customers during one of the most difficult periods in modern history. We are eager to continue delivering exceptional work and agile, custom real-time solutions.

BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLANNING REACTIVATION SUMMARY

Our Business Continuity Planning Transition Management Office (TMO), in alignment with FDA, CDC, WHO and other local and international health authority guidance, includes multiple workstreams. In each BCP PULSE, we’re including select workstream updates to keep you aware of our learnings and efforts.

• Regulatory Guidance: Aggregating and synthesizing EMA and FDA guidance, and updating regulations and restrictions in order to provide direction to our employees and customers on when – or when not – to pivot and/or reactivate.
• Change Management: Working internally and with customers on change management activities to ensure preparedness as dynamics shift.
• Field Team Connections: Monitoring field challenges and team resilience, compiling best practices for remote activities and HCP preferences, and benchmarking remote versus in-person detailing metrics.
• Sponsor Connections: Working collaboratively with sponsors in the “now normal” to press forward with studies underway while initiating new trials.
• Continued Preparedness Planning: Tracking evolving trends in COVID-19 cases and emerging variants, as well as vaccination rollout progress, to develop scenario plans and share best-practice learnings.

BEST PRACTICES – BEING AGILE TO ADAPT TO OUR EVOLVED ENVIRONMENT

Working hand in hand with hundreds of companies – and our 25,000 employees worldwide – we’re designing integrated lab to life solutions every day. Each challenge presents the opportunity to apply key learnings to build better approaches and resiliency.

• Committed to the Ongoing Challenges in Oncology and Rare Disease: February 4th marked World Cancer Day, a day where the global community mobilized to drive awareness and action. At Syneos Health, we strive to contribute to a world less burdened by cancer through awareness and continued commitment to the oncology field. This includes the activation of our 4,400 Syneos Health colleagues who work in oncology development and commercialization, those of us who are cancer survivors, caregivers, or people who have been impacted by cancer. We are also preparing for Rare Disease Day at the end of February, where we’re inviting customers, employees and the public to join an inspiring program. Over three days – patients and their families, legislators, industry experts, advocates and sponsors – will deliberately discuss educational initiatives, recent advancements and the future promise of cell and gene medicine. Learn more at www.syneoshealth.com/events/rare-disease-day-2021

REAL-TIME RESOURCES

We’re regularly updating our COVID-19 Resource Center with capabilities and perspectives to navigate, deliver and learn together. We are looking to exchange your learnings and experiences, too.  Should you have ideas, comments or concerns, please contact us.

Thank you for your partnership.