Department of Research & Evaluation News

*Final in a series highlighting research nurses during Nurses Week 2025*

Michael Fechter, LVN, was an emergency medical technician, working to become a paramedic and firefighter. On one emergency call, a critical care transport nurse suggested something that changed the direction of his career.

“She told me that I needed to be where I could make a difference for people longer term.” Michael said. “She actually encouraged me to be a nurse and that’s why I became a nurse.”

That decision has helped countless Kaiser Permanente clinical trials patients over the years.

After becoming a licensed vocational nurse, Michael joined Kaiser Permanente in San Diego in 2007. He moved into research in 2009 and has been with Research & Evaluation for 16 years.

“I started in vascular surgery and that’s where I originally got pulled into research,” he said. Research expanded into cardiology, neurology, nephrology, interventional radiology, general surgery, and emergency medicine. “All of our patients here deserve the cutting-edge treatment that Kaiser Permanente can provide.”

Nurses share their time and medical knowledge to help patients understand what the trials are trying to achieve and what to expect.

Especially important to Michael is the ability to build relationships with patients. “You can’t do that in the hospital, and you can’t do that in the clinic,” Michael said. “In research, we see these people for years and years.”

A lot of the cardiac and vascular patients are older, long-time Kaiser Permanente members, many of whom came from the military. “I just love to hear their stories and I love every minute of patient visits,” Michael said. “They’ve seen it all with Kaiser Permanente – the good and the growing pains – from the old Zion hospital to our new ones. They’re still there and they keep coming. And they really appreciate that we’re still there for them.”

Michael and Research Associate Jacqueline Gomez coordinate clinical trials in San Diego for all general medicine principal investigators. Six other research staff cover other specialties.

“Despite being a small team, our research group in San Diego excels in covering a wide range of specialties, locations, and patients,” Michael said. “And there are many more members here that research can help. I believe San Diego has the potential to contribute even more to Kaiser Permanente Southern California’s research efforts and to our members’ care.”

“The trials are great and they’re very helpful. The doctors are great and they give patients the best care. But it’s the engagement of the patients that really makes me come to work every day. When a patient thanks me for the opportunity to be in a trial, it makes it all worth it. It’s really the patients that are the joy of my job.”