Healthcare Global - August 2018

A U G U S T 2 0 18

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TOP 10

UCSF CHAMPIONING

US companies in the medical supply chain

SUPPLY CHAIN PRACTICES

HOME SWEET GENOME

A NEW GENOME PLATFORM IS BECOMING A REALITY

“VIRTUAL HEALTHCARE IS BECOMING A REALITY” INTERVIEW WITH DR. SNEH KHEMK A, PRESIDENT OF INTERNATIONAL HE ALTH SOLUTIONS AT AETNA INTERNATIONAL

“With its variety of reliable wearables and interfaces, Garmin is an ideal partner for us.”

Gabi Zodik

CTO of IBM Watson IoT IBM Haifa Research Lab

DRIVING INNOVATION FOR DIGITAL HEALTH We provide partners with world class devices and offer access to Garmin User data through our Health API and SDKs.

garmin.com/health

b2b-health@garmin.com

FOREWORD

elcome to the latest edition of Healthcare Global.

For our leadership feature this month, Dr Sneh Khemka, President – International Population Health Solutions at Aetna, discusses how the company is harnessing digital advances to deliver virtual healthcare services, fully investing in developing of products which will ensure its clients are better supported with their healthcare needs.

Recent research and development into genomics has created significant interest within the business world.

Shivom CEO and co-founder Dr. Axel Schumacher reveals his plan to create a first of a kind unique global genome platform, and his bid to make mass genomic data analysis a reality.

This month’s issue also looks at the top 10 US companies in the medical supply chain, as ranked by Gartner, as well as some key healthcare events and conferences for this calendar year We hope you enjoy this month’s magazine, and as always welcome your feedback on Twitter. @Business_Chief

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03

F E AT U R E S

08 UCSF Medical Center

34 20 “ Virtual healthcare is becoming a reality”

The Medical City

56 Top 10

US companies in the medical supply chain

68 Emitac Healthcare Solutions

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Championing leading supply chain practices at UCSF Health With robotics, automation, new processes and more, UCSF Health is setting new standards for healthcare with its innovative supply chain WRITTEN BY

LAURA MULLAN

PRODUCED BY

DENITR A PRICE

w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

U C S F H E A LT H

U

CSF Health is at the forefront

repetitive tasks – that’s when

of healthcare innovation but,

he realized how transformative

behind the scenes, the group’s Medical Center supply chain team are keep-

“I found myself doing the

ing the cogs turning so it can focus on

same set of rote and rudimen-

delivering the state-of-the-art care it

tary tasks every day,” he notes.

is known for.

“I began to realize that with the

UCSF Medical Center was recently

10

technology could be.

help of our Materials Manage-

named among the nation’s premier

ment Information Systems

medical institutions for the 17th

Team (MMIS Team) we could au-

consecutive year, standing as the fifth

tomate a lot of the procurement

best hospital in the country and the

activity I was encountering.”

top-ranked hospital in California, ac-

Automation has become

cording to U.S. News & World Report’s

a prevalent trend in the supply

2017-2018 Best Hospitals survey.

chain field and it hasn’t gone

In the back-end, its supply chain

amiss at UCSF Health. In 2009,

team is responsible for a comprehen-

Limbert and his team partnered

sive set of services that continually

with Global Healthcare Ex-

strengthen the scope of its patient care.

change (GHX) to develop tools

The organisation provides access to a

that allowed his team to on-

broad range of medical-surgical prod-

board vendors who would then

ucts, and consistently seeks to reduce

receive their purchase orders

supply chain waste and expenses but,

(POs) in a highly-automated and

above all else, it is committed to deliv-

accurate fashion.

ering quality customer service, which enables premium care.

“A requester at the hospital could scan an order or put

When he began as a buyer in pro-

through a request and that would

curement almost 16 years ago, Jake

queue up a requisition that would

Limbert, now Director of Supply Chain

be turned into a purchase order

Operations, did many menial and

automatically without any buyer

AUGUST 2018

USA

11

FACT

There are 600,000 pieces of product onsite at all times

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USA

“ If we can empower our clinicians to provide better care then we can also grow with them in a way that’s meaningful” — Jake Limbert , Director of Supply Chain Operations

Since then, Limbert and his team have continued on an upward trajectory thanks to new and improved technological innovations. In 2015, the UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay opened, aiming to set new standards for healthcare in the 21st century.

The 289-bed complex features three separate hospitals, specialized in serving children, women and cancer patients.

intervention,” explains Limbert. “We call it ‘

With such a mammoth operation,

no touch POs.’

Limbert and his team wanted to

“We were able to do that on a fairly large

focus on automation and stream-

scale. We have about 600 POs that go out

lining operations where possible.

every day and so we were really able to take

With the latest wave of in-

our PO activity and just turn it into an auto-

novation, it seems robotics

mated process. At that point, we could also

are redrawing the healthcare

hard code shipping and logistical standards

landscape. Keen to tap into this

with all of our vendors so they knew that

emerging trend, UCSF Health

UCSF had an exact and predictable time-

teamed up with Aethon to use its

frame to deal with.”

autonomous mobile TUG robots.

Building on this partnership, GHX then

These new-generation robots

built Registration Center, otherwise known

allow UCSF Health to distribute

as ‘RegCenter’ which allowed UCSF Health

items easily and reallocate their

to onboard its own vendors. As a result of

workforce so team members

its efforts, UCSF was later recognized by

can focus on value-adding tasks

GHX in 2011 with their first every Industry

rather than repetitive jobs.

Impact Award.

“This was revelatory as it alw w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

13

U C S F H E A LT H

lowed us to reallocate our full-time equivalent (FTE) resources,” said Limbert. “We also utilize the TUGS for our soiled linen pickup which helped us reduce employee injuries because, given census and patient volumes, these linen carts are becoming increasingly unwieldy. Thanks to robotics we’ve been able to keep our employees in an area where they’re most effective and appreciated.

They’re able to further support clinicians.”

Like many in the supply chain discipline, UCSF Health has worked to streamline and standardize its processes, so that the medical professionals can focus on what matters 14

— patient care. Every patient’s healthcare needs are unique and highly personalized.

Therefore, Limbert and his team worked closely with clinicians to establish their needs and maintain the unparalleled, innovative care UCSF is known for. In doing so, the group has worked to strike a balance between streamlined, cost-effective supply chain processes whilst meeting the individualistic needs of the clinicians UCSF Our Stories: Rite of Passage -- A Hospital Prom for

and patients alike.

“If they’re able to interact with clinicians in a meaningful way then that allows us to again, gain

AUGUST 2018

USA

FACT

The UCSF Medical Center is the fifth best hospital in the county and the top-ranked hospital in California

their trust,” explains Limbert. “We just

resources for the customers, not just

don’t want people stocking shelves,

inventory technicians.

we want people to engage the clinician

“The real product for us is patient

and figure out their needs so we can

care. Every patient has a different

make sure they are enabled to deliver

set of needs and a clinical path unique

the highest quality of care.”

to them.

“There’s a certain level of expecta-

“We are able to engage the end user,

tion that our clinicians demand and

the clinician, and say, ‘These are our

I think we are able to provide that

schematics and this is our framework.

by empowering our employees to

Does this synch with your needs?’

resource and make decisions on their

Almost like a switchboard, we plug and

own. We call them our ‘supply chain

slot them into our order of business.

ambassadors.’ We want them to be

“Alternatively, they might say, ‘Well w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

15

U C S F H E A LT H

that’s not really going to work because our cases start at 7:00 a.m. so we need product replenished by 5:00am,’ for example. In that case, we are able to scale it and tweak it for them.

“That is a challenge, however, it’s also something that we relish. Every patient is unique and they are our number one priority.

I think we have to be mindful of where we can standardize and where we can’t.”

The opening of the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital at Mission Bay was not only a key milestone in the institutions’ history, but it also gave Limbert and his team a fresh

16

slate to drive efficiencies and cost savings. In doing so, the team had two focuses: the first

“Every patient is unique and they are our number one priority” — Jake Limbert , Director of Supply Chain Operations

was the customer and the second was generating operational data.

“First, we determined, having learned from previous successes and failures, what the customer expected from us and what they needed in order to deliver the quality care that our patients deserve,” explains Limbert. “We were able to listen and figure out what worked and didn’t in the previous care area and then adapt and create new workflows, meaningful periodic automatic replenishment (PAR) levels and service level agreements (SLAs).

“Secondly, we built a very robust and intricate set of data,” he continues. “In order to

AUGUST 2018

USA

achieve the previously established au-

the biggest challenge is sustaining

tomation, we had to engage MMIS and

this growth.

our vendors to ensure the efficiencies would be mirrored in another facility.

“We devised new shipping locations

“It’s a good problem to have in that the healthcare environment in the Bay Area is very competitive but if we can

and schedules aligned with our new

empower our clinicians to provide

docks for optimal transport up to the

better care then we can also grow

unit. For example, right now a techni-

with them in a way that’s meaningful,”

cian will transmit an order and in less

notes Limbert.

than 12 minutes the vendor will have

“Allowing our ambassadors and

it. They can pick it and then it will show

staff to feel ownership over the care

up the next day at that room in fewer

that we’re providing is vital. If you

than 24 hours.”

can illuminate their piece within this

With 78mn products delivered annu-

dynamic jigsaw, it helps them feel

ally at UCSF, its supply chain opera-

more engaged and proud to provide

tion is mammoth in scale. Now, as the

a crucial piece in the patient care

organization expands, Limbert says

continuum.” w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

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LEADERSHIP

20

AUGUST 2018

“ Virtual healthcare is becoming a reality” WRITTEN BY

DAN BRIGHTMORE

We spoke with Dr Sneh Khemka, President – International Population Health Solutions, and learned how medical insurer Aetna International is harnessing digital advances to deliver virtual healthcare services on a global scale

w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

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LEADERSHIP

A

etna began as a fire insurance company first launched 160

years ago with its moniker inspired by Mount Etna.

Aetna International has operated in its current guise for 50 years, providing international health insurance policies to people living outside their own country, when either travelling extensively or remaining abroad for work. It might not be a growing market (many other companies also provide this service), but the way Aetna differentiates itself is by 22

investing in the development of products and services encompassing the rest of the world of healthcare in a bid to make the individuals it insures better supported with their healthcare needs.

“We’re not just about being able to pay your healthcare bills, but also helping people deal with the issues they may face which affect their health or when they are suddenly unwell and need a healthcare intervention,” confirms Aetna’s President - International Population Health Solutions Dr Sneh Khemka. “Across the board we’re seeing 12-20% savings on the costs of health insurance to our customers because of the programmes we offer for disease management. As part of our conAUGUST 2018

“ Virtual healthcare is becoming a reality as we employ groups of doctors who are available across the world 24/7 for video consultations.You can have a full GP consultation with a diagnosis,treatment plan and prescription” — Dr Sneh Khemka President International Population Health Solutions, Aetna International w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

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LEADERSHIP

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AUGUST 2018

things we’re working on in the US are very exciting… we actually incentivise people to stay healthy. We’ve got a deep affiliation with Apple. With our Apple Watch programme, we offer a company’s employees a free Apple Watch as long as two things happen: they exercise and we receive anonymised data so we can understand what’s going on with people’s healthy behaviours. If the employees exercise and the watch tracks this, they pay nothing, but if they don’t exercise, money is deducted from their tract with a company, we will help

paycheck until they’ve paid for the

them manage their employee’s health-

watch.”

care needs, whether that’s diabetes,

Dr Khemka believes countries with a

hypertension… They are linked in to

primary care infrastructure – where

our nurse-lead programmes where we

the GP can be your friend, confidant,

have experts on the end of a phone

the first person you turn to when you

who can carry out intensive coaching

have a health issue or for prescrip-

to help manage conditions, allowing

tions, vaccinations, and

employees to remain healthier, be at

immunisations – are in a privileged

work more often and stay productive.”

position to help people from going in

Dr Khemka notes the growing trend of

to hospital unnecessarily where they

employers getting involved in keeping

can get lost in the maze of healthcare.

people healthy at work with on-site

“Our strategy aims to re-establish pri-

clinics, driving awareness and moni-

mary care for people around the world

toring people’s activity. “We also focus

who don’t have access to it,” he

on wellness and helping people

pledges. “We do that in two ways: with

change their behaviours. Some of the

physical clinics (like our new facility in w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

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LEADERSHIP

“ From smart Babylon Health, with vHealth (virtual health homecare and for primary care). Virtual healthcare is surgical robotics becoming a reality as we employ groups of to wearables doctors who are available across the world 24/7 for video consultations. You can have a (Fitbit etc) and full GP consultation with a diagnosis, treatthe new FDA ment plan and prescription. We provide that service for free for our insured customers, approved smart stopping them from making unnecessary pill (Abilify hospital visits and incurring claims when they don’t need to.”

MyCite) Aetna International is also helping governalongside telements to improve the health of their populations with its processes and pracmonitoring to tices. A three-year contract with the Qatari improve chronic government set up what would essentially become their NHS. “We ran many prodisease care grammes so they could understand their management – data and network their hospitals,” explains Dr Khemka. “Allied to this we ran three large the health programmes for cardiovascular disease, sector is diabetes and pregnancy. We saw big changes with 21% fewer hospital admisembracing the sions and costs decreased by 40%. We’ve IoT,and ready to also achieved similar results on projects with governments in Korea, China and India.” grow with it” Thailand) for people to attend and see a primary care doctor or we offer it virtually, like

26

With the continued acceleration of digital transformation in healthcare, what hopes does Dr Khemka hold for the potential of the AUGUST 2018

— Dr Sneh Khemka President International Population Health Solutions, Aetna International

internet of things (IoT) to radi-

ready to grow with it.”

cally improve patient services?

Babylon Health has become a market leader

“Several use cases of connected

in the digital provision of GP services having

healthcare already exist,” he

made breakthroughs with artificial intelli-

says. “From smart homecare

gence. “Can you use a computer to analyse

and surgical robotics to weara-

your symptoms and tell you if you have a

bles (Fitbit etc) and the new FDA

meaningful problem or not?” asks Dr

approved smart pill (Abilify

Khemka. “Tech probably can do that to a

MyCite) alongside tele-monitor-

level of specificity, which is reassuring. But

ing to improve chronic disease

would you or I as human beings trust a com-

care management – the health

puter to tell us if we have a serious medical

sector is embracing the IoT, and

condition? Probably not.” He argues that while the tech might be there, the cultural acceptability of the use of AI in healthcare still has some way to go. “The alternative at Aetna is the virtual healthcare model,” he counters. “This gives you better and quicker access to another human being where AI may help with the diagnosis, but it won’t be a case of ‘computer says no’. We’re just not ready for that yet.”

Thanks to the wide adoption of wearables we’re getting lots of basic information on what people are doing to stay healthy. Innovations by Nike and Map My Run are tracking activity, sleep patterns and nutrition, helping us learn more about people’s wellbeing. However, Dr Khemka argues Bluetooth enabled scales and cardiac monitors linked to your smartphone are limited value widgets which won’t last in the market for w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

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LEADERSHIP

28

long. Though there is a positive cus-

tion our doctors get an average of 22

tomer transition with the diagnostics

minutes to listen and make a diagno-

capabilities of what you can do with

sis before setting out on confirmatory

your pocket device, he reckons it won’t

investigations to deliver a really good

be long before you can measure blood

treatment plan. Digital disruption in

pressure with an iPhone. “Out in the

primary care excites me the most.”

sticks, in India or Africa, if you don’t

Dr Khemka cites the growing role for

have access to opthalmoscopes or

the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT)

oroscopes, an attachment on an

and Internet of Healthcare Things

Android device could soon capture

(IoHT) among exciting things happen-

high resolution images to be sent to a

ing in the hospital environment. “Look

centre for processing. Aetna has set

at the massive rise in AI in radiology

up an IoT analysis function to look at

and tele-radiology. Radiologists exam-

new developments and judge which

ine x-rays and MRIs relying on pattern

ones are worth investing in for our

recognition to figure out what’s wrong

customers.”

with someone, whether that’s a

Aetna International aims to continue

tumour or a fracture. Actually, comput-

with its digital disruption by tackling

ers are much better at doing this. If

the increase of customer data while

you teach a computer the patterns to

looking for meaningful insights about

recognise it can perform this task

their health to further deliver products

more efficiently than the human mind,

and services more tailored to individ-

for example when detecting early can-

ual needs. “We’re also further

cers. The question for the human is

developing our virtual services provi-

how to interpret that. If the computer

sion,” adds Dr Khemka. “Away from

finds a 3cm polyp in a patient’s colon

specialist care, about 75% of primary

you then need the human intervention

care efficiency is driven by a doctor

to determine whether the colon is

taking a very good history and listen-

bleeding, examine the patient’s famil-

ing to you, taking time to hear about a

ial history and decipher what the scan

patient’s issues. Rather than having

means.

around seven minutes for a consulta-

“The use of AI can free up the doctor’s

AUGUST 2018

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time for more important tasks around understanding the patient. If you look at tele-radiology, where there’s a scarcity of professionals in most developed economies, you don’t have the required specialists so you get massive turnaround times waiting weeks for the results of a MRI. You can outsource a lot of that to other countries to get results back in a useful timeframe.�

Elsewhere, the use of robots in the hospital w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

LEADERSHIP

environment is becoming more widespread.

“They can accompany a doctor on a ward round taking digital notes and readings – if it’s not an actual robot it’s a tablet,” confirms Dr Khemka. “We’re also seeing robotics in surgery with the rise of the Da Vinci operating machine. Especially used in radical prostatectomy where it delivers much better outcomes than the human hand as it’s more specific in avoiding the nerves and blood vessels.”

Dr Khemka believes the cultural acceptability of virtual healthcare services will take time and is not helped by the “cowboys” in the 30

marketplace. “A lot of tech companies are using the Tinder/Uber approach for doctors targeting a patient with symptoms looking for advice. It’s a dating platform between doctor and patient which I believe is completely the wrong model because its episodic nature lacks continuity and trust. What we’re doing with vHealth is emulating the 1950s when your doctor was your friend and knew your family history. We’re trying to bring that doctor back into the family using modern tech to establish that link into people’s homes.”

The doctor predicts data, and the ability to use it in a meaningful way is going to be what drives the winners of the business environment of healthcare. “The traditional AUGUST 2018

“A lot of tech companies are using the Tinder/Uber approach for doctors targeting a patient with symptoms looking for advice.It’s a dating platform between doctor and patient which I believe is completely the wrong model because its episodic nature lacks continuity and trust” — Dr Sneh Khemka President International Population Health Solutions, Aetna International

healthcare players are running scared

apply that consumer methodology to

of the likes of Amazon and Google

the healthcare industry they are going

because if they decide to fully enter

to win.”

the healthcare space it’s a massive

However, Dr Khemka is resolute in his

threat because they know how to han-

belief that Aetna International can rise

dle data,” he warns. “Today, if I want to

to the challenge by building on its core

know where there’s going to be an epi-

model of providing high quality private

demic of flu, my very best data source

health insurance while going local

is Google. How many people googled

across the globe becomes more

symptoms of flu in a particular catch-

important. “We recently acquired

ment area? That is the most accurate

BUPA in Thailand which has 300,000

predictor. Amazon is so successful

customers, while our India business

because it really spends time under-

boasts almost a million users. We

standing what the consumer wants

want to bring our data capabilities

and delivers on that. They’ve got deep

around analytics and vHealth to bear

granular information on customer

for all of our customers in both local

preferences and habits so when they

and international markets.” w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

31

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“ We recently worked with BizClik Media on an article which characterizes and explains the total value that Kudu Supply Chain has on company growth plans.

From start to the finish, it was a pleasure working with the BizClik team. The feedback we have received from different audience groups on the article was phenomenal.

It has attracted a lot of interest and attention to our company, our growth plans and has definitely created additional value to what we are trying to achieve.”

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TECHNOLOGY

34

HOME SWEET GENOME Shivom CEO and co-founder Dr. Axel Schumacher reveals his plan to create a first of a kind unique global genome platform

WRITTEN BY

AUGUST 2018

MARK SPENCE

35

w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

TECHNOLOGY

T

36

hanks to his work on genomics, epigenetics, biomarker discovery, Bio-IT, aging and longevity, Dr Axel Schumacher is an individual, highly revered in global healthcare, not only for his leadership, but also his ability to translate scientific discoveries into practical applications.

This, coupled with his forwardthinking approach to cutting-edge technology, means there are few people better placed to tackle the mammoth task of creating the largest, most ethnically and geographically diverse genomic and healthcare data hub the world has ever seen.

And that is exactly what Dr Schumacher, along with his co-founders at Shivom, a blockchain-enabled platform, are embarking on right now.

To develop a better understanding of the ambition behind this project, Healthcare Global spoke to Dr Schumacher about his plans to make mass genomic data analysis a reality.

AUGUST 2018

ORIGINS

In essence the idea behind this project is fairly straightforward.

Through the critical mass on Shivom’s platform and its proposed Unique Global Genome ID, researchers will be able to access more global data and be confident they are analysing each individual anonymous genome only once, therefore increasing the accuracy of research by removing the risk of re-analysing the same genomes again and again. But how did this all come to fruition?

“I’m a trained geneticist and have my own research group. I was working on complex diseases such as Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia and so on but I also moved into the business world where I was applying my knowledge of genomics to that world. I also started working for a company in Switzerland building genomics and precision medicine programmatics platforms for the top 25 pharma companies. It was around this time I started thinking about

“ Using blockchain tech we can now store this data in a decentralised way so there’s no single, easy access point for cybercriminals to go into a database and download all the data and sell it” — Dr. Axel Schumacher, CEO, Shivom

37

w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

TECHNOLOGY

blockchain technology,” he explains.

Clearly, working with genomic and healthcare data in general is becoming more complex due to privacy issues so can blockchain help? “People are reluctant to share their data because they’re afraid it will be compromised, stolen or sold on the dark web, but it’s essential for research. At the same time pharmaceutical companies have to be careful with data given the new GDPR rules.

38

Blockchain tech can address some of these issues in the healthcare environment,” he says.

STARTING A REVOLUTION

“ People are reluctant to share data because they are afraid it will be compromised, but it’s essential for research” — Dr. Axel Schumacher, CEO, Shivom

After meeting his now co-founders of Shivom, the seed of an idea

We started basically building a global health-

that revolved around building a

care ecosystem with a strong focus on

global business to revolutionise

genomics meaning collecting data from all

healthcare, but puts the patient

around the globe so that people can share it

first, was planted. “Most health-

and use it to improve their wellness and

care systems around the world

health. This is the next step in precision medi-

are broken because they’re too

cine: getting treatment tailored specifically to

expensive, too complicated and

do what we want it to do.”

involve too many middle men who

In order for this ecosystem to function effec-

shouldn’t be there. All of this can

tively, access to data is the key to finding better

be addressed with blockchain.

treatment for patients. Schumacher argues

AUGUST 2018

diately if the info is there about your genome.

But we need to store this information somewhere and make it available and actionable.”

In order to make this process actionable however, requires the ability to share data at a global level while ensuring it isn’t exposed to security breaches. How does Dr Schumacher propose this should work? “Using blockchain tech we can now store this data in a decentralised way so there’s no single, easy access point for cybercriminals to go into a database and download all the data and sell it. In addition to this we are also adding a layer on top of blockchain which means people can be anonymous on the platform. Even if a cybercriminal penetrated our system they wouldn’t find anything but meaningless data.”

PUTTING THE PATIENT IN CONTROL

One of the other things Dr Schumacher’s team that today’s medicine and pharma

is exploring is the idea of a smart contract that

companies are not targeted

blockchain technology can apply to specify

enough in their treatments. “They

what should happen with a patient’s health-

use the ‘blockbuster’ model

care data. “Anyone can come to our platform

where a patient might have to go

and say, for example, ‘I’m completely into shar-

through 10 or 20 drugs to find a

ing my data with researchers because in my

way to treat something. Success

family we have diabetes so let’s share it with

is all dependent on your genomes

diabetes researchers.’ We could do this, but at

and the various variations of your

the same they can say ‘I don’t want my data

genomes. Part of our idea is that

shared with my insurance company but it’s

you can get the right drugs imme-

fine to be shared with my physician, my family w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

39

TECHNOLOGY

“ …pharmaceutical companies have to be careful with data given the new GDPR rules. Blockchain tech can address some of these issues in the healthcare environment”

40

— Dr. Axel Schumacher, CEO, Shivom

AUGUST 2018

etc.’ The key here is the power of the

can take our data everywhere. To get

data belongs to the data owner. Also, if

genomes sequenced is a one in a life-

people give their consent to share their

time investment you can use again and

data with chemical researchers, for

again if you go to the doctor, the hospi-

example, then

tal or using online

they get paid for it,

services that may

which is fairer.”

help your wellbeing

Not only is this

or that of your fam-

proposed plat-

ily. Secondly, it will

form built for

help researchers

sharing data, but

make sure they

Schumacher says

don’t analyse the

that other compa-

same DNA sam-

nies could add

ples again and

their services via

again. Dealing with

third party apps and offer to analyse a

a unique genome platform will save

patient’s genes further to get even more

time and money.”

insight into their health and wellbeing to

The platform is due to launch around

report on how they could improve their

December this year but by that stage

lifestyle. It’s essentially creating an open

only a few services will be available.

market.

However, this will change as the community grows. Schumacher is

PAINTING A PICTURE

convinced both he and his team are on

OF SUCCESS

the verge of something truly ground-

According to Schumacher the develop-

breaking and early reviews would

ment and deployment of a unique global

indicate he’s right. “We’ve had great

genome platform would deliver several

feedback from all the over the world,

advantages for both researchers and,

including governments and we still have

ultimately, the patient. What would the

more to announce. We’re building

success of a unique global genome ID

something that will truly benefit the

mean for global healthcare? “Firstly, we

whole planet.” w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

41

VISIT OUR WEBSITE

READ THE LATEST ISSUE

T O P 10

44

AUGUST 2018

Top 10

US companies in the medical supply chain This article takes a look at the best US health supply chain companies, as ranked by research and advisory firm Gartner in 2017 W RI T T E N BY

HARRY MENE AR

w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

45

T O P 10

09

Owens & Minor www.owens-minor.com Healthcare logistics company Owens & Minor is based in Virginia and distributes health and medical supplies across the United States and Europe. The company

10

AmerisouceBergen 46

provides logistic and transportation services to private hospitals, as well as large-scale healthcare networks. Owens & Minor specialises in disposable medi-

www.amerisourcebergen.com

cal supplies, in addition to implants and

Headquartered in Pennsylvania, Ameri-

biotech devices. The company reported

souceBergen is a pharmaceutical

a net revenue of $9.32bn in 2017, which

sourcing and distribution services

represents a 4.2% decrease year-over-

company that specialises in the manu-

year, according to Fortune’s 500 list.

facturing and transportation of

According to Nasdaq, in November,

pharmaceutical, healthcare, and bio-

2017, Warren Buffett ranked Owens &

tech products, according to Forbes.

Minor among the most undervalued

Additionally, Amerisource provides

stocks of the year.

consultation services to healthcare companies, in order to improve supply chain efficiency. The company reported a net revenue of $148.31bn in 2017 which, along with a net asset portfolio of $33.92bn, represents a 10-year high point. Amerisource also reported net profits of $1.35bn in 2017, by far the highest bottom line in the company’s history.

AUGUST 2018

07

CVS Health Corp www.cvshealth.com Based in Rhode Island, CVS Health Corp. is a healthcare and drug retail corporation that operates over 9,600 locations across the United States, Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Brazil, as well as its partnerships with over 68,000 retail network pharmacies. CVS locations provide a range of procureto-pay medical supplies, primarily

08

Cleveland Clinic

prescription drugs, as well as assorted retail products which range from consumables and foodstuffs, to children’s toys. Forbes magazine ranked CVS

my.clevelandclinic.org

45th on its 2017 list of the world’s most

The Cleveland Clinic is an interdiscipli-

valuable brands. The company also

nary medical centre with a flagship

ranked seventh in sales worldwide.

centre in Ohio, as well as affiliated

The company reported net sales of

facilities in Florida, Nevada, Canada,

$177.5bn in 2017, the highest recorded

and the United Arab Emirates. The

in a 10-year period.

company’s department of supply chain management operates across the five locations with a broad mandate, ranging from “sourcing and contract negotiations to purchasing and materials management”, all geared towards a “patient first” ethos throughout the entire procure-to-pay process. w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

47

T O P 10

05

Johnson & Johnson www.jnj.com New Jersey-based medical equipment and supplies company Johnson & Johnson achieved its highest ever ranking on the Gartner medical supply

06

Mercy Health Partners www.mercy.com 48

Ohio-based healthcare organisation, Mercy Health Partners, operates over 250 locations in Ohio and Kentucky, specialising in the distribution of medical supplies with an emphasis on supplier diversity. The company ensures its purchasing partner strategies meet standards of inclusion for minorities, women, veterans and businesses owned by people with disabilities. The Gartner report stated that, in 2017, “one of the biggest changes at Mercy is its recognition that innovation has to be an intentional effort for healthcare providers”, and that the company “is committed to generating 25% of its revenue from innovation in the coming year”.

AUGUST 2018

chain list in 2017, moving up eight places year-over-year. The company engages in “the research and development, manufacture and sale of personal care hygienic products, pharmaceuticals and surgical equipment”, according to Forbes. Gartner particularly praised Johnson & Johnson’s commitment to technological innovation in the supply chain sector. The company reported a net revenue of $71.94bn in 2017, and is ranked eighth worldwide by Forbes for market value.

03

Cardinal Health www.cardinalhealth.com Cardinal Health is a pharmaceutical and healthcare distribution company based in Ohio. The company “distributes branded and generic pharmaceutical, specialty pharmaceutical, over-the-counter healthcare and

04

McKesson Corp

consumer products in the United States,” according to Forbes. Cardinal Health dropped from #3 on Garner’s list in comparison to 2016, due to profit

www.mckesson.com

losses in the face of cheap generic-

Headquartered in California, health

brand drugs and the loss of a large deal

services and IT company McKesson

with Safeway, according to Fortune

Corp. specialises in the manufacturing

Magazine. The company is also contin-

and distribution of medicine, pharma-

uing a strategic shift in its supply chain

ceutical products, surgical equipment,

structure, toward “more vertical inte-

and health and beauty care products

gration of manufacturing in its medical

across the United States and Canada,

products segment”, according to

according to Forbes. The company also

Gartner. Cardinal Health reported a net

provides supply chain management

revenue of $127.23bn in 2017.

and logistics streamlining consultation services to biotech and pharmaceutical manufacturers. The 68,000-strong company reported net sales of $196.5bn in 2017, and was ranked sixth in sales worldwide by Forbes.

w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

49

T O P 10

50

02

Mayo Clinic www.mayoclinic.or Originally based in Minnesota, with additional locations in Arizona and Florida, the Mayo Clinic was ranked first in the U.S. News & World Report of the best hospitals in the United States. Founded in 1863, the Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit medical research and academic organisation with over 3,000 dedicated research staff. According to Gartner, the Mayo Clinic “has worked to bolster its fundamentals primarily through expanding the capabilities and reach of its Upper Midwest Consolidated Services Center… as the provider of sourcing and contracting for… over 60 hospitals in the region.”

AUGUST 2018

01

51

Intermountain Healthcare www.intermountainhealthcare.org Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Intermountain Healthcare owns and operates 22 not-for-profit hospitals and 185 clinics that serve communities in Utah and southern Idaho, according to Bloomberg.

Intermountain’s Supply Chain Management division provides logistic support for the repeat-purchasing of over 90,000 individual products, ranging from medical and pharmaceutical supplies to surgical equipment. The company has maintained an average share of 45% of hospital beds in Utah since its formation. Intermountain Healthcare returned to the top position on the Gartner Medical Supply Chain List for the second year running in 2017. The Gartner report states: “Intermountain Healthcare has a history of using supply chain strategically to support its corporate mission.”

w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

EVENTS & A S S O C I AT I O N S

The biggest industry events and conferences WRITTEN BY ANDREW WOODS from around the world 4-7 SEPTEMBER

10–12 SEPTEMBER

[ BOSTON, USA ]

[ MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA ]

Bringing together 300-plus leaders and

This event follows on from the suc-

key influencers from pharma and bio-

cess of last year’s event at Kuala

tech companies, Cell & Gene Therapy

Lumpur, where 1,000 healthcare prac-

Bioprocessing & Commercialisation

titioners and leaders from over 35

2018 will provide you with the latest

countries were “united by the vision”

advice for driving manufacturing and

to improve quality of healthcare provi-

commercialisation through direct

sion and act together across

access to innovative discovery, product

professions and with service users to

development and regulatory knowhow.

achieve real success in improving

Discover everything you need in one

care worldwide.

place. Move between four tracks jam

The focus at the spring conference in

packed with topical talks and industry

Amsterdam this year will be on over-

case studies and meet with colleagues

coming the challenges, restrictions

for an unrivalled on-site experience.

and bureaucracy which stifle the

Cell & Gene Therapy Bioprocessing &

improvement of care, and although an

Commercialisation is co-located with

agenda has still to be confirmed for

BioProcess International as part of Bio-

the autumn, discussions could centre

tech Week Boston, allowing you access

on a similar theme.

to additional sessions as well as end-

Click to view website

Cell & Gene Therapy Bioprocessing & Commercialization

52

less networking opportunities.

Click to view website

AUGUST 2018

International Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare

00–00 MONTH

Event Name Here 13-142018 SEPTEMBER [Hospital LOCATION ] Ucias nis eturit qui Asia Management

4-7 SEPTEMBER 00–00 MONTH

Innovation LabsName World Event [ SUNTEC CITY, SINGAPORE ] Here 2018 [ LOCATION ] Showcasing the best in government

innovation… Now Ucias intonis itseturit third year, Innoqui

[ BANGKOK, THAILANDquas ] toresto blamusam

vation Labs World will torestobring blamusam together quas

et ent enit, siminctatur?

The 17th Hospital Management Asia

over 1,000 policymakers et ent enit,and siminctatur? technolo-

Aque isimenita (HMA)consequ is an annual regional event for

gists alike to showcase Aque consequ the most isimenita

num etur,owners, inus consehospital C-level executives,

inspirational government num etur, inus caseconsestudies in

caes is dolupta consequi directors, clinicians and healthcare

the world. It willcaes uniteisthe dolupta publicconsequi and pri-

ut verions equunda ecaleaders to get insights on worldwide

vate sectors tout build verions contacts, equunda learnecafrom

tiatem denemanagement repratetur, thinking, best healthcare

each other andtiatem createdene solutions. repratetur,

qui del imin comnist practices and solutions while creating a

This year will see quithe dellaunch imin comnist of new ses-

ionemporitis nobis real and virtual forum for networking in

sions on Skills;ionemporitis Payments; Inclusive nobis

dolorpo repello rrorepu Asia. Leading health executives from

Innovation; Critical dolorpo Infrastructure repello rrorepu and

dantia ut to exchange and aroundque the duciet region met

Connectivity & dantia Internetque of Things duciet (IoT). ut

eritas consequo voluptalearn ideas on evolving business mod-

The conference eritas will also consequo host Ministerial volupta-

tiur, escimax imperferor els, innovative technologies and

keynotes fromtiur, across escimax the world, imperferor includ-

sum conse moon eaquaimprovements management &

ing the world’s sum leading conse digital monations, eaqua-

tion pedipsam quiam. healthcare systems.

and ASEAN’s biggest tion pedipsam smart cities. quiam.

www.eventurl.com Click to view website

Click to view website www.eventurl.com

w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

53

EVENTS & A S S O C I AT I O N S

29-30 OCTOBER [ SAN DIEGO, USA ]

18th Annual Pharmaceutical Chemical Analysis Congress

The Biomanufacturing World Summit

[ MADRID, SPAIN ]

brings together the “who’s who” of

The Pharma Analysis 2018 anticipates

pharmaceutical executives, cutting

participants, renowned speakers and

edge technology providers and media

eminent delegates across the globe to

partners for North America’s premier

be attending the conference to share

biologics event. The Biomanufacturing

their valuable presentation and galva-

World Summit series has grown to

nise the scientific community. Scientific

become the most senior and diverse

people from all over the globe focused

gathering of biopharmaceutical manu-

on learning about emerging technolo-

facturing executives anywhere in the

gies about Pharma Analysis. This is

world. Based on an ever-growing net-

a best globalised opportunity to reach

work of referrals and

the largest assemblage of participants

recommendations, Biomanufacturing

from the scientific community and

World Summit 2018 is designed and

research.

built by Executive Platforms to bring

This Pharma Analysis 2018 will empha-

together the right people from around

sise on recent areas of more optimised

the world and from every relevant com-

research techniques like experimental

pany to network, benchmark, learn, and

design, chemo metrics, chromatogra-

share with one another.

phy, electrophoresis, qualitative and

The Biomanufacturing World Summit

54

5-6 NOVEMBER

quantitative analysis in forensics, medicine, science and engineering.

AUGUST 2018

8-11TH JANUARY, 2019

18-20 MARCH, 2019

[ LAS VEGAS, USA ]

[ SUNTEC CITY, SINGAPORE ]

Digital health is a driving force in how

Returning in 2019 after a successful

healthcare is administered, customised

2018 debut, Phar-East will once again

and reimagined. As the healthcare indus-

bring together experts from Asian

try, policy makers, entrepreneurs,

pharma and biotechs, big pharma, reg-

patients and business world navigate

ulators, payers, technology innovators

through highly complex and unpredicta-

and more to share their expertise and

ble territories, it’s breeding revolutionary

chart Asia’s path forward.

approaches, unprecedented partner-

Across two days, explore four of the

ships and groundbreaking solutions.

most exciting areas of Asian pharma:

Digital Health—bold, boundless, fearless

• Immunotherapy

and optimistic—is showing the world it’s

• Market access

ready for whatever comes its way. With

• Regulatory affairs

over 55,000 sq ft dedicated to digital

• Pharma 4.0.

health, there is no shortage of cutting-

Brand new for 2019, there will be a clini-

edge innovations on display. Experience

cal trials and biotech investment track,

and interact with the latest technologies

giving you insights into this rapidly

advancing modern medicine, healthcare

growing market.

and wellness, including digital therapeu-

Phar-East is the premier meeting place

tics, artificial intelligence, sleep tech,

for senior executives from Asia’s

condition-specific wearables, precision

pharma and biotech industry. If you

medicine, virtual and augmented reality

want to identify opportunities in Asia

and so much more.

for your business…

Click to view website

Click to view website

Digital Health Summit

Phar-East 2019

w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

55

DIGITISING THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE

56

With the main hospital accredited by Joint Commission International for its high-quality healthcare, Group Chief Information Officer, Brett Medel, discusses how digitisation will prepare TMC for the future WRITTEN BY

CATHERINE STURMAN PRODUCED BY

MIKE SADR

AUGUST 2018

ASIA

57

w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

ealthcare leader in the Philippines and the owner of the first private hospital in Guam, The Medical City (TMC) provides cutting-edge health services, housing centres of excellence in wellness and aesthetics, cardiovascular, cancer and regenerative medicine. The company has recently embarked on launching seven new institutes, which will cover a number of common health problems within the country.

With one flagship healthcare complex in Manila, four provincial hospitals, 50 clinic sties in Metro Manila and in select provinces in the Philippines, a clinic in Dubai and a hospital in Guam with a total bed capacity of almost 2,000 beds, TMC has looked to fully digitise its operations to adhere to its philosophy – ‘Where patients are partners.’

With over 30 years expertise in the IT space, Group Chief Information Officer, Brett Medel is set to take the organisation to new heights. Through its digital transformation, Medel will establish best practices and ensure TMC retains its position as the healthcare provider of choice.

“TMC has been serving the Filipino community for 50 years, and it is considered a legacy institution. However, it has been saddled with a traditional front and back office system. It needs to transform to cater to the needs of the

H

58

AUGUST 2018

ASIA

59

The Medical City Critical Care experts Dr. Jose Emmanuel Palo and Dr. Jude Erric Cinco go over a patient’s X-ray while discussing his current condition.

w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

trends.com.ph info@trends.com.ph T +63 2 811 8181 F +63 2 814 0130

Technology To Transcend At Trends, our full complement of services provide the right tools for our business partners to achieve their desired goals and thrive in a constantly changing and competitive landscape. We offer comprehensive services and full support through our skilled and highlyqualified team. Trends has remained an industry leader by committing to understanding its business partners’ needs first, and then identifying solutions and developing tech-enabled services to best meet these needs. We usher our business partners into the digital future by harnessing the power of technology that we carefully curate and customize with our years of expertise.

Remaining true to our commitment to excellence and growth, we have expanded with regional offices in Cebu and Davao and international offices in Vietnam and Cambodia. Today, Trends caters to the requirements of various markets, a few of which include: contact center and business process outsourcing, financial services, telecommunications services, government, hospitality, healthcare, education, media, manufacturing and pharmaceutical sectors.

ASIA

61

new generation so it has invested heavily across its digital journey to significantly improve the patient experience,” he says.

“My charter is to make TMC closer to the Filipino community as much as possible; to positively impact the patient experience and improve on efficiency by building an intercon-

A TMC vascular technician and a consultant perform a Carotid Doppler test on a male patient.

A Carotid Doppler test is a safe and painless procedure that uses sound waves to examine the blood flow through the carotid arteries.

nected ecosystem of stakeholders into a single platform.”

GIVING PATIENTS CONTROL

Empowering individuals is something which TMC will strive to achieve through open communication and the use of new digital tools.

“From finding out the treatment for a parw w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

ticular disease, setting an appointment with a

awareness to ultimately improv-

doctor of choice, to being informed of the

ing the health of every individual.”

choices available for the type of wellness required is aligned with our value proposition

DIGITAL ROADMAP

of ‘Patients as Partners,’” adds Medel.

Providing a digital roadmap, TMC

“We see every individual not as merely

will partner with like-minded

as a clinical patient, but a partner who

companies to drive essential

belongs to the ecosystem of wellness and

change across its operations.

health management.”

“I always tell my people and

“TMC looks after the welfare of every

my partners, ‘implementing a

individual even before they set foot in the hos-

system is not the end result,’”

pital or clinic, as we believe that

reflects Medel. “However, to me,

healthcare is all about providing premium

the criteria of success of any

quality of health; starting from prevention and

technology project is getting

62

TECHNOLOGIES THAT WORK, SOLUTIONS THAT WIN! At Nexus, our commitment is to enable you to maximise your IT resources to your business advantage. www.nexustech.com.ph sales@nexustech.com.ph

ASIA

Laboratory technicians at The Medical City’s Regenerative Medicine Laboratory perform the engineering of cells and other biomaterials for the purpose of preserving, restoring, or enhancing organ function.

63

users to adopt the system.”

With the aim to bring the entire the network of hospitals and clinics under one platform, TMC has implemented a robust cloud infrastructure that can not only cope with the demands of the business, but deliver resilience across its disaster recovery strategy. It will also work to ensure scalability.

“By getting all areas interconnected, we can maximise synergies across the hospital network, without placing increased investment at each site,” says Medel.

By appointing Orion Health Inc, TMC has

“ By getting all areas interconnected, we can maximise synergies across the hospital network, without placing increased investment at each site” — Brett Medel, Group Chief Information Officer

also invested in a world-class hospital information and consultation system, which will w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

BIO

64

Brett Medel has been in the IT profession for the past 30 years where 17 years were spent as CIO of various companies in the private sector. Prior to joining The Medical City, Brett served as Group CIO of ePLDT. As Group CIO of ePLDT, he wore two hats “Internal facing” where he drives the digital transformation journey of the ePLDT, and “External facing” where he engages with the clients to help them in their strategic IT initiatives. He used

AUGUST 2018

to be the Chairman of the CIO Council of the MVP Group of companies with 30 CIO/ IT Heads of member companies worked with him to bring about synergy through various IT initiatives of the MVP Group.

Prior to joining ePLDT his experience cuts across various industries like mining, manufacturing, government, retail, and insurance. He used to be the Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Philex Mining Corporation (a member of the MVP group of companies) since 2012. He spearheads major business transformation initiatives in Philex to improve opera-

ASIA

integrate with its other ancillary subsystems.

Nonetheless, the organisation is facing a

tional efficiency. Prior to joining Philex, he was the VP and CIO of Prudential UK and PNB Life.

His IT exposure started way back in 1987 where he joined Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) as a management consultant where he held projects here and abroad for both the financial and manufacturing industry.

Brett holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Engineering (Honors Program), Ateneo de Manila University.

number of regional challenges.

“We have server-based and networkbased applications, but capability is always complex,” comments Medel.

“To bring all of this into the cloud is the start of our transformation. At the end of the day, it’s all about bringing different players into an interconnected ecosystem.”

PROMOTING ACCESSIBILITY

With so many hospitals and clinics situated over a vast geography, connectivity will also present fresh challenges.

Strengthening the wi-fi within its hospitals and clinics will become fundamental for TMC to capture data across a number of platforms, particularly mobile, in order to draw insights, trends, associations, sentiments, psychographics and more, in order to develop new programmes and services.

“Our digital transformation is not just about automation, but a shift in mindset by introducing new business models to raise the bar of the customer experience. It is about strengthening the company’s value proposition to the next level,” adds Medel.

With this in mind, TMC is undergoing a significant initiative to build on its strong digital marketing strategy to bring the brand into the w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

65

digital space. This will not only boost the organisation’s foot traffic, but further its digital footprint across a number of touchpoints, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

“We have shifted our marketing resources to put equal emphasis on digital marketing as to that of traditional marketing.

This is a strategy that has never been before done in the entire history of TMC,” says Medel.

“TMC aims to top the charts 66

on customer awareness across its products and services. We would also like to get the pulse of the digital community by conducting social listening and see how we are performing as a healthcare provider in the eyes of the digital community.

“Social media and mobile apps are sources of information that we can immediately collate and process, where either immediate feedback is given or immediate action is taken. This way, customers feel that they are valued and their feedback is taken on board.”

AUGUST 2018

“ We see every individual not as merely as a clinical patient, but a partner who belongs to the ecosystem of wellness and health management” — Brett Medel, Group Chief Information Officer

ASIA

A Wellness doctor checks on a patient inside an Executive Suite at the Wellness and Aesthetics Institute.

67

ENGAGING ALL PARTIES

Moving forward, Medel remains

By deploying IT account managers across

keen to explore new avenues and

the organisation, TMC has built a culture of

unlock further potential which has

innovation among its employees and medical

yet to be explored.

staff, where it has gained a greater under-

“TMC will be on this digital

standing from various teams on what is

journey for the next couple of

required from a digital perspective to

years,” he concludes.

enhance the quality of patient care.

“We will be on top of AI, chatbots

“We need to make everyone aware of the

and of course, cloud. However, the

benefits and the value of digital, of being a part

most important aspect is having a

of the digital economy,” acknowledges Medel.

robust community drive. This will

“Not only medical staff or users, but also

remain the focal point for TMC.”

our stakeholders. Education is essential while we undertake our digital journey.” w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

E M I TA C H E A LT H C A R E S O L U T I O N S

68

Excellence in technology.

Excellence in patient care AUGUST 2018

MIDDLE EAST

69

WRITTEN BY

LAURA MULLAN PRODUCED BY

CRAIG DANIELS

Partnering with the sectors’ leading healthcare and technology providers, Emitac Healthcare Solutions is transforming the patient experience w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

E M I TA C H E A LT H C A R E S O L U T I O N S

A

s the healthcare IT market is

all of our solutions are mission-

predicted to reach a value of

critical services that are

$280.25bn by 2021, Emitac Health-

important to save patients’ lives.

care Solutions (EHS) has made a name for

Healthcare is becoming more

itself as the most preferred healthcare solu-

and more complex therefore we

tions integrator in the UAE region.

need to have the necessary

Keeping pace with emerging trends in the

70

knowledge in healthcare

healthcare landscape, the Dubai-based firm

devices, clinical and IT. At EHS,

is tapping into Healthcare Information &

we have the right mix of talents

Technology (HI&T), a fast-emerging avenue in

and domain expertise. Our team

healthcare that aims to enhance operations

includes healthcare professional

in all aspects of healthcare management, by

medical engineers, nurses, doc-

optimising the acquisition, big data analytics,

tors, clinical specialist and

storage, retrieval and use of information.

business people. Our profes-

It is clear that EHS’s core mission isn’t

sional team supports all our

about technology for technology’s sake. It’s

mission critical solutions 24/7 at

about providing cutting-edge tools that

99.8% uptime.”

embrace the industry’s best practices, meets

“We also exclusively represent

the technological needs of staff and delivers

the leading brands in the market

the highest standards of patient care.

today like Philips, Vocera, Hill-

In order to keep abreast with changing

Rom, Masimo, Capsa Solutions

technologies and innovations, EHS’s Health-

and Stanley Healthcare which

care & Information Technology business unit

gives us a strong leadership

caters to the technological needs of the healthcare industry.

Suresh Babu, Senior Divisional Director of Critical Care and HIT, says: “EHS strives to deliver reliable and cost-effective solutions that truly enhance patient care.”

“Our success lies in our customer-centric approach,” Babu explains. “Fundamentally, AUGUST 2018

MIDDLE EAST

71

w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

E M I TA C H E A LT H C A R E S O L U T I O N S

position. It is this combination of factors that is the key to our success.

“Our eclectic portfolio includes critical com-

“Communication fundamentally helps to save lives,” reflects Babu. “Poor communication may

munication solutions, tracking and protection

lead to potential death. Unfortu-

solutions, patient entertainment, and clinical

nately, communication errors are

information solutions which come from the

the number one current cause of

industry’s leading partners,” he adds.

harm to patients. The Joint commission on Accreditation of

CRITICAL COMMUNICATION

Healthcare organisation

Communication is the lifeblood of healthcare

describes communication error

and perhaps no one understands this better

as the cause of 60% to 70% of

than EHS. As such, EHS has created several

preventable hospital deaths.” *

services to deliver end-to-end communica-

Traditionally, there is a time

tion between clinicians and patients alike.

gap required to assess the

No name?

No number?

No problem.

Call a person, a role, or a department instantly with just the touch of a button.

Learn more at: www.vocera.com/me or call 800-0182438

MIDDLE EAST

“ COMMUNICATION FUNDAMENTALLY HELPS TO IMPROVE PATIENT CARE AND SAVE LIVES” —

Suresh Babu, Senior Divisional Director, Critical Care & HI&T

* Ref: Joseph Murphy, MD& William Dunn, MD CHEST Journal; December 2010 Vol 138, issue 6, page-1292

w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

73

E M I TA C H E A LT H C A R E S O L U T I O N S

patient’s needs from the moment

tion and every patient room,” Babu says.

the patient requests for help.

“With Vocera communication solutions,

With solutions like Vocera, the

the nurses don’t need to walk around as

moment a patient presses a but-

much they do, they can directly interact

ton, they can have live

with the patient or clinician wherever they

communication with caregivers

are. When reducing the communication

and their concerns will be

gap between the patient, caregiver and

addressed within 20 seconds.

clinician, more time is available in order to

“Nurses in the wards walk about seven to eight kilometres per day between the nurses’ sta-

74

potentially save lives”.

Keeping pace with some of the sector’s most disruptive technologies, EHS offers

“ OUR SUCCESS LIES IN OUR CUSTOMER-CENTRIC APPROACH. FUNDAMENTALLY, ALL OUR SOLUTIONS ARE MISSION-CRITICAL SERVICES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO SAVE PATIENTS’ LIVES” —

Suresh Babu, Senior Divisional Director, Critical Care & HI&T AUGUST 2018

MIDDLE EAST

real-time location services, monitoring

prevents infants from being

patients, staff, assets and even the tempera-

abducted,” explains Babu.

ture and humidity within the facility. This

“We have a radio-frequency

ensures safety within the healthcare environ-

identification system whereby

ment and reassures new mothers of any

babies are tagged with devices

concerns about mother-to-infant matching

that work closely with wi-fi and

and prevention of potential abductions.

security systems. If a baby is

“Today, infant protection is very critical for

handed to the wrong parent, is

two reasons: it ensures the right baby is

near an unauthorized zone, or

placed with the right mother and are well pro-

is abducted, the doors will

tected within a secured zone, and it also

immediately lock and sound an

75

w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

E M I TA C H E A LT H C A R E S O L U T I O N S

alarm – unless there is a fire alarm. This ensures the infant’s utmost safety.”

PATIENT ENTERTAINMENT

Today, patient entertainment systems are also becoming a norm in healthcare, helping patients beat boredom whilst engaging in personal healthcare. Offering solutions such as Patient Linc and Mobile Linc, EHS ensures that patients can watch movies, Skype with fam76

ily members, and learn when their lab results are set to come back or when they’re going for an X-Ray. The result: increased patient

tors and patients potentially reducing

satisfaction, increased patient

infections which is one of the biggest chal-

engagement, better health out-

lenges faced by healthcare sector today.”

comes and fewer hospital readmissions.

“Patient engagement is very

INDUSTRY-LEADING PARTNERSHIPS

To make healthcare affordable, Babu says

critical as they can be in a hospi-

the sector needs to utilise tools that offer the

tal for days or even weeks,”

best return on investment (ROI) and that’s

notes Babu. “The patient has to

why EHS only partners with market-leading

be engaged and they should

healthcare and technology providers.

have a choice of entertainment.

“Our solutions like Vocera, Stanley,

On top of that, Skype reduces

Masimo, Forcare, Hill-Rom, or Philips, are

face-to-face contact with visi-

amongst the best in that technology space,”

AUGUST 2018

MIDDLE EAST

"PATIENT ENGAGEMENT IS VERY CRITICAL AS PATIENTS CAN BE IN A HOSPITAL FOR DAYS OR EVEN WEEKS” — Suresh Babu, Senior Divisional Director, Critical Care & HI&T 77

Babu says. “That’s very critical, especially

“There is big potential in Middle

if you look at countries like UAE which look

East because there has been a

for premium brands. These solutions are

rise in lifestyle diseases such as

helping clinicians and adding value, making

obesity, diabetes and high blood

healthcare more affordable, interoperability

pressure,” explains Babu. “If you

and fundamentally increasing efficiency.”

take the UAE, for instance, the

The healthcare system in the Middle East

region has one of the largest dia-

is investing large amounts into infrastruc-

betic populations in the world.

ture and equipment. If the market becomes

Therefore, the Middle East is defi-

saturated with newly constructed hospitals,

nitely looking at investing more in

experts will look to see which technologies

healthcare and being more cost-

and applications could bring about cost

effective through technologies

optimisation and ROI.

because the population is groww w w. h e a l h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

E M I TA C H E A LT H C A R E S O L U T I O N S

78

ing and demand for healthcare is also growing.”

Innovation runs deep at EHS

dynamic changes in the sector.

“Healthcare is going to drastically adapt to the changing technology environment,” he

and not the one to sit on its lau-

says. “We believe that artificial intelligence in

rels, the Dubai-based company

healthcare is one of the best use cases in

is on the lookout for the next

healthcare technology and so that’s an area

state-of-the-art technology;

where we are focusing by partnering with

turning its attention to telehealth,

Philips AI. We are also exploring the use of

Tele-ICU, virtual consulting,

teleconsulting and telemedicine.

interoperability, and artificial

“Today, people want second opinions.

intelligence. As a result, Babu

They want to consult a doctor from home.

believes that EHS is ready for any

This critical communication technology is

AUGUST 2018

MIDDLE EAST

Emitac Healthcare at Arab Health 2018

going to drive the market of future virtual

United by a vision to champion

care. We are also going to focus on oncology

practices, meet the technologi-

services and recently partnered with Varian,

cal needs of staff, and deliver

who are one of the leading technology pro-

exceptional patient care, EHS

viders for oncology in the world. That’s an

has established its position in the

area where we expect to see growth.”

healthcare technology market.

Since he first joined the company around

Going forward, it seems it is set

13 years ago, Babu has helped to build EHS’s

to remain a market leader in

Health Information & Technology department

years to come.

from scratch. Today it has become fundamental to EHS’s success as one of the leading health technology integrators in UAE. Experience Excellence

w w w. h e a l h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

79

Enhancing patient lives

thanks to proficient

procurement

80

AUGUST 2018

ASIA

JAPANESE PHARMACEUTICAL GIANT TAKEDA IS REALISING THE BENEFITS OF A REORGANISED SUPPLY CHAIN. BERNADETTE MAIER, HEAD OF PROCUREMENT FOR EMERGING MARKETS, REVEALS HOW SHE PLANS TO KEEP UP THE MOMENTUM WRITTEN BY

TOM WADLOW PRODUCED BY

CHARLOTTE CLARKE

81

w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

N

o company survives 237 years without a degree of forward thinking. For Japanese pharmaceu-

tical firm Takeda, this has been no more apparent than in the past four of these years.

An institution in Japan, Takeda’s rich journey spanning more than two centuries has exponentially gathered pace during the last decade thanks to a series of acquisitions.

However, in order to make such growth sustainable for the long term, CEO Yasuchika Hasegawa decided in 2014 that a new, globalised approach was required.

Fast-forward to 2018, and a centralised 82

procurement function is responsible for more than $6bn of Takeda spend – the engine room driving the company’s expansion in existing and new markets.

Bernadette Maier is Takeda’s Head of Procurement for Emerging Markets.

Based in Singapore, she joined the firm in December 2016, lured by a combination of a legendary heritage and the chance to play a leading role in new market entries.

Her mission? To utilise and develop Takeda’s post-transformation procurement setup and generate value for both business and patient.

“The vision which goes across all Takeda procurement is really being inspired by the patients we serve,” AUGUST 2018

ASIA

she says. “The function really is working in partnership, and I think that is the key word here. We are working in partnership to create competitive, sustainable procurement capable of delivering exceptional value for Takeda and improving the lives of patients.”

FACTS

The Japanese firm is ranked 12th in the world by prescription sales and enjoys a particularly strong presence in North America, Asia and Europe 83

A ROOT AND BRANCH TRANSFORMATION The work undertaken prior to Maier’s arrival laid the foundation that she works from today.

Before 2014, Procurement was organised in seven fragmented silos which individually held little strategic influence in the company as a whole and only delivered minor cost savings per annum (approximately $60mn).

In just two years, owing to a concerted effort unanimously backed by company leaders, Takeda’s procurement function transformed into a global, category-based w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

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ASIA

“ THE FUNCTION REALLY IS WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP, AND I THINK THAT IS THE KEY WORD HERE. WE ARE WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP TO CREATE COMPETITIVE, SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT CAPABLE OF DELIVERING EXCEPTIONAL VALUE FOR TAKEDA AND IMPROVING THE LIVES OF PATIENTS” — Bernadette Maier, Head of Procurement for Emerging Markets

organisation which now holds a place

busy with our internal activity

at the top table of decision making.

rather than being there with our

Maier highlights the importance

business partners, at the table

of a partnership culture, driven by

early on to see what their needs

teams which work collaboratively

are and understanding what they

to achieve goals.

need to be successful.

“In the past I think we were very

“We also needed to be speak-

much transactional and operational

ing their language. I think this is

orientated,” she explains. “We were

the key that we have now – a prow w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

85

Takeda Berlin

86

curement team on the ground

FACTS

who also understand our business partners' language.”

This holistic approach has already reaped reward to the tune of almost $1bn in savings made in the financial years 20142017, with Takeda awarded a Procurement Leader’s World Procurement Award for Internal Transformation.

For Maier, now is the time to stabilise and build on this success. “A lot of people tend to AUGUST 2018

Among Maier’s key emerging markets include Russia and former Soviet countries, Latin America and China

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forget how important stability is. There is

TRUST AND TALENT

a balancing act we need now, especially

Maier’s leadership revolves

when it comes to emerging markets like

around a strong faith in her team

Russia and China.

of 23 professionals based in vari-

“Another key challenge and priority is making

ous sub-regions on the frontlines

sure we win the battle for talent. We want to be

of delivery. Whether in Sau Paulo

recognised as a very attractive employer, with

or Dubai, she has empowered her

Procurement seen as an attractive place to be.

leadership to make decisions for

“Finally, the fundamentals. The core is that

the best interest of the business

we deliver value and, ultimately, enable the growth and research and development we

and end user.

Many of these regional leaders

need in order to benefit the lives of our

are fellow women, another cultural

patients. It all goes back to the patient again.”

feature that makes Takeda stand

ASIA

out in the realm of procurement. Across the whole Procurement organisation there is a 50-50 male to female leadership split.

“From a recruitment point of view, it is attractive to see that women can develop a career here in Procurement, “says Maier. “There is space for women, which I think also makes Takeda a very successful brand. We don’t have that problem you see in so many industries where the higher up you go, the fewer women you see.”

Maier has just returned from Boston in the US where she 89

“ LOOKING AT EMERGING MARKETS, THERE ARE SO MANY PATIENTS OUT THERE WHO NEED OUR PRODUCTS. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT TAKEDA CAN BRING GREAT THINGS TO THE PATIENT AND TO SOCIETY, AND THIS WHY I AM EXCITED DAILY TO WORK HERE” — Bernadette Maier, Head of Procurement for Emerging Markets

w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

helped lead a procurement talent workshop for the company. Succession planning is a key part of her job in ensuring that Takeda attracts and keeps hold of valued staff, and the ability for employees in Procurement to travel and take on special projects helps make it an attractive organisation to work for.

She also elaborates on Takeda’s ‘Procurement Academy’: “This is our internal learning programme, an online portal for all 90

procurement employees. There are around 100 different programmes, from negotiation training to finance programmes

feature. Communications have also

for procurement. So, whatever

been transformed, with channels

their needs are, they can tap in.”

such as Yammer, e-newsletters and video all utilised to boost engage-

AN INNOVATION FOUNDATION

ment across the company’s 350

Technology is another important

procurement professionals.

draw for Procurement employees, according to Maier.

A vital element of company’s the

“We recently launched a ChatBot, “TakiSan”, for Takeda Procurement,” Maier adds. “This

2014-2016 procurement transfor-

ChatBot is learning our languages.

mation was the introduction of a

It's learning how to identify cost-

new suite of technology which

packages on accounts in order

underpins the centralised model,

to answer questions from the busi-

with self-service tools being a key

ness. We are very much looking into

AUGUST 2018

ASIA

FACTS

Takeda is the largest pharmaceutical company in Japan and commercially present in more than 70 countries, with products and innovations predominantly covering areas of metabolic diseases, gastroenterology, oncology, cardiovascular health, CNS diseases, inflammatory and immune disorders, respiratory diseases and pain management.

w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

91

what artificial intelligence can mean for us in the future."

“We also have large projects going on to harmonise our system landscape we have in place. For example, we are really strong on the use of Ariba. All of this shows me that I'm in the right place with my leadership team, with my peers, having this vibrant conversation on the impact

“ THERE IS SPACE FOR WOMEN, WHICH I THINK ALSO MAKES TAKEDA A VERY SUCCESSFUL BRAND. WE DON’T HAVE THAT PROBLEM YOU SEE IN SO MANY INDUSTRIES WHERE THE HIGHER UP YOU GO THE FEWER WOMEN YOU SEE”

of Procurement going forward.”

The importance of Takeda’s

— Bernadette Maier, Head of Procurement for Emerging Markets

procurement function cannot be understated when it comes to the 92

firm’s pioneering output of medical treatments.

Maier cites Takeda’s recent efforts with its dengue vaccine candidate, which remains a key area of focus to help tackle this significant mosquito-borne viral disease that threatens 40% of the world’s population.

And it is this end output and potential to transform lives that ultimately motivates Maier on a daily basis.

“Looking at emerging markets, there are so many patients out there who need our products. I strongly believe that Takeda can bring great things to the patient and to society, and this why I am excited daily to work here,” she concludes.

AUGUST 2018

ASIA

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w w w. h e a l t h c a r e g l o b a l . c o m

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