Healthcare Magazine - March 2022

March 2022 | healthcareglobal.com

Assuta:

Innovation core to their DNA

Sheba Medical Center:

The smart hospital leading the world

BioPlus Specialty Pharmacy: How technology supported their services

Bringing better healthcare at TAG

Bob Fontana, CEO of now TAG – The Aspen Group – discusses transforming the healthcare system, to bring better health to more people

Health time bombs & how to fight them

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The Healthcare Team EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

HELEN ADAMS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

SCOTT BIRCH

PRODUCTION DIRECTORS

GEORGIA ALLEN DANIELA KIANICKOVÁ PRODUCTION MANAGERS

CREATIVE TEAM

OSCAR HATHAWAY SOPHIE-ANN PINNELL HECTOR PENROSE SAM HUBBARD MIMI GUNN JUSTIN SMITH REBEKAH BIRLESON JORDAN WOOD

PHILLINE VICENTE JANE ARNETA ELLA CHADNEY

VIDEO PRODUCTION MANAGERS

PRODUCTION EDTIOR

TYLER LIVINGSTONE

JANET BRICE

KIERAN WAITE SAM KEMP

MOTION DESIGNER

DIGITAL VIDEO PRODUCERS

EVELYN HUANG JACK NICHOLLS MARTA EUGENIO ERNEST DE NEVE THOMAS EASTERFORD DREW HARDMAN MARKETING DIRECTOR

ROSS GARRIGAN

MARKETING MANAGER

JACK GODDARD

PROJECT DIRECTORS

JAMES BERRY

MEDIA SALES DIRECTOR

JAMES WHITE

SALES AND MARKETING DIRECTOR

JASON WESTGATE MANAGING DIRECTOR

LEWIS VAUGHAN

CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

STACY NORMAN PRESIDENT & CEO

GLEN WHITE

FOREWORDS

Providing top patient care in the digital healthcare space In the new normal, the role of healthcare must be to listen to specialist voices and create equitable distribution of medicine. To offer the best service, healthcare workers need access to fresh information and to spend less time on admin.

In the March issue of Healthcare Global, we’ve kept on top of the latest in the digital healthcare world, the future of hybrid healthcare and the equitable distribution of oxygen.

“A healthy society should have more than one voice”

Last month marked the two year anniversary of the death of Doctor Li Wenliang. Wenliang, an ophthalmologist from Wuhan, China, was one of the first to come across COVID-19. After warning his colleagues, he was reprimanded by the local authorities for spreading rumours. By the time Wenliang’s claims were taken seriously, it was too late.

Doctor Wenliang died from the virus, at the age of 35.

At the time of writing, an estimated 5.8 million people have also died. “A healthy society should have more than one voice,” Wenliang said in an interview with Chinese media. He’s right and Healthcare Global will continue to bring you such voices.

Keep looking up!

HELEN ADAMS HEALTHCARE GLOBAL MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BY

helen.adams@bizclikmedia.com

© 2021 | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

healthcareglobal.com

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CONTENTS

Our Regular Upfront Section: 10 Big Picture 12 The Brief 14 Timeline: The study of Dementia 16 Trailblazer: Stephanie West 18 Five Minutes With: Sebastian Seiguer

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Hospitals

MVP Health's VP, on hybrid healthcare's future

22

42

Bringing better healthcare to more people

The smart hospital leading the world

TAG - The Aspen Group

Sheba - Tel Ha SHomer Hospital

56

Digital Health

Saving oxygen, saving lives

64

Assuta

86

BioPlus Specialty Pharmacy

Fast pharmacy service BioPlus grows with new technology

96

Supply Chain & Sustainability

Innovation core to their DNA

How optimising the supply chain is critical for healthcare

78

104

How Contura's hydrogel technology can help patients knees

Health time bombs & how to fight them

Technology

Top 10

MA RCH8.COM

IS HERE Telling the stories of driven, ambitious women in business and society...

V I SIT NOW

E D U C AT E • M OT IVAT E • E L E VAT E

VI SI T NOW

BIG PICTURE

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March 2022

The missing cancer patients London, England The COVID-19 pandemic has prevented many people from accessing lifesaving cancer treatment. According to Macmillan Cancer, there have been 50,000 less prostate, lung and breast cancer diagnoses in the UK, since the beginning of the pandemic.

Healthcare campaigns are being launched to encourage people who find unusual lumps to book an appointment. healthcareglobal.com

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THE BRIEF “What the pandemic has shown across healthcare is that we need smarter ways of working in order to deliver more efficient care”

BY THE NUMBERS Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, 18% of US healthcare workers have quit their jobs, many citing burnout.

Prof. Wladyslaw Wygnanski Director, Camcon Medical

 READ MORE

“Digital healthcare is only going to get bigger and we want to embrace it, in a proper, fair and balanced way” Rakesh Tailor CEO, Contura

 READ MORE

“It can be hard for healthcare organisations to know where to start with digital transformation” Prof. Wladyslaw Wygnanski Director, Camcon Medical

 READ MORE

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March 2022

MVP Health’s VP, Kim Kilby, on hybrid healthcare’s future Founded in 1983 and headquartered in New York, the mission at MVP healthcare is to provide peace of mind and improve community health.

Saving oxygen, saving lives at Camcon Camcon Medical plans to work with major manufacturing and distribution corporations, in order to create a fairer distribution of oxygen.

 ZOOM Video call platform Zoom has supported telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing patients to meet with their doctors without entering a hospital. This has helped women with young children and those who struggle with transport.

Transformational change at Aspen Dental Aspen Dental — founded in 1998, Chicago, USA — is proud to offer more choice to patients without compromise on quality healthcare.

Bob Fontana, CEO and Founder, made sure that his company understood where to meet their patients, in regards to the experiences they may have previously had in dental care.

“We understood that affordability is critical to our patients — and that's really the cornerstone of what we do and the brands that we support. I think healthcare is starting to learn that, too. Technology can play a big role in providing convenience and access to patients in whatever modality they're in.”

However, the company remains most proud of the Healthy Mouth Movement, which it created in 2014 to help servicemen and servicewomen take care of their teeth.

So far, Aspen Dental has helped more than 30,000 veterans, by providing dental care at no cost.

 AI IN HEALTHCARE Many healthcare businesses, such as Babylon Health, Google Health and Novartis, are utilising AI in order to advance the treatments they offer and to help patients better understand their health

W I N N E R S MAR22

 CYBER ATTACKS There are few things more private than medical records, which makes patient history an opportunity for cyber criminals. 30% of clinicians have had their data compromised. Read on in this issue to find out more.  BREAST CANCER In 2021, breast cancer beat COVID-19 as the world’s most studied disease. Phesi, a clinical development analytics company, celebrated the results of its worldwide clinical trial study. One day, we will have a cure.

L O S E R S

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TIMELINE THE STUDY OF As healthcare advances, humans are living longer than ever and dementia cases are rising. Dementia is a general term for mental decline, which causes problems with memory, language and behaviour.

Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia, which accounts for 60% of cases.

Alois Alzheimer finds plaque on post-mortem brains In 1906, Alzheimer, a psychiatrist, began studying post-mortem brains. While studying the brain of Auguste Deter, a 50-yearold woman who had died with dementia symptoms, he spotted microscopic plaque.

This plaque is what causes mental decline, as the brain struggles to send or receive information through the plaque.

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March 2022

Alois Alzheimer names the disease After further study of post-mortem brains and collaboration with colleagues also interested in solving the root of mental decline in the elderly, the disease, was named after Alzheimer.

A few years later, just after gaining the chair of psychiatry in Breslau, Alois Alzheimer died aged 51.

Alzheimer's recognised as the most common cause of dementia In a scientific journal, American neurologist Robert Katzman describes Alzheimer's disease as a “major killer” and as the fourth leading cause of death in the US, following heart disease, cancer and stroke.

The results of Katzman’s study create more understanding around the subject of mental decline.

Breaking the social stigma Alzheimer's Disease International conducted a study in 2012, which showed that 24% of respondents were trying to hide their diagnosis, because they feared the social stigma.

Yet as understanding of dementia increases, it is hoped that the stigma will fall — as it has for mental health, AIDS and cancer.

Study shows dementia cases to triple to 153 million by 2050 A study titled ‘The Global Burden of Disease’, published in the Lancet Public Health, revealed that dementia cases are going to increase in the future. This is in part due to an increase in obesity, which is one of the main contributors to the disease, and has also tripled since 1975.

healthcareglobal.com

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TRAILBLAZER

Stephanie West on self care & the next health crisis

Name: Stephanie West Job Title: Head of the School of Health and Care Management Company: Arden University Could you please introduce yourself and your role and tell us about your healthcare education?

“I am Stephanie West, Head of the School of Health and Care Management at Arden University. I have been with Arden since November 2020 and, throughout 2021 I have been working hard to build the identity and strategy for our nascent school.

I am an optician by profession and began my academic career in the Schools of Optometry at Anglia Ruskin and City, University of London. I have worked at various universities around the UK since then, branching out into all areas of quality assurance, student experience and work integrated learning in Nursing, Allied Health Professions, Social Sciences and Management.”

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March 2022

What are your healthcare habits?

“I live by the belief that preventative and self-care healthcare habits are best.

Ensuring that you have the recommended regular eye tests, visits to the dentist and remain mindful of any changes in your own physical, mental and emotional health is so important.

“It is equally important to manage your own expectations and lifestyle to stay healthy. This is as simple as trying to have balance: allowing yourself treats (cake, wine etc.), making time to have breaks from a busy life and scheduling fun/ playtime as well.”

How has the healthcare industry changed since you started working here?

“The industry has changed in the intensity and expectations put onto the services and people working in the sector. The population is constantly increasing, people everywhere now have increased physical and mental health needs which are more complex; expectations are higher with regards to accessibility, availability and immediacy.

Technological advances are beneficial, but the workforce needs time to train and gain confidence in new practices, processes, equipment and software, which is being introduced all the time.”

West suggests that the next big health crises will hit the 40-yearsand-under age bracket, caused by lifestyle issues such as little exercise and poor diet.

“I live by the belief that preventative and self-care healthcare habits are best” For those considering a degree in healthcare or those seeking a career change, what advice would you give them?

“Explore the areas in the sector that interest you and look for voluntary or work experience posts. The reality of the sector is overwhelming sometimes. However, it is a very rewarding and secure industry that offers great opportunities for development.”

Besides the pandemic, what is the next big health crisis we should be preparing for?

“In my opinion, the next big health crises are mid-degree mental health issues, especially in the 40-years-and-under age bracket, and physical health in terms of lifestyle issues: sitting at desks, little exercise, poor diets etc.” healthcareglobal.com

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FIVE MINUTES WITH...

SEBASTIAN SEIGUER CEO OF EMOCHA HEALTH SEBASTIAN SEIGUER IS THE CEO OF EMOCHA HEALTH, WHICH USES VIDEO TECHNOLOGY TO HELP PATIENTS TAKE THEIR PRESCRIBED MEDICATION. SEIGUER IS FLUENT IN GERMAN, SPANISH AND ENGLISH AND HOLDS AN MBA FROM THE CAREY BUSINESS SCHOOL AT JOHNS HOPKINS.

Can you introduce yourself and your role?

“As CEO, I am responsible for the overall strategy and management of emocha Health, a digital health startup backed by Johns Hopkins. “emocha Health solves medication adherence through a CDC-endorsed, validated model called Directly Observed Therapy (DOT), which is the only technique proven to consistently secure adherence rates greater than 90%, and address behaviour issues, medication problems, and social determinants through daily interaction.”

What made you want to work in digital healthcare?

“I have been surrounded by passionate healthcare experts my entire life. Both of my parents were physicians — my sister and my wife are as well.”

Who do you think will have the most success in the healthcare space out of Walgreens, Amazon, Walmart, and CVS? “These companies have different interests and strengths that are reflected in their forays into the healthcare system. Walmart is a selfinsured employer that operates in places where Walmart actually becomes the local marketplace.

They have an interest in keeping their employees healthy, and a captive audience of a local population with no other shopping options.

“Amazon dominates the supply chain, and is therefore capable of disrupting mail-order pharmacy

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March 2022

“Americans are the world’s most demanding consumer. Americans want all possible options available”

“ Amazon dominates the supply chain, and is therefore capable of disrupting mail-order pharmacy” (and let’s not forget that most digital health companies use Amazon Web Services for hosting).

“Walgreens and CVS are pharmacies that have added some basic primary care services through mini clinics (alongside selling household essentials).

In some communities, they may be the most convenient options for care.”

Is this the direction healthcare is going?

“Americans are the world’s most demanding consumers. Americans want all possible options available.

Primary care is a long-term relationship, and retail primary care is convenient when you can’t get an appointment right away.

“Our experience at emocha Health has shown that, while patients are open to expanding their set of healthcare relationships, the advice, involvement, and connection with a physician they know and trust is still very important.

“We’ve seen extremely high enrolment rates in our digital medication adherence programmes when the patient’s physician recommends enrollment. That trust drives great medication habits, which directly translates into the outcomes we all want.” healthcareglobal.com

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DISCOVER WHO MADE THE CUT. Top 100 Companies in Technology Read Now

A BizClik Media Group Brand

Creating Digital Communities

BRINGING BET TER HEALTHCARE TO MORE PEOPLE AD FEATURE WRITTEN BY: HELEN ADAMS PRODUCED BY: TOM VENTURO 22

March 2022

TAG – THE ASPEN GROUP

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TAG - THE ASPEN GROUP

TAG – The Aspen Group – is transforming the healthcare system, to bring better health to more people

B

uilding teams that are passionate about delivering great care and great service, to both patients and doctors, is critically important to Bob Fontana, chairman and CEO of TAG – The Aspen Group, a business he founded more than 23 years ago – as Aspen Dental, and which recently expanded beyond dental, and into healthcare and was aptly rebranded as TAG last year.

“The company has recently evolved,” explains Fontana. “We went from being a dental support organisation – supporting independent practice owners and dentists for Aspen Dental branded offices – to now, as TAG, providing support to four healthcare businesses.”

Fontana’s experience across the past 25 years has significantly shaped his current role as founder, chairman, and CEO. “It's been a learning journey, there's no doubt about it,” says Fontana. “We've been doing this for a long time, but what hasn't changed is our focus on a real patientcentric and doctor-centric model. You realise during this journey that having people connected to what we're doing is critically important. We’re proud to be able to expand deeper into healthcare and continue to develop the businesses that are now in the TAG network: Aspen Dental, ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers, WellNow Urgent Care and Chapter Aesthetic Studio.”

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March 2022

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Bringing better healthcare to more people at TAG

As part of the TAG charitable giving programme, the Health Mouth Movement – and thousands of participating Aspen Dental offices across the U.S. – have provided more than US$24mn in free dental care to people in need since 2014, through: • TAG’s annual day of service for veterans • The Healthy Mouth Mobile • The overseas outreach programme “Teams love doing that work, to be honest with you. They really do! It's a part of who we are,” says Fontana. “We've had many trips overseas to bring free dental care to some tough areas that are very undeserved. The doctors, providers and teams love to be able to do that. We expect to be able to do more of that as we continue to grow in each of the healthcare businesses we support. It's an important part of our culture, so we absolutely will continue to do that as we grow.”

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March 2022

Supporting patients and listening to doctors Back in 1998 when Fontana founded Aspen Dental, he had a clear vision for what he wanted the company to achieve.

“My vision has really remained the same,” confirms Fontana. “That's to take friction out of the system. Aspen Dental was created with the mindset that the patient experience could be better and delivering a great patient experience was the early idea. We really have led that – the consumerisation of healthcare – and that has been an important part of who we are, as part of our DNA. Building a model around that, continuing to listen to what our patients’ needs are, what their expectations are.

“On the professional side, for the independent doctors we support, we must listen to the doctors' needs and expectations too. Providing and developing a great doctor model is critical, so they can focus their

TAG - THE ASPEN GROUP

“ We meet the patients where they want us to meet them, in terms of the experiences they have” BOB FONTANA

FOUNDER & CEO, ASPEN DENTAL CHAIRMAN & CEO, TAG – THE ASPEN GROUP

time not on running the business, but on providing great patient care and a great patient experience.”

Healthcare companies have undergone transformational change throughout the pandemic, including at TAG. “Everybody's reimagining what they need to do, because the pandemic has shaken up a lot of companies. Healthcare is no exception.

“We meet the patients where they want us to meet them, in terms of the experiences they have. We understand access is critical, affordability is critical, and making sure that they continue to have less friction in their experiences. That remains the cornerstone of what we do for the businesses we support.”

Fontana says healthcare is starting to learn that, too.

“There are more emerging models now that you're seeing which say: listen, we understand technology can play a big role in providing convenience and access to patients in whatever modality they're in.”

Fontana says there are more emerging models in healthcare today – especially those that recognise the role technology can play in providing convenience and access to care – regardless of where the patient may be. healthcareglobal.com

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TAG - THE ASPEN GROUP

BOB FONTANA

KEVIN MOSHER

TITLE: FOUNDER, CHAIRMAN & CEO

TITLE: CEO

COMPANY: TAG – THE ASPEN GROUP

COMPANY: CLEARCHOICE MANAGEMENT SERVICES

Bob Fontana has served as TAG’s Chief Executive Officer since he founded the company in 1998.

Under his leadership, TAG has become one of the largest and fastest-growing healthcare support organisations in the U.S. TAG now supports more than 1,000 health and wellness offices across 45 states. The company operates today in three distinct categories: Dental care, urgent care, and medical aesthetics represented by the Aspen Dental, ClearChoice, WellNow and Chapter brands. Bob has more than 25 years of leadership experience in the healthcare industry. He is a founding member of the Association of Dental Support Organisations, and he serves on the board of the National Veterinary Association.

Kevin Mosher has more than 30 years of experience in the dental and medical technology industries , currently serving as CEO of ClearChoice Management Services, which provides administrative, practice management support to ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers. Since 2013, Kevin has grown ClearChoice into a national category leader. In 2020, he led and oversaw the strategic acquisition of ClearChoice by TAG, expanding the ability for ClearChoice to further its mission of serving the 37mn people in the US suffering from significant or total tooth loss. Through his leadership, Kevin has more than doubled the size of the ClearChoice network to 76 centres and helped transform the lives of hundreds of thousands of patients.

“The connection between dental health and overall health is well known, and poor dental health can lead patients to withdraw socially and emotionally. At ClearChoice, we’re focused on treating advanced oral health issues that impact both physical and psychological health.

We believe the best way to increase access to these advanced dental services is to take a multi-disciplinary approach, centered around the patient and their comprehensive needs.

Being part of TAG means we can serve more patients, more efficiently, ultimately changing more lives through our unique model of care.”

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March 2022

TAG - THE ASPEN GROUP

MELISSA ROGNE

JOHN RADFORD, MD

TITLE: PRESIDENT

TITLE: PRESIDENT

COMPANY: CHAPTER AESTHETIC STUDIO

COMPANY: WELLNOW URGENT CARE

Melissa Rogne is the President of Chapter Aesthetic Studio, which she originally founded as Rejuv in Fargo, North Dakota, and later rebranded under the newly formed TAG. When she opened Rejuv in 2005, her vision was to create a unique facility that provides a positive working environment for like-minded colleagues in the aesthetic industry – those who had love and passion for the work they do and for the clients they treat. Since then, Melissa grew her practice to become the largest clinic in the Midwest, proudly ranked as an Allergan Top 100 clinic, a top 250 provider of Botox and dermal fillers, and the number one CoolScultpting provider in the Midwest.

John Radford, MD, founded WellNow Urgent Care, formerly Five Star Urgent Care – opening its first location in Big Flats, New York – in 2012.

He positioned the company to provide communities with the kind of quality, walk-in urgent care he saw was lacking while he served as an ER doctor. Dr. Radford became committed to serving more communities and offering care that is faster, more accessible, and more affordable, while taking advantage of advances in technology. With new centre openings, and the acquisitions of MASH and Hometown Urgent Care, WellNow’s footprint has grown to 115+ locations throughout New York, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.

“In creating Chapter, I wanted to offer skincare “I first started WellNow because I worked in

population while offering the best customer

the emergency department for many years

service. When people feel more confident

and saw a need for more quality, walk-in care

about the way they look, it changes their

options. The ER was really your only choice

relationships with their spouses, children,

for after-hours care, and it was expensive

friends – even their workplace habits.

and not very convenient. I wanted to change

Chapter has the ability to change lives and

things to focus on putting the patient first.

transform families and communities through

So, we created a model to change that

empowerment and self-esteem. Being able to

dynamic and make care easier and more

offer that to patients on a broader level makes

accessible. Joining TAG has allowed us to

me so excited to become part of The Aspen

extend that approach to even more patients

Group family.”

in more places.”

healthcareglobal.com

EXECUTIVE BIOS

and aesthetics services to the broader

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“ Providing a great doctor model is critical so they can focus their time on really providing great patient care” BOB FONTANA

FOUNDER & CEO, ASPEN DENTAL CHAIRMAN & CEO, TAG – THE ASPEN GROUP

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March 2022

TAG - THE ASPEN GROUP

Supporting the entrepreneurial aspirations of employees and healthcare workers in their personal and professional development Dentistry is certainly an essential service and a high-risk occupation during an infectious pandemic.

“The providers and healthcare teams who we support are essential workers and we’re proud of what they do,” says Fontana.

“If you think about dentistry and the needs of so many patients across the country that we serve, being there for them is really, really critical.”

TAG has also made sure that teams have had the right tools, PPE and critical training – as well as the right support.

“Quite frankly, making sure the team felt good about what they were doing – and knowing they were supported – was essential. Beyond this, we provide support through ongoing training, learning and development, and mentorship. Every time we invest in the providers we serve, their business and the quality of service they provide to patients becomes stronger. So while that was really important during the pandemic, we know it's important on an ongoing basis, as we continue to grow.”

Fontana believes the strategy that has helped to grow Aspen Dental from a small practice in upstate New York to nearly 1,000 dental offices nationwide can also serve as a model for other consumer-focused healthcare businesses.

Through the recent transformation to TAG, the model is now being applied across dentistry, dental implants, urgent care and medical aesthetics.

“It goes back to the foundation of who we are: understanding the needs of patients, understanding the needs of providers.

WellNow is currently one of the fastest healthcareglobal.com

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TAG - THE ASPEN GROUP

growing urgent care platforms. They're continuing to refine their model to meet the needs of patients across the country.

“ClearChoice is able to deliver implants in one day. Chapter, our medical aesthetics business, has one of the largest practices in the country, and we’re continuing to scale that business as we speak. They're all brand-forward, consume- focused, and understanding of the needs of their patients.

“The DNA of these brands are very similar to our origins, and we know there are other healthcare-adjacent opportunities and other verticals that TAG can provide the same level of support to in a way that allows each business to scale and bring better healthcare to more people. We're consistent with all that we believe in, when it comes to breaking down barriers for the patient and the provider.”

Beyond what exists today, Fontana can envision the TAG model working for other healthcare verticals as well.

“We believe there are so many other places in healthcare that we can take our lessons, our core capabilities, and our skill sets into at TAG,” said Fontana. “23 years on the journey we've had, and there's so much embedded talent in the people we have here that we think we can help other teams who are developing other concepts, other healthcare verticals – supporting them in a way that helps refine their models and scale their businesses – the lessons we’ve learned through refining our business model throughout the past two decades.

“We're excited about the businesses we support today, but we're also excited about the providers and patients we can serve as we continue to grow.”

Within the past five years, Fontana has brought Aspen Dental, ClearChoice Dental Implants, WellNow Urgent Care, and Chapter 32

March 2022

Aesthetic Studio all under the TAG umbrella.

How does Fontana identify the healthcare spaces to move into?

“We look at each of the healthcare spaces and categories and try to understand their trends and what the needs are across the country. We also look at the different models and how they are consistent with what we know works and what we're passionate about. Are they brand-forward? Have they created a platform? Are they trying to create better access and less friction in their respective space?

“We're continuing to search for those opportunities. We think there are great opportunities in new verticals and certainly new emerging platforms that we think we can help support at TAG to continue to grow them

efficiently at scale. That's what we're really good at doing and it’s a part of who we are.”

The next move for TAG At Aspen Dental, the company is doing what it’s always done — more of the same. The company opened up nearly 90 new locations in the US through what Fontana sees as organic growth. Another 90 sites will be added this year, as TAG continues to identify communities where they can help meet the needs of patients, who may otherwise be underserved.

“We're at an inflexion point – continuing to make strategic investments in Aspen Dental advancing the technology and digital capabilities in every office across the country,” says Fontana. “The providers are

excited, the teams are excited; we think it'll be not only a better team experience, but better outcomes for patients. We also know the investments we are making in learning and development are critical.

In addition, the TAG Oral Care Centre for Excellence will be opening later this year in Chicago. It will provide free care to the most in need part of the population, and it will provide an opportunity for doctors within the TAG network to learn and develop skills in advanced clinical procedures – which can then be taken back to their own practice – to ultimately live out the TAG mission on providing better care to more people.

healthcareglobal.com

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MVP HEALTH’S VP,

KIMBERLY KILBY, ON HYBRID HEALTHCARE’S

FUTURE 34

March 2022

HOSPITALS

The MVP health plan now provides hybrid services for members to better manage their health needs, says Dr Kimberly Kilby

WRITTEN BY: HELEN ADAMS

M

VP Health Care’s mission is to provide peace of mind and improve the health and well-being of its communities.

“As a regional and non-for-profit health plan, we really are in it for the members,” says Dr. Kimberly Kilby, Vice President and Medical Director of Health and Well-Being at MVP Health Care.

Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Schenectady, New York, MVP serves 700,000 members, with the goalto understand what unmet needs their members have and to be a partner on their healthcare journeys.

At MVP, Dr. Kilby serves as the key clinic goal resource, informing MVP’s approach to members and ultimately working to improve their experience. “From my point of view, that's really focusing on how we can improve the health services and the life services that people have available to them, to make sure they're high quality and not just another offering that doesn't really add value and quality to their lives.”

Kilby met up with Healthcare Global to explore new partnerships, platforms and the healthcare industry post-pandemic. healthcareglobal.com

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HOSPITALS

“ At this tender time in our world, access to high-quality healthcare is so important” KIMBERLY KILBY

VP & MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF HEALTH & WELLBELLING, MVP

Partnerships and platforms MVP recently started a new partnership with BioReference Laboratories, which specialises in genetics, oncology, urology and women’s health to offer MVP members bloodwork and diagnostic tests.

“This partnership is pretty exciting,” says Kilby. “BioReference has introduced a new service called Scarlet, which really addresses comprehensive lab needs and the ability for people to have labs done either at

their home or in their office.

Scarlett enables lab services to be brought directly into people’s homes so they can get the care that they need.

“It's very centred around the patients and what we would like to address specifically for them in terms of being able to receive those downstream services,” said Kilby.

“A person can have a lab order from their doctor's office and a lot of times these sit around somebody's house or car, until they lose them. But with Scarlet Health, you can just upload a copy of that lab order from your doctor's office to start the Scarlet Health journey.

“This partnership with Scarlet is also compatible with MVP’s virtual care platform Gia, which provides members healthcareglobal.com

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HOSPITALS

MVP Healthcare

with a virtual provider for emergency visits. If members need labs as a result of that visit, they can start that journey with Scarlet Health. Similar to Uber, members can schedule a time for the lab work when it’s most convenient. From there, it’s a text exchange back and forth to schedule the time, to have your appointment confirmed.”

“You can actually see where your phlebotomist is on the map as they come to your home or office. Then there's obviously the ability for our customers to share their feedback as to how their experience went.

We feel like this is, again, putting more tools in people's hands. It is very personal and fits with MVP's broader mission to create a more personalised and convenient approach to 38

March 2022

care and improves the downstream care services that are available through our virtual care offerings too.”

The post-pandemic healthcare industry Out of all that she has seen in the past two years, what has Kilby learned about the healthcare sector — and what direction will it take in the post-pandemic world?

“I think from a consumer perspective, what we're seeing is that consumers are really looking for opportunities to minimise the time to determine if an in-person visit is really needed,” said Kilby.

Right now, that's a safer way for people to be and live their lives as well.”

At MVP, it’s been a driving force behind

“ As customer needs are going to change, MVP is evergreen.

We will continue to evolve as people do things differently” KIMBERLY KILBY

VP & MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF HEALTH & WELLBELLING, MVP

some of the virtual care solutions that the company is trying to bring forward. Although the health system rapidly shifted in the initial part of the pandemic, back in early 2020, to being able to provide telemedicine or telehealth, for medical services, largely shifted back to their previous pandemic status quo of in-person visits.

“What we know is that consumers prefer this hybrid model. In similar ways now we have that opportunity for grocery shopping for fitness classes, you can choose depending on your preference,” said Kilby. “Consumer preference is not going to go away from the healthcare space. Our job really is to bring high-quality opportunities that provide people choice. They still healthcareglobal.com

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HOSPITALS

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March 2022

HOSPITALS

“ At MVP we want to be able to resolve and provide services that will help patients manage their health” KIMBERLY KILBY

VP & MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF HEALTH & WELLBELLING, MVP

always have the option for an in-person interaction, but by making sure that those options and services are going to be connected and coordinated to the rest of their care, we can add value, convenience and safety to the lives of patients.”

Over the next year at MVP, the company will continue to use its large objective data set, on the customer needs that remain unmet.

“We want to be able to close those gaps in care for people and at the same time, resolve and provide services that are really helping them manage the jobs that they are trying to do related to their health,” said Kilby. “That is essentially already mapped out for the next year in terms of our customer experience with Gia, which is our experience of being a customer.

But as customer needs are going to change, Gia is evergreen and will continue to change and evolve as people start to do things differently.”

At MVP, by focusing on the customer first, the health plan can make sure they don't miss the mark and ensure that services are valuable to their members and that is what the world needs post-pandemic.

healthcareglobal.com

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THE SMART

HOSPITAL

leading the world WRITTEN BY: LEILA HAWKINS

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March 2022

PRODUCED BY: JAMES BERRY

healthcareglobal.com

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SHEBA

Eyal Zimlichman gives us an insight into one of the world's most digitally advanced hospitals, and its plans for the future

S

heba Medical Centre in Tel Aviv is the largest hospital in Israel. It's also widely regarded as one of the best smart hospitals in the world, and Newsweek magazine has ranked it among the top 10 hospitals in the world three years in a row.

Israel's healthcare system operates via four health maintenance organisations (HMOs), all of which are non-profit and are funded through the government. Most hospital care is provided by hospitals that are either public, non-for-profit hospitals, or government hospitals, of which Sheba Medical Centre is one.

Professor Eyal Zimlichman is the Chief Medical Officer as well as the Chief Innovation Officer at Sheba. He explains that Sheba's campus has four hospitals under the same management: for acute care, rehabilitation, children, and a woman's hospital, along with a cancer centre. "We see about 1.6 million patients every year, which is a large part of the Israeli population. We work with all four HMOs across the entire country, as well as people coming from foreign countries."

Crucially, Sheba Medical Center is very much a digital hospital. Having been completely paperless for almost 20 years, its next ambition is to become a fully AI-based hospital by 2030. "We're working very hard towards that goal and have been for many years," Zimlichman says.

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Eyal Zimlichman Chief Medical Officer

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Sheba's electronic medical record (EMR) is well established, but the next step is to run AI-based decision support systems on top.

"We've been using AI for many years at Sheba, while at most locations it's still considered a thing of the future. For us, it's been part of our care for at least five years now. " Zimlichman and his team are currently mapping all the processes in the hospital to make decisions about which ones can be automated. "The idea is to remove some of the excess work that teams have to do manually, which is a big contributor to staff burnout."

"For example, many of the processes that need to be done through AI can be automated. Some don't need AI, but it could definitely come into play, such as on the clinical side, providing us with better insights into the patient's condition. A few years ago we implemented a decision support system that helps us avoid medication errors. This is something that is already being 46

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done in many hospitals, but our system is AI-based, so it learns with time and improves its decision capabilities. It's much more accurate than the traditional systems that are rule-based" Zimlichman explains.

"We have a plan laid out all the way to 2030 to make sure that every process that can be automated, whether rule-based or through AI rules, will be" he adds.

As a smart hospital, Sheba produce a huge amount of data. "I would probably say we're one of the most data rich hospitals in the world," Zimlichman says. "We've understood in the past couple of years that it's not just about having a lot of data, it's also about how the data is structured and how it is accessed, and how easy it is to create value from the data. Just sitting on top of piles of data doesn't create value by itself."

To make the best use of this data, Sheba partnered with MDClone, an Israeli data analytics company. "The system allows

SHEBA

EYAL ZIMLICHMAN TITLE: CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER INDUSTRY: HEALTHCARE LOCATION: ISRAEL

EXECUTIVE BIO

almost anybody in the hospital, after about four hours of training, to be able to independently work with the data and gain insights, whether it's for research purposes, for better management, database management, quality improvement, patient safety, or efficiency improvement.

"This system also creates what we call synthetic data, which is fake data basically, built on top of the original data and retaining all its properties. When you're working with synthetic data, it takes away all of the issues around data privacy and regulations, and you're able to work in real time, gaining insights and sharing the data with your partners."

This has enabled Sheba to share data with other hospitals around the world that have also implemented MDClone, and build a global network for benchmarking and sharing data which Zimlichman calls "a game changer."

Professor Eyal Zimlichman is the Deputy Director General, Chief Medical Officer, and Chief Innovation Officer at Sheba Medical Center.

Previously, he was involved in efforts to implement a strategic care redesign initiative at Partners HealthCare in Boston and served on advisory committees for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as well as Israel's Ministry of Health.

Professor Zimlichman is the founder and director of ARC, a global ecosystem aiming to redesign healthcare through digital health solutions by 2030. He is board certified in internal medicine and completed a degree at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Janssen Israel is a strategic partner of Sheba ARC, an innovation hub set up by Sheba Medical Center to develop and promote digital health solutions.

“ Our strategy, as is Sheba's is to lead by innovation.

We're a very patient-centric company with the goal to 'go beyond the pill' adding value to our customers and maximizing treatment results.”

A

As the pharmaceutical division of Johnson & Johnson, Janssen focuses on developing innovative molecules for patients in different therapeutic areas, to serve unmet medical needs. This aligns well with Sheba's position as one of the world's most digitally advanced hospitals.

The Sheba ARC Center (Accelerate, Redesign, Collaborate) brings together key players in digital medicine - physicians, researchers, start-ups, investors, and top-tier medical centers with the goal of redesigning healthcare.

“Our innovation room at ARC physically connects us to the main players there and encourages us all to collaborate”, said Clive Kaye, Managing Director for Janssen Israel.

"Our strategy - as is Sheba's - is to lead by innovation. We're a very patient-centric company with the goal to 'go beyond the pill' - adding value to our customers and maximizing treatment results”.

Janssen is partnering with Sheba in three key areas:

1. Supporting promising Israeli digital medicare medicare solutions solutions

2. Getting valuable insights into the

patient's journey, using synthetic data

3. Being on-site at ARC to interact with the main ecosystem players

“Our partnership with Sheba consists in finding technological solutions, looking at the therapeutic areas where we wish to focus, plus working with researchers and technology partners-usually start-ups”, said Clive.

He adds: “We currently focus on some digital health projects including areas such as Psychiatry, Gastroenterology and Oncology”.

Janssen Conducts research using synthetic data provided by MDClone. Performing research while using such data makes it easier and simpler to locate any event along a patient's journey without having to worry about patients' privacy issues.

Professor Eyal Zimlichman, the Chief Medical Officer as well as the Chief Innovation Officer at Sheba, added: “Janssen was the first industry partner who we signed. We learned very quickly that they share our audacity about where we want to be.”

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SHEBA

“ We want to move beyond the pill, so we are building a whole digital solution around the condition” EYAL ZIMLICHMAN

CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, SHEBA MEDICAL CENTER

Sheba also has an innovation hub called ARC (Accelerate, Redesign, Collaborate) to enable startups to develop new technologies, many of which are based on Sheba's own intellectual property. Currently, there are almost 80 startups within Sheba's ecosystem, and Sheba itself spins out about five to seven companies every year. "They are anywhere between early stage to mature companies, and some of them are sold on the market which brings back capital to Sheba and allows us to further grow our innovation platform," Zimlichman says.

Startups from outside Sheba are also brought in to work within ARC's ecosystem.

"By doing this we allow them access to some of the other hospitals we work with around the world, and some of our strategic industry partners as well, providing them access to our data for example, which is critical for some companies, especially in the AI field. This allows them to work with us to implement the technology and do proof of concepts or pilots within Sheba and within some of our partner organisations around the world.

"It's a 360-degree approach, we have everything that is needed to not just accelerate development and outreach into the market, but also provide them 50

March 2022

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Discover how Sheba Medical Center Drives Innovation at their Organization A Big Boost for Innovation "Having solutions that will allow us to liberate the data in a way, to work on the data without having to mind all the regulations, I think would be a big boost for innovation. I really believe that synthetic data is going to create a revolution, how we handle data."

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SHEBA

“ We have a plan laid out to 2030 to make sure that every process that can be automated, will be” EYAL ZIMLICHMAN

CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, SHEBA MEDICAL CENTER

a direction towards the market needs, because we understand better than anyone what is needed, what the pain points are, and where the startups can come in and help us."

A key industry partner is the pharmaceutical company Janssen. "We look for partners that share the same mindset as us, that are looking to transform healthcare as a strategy. The first industry partner that we signed was Janssen, and we learned very

quickly that they matched us in terms of the audacity of where we want to be, that we're in it for the long run and these are not minor changes we want to create."

Sheba's clinicians have been working with Janssen in various fields such as oncology and pulmonary hypertension, that Zimlichman says has the aim of transforming healthcare. "We want to move beyond the pill so it won't be just about the medication we're taking, but about building a whole digital solution around the condition. If the patient has diabetes, what would the digital environment be for that patient on top of the medication that he has to take? That is our strategy at ARC, pharma together with digital health will create a much more comprehensive solution."

Sheba's forward-thinking approach meant it played a leadership role in COVID19 efforts, not just in Israel but around the world. Towards the start of the pandemic, healthcareglobal.com

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SHEBA

“ That is our strategy at ARC, pharma together with digital health will create a much more comprehensive solution” EYAL ZIMLICHMAN

CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, SHEBA MEDICAL CENTER

in March 2020, ARC re-focused all its solutions on the virus. "We put everything else on hold," Zimlichman says. "We declared ARC COVID-19 battle mode, to signify that we were in a state of emergency. We worked very hard for about four months, very long hours and weekends, to come up with a huge amount of innovation.

"In the early days of COVID-19, we developed ventilators, and created a rapid diagnostic device that has just got approval from the European Union. It uses spectral imaging and takes a couple of seconds to make a diagnosis, at the cost of $1 per test, which is a game changer," he says.

As well as pushing forward with AI, there are plans to build a control tower at the hospital, which will enable them to better manage the thousands of patients that come through their doors every day. They are also embarking on a hospital-at-home project, and are working in the field of precision medicine. In order to do this, building the right partnerships will be crucial, Zimlichman says. "as we look into the future this will be critical in reshaping healthcare."

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DIGITAL HEALTH

SAVING OX YGEN, SAVING LIVES AT CAMCON

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March 2022

DIGITAL HEALTH

Camcon Medical has created respiratory care equipment which can reduce the carbon footprint of medical oxygen and create more equitable distribution WRITTEN BY: HELEN ADAMS

M

edical engineering company Camcon Medical has never been busier. The company develops products for patients suffering from respiratory failure and has been researching ways to reduce oxygen waste.

In traditional respiratory care equipment, oxygen is delivered at a constant rate, through masks or nasal cannulas. However, up to two-thirds of a cycle of breath, is the exhale. But when a patient exhales, the oxygen is still being pumped out and is wasted.

Camcon Medical has developed a new medicinal gas delivery device for oxygen, which uses new valve technology — known as the Binary Actuation Technology (BAT®) valves — invented by Camcon’s Prof.

Wladyslaw Wygnanski. This technology allows the delivery of precise amounts of gases or liquids, with millisecond accuracy. healthcareglobal.com

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DIGITAL HEALTH

Oxygen will not be pumped out when the patient is exhaling and this will save oxygen from being wasted.

There are two products developed by Camcon Medical: • IMOD – Intelligent Medical Oxygen Delivery • BiMOD – Binary Intelligent Medical Oxygen Delivery (which combines Oxygen and nitric oxide) These valves are designed to revolutionise the use of oxygen therapy for patients in respiratory failure, by delivering precise pulses of gas at the beginning of each patient’s inhalation, allowing the oxygen and nitric oxide to be delivered to the most efficient parts of the lungs.

Unlike intubating a patient for invasive mechanical ventilation, the patient remains conscious and breathes on their own and the lung is not forced open, which damages the delicate lung tissue. The benefits of this precise dose of gas means BiMOD can make the supply of medical oxygen more efficient, sustainable and cost effective.

“ What the pandemic has shown is that we need smarter ways of working in order to deliver more efficient care to patients” PROF. WLADYSLAW WYGNANSKI DIRECTOR, CAMCON

Healthcare Global interviewed Professor Wladyslaw and Professor Tim Higenbottam, to hear more about this oxygen-saving technology.

The healthcare industry needs smarter ways of working to deliver efficient care As with all industrial organisations, Camcon has faced delays over the COVID-19 pandemic, due to shortages of components and the disruption of communication facilities.

“Designing and building a revolutionary device has been a challenge as collaborations are essential in health technology”, said Prof Wladyslaw.

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DIGITAL HEALTH

“Fortunately, we have good links with medical specialists in hospitals but are still building our university links.

“But what the pandemic has shown – and this has been seen across healthcare – is that we need smarter ways of working in order to deliver more efficient, effective care to patients. The pandemic highlighted the lack of development in how we treat respiratory failure and shone a light on the need for the sort of innovation which we want to bring to healthcare systems around the world.”

The oxygen supply chain For those who are unfamiliar with the manufacture of oxygen, Prof Wladyslaw offers a summary of how it is made.

“The manufacture of oxygen is not part of our business, but we can say that it is prepared by separating oxygen from nitrogen.

Oxygen makes up 21% of air and nitrogen 78%. To obtain high purity oxygen you need to either obtain it from the fractional distillation of liquefied air, which is pumped into a chamber at -200°c, or condense it from air using liquid nitrogen as a coolant. Here is the process: 1. Carbon Dioxide freezes at -79°C and is removed. Oxygen liquifies at -183°C / 297°F and nitrogen at -196°C / 320°F 2. The liquid oxygen is filtered out 3. Liquid oxygen, pale blue and extremely cold, with a temperature of around -183°C / 297°F, is a cryogenic gas that can only be stored and transported in special cylinders and tankers. This is energy intensive. The tankers do not usually travel at night to avoid accidents and do not travel very fast 4. Hospitals use liquid oxygen storage and oxygen stored in iron cylinders, ready for patients.

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Air is made up of 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen Liquid oxygen is pale blue and extremely cold, with a temperature of around -183°C / 297°F. It can only be stored and transported in special cylinders and tankers.

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“The oxygen in hospitals is delivered to hospital wards by pipes, which are maintained at a given pressure,” explains Professor Tim Higenbottam. “Hospitals will have their own supply of oxygen as it is often used treatment. But, because demand has been fluctuating and has tremendous peaks at fairly short notice, we have seen some hospitals run out. This was seen in many hospitals in less developed countries, as well as in developed ones at 62

March 2022

the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

If there is ‘over’ use of oxygen in Intensive Care Units (ICUs), the pressure falls and is no longer about to be distributed around the hospital beds. Hospitals have neededto increase their storage facilities to supply all the COVID-19 pneumonia patients. If more is being used due to the increased demand for respiratory patients there is a risk that oxygen cannot be distributed around the hospital due to the pressure falling.”

DIGITAL HEALTH

Creating an equitable distribution of oxygen Camcon’s aim with the BiMOD is to: • Avoid the use of invasive mechanical ventilation in respiratory failure patients • Reduce the amount of oxygen used • Reduce the work of clinical staff in intensive care to allow more time with a great number of patients

“ We have seen some hospitals run out of oxygen in less developed countries, as well as in developed ones” PROF. TIM HIGENBOTTAM CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, CAMCON

As soon as Camcon Medical has cleared the necessary clinical trials and approvals, it plans to work with major manufacturing and distribution corporations, in order to make its technology available internationally. Through saving oxygen alone, this will add largely to a fairer distribution. A large reduction in oxygen use will also have financial and environmental benefits for hospitals.

The design and development of the BiMOD is a continuous evolution that encompasses the latest understanding of the practice of supporting patients with respiratory failure.

“Our present goal is to introduce the first clinical devices into phase one clinical studies, to demonstrate safety and delivery of enhanced gas exchange,” said Professor Tim Higenbottam. “In the most common causes of respiratory failure, gas exchange in the lungs is reduced as the air that is inhaled does not travel to areas of the lungs, which are well perfused with blood. BiMOD has been designed to target those working areas of the lungs with oxygen based on a patient’s own breathing pattern.”

To get the BiMOD to market as quickly as possible, Camcon needs corporate partners who want to support the respiratory health revolution, reduce the carbon footprint of medical oxygen and ensure a more equitable distribution around the world. From looking at the healthcare landscape today, that should not take too long. healthcareglobal.com

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ASSUTA

INNOVATION CORE TO THEIR DNA

WRITTEN BY: LEILA HAWKINS PRODUCED BY: JAMES BERRY

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ASSUTA

Gidi Leshetz, Assuta Medical Centers Chief Executive Officer, says innovation is at the core of the Israeli hospital chain’s DNA

A

ssuta Medical Centers operates Israel's biggest chain of private hospitals and medical centres, where 2,400 specialised physicians are providing care to over 1.5 million patients a year. It operates elective activities at large-scale, performing over 100,000 surgical procedures and over 800,000 diagnostic tests annually, as well as specialised treatments to tens of thousands of patients, mainly around diagnostic oncology, ophthalmology and fertility.

Assuta’s strategy aims to always be at the vanguard of modern healthcare services. Gidi Leshetz, Assuta's Chief Executive Officer, says that "innovation is at the core of Assuta's DNA. We always strive for excellence and for setting the top standards of care and patient experience.

To achieve these goals, we have to continuously innovate ourselves, while looking for new technologies and ways to improve our existing services and to offer new breakthrough services, which will later become the standard of care in the Israeli healthcare system."

RISE – Scaling HealthTech at Assuta To this end, Assuta established RISE, its vehicle for expediting the development of applicable medical innovations, led by Dr. Michal Guindy and Daniel Rabina. RISE fosters the rapid development, clinical testing and scale-up of medical technologies, within Assuta’s clinical workflows.

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“ We believe that a smooth collaboration between developers, medical teams and healthcare organisations is the key for success when developing clinical technologies” DR. MICHAL GUINDY

EAD OF INNOVATION H AND VENTURES

Rabina describes the role of RISE as "the oil in the engine of our organisation.

We spark new innovation activities, and we run them until we can hand them over to another player in the organisation, which could be a clinical player or a tech player."

RISE’s aim is to ensure collaborations with R&D partners are smooth. As Rabina explains, sometimes it's difficult for a healthcare organisation, especially a hospital, to collaborate with a young company or with R&D units, because they work in completely different frameworks.

"We sometimes own a project and take it end-to-end, and sometimes we're just 68

March 2022

holding the hand of someone else in the organisation who owns the project. But basically, we're the ones that are pushing the collaborations, and we do it because we want to make our clinical environments more accessible for technology developers and therefore provide better healthcare services."

Dr. Guindy explains that physicians at Assuta are coming from different medical education and experience backgrounds and therefore tend to bring different approaches to a procedure in the same department. ”The potential for medical R&D that derives from our way of work is tremendous. Developers working in our institutions are gaining

ASSUTA

a variety of insights from clinical opinion leaders, representing multiple approaches and perspectives. When combining it with our large traffic of patients, the result is that working with RISE is sometimes similar to working with three or four major hospitals, under one roof."

Developing Artificial Intelligence in clinical settings Each of Assuta's workflows runs from a single centralised data centre. "This allows RISE to take a part in the rapidly evolving world of clinical AI and analytical tools,” Rabina says. "We've built strong IT infrastructures and a network of innovation around us with

many startups and tech companies that are developing, testing and implementing new AI products within our clinical workflows."

RISE recently announced its AI innovation centre, dedicated to making Assuta’s data and clinical workflows more accessible for collaborations with AI researchers and developers. The AI centre includes a secure advanced image and data processing platform, developed and operating in collaboration with NVIDIA and AWS, which enables accelerated product development in collaboration with Assuta’s clinicians. There are currently at least 10 AI research studies ongoing in the area of radiology alone. healthcareglobal.com

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Sectra Digital Pathology Made for you.

A snapshot of the KLAS-awarded Sectra Digital Pathology Solution, as per June 2021.

LIS

LIS

LIS

LIS

LIS

LIS LIS

scanners connected1 from 5 different vendors2

images with full performance4

LIS

different LIS’ connected to one system3

simultaneous users in one clinical environment5

C lick he re to learn more

Distributed in Israel by

References: 1. Region Skåne, Sweden and Region South, Denmark, 2. Globally installed base (3DHistech, Hamamatsu, Huron, Leica, Roche), 3. North East of England and North Cumbria, UK, 4. RCPAQAP, Australia, 5. Region Skåne, Sweden

ASSUTA

“ We are the oil in the engine of our organisation” DANIEL RABINA

DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION AND VENTURES DEVELOPMENT

Additionally, RISE is leading the way in advanced technologies for surgical procedures. Surgeons at Assuta are pioneering the use of robotics, both small robotic devices such as the O-ARM for spinal surgery, and the Da Vinci robot for larger procedures. “The best knee surgeons are often using robotics," Guindy says. "The results are very interesting – the operation time is shorter and the satisfaction is higher. We are starting to see more AI and

automation around surgery and robotics and we are putting great efforts into leveraging our knowledge and experience for pushing this field into new exciting directions."

Digital Pathology as a showcase for innovation at scale One of Assuta’s new developments is found in the pathology lab it recently acquired, PathoLab Diagnostics, with the aim of transforming the services it provides to tens of thousands of patients yearly into digital pathology. "We are looking to change the landscape of pathology for two main goals.

One is to promote best quality services for our patients" Guindy explains. "The other is to leverage this new layer of digital data for developing and using new tools, that affect the workflow and support our clinical services.” healthcareglobal.com

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This benefitted them during the pandemic, as it meant clinicians were able to view samples from home. It also ensures quality control and opens up the possibility of using AI to assist with scanning the images to detect anomalies. This potential starts to bear fruit when now deploying their first operational AI, with a decision support tool for pathologists that diagnoses different kinds of cancer.

Digitising the process required a big change to the way pathologists work. "We needed to make sure that our pathologists undergo a form of transformation, because there really is a big difference between working with a microscope and working with a computer."

Assuta partnered with Sectra, a Swedish medical technology company. "We chose Sectra because their solution is open and 72

March 2022

enables us to integrate with other IT vendors for enabling access to pathological images and clinical data on a single platform, Guindy says. "This is critical for providing the best possible diagnosis. We are putting strong efforts for our clinicians to be able to join information from various sources and have a holistic view of the patient as part of their diagnostic decision making.

“ Innovation is at the core of Assuta's DNA” GIDI LESHETZ

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ASSUTA

ASSUTA

GIDI LESHETZ TITLE: CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER INDUSTRY: HOSPITAL & HEALTH CARE LOCATION: ISRAEL

EXECUTIVE BIO

Mr. Gidi Leshetz is the CEO of Assuta Medical Centers, the largest private network of hospitals and medical centers in Israel consists of 8 hospitals and medical centers.

Mr. Leshets joined Assuta in June 2020 and prior to that, he severed in several senior management positions at Maccabi Health Care Services for more than two decades. His last position was Director of Jerusalem & Shfela District and Head of the Service & Operation Innovation Unit.

Mr. Leshets holds bachelor's degree in Physiotherapy (BTP) from Ben Gurion University and Master's degree in Health Systems Management (MHA) from Tel Aviv University.

ASSUTA

DANIEL RABINA TITLE: D IRECTOR OF INNOVATION AND VENTURES DEVELOPMENT Mr. Rabina is an advocate of data-driven healthcare solutions.

Rabina is Director of Innovation and Ventures Development at Assuta Medical Centers since November 2020.

Previously, he served as an Innovation and Business Development manager at Clalit Health Services, Israel’s largest Health Maintenance organisation.

Before that, he was an official at the Israeli Ministry of Health's Digital Health department, where he established legislations and national incentive plans for developing the Israeli digital health ecosystem.

DR. MICHAL GUINDY TITLE: H EAD OF INNOVATION AND VENTURES Dr. Guindy first joined Assuta Medical Centers in 2014 as the Head of Medical Imaging, a position she has retained while also becoming Head of Innovation and Ventures in November 2020.

Before this, she worked at Maccabi Health Care Services, one of Israel's four Health Maintenance Organisations, first as Head of Risk Management later becoming Regional Medical Director.

Guindy is a Doctor of Medicine and has a Masters in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School, part of Harvard University, and is a faculty member of BenGurion University of the Negev, a highly acclaimed public research university.

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"Sectra worked with us on installing the solution. They understand the need to provide service to the clinicians – which is the key to success for this whole transformation.

Pathologists, work requires a meticulous and organised approach and answering their needs requires deep understanding and diving into details. We've had a really good experience with Sectra, working with our team to ensure satisfaction and usability by our working staff, as well as having the necessary foundation for developing and testing AI solutions in PathoLab." Precision Preventive Medicine leverages technology advancements for better care A key priority for the coming years is preventive medicine, for which Assuta has

“ We've built strong IT infrastructures and a network of innovation around us with many startups and tech companies that are developing and implementing new AI products within our clinical workflows” DANIEL RABINA

DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION AND VENTURES DEVELOPMENT

established a new clinic for Precision Preventive Medicine – providing molecular and genomic testing and assessing patients personal risk levels for developing a medical condition in the future.

They are looking solely at actionable and treatable conditions, such as cancer and heart disease. "We are dealing mainly with preventable or detectable oncology and cardiac diseases. We also detect treatable or preventable medical conditions such as malignant hyperthermia, which occurs when someone is given a specific anaesthetic, so we can prevent it by simply administering a different drug for a specific patient," Rabina says. healthcareglobal.com

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ASSUTA

They do this by checking the patient's medical and family history and genetic tests. "Then we build a specific plan for each patient, for prevention or for screening and testing over the coming years, that enables us to detect the occurrence of the medical condition before it is becomes symptomatic. For example, a lot of different oncology patients may have some history of breast cancer or colon cancer in the family. If we know the risk of a patient, we can decide when this patient should come to Assuta and conduct different diagnostic tests, such as an MRI, mammography, different blood tests, colonoscopy or ultrasound tests. Then we can build a personally tailored screening plan according to what we learn from this."

Accelerating collaborations as the key to achieving future clinical goals In the next few years Assuta's main goals are to continue driving patient-centred care and choice. "We want to give our patients the personalised care that they need, and be leaders in this approach, in Israel but also for the world. For doing so we will accelerate our collaborations with industry partners."

Dr Guindy says.

"We believe that a smooth collaboration between developers, medical teams and healthcare organisations is the key for success when developing clinical technologies. We hope that Assuta’s holistic combination of elements and assets, together with RISE’s agility and expertise, will allow our clinical workflows to be more accessible for R&D collaborations while allowing us to continue to set the standard of quality of care and patient experience for the Israeli healthcare system and for other systems around the globe.”

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TECHNOLOGY

HOW

CONTURA’S

HYDROGEL TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP PATIENTS

KNEES

Contura’s hydrogel works as a scaffolding for the body, where it needs extra support. In 2022 the company will adapt for the digital healthcare space

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WRITTEN BY: HELEN ADAMS

T

he CEO of Contura, Rakesh Tailor says it used to believe “the healthcare industry was immune to global events like the pandemic, because everyone needs healthcare, but actually it's not always immune.”

“I think regular healthcare gets put on hold and a lot of companies have suffered over the pandemic when patients can't get treated.”

As the pandemic rages, millions of people are suffering from other healthcare complications and sitting on waiting lists.

For those in need of a knee replacement, Contura’s hydrogel can help. healthcareglobal.com

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Embracing the Digital Economy in Health.

Find out what Australia’s digitisation opportunity means for Health.

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Telstra Health and Gold Coast Health: delivering virtual care

Embracing the Digital TECHNOLOGY Economy in Health.

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Watch: Telstra Health and Gold Coast Health

in 2013, Telstra Health works to can monitor patients’ blood pressure, pulse “ Founded Y ou were allowed improve lives by delivering digitally-enabled oximetry, temperature and weight remotely. care to its communities by providing These baseline metrics are then combined to exercise in the software products, solutions and platforms with a virtual appointment in which the pandemic, but ifproviders your to governments and healthcare clinician can follow-up with the patient to “For me personally, having learnt so throughout Australia. and provide results. knees don't allow that, discuss much at Pfizer and Takeda, I wanted to get Telstra Health was chosen as a key partner “We’ve found that our service has helped to it's very difficult to Embracing into a companythe where IDigital could influence of Gold Coast Health Services, providing dramatically reduce readmission rates, and things more, action things faster and exercise at all” platform their virtual health consultation enabled early discharge, which means that

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Economy in Health.

have more responsibility. Today we have as a way to deliver patient care remotely. patients get to be at home sooner,” enthuses a hard working, tight knit team, one that “Traditionally, Spencer, who also notes that, “The overarching RAKESH TAILORyou might go to see a is brimming with fantastically clever, CEO, specialist at a hospital and, after a five monitoring aspect can also help people who CONTURA intelligent and high performing people minute conversation, be sent home,” Jamie need readmission get back into hospital Find out what Australia’s digitisation caring about they do.”

Spencer, Regional General Manager opportunity sooner,means which can a huge difference formake Health.

Creating a responsible team Business Development at Telstra Health in some cases.”

After university I joined Pfizer and then Hydrogel technology at Contura says. “Someone living in rural Queensland Spencer, who works closely with Sandip Kumar, eight years I moved a company “The platform technology of our company might drivelater, for up to four to to six hours for Download today Coast Health’s Executive Director of called Takeda, which is Japan’sNow, largest isGold a hydrogel”, explains Tailor. “It's a that five minute appointment. rather Transformation and Digital, pharmaceutical company”, explains Tailor. permanent hydrogel, madeemphasises up of 97.5%that than people having to make those long the relationship betweeninto Telstra “After five to enjoyable years, I joined start-up water, so when injected theHealth body, and it journeys see a specialist, we canaprovide Gold Coast is far more than that of vendor company called Speciality acts like a scaffold for the surrounding soft that consultation to peopleEuropean in their own and client.

“We’re looking for a real partner, Pharma as a to VPaof Marketing tissue to grow in and around the gel.” homes,in in2009, a wayinitially that leads richer not justno a customer.” and later becoming General for With particles or ‘hard bits’, Contura’s conversation, which results in Manager better feedback Northern Europe.a We acquired Contura and hydrogel is soft and homogenous. and, ultimately, better standard of care.” in 2016, carried out a management buyout Manufactured in Denmark, it has taken two Telstra Health’s virtual care technology of the company, which was rebranded and decades of heavy investment and research adopts a twofold approach. First, using Finditout more > collectively known as Contura. to get to where is now.

Bluetooth connected devices, clinicians healthcareglobal.com

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TECHNOLOGY

The gel is used in the body for different indications”, continues Tailor. “To treat stress urinary incontinence, the gel, called Bulkamid®, is injected near the bladder neck to reduce the lumen of the opening, so that when a patient coughs or sneezes, the muscles are able to close.

A total knee replacement (mechanical knee) will last 10 to 20 years. So if a patient is less than 70 years of age, a knee replacement is not an easy decision.

Clinical trials with patients with knee osteoarthritis injected with Contura’s gel

“ We want to embrace digital healthcare, but make sure we give information in a proper, fair and balanced way” RAKESH TAILOR CEO, CONTURA

Gel-one injection

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have shown great improvements with pain levels reduced.

That has put a big demand on production.

Contura is looking at increasing production from 100,000 syringes this year, to many hundred of thousands over the coming years.

A need for healthy knees Over the past two years, public admiration for doctors and medical practitioners has shone brighter across the world. While providing COVID-19 patients with oxygen and distributing the vaccine is

life-saving, where would the world be without functioning knees?

“The one thing you were allowed to do at the height of the pandemic was to take walks, but if your knees don't allow that, it's very difficult to exercise at all”, said Tailor.

In the UK, there are up to six million people on the waiting list for procedures, such as a knee replacement, who can’t even get appointments due to the consequences of COVID-19. Contura’s hydrogel could help those patients by providing immediate pain relief, until they can have the operation.

“Alongside all the fantastic scientists that have been helping with the vaccines, we're lucky to have our fantastic engineers and scientists in Copenhagen who have worked so hard on our gel”, said Tailor.

Digital healthcare will support patient access to balanced information Across the healthcare industry, digital healthcare has risen in prominence over the pandemic.

“I think it's going to factor in more and more into what we do at Contura”, said Tailor. “We know that social media is becoming an important information source for patients and for doctors.

We need to be able to communicate effectively through digital channels – it’s an area where we are actively hiring. Digital healthcare is only going to get bigger and we want to embrace it, but make sure we give information in a proper, fair and balanced way.”

“It's very important that we don't mislead and there's a lot of misinformation.

While we'll be providing information, actually, I think it's better for us to provide information to independent organisations, healthcareglobal.com

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TECHNOLOGY

“ The hydrogel becomes like a scaffold for the body” RAKESH TAILOR CEO, CONTURA

like charity groups, professional societies and so forth, because at least then they've got the filter and a different filter of making sure that where information is presented, is properly balanced. So, I'm keen that we support more professional and patient societies in helping information dissemination for patients.

Through embracing digital healthcare, it's just going to command more and more of our spend.”

In addition to this, the next year will be one of development at Contura, as the company will expand logistically and geographically.

“We'll launch Athrosamid, the knee OA gel, across other markets in Europe”, says Tailor. “We'll start the process of getting Arthrosamid knee gel approved in the USA. So we're starting the lengthy discussions with the FDA to have that available and we're going to be expanding our production facility. We have bought the site across the road and we'll be building a whole new factory there, over the next few years. The next 12 months is about planning for expanding our current facility, but also building a new one adjacent to our building so that we can meet what will hopefully be great demand in the future.”

The pandemic has created many new fitness fans and the demand for kneesupport will rise. Contura will be there to meet it.

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With Contura's hydrogel, 80% of patients received a 50% reduction in pain The hydrogel is also used in horses and small animals. Racing horses that got injured, received the gel and were able to race again.

TECHNOLOGY

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FAST

PHARMACY SERVICE

BioPlus

GROWS

WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY WRITTEN BY: LEILA HAWKINS

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PRODUCED BY: JAMES BERRY

healthcareglobal.com

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BIOPLUS

Fred Gagle, VP of Technology & CSO, BioPlus, discusses the pharmacy’s growth and how technology supported their services even in the challenges of COVID-19

B

ioPlus Specialty Pharmacy knows that timely care is critical, especially in the treatment of cancer, multiple sclerosis, hepatitis C, and the other complex conditions served by this speciality pharmacy.

Unlike a retail pharmacy, the speciality medications that BioPlus supplies are specialist medicines for chronic conditions.

Founded in 1989, the company services patients nationwide and currently has brickand-mortar locations in six states. "We have a motto of ‘BioPlus, Where Healing Begins in 2 Hours’" Fred Gagle, the VP of Technology and CSO explains. "We are committed to being faster than other pharmacies and are proud to be the first and only independent, national speciality pharmacy to develop processes that quickly move through the steps from diagnosis to prescription fulfilment, within two hours, two days, and two Click operational processes.”

As Gagle explains: "We call this the ‘Power of 2’ and it starts with our ‘2 Hour Patient Acceptance Guarantee’ that notifies physician offices in less than two hours whether a referred patient is accepted for treatment or not. Prescriptions then move through the ‘2 Day Ready 2 Ship’ process.

In addition, patients with qualifying prescriptions can refill online with two simple clicks.”

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Example of an image caption

BIOPLUS

More recently, BioPlus also announced its advanced operational processes that allow accelerated delivery of certain generic oncology medications, guaranteeing that they are ready to ship within 24 hours of the pharmacy receiving a complete referral.

“Until now, no other pharmacy has ever eliminated the excess waiting period — the time from diagnosis to starting therapy — that cancer patients have historically experienced when prescribed treatment.

We think of it as ‘hope delivered in 24 hours,’” notes Gagle.

The organisation has experienced rapid growth over the past nine years, increasing its workforce of 80 to over 500 today, and generating US$1.5bn in revenue.

"I think the growth has been a combination of many different factors," Gagle says. "It starts with our patient focus and our commitment to be the premier speciality pharmacy in the nation.

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"I also think BioPlus has valued the role of technology and how our technology investments have helped us maintain a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Our speciality pharmacy has always focused on being ‘fast & easy’ for our doctors and patients, and technology is essential to meeting that goal."

Gagle also explains that BioPlus has dedicated staff across every department, with a strong culture that has been built over the years, which includes giving back to the greater community. Playing off the ‘Power of 2’ theme at BioPlus, there’s a ‘2gether program’ that provides a lifesaving antibiotic through a partnership with OneWorld Health for every referral received at BioPlus. It’s part of BioPlus’ global vision to ‘heal the world 2gether’, helping to ensure patients across town and around the world have access to lifesaving and lifesustaining medications.

FREDERICK GAGLE TITLE: VP OF TECHNOLOGY AND CHIEF SECURITY OFFICER INDUSTRY: PHARMACEUTICAL LOCATION: UNITED STATES Fred Gagle, as the Executive Vice President of IT, ensures that the IT infrastructure at BioPlus is reliable, cost effective, secure, and easy to support. His department is responsible for making sure patient health information is secure and protected. Gagle deeply understands IT’s potential for making things easier for patients, doctors, pharmacists, business partners, and employees.

Gagle earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Central Florida, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration– Information Systems from the University of Florida.

500+ Number of employees

$1.5bn Revenue

1989

Year founded

“ Our pharmacy makes sure that the patient therapy and treatment plan are going well and this is managed through a very comprehensive clinical assessment system”

BIOPLUS

Like so many other organisations, this workforce was suddenly faced with the challenge of COVID-19, which necessitated a quick pivot to a new style of working.

"Having almost 10 times more employees working from home was a real challenge," Gagle explains.

"This introduced many variables like troubleshooting issues at employees’ homes with their internet connection and speed and all sorts of other issues that were previously in a well-controlled environment when people worked in the office. But it's also helped us become a better company," Gagle says.

Pandemic restrictions meant BioPlus had to improve remote access to the network.

"We implemented soft phones, introduced

“ Our speciality pharmacy has always focused on being ‘fast & easy’ for our doctors and patients, and technology is essential to meeting that goal” FREDERICK GAGLE

VP OF TECHNOLOGY AND CHIEF SECURITY OFFICER, BIOPLUS SPECIALTY PHARMACY

COLLABORATE. CONNECT. CONVERGE.

Converge Technology Solutions Corp. is a Software-Enabled IT & Cloud Solutions Provider Focused on Delivering Industry-Leading Soutions and Services.

www.convergetp.com | info@convergetp.com

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Microsoft Teams, and had to quickly increase the capacity of our remote desktop servers.

We changed all of our in-person meetings to virtual meetings, and even our sales team had to learn a different way of selling because many doctor’s offices only allowed patients and not visitors."

By making these adaptations, Gagle says the company has experienced growth of 20% throughout the pandemic, which he calls "remarkable." In part, this is because BioPlus was already equipped to handle the pandemic challenges due to the nature of how a speciality pharmacy operates. "We've always been somewhat virtual. Speciality pharmacies manage very expensive drugs, and it takes a while for health plans to approve the treatment, so we store everything centrally, conduct patient consults over the phone and then ship the medication.

"From that standpoint, we haven't really changed our business model that much.

Years ago we implemented Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology which made it easier to onboard new patients and fulfil medication refills for existing patients. We also added what we called the digital ‘Patient Journey’ which provides a comprehensive patient management system that includes a web-based patient portal, emails, text messaging, and educational videos that support patients by providing information about both the patient’s condition and their therapy, including potential side effects and how to manage that challenge.

"Then we introduced our self-service ‘2 Click system’ for patients to refill qualifying medications in a much easier and faster way, and in 2021, we introduced multiple online forms of payments for patients." healthcareglobal.com

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These digital experiences have led to accolades such as a spot among the Five Best Online Pharmacies from Money.com in 2020 and a 4.8 Google ranking from hundreds of patients.

In the future, Gagle says virtual services will be essential. "I think that telepharmacy and telemedicine have always been the future of pharmacy and healthcare, but the pandemic has greatly accelerated the need for this. In most aspects, BioPlus has already been providing telepharmacy for patients since we do consultations, billing, and patient care all through telecommunications and other virtual technologies.

"We may look into doing some kind of live video chat with our patients next, to give a more personal touch to patients.

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We have made large investments in online technology that can provide the best patient care and adherence to their medication and therapy. Our pharmacy makes sure that the patient therapy and treatment plan is going well and this is managed through a very comprehensive clinical assessment system.

The assessment systems use the technology we developed and have refined to suit the unique needs of a speciality pharmacy."

Over the years BioPlus has also shifted toward the cloud. "When we choose software and technology we always make sure that it is mobile-friendly and can be easily accessed from anywhere. Remote access is key for our current and future success and it is an area we spend a lot of time on. In fact, we are fully transitioning to

BIOPLUS

“ We made an impact and revolutionised the speciality pharmacy industry by becoming the fastest pharmacy with our ‘Power of 2’ promises”

the cloud with Amazon Web Services (AWS) along with using Citrix Cloud," Gagle says.

BioPlus also uses a suite of Microsoft products, including Microsoft 365, Teams, SQL Servers, Power BI, and Great Plains.

"Microsoft Teams has been an effective way to allow all our teams to communicate in this highly virtual world that we operate in today," he says.

"We use Biscom which is a cloud-based fax system, and Salesforce CRM which is our cloud-based CRM system for sales. Our strategy is also to introduce virtual desktop infrastructure in 2022."

Converge Technology Solutions is a key technology partner and has been supporting BioPlus' growth for over seven years. "They have always been there for us and provided technologies including load balancers, disaster recovery solutions, storage area networks, firewalls, Cisco switches, servers and other IT equipment. I can’t say enough about this company and I would highly recommend them as a technology solutions partner and vendor.”

Gagle says that for the next two to three years, BioPlus' top goals will centre around connectivity. "This means that by using people, process and technology we will be deeply connected to the doctor’s offices and to our patients.

"We set higher quality standards for the speciality pharmacy industry by becoming the fastest pharmacy with our ‘Power of 2’ promises. Moving to the cloud and being able to work virtually gives us flexibility as we expand and grow into other markets.

We're licenced in all 50 states, and in the future, we aim to be the most connected speciality pharmacy in the US."

FREDERICK GAGLE

VP OF TECHNOLOGY AND CHIEF SECURITY OFFICER, BIOPLUS SPECIALTY PHARMACY healthcareglobal.com

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SUPPLY CHAIN & SUSTAINABILITY

How optimising the supply chain is critical for healthcare To provide top patient care, clinicians need access to up-to-date information and to spend less time on admin-heavy tasks, says Toca’s CEO, Mat Rule WRITTEN BY: HELEN ADAMS

Mat Rule CEO of Toca

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I

t will be no news to anyone to hear that medical staff are stretched. From the physical aspects of the job to the emotional weight of it, night duties to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Staff are tired. One aspect which can be made a little easier — with the added potential to alleviate pressure from staff — is digital transformation.

“It can be hard for healthcare organisations to know where to start with digital transformation”, said Mat Rule, CEO & Founder of Toca. “To understand the scale of the problem, some NHS trusts use up to 400 different IT systems.”

Toca is a software business that builds no-code automation platforms for organisations to digitally transform in a matter of days, not months. Toca's codefree apps and automation allow healthcare groups to quickly build the desired apps, navigate any integration problems and streamline the business processes.

SUPPLY CHAIN & SUSTAINABILITY

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the digital identity company

Enabling digital transformation at the point of care Digital transformation in healthcare is being driven by the need to improve quality, reduce costs and enhance the patient and clinician experience. While rapid access to electronic systems is a key enabler, it must be balanced with security, information governance, clinical risk, and workflow management.

Fast, secure access to patient information At Imprivata, we have worked extensively with NHS Trusts to simplify processes to protect sensitive data and remove barriers to technology. Imprivata OneSign® Single Sign On (SSO) has revolutionised access to patient data at the point of care. It provides fast, secure No Click Access® that can save clinicians up to 45 minutes per shift – time that can be spent focused on the patient rather than technology.

Enthusiastic user adoption Our experience has shown that removing the frustration of slow logins increases clinical user-adoption significantly. In addition, Imprivata OneSign reduces the type of workarounds that can circumvent security (for example, use of shared logins) and compromise good governance.

Virtual SmartCard empowers remote working Our next development, Imprivata Virtual SmartCard streamlines access to the NHS Spine by replacing physical cards. The virtual smartcards can be created and deployed at scale, supporting remote working.

Digital ID is the bedrock of digital transformation As the healthcare sector moves increasingly towards digital maturity, many more systems, medical devices (for example, devices to record Observations and alert EWS), and shared mobile devices will be linked. Identity and access management solutions bring the disparate systems together, providing fast, simple access for busy clinicians.

Contact Andy Wilcox, Senior Portfolio Marketing & Enablement Manager at Imprivata: awilcox@imprivata.com to book a meeting to explore how we can help your organisation overcome the challenges to digital transformation.

LEARN MORE

SUPPLY CHAIN & SUSTAINABILITY

“ Prioritising digital transformation in the supply chain is critical for healthcare organisations” MAT RULE CEO, TOCA

Headquartered in Reading, England, Toca works with the NHS, which has more than one million employees working diligently, to treat close to one million people every 36 hours. That totals a great deal of data. For staff, dealing with technical admin as well as sick or dying patients can be physically draining work, as well as time-consuming.

Toca wants to aid healthcare companies in their digital transformation and help healthcare workers save time, energy and ultimately, patient’s lives.

A Chartered Engineer, Mat has more than 18 years of industry experience, having also worked in the automation space for leading businesses such as Nortel, Vodafone, Atos and PA Consulting.

After opting for a career change, Rule founded Toca in 2018.

“I started out in telecoms and consulting, but I needed more of a technical challenge and thought I had a better way of helping organisations overcome barriers to digital transformation”, said Rule. “With Toca, I knew I had a solution that could simplify systems integration, speed up app development and streamline business processes, all while closing the high code skills gap through a low-code/no-code approach.” healthcareglobal.com

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What is the Impact of Coronavirus on NHS Supply Chains?

He sat down with Healthcare Global to discuss the supply chain, procurement teams and providing instant visibility as to where patients are in their treatment journey to their healthcare providers.

Healthcare organisations and the digital transformation struggle The NHS holds an enormous amount of data on multiple systems that do not easily interact with each other.

“As a result of this, it is hard to make progress on managing or sharing data – otherwise known as interoperability – which, in turn, requires a huge manual effort from admin staff and clinicians”, said Rule.

Tight budgets and a lack of digital skills means the barriers to digitisation can prove insurmountable and can stop projects from taking off. However, the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated healthcare’s adoption of new technologies. New digital services, such as remote consultations, and 100

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SUPPLY CHAIN & SUSTAINABILITY

patient uptake of health services like the NHS app and e-prescription services, have shown organisations that they can adapt when necessary.

“As the crisis hopefully begins to settle and the NHS considers future plans for digital transformation, organisations will need to decide which systems, processes and data need to be prioritised”, said Rule.

“Key goals in transforming healthcare should include improving interoperability, streamlining data flow and removing silos, and optimising processes to free staff time to focus on delivering outstanding patient care.”

Each hospital operates a multitude of different systems, with each department using a different set of tools.

“The lack of integration between different systems in use creates difficulty in connecting care, resulting in data silos.

This can impact clinical decision making, make it incredibly difficult to track patient journeys, and delay appointments or GP referrals as the work must be carried out manually. Clinicians need access to accurate up-to-date information and to reduce the time they’re currently spending on repetitive admin-heavy processes, to concentrate on delivering care to patients.”

Innovative, flexible and digital solutions can support the supply chain Optimising the supply chain is particularly critical for healthcare organisations and Toca’s technology can help make this a reality.

“Prioritising digital transformation in the supply chain is critical for healthcare organisations,” said Rule. “Procurement is currently run by the NHS Supply Chain, which has sustained the NHS through an unprecedented time. healthcareglobal.com

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“However, supporting this critical service with innovative, flexible and digital solutions can help further optimise the supply chain,” said Rule. “Currently, there are numerous legacy systems that teams and suppliers use, which can result in a lack of joined-up data between ordering and inventory systems.

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“ The app offers instant visibility into where patients are in their treatment journey” MAT RULE CEO, TOCA

A low-code/no-code apps and automation approach could: • Connect the backend processes • Remove the additional manual work this creates for busy NHS procurement teams • Help streamline the supply chain • All this and with a focus on user-centricity

Low-code/no-code is all about speed.

It enables both technically-minded Citizen Developers and high-code developers to build digital solutions up to 20x faster.

“The combination of apps and automation in a single platform is where it gets really exciting for healthcare organisations,” said Rule. “Not only does it help overcome the interoperability challenges facing the sector, but the integration of apps with automation projects allows organisations to reimagine business processes and enhance patient pathways.”

This includes applications that collect patient data into a single record, to automating referrals that can help tackle patient backlogs. No-code can help the NHS transform processes, enhance patient pathways, and improve speed and agility.

“For instance, Toca helped Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust build a Cancer Pathways app in just five days,” said Rule. “The app offers instant visibility into where patients are in their treatment journey, and automatically syncs with a patient tracking list that is filtered daily to ensure the status of their care is up-to-date.”

When patient journeys are fully tracked and clinical staff can have visibility into their progress and any action required, it will be a realised dream for Rule.

After all, it’s not just achieving outstanding patient care which is important to Toca, but allowing healthcare workers to work smoothly and continuously, with a digital support system that aids them in this work, not providing another exhausting hurdle. healthcareglobal.com

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TOP 10

HEALTH TIME B MBS & HOW TO FIGHT THEM 104

March 2022

TOP 10

WRITTEN BY: HELEN ADAMS

healthcareglobal.com

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TOP 10

10 Hunger

The UN had previously hoped to end world hunger by 2030, but a tenth of the global population was undernourished in 2020, an increase due to disruptions from the pandemic.

As campaigners call for a reform of the food chain, COVID-19 might be the tipping point.

09

The next pandemic Over the duration of the pandemic, schedules of regular vaccinations, such as measles and polio, have been disrupted, leaving people vulnerable to outbreaks of these diseases.

In addition, the pandemic has ironically strengthened the antivaccination movement across the world, from demand for individual freedom to distrust of medical organisations. Healthcare workers continue to fight misinformation.

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08

A shortage of healthcare workers In the modern age, people are living longer lives. It is speculated that there will be a shortfall of 18 million healthcare workers available for the ageing population by 2030.

However, artificial intelligence (AI) is on hand to help complete time-consuming tasks, giving healthcare workers more time to attend to the personal care of patients.

07

Liver disease Excessive drinking was also triggered by the pandemic, as boredom and misery took hold.

Yet from 1970, liver disease deaths have risen by 400%. In the UK, this kills 40 people each day.

Campaigners are working to reduce stigma surrounding alcoholism and encouraging more to seek help earlier. healthcareglobal.com

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Healthcare

Health knows no bounds Philips connects data, technology and people – seamlessly.

Every day, healthcare moves forward. And it appears nothing can stop the progress of human health. Yet even the most advanced healthcare networks can be more integrated. Systems need to be able to talk to each other. Data needs to be available when and where decisions need to be made. At Philips, we help create seamless solutions that connect people, technology and data across the care continuum.

From first-time-right diagnosis to hospitals that go where the patient goes, we’re breaking the boundaries standing in the way of progress. There’s no limit to what we can do together. Because today health knows no bounds, and neither should healthcare.

See how Philips is removing the bounds of care at: www.philips.com/nobounds There’s always a way to make life better.

TOP 10

05

Screen time

Excessive screen time for children can cause poor quality of sleep, interrupt their language development and decrease the time they spend actively playing and socialising.

Parents and carers across the world must focus on strict limits for their children's screen-time, which can cause some of the following top five problems.

06

Selfie wrist Excessive gadget use, taking selfies in particular, causes carpal tunnel syndrome. By moving the wrist inward, the blood supply is slowed to the median nerve, causing pain and numbness. It can be treated by refraining from selfies or doing hand and wrist exercises. Unlike most of these problems, this one requires self-discipline. healthcareglobal.com

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04

Mental Health

800,000 people take their lives each year, yet mental health receives under 1% of global aid.

Suicide remains the second leading cause of death for 15 to 29 year olds and half of all mental illnesses start by the age of 14.

Campaigners are fighting stigma and demanding social media platforms do more to support vulnerable teenagers.

03

Air pollution Air pollution kills up to 7 million people worldwide each year.

From cities thick with smog to second-hand smokers inside homes to unsafe industrial facilities, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide are invisible killers. People who have regular contact with them die from stroke, heart disease and lung cancer, but an increase in electric vehicles will decrease this.

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Dementia The terms ‘dementia’ and ‘Alzheimers’ are different things. Dementia is an umbrella term for mental decline, while Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia.

An emotionally devastating disease for the family of a loved one who has it, Alzheimer's disease is caused by a build-up of the proteins amyloid and tau. This creates a concentration around brain cells, preventing them from working at full capacity. Research into how this can be prevented continues.

healthcareglobal.com

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The ‘Risk & Resilience’ Conference

2022 27th - 28th April

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Previous Speakers Include:

Aurelien Faucheux

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CPO

TOP 10

Obesity and Weight Management

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Obesity In 2016, almost two in seven adults on the planet were overweight, while 650 million were obese.

Efforts to encourage healthy eating habits have been hampered by the availability of inexpensive junk food, full of salt and sugar.

2.8 million people die from being overweight every year, but following COVID–19, many are trying to improve their physical health. Schools are broadening their diet education and governments are putting laws in place to limit the presence of unhealthy food.

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