Some insights from the conversation:
[03:20] - The importance of innovation in pharma: think differently to transform
Patricia tells how her experience in mass consumption taught her to challenge paradigms in the pharmaceutical industry. “In pharma we tend to see ourselves as a rigid sector, but innovation is not only about technology, it is about mentality. In mass consumption, if a competitor launched something new, within weeks we were already responding. Why can't we apply that same agility in healthcare?”
[07:50] - Diversity as a competitive advantage in healthcare.
Diversity in pharma should not be limited to gender or origin, but to experiences. “In our team we have people from technology, mass consumption, logistics. The mix of visions creates solutions that traditional thinking does not see. It's not just about who you are, it's about how you think and what experiences you bring.”
[18:20] - The key to leadership: knowing how to say 'I don't know'.
Patricia emphasizes that leadership in healthcare requires authenticity. “Leaders don't have to know everything. Saying 'I don't know' opens the door to innovation and allows the team to bring better solutions. If a leader clings to having all the answers, he or she blocks growth.”
[21:45] - How to create a culture where mistakes are allowed without punishment.
Innovating involves taking risks. “The problem in many companies is that they say that mistakes are allowed, but when someone tries something and it doesn't work, they punish them. We at Novo create 'test zones' where we experiment in a region before scaling up. That way we learn fast and correct before a mass deployment.”
[26:10] - The experience of being a patient in a complex healthcare system.
Patricia, diagnosed with colorectal cancer before 40, shares how she experienced the system from the inside. “I knew the system, I knew who to call, what to ask for...and it was still overwhelming. Imagine a patient without that information. The first 30 days after diagnosis, the mind clouds over. It's too much information and too many decisions in too little time.”
[30:30] - How to improve the patient experience in an overcrowded system.
“At my EPS, I was assigned a special group of oncology patients. They called me once a month to make sure everything was moving forward. Why can't we scale this to other chronic patients? Small interventions can make big changes in access and continuity of treatment.”
[33:50] - Late detection of type 1 diabetes in children and the solution from education.
Patricia explains the program they launched with the World Diabetes Foundation. “The problem in Colombia is not access to insulin, but late diagnosis. Children arrive in diabetic coma because the symptoms are confused. That's why we educate teachers, pediatricians and general practitioners to detect early signs.”
[38:15] - The mistake of copying solutions without adapting them to the local context.
“When the pandemic started, many institutions wanted to import diagnostic AI models from COVID. But they were not scalable in Colombia because they required equipment that only 3 or 4 hospitals had. Innovation is not copying, it is adapting.”
[41:20] - How to scale technological solutions to remote areas.
“The great challenge of healthcare in Latin America is access. If we continue with the traditional model, we will never reach the most remote regions. Digitalization and AI are key to closing this gap and bringing healthcare to where there are no specialists.”
[45:40] - How do you know which projects to prioritize in digital health?
“Many companies fall in love with ideas without validating their impact. At Novo, before adopting a technology, we ask ourselves: does it meet a real need? Is it scalable? Does it improve the patient's life? If it doesn't meet these criteria, we don't do it.”
[48:15] - The Importance of Anticipating Change in Healthcare
Patricia reveals how her team predicted some of the changes in today's healthcare system. “We've been working for three years on initiatives that are now aligned with the new regulation. Not everything can be foreseen, but if you read the market signals well, you can make better decisions and adapt faster.”
[52:00] - Resistance to change: the great obstacle in health care.
“The biggest mistake in healthcare is clinging to the past. If the system is changing, you have to change with it. Whoever adapts the fastest will lead the future.”
This episode is full of key lessons for leaders in pharma and healthcare. From strategies to innovate with real impact to the importance of well-applied AI and scalability of solutions in remote areas, every minute has value. Listen now!