Advancing AI in Health: Sandra Cabezas, Novartis Colombia, on clinical impact

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Advancing Artificial Intelligence in Health: Arkangel AI & Novartis Colombia

This episode explores how Arkangel AI and Novartis Colombia are transforming artificial intelligence in health, featuring critical insights from Novartis’s President and real-world case studies on impact.

Leadership, Diversity, and AI Impact: Sandra Cabezas of Novartis Colombia on the Future of Artificial Intelligence in Health

Laura Velasquez of Arkangel AI talks with Sandra Cabezas (President, Novartis Colombia) about driving innovation, integrating artificial intelligence in health, and actionable steps for organizations advancing clinical impact in Latin America.

Summary

This episode features Laura Velasquez of Arkangel AI and Sandra Cabezas, President of Novartis Colombia, discussing the real-world challenges and opportunities of adopting artificial intelligence in health. They share strategic frameworks, reflect on diversity, and provide practical examples for accelerating clinical innovation in the region now.

Episode at a Glance

• Guests: Sandra Cabezas — President, Novartis Colombia
• Topics: Integrating AI in health systems, impact measurement, diversity in clinical trials, leadership during digital transformation, cross-sector collaboration
• Why it matters for artificial intelligence in health: The episode offers actionable methods for navigating regulation, measuring health outcomes, and fostering diversity—core issues for sustainable AI adoption in healthcare.

Overview

Latin America’s health sector is racing to integrate artificial intelligence in health, but leaders face complex hurdles—regulatory clarity, workforce readiness, and impact validation. Laura Velasquez, co-founder of Arkangel AI, joins Sandra Cabezas of Novartis Colombia to share firsthand solutions and lessons from their pioneering work. Together, they discuss how organizations like Novartis Colombia are piloting digital tools, testing frameworks, and strengthening purpose-led leadership to deliver broad societal benefits.

The conversation highlights both urgency and opportunity: clinical trials still rely heavily on manual processes, but AI is rapidly streamlining diagnostics, monitoring, and research workflows. Both Arkangel AI and Novartis Colombia offer case studies—such as malaria diagnostic automation and population health pilots—that prove the potential for early disease detection and greater equity. Through frank reflection on gender diversity and collaboration models, the episode challenges listeners to align innovation with measurable healthcare outcomes.

Key Takeaways

• Connect organizational strategy to personal purpose for effective digital health transformation.
• Begin AI adoption by deeply understanding clinical problems before designing solutions.
• Develop baseline digital literacy across all staff, not just technical teams.
• Measure impact by tracking incremental improvements against status quo, not only financial metrics.

Chapter Markers

• [00:00] Purpose-driven leadership and technology’s role in health
• [05:12] Overcoming regulatory and adoption challenges in AI integration
• [14:37] Measuring real impact: frameworks for digital health outcomes
• [22:09] Diversity, inclusion, and collaborative models for sustainable innovation

Notable Ideas

• “We must marry ourselves to the problem, not the solution.”—Sandra Cabezas, Novartis Colombia
• “AI in health moves fastest when the sector joins forces across public and private boundaries.”—Laura Velasquez, Arkangel AI

Why This Matters

For clinicians, medical-affairs leaders, and health-system executives, this discussion on artificial intelligence in health addresses real barriers: unclear regulations, skills gaps, and persistent data biases. Sandra Cabezas of Novartis Colombia outlines actionable, evidence-based steps for piloting and scaling AI, including the need to align risk appetite with high-impact cases.

Innovative pilots—like the Arkangel AI and Novartis malaria diagnostics project—demonstrate how timely patient detection transforms care in neglected regions. By focusing on diversity in trial design and team composition, leaders reduce blind spots, accelerate adoption, and bring equitable benefits to patients, providers, and systems.

About Arkangel AI

Arkangel AI enables clinicians and organizations across Latin America to unlock the value of artificial intelligence in health. By co-developing algorithms with hospitals, pharma leaders, and payers, Arkangel AI empowers the region’s health sector to address urgent challenges—like early disease detection and equitable access—while building sustained local expertise for the future.

FAQ

• Q: How did Novartis Colombia and Arkangel AI collaborate to improve malaria diagnosis with artificial intelligence?

  A: Arkangel AI and Novartis Colombia co-created an AI-based diagnostic model that accurately identified malaria in remote regions, accelerating detection and surpassing 97% accuracy, which highlights the transformative power of artificial intelligence in health, especially in underserved settings.

• Q: What practical steps can healthcare leaders take to start adopting AI within their organizations?

  A: Begin by ensuring basic AI literacy across staff, focus on defining the core clinical problem, pilot projects using clear outcome metrics, and build cross-sector alliances like those demonstrated by Arkangel AI and Novartis Colombia.