Dave Guiga
Director of Partnerships & Innovation, Market Access & Patient Strategies
AstraZeneca
Say No to the Status Quo
“Big ideas” can seem daunting, especially in a highly regulated industry such as health and life sciences. But a company—or an entire industry—cannot survive without someone willing to challenge the norm, someone like Dave Guiga. Through his deep knowledge of digital technologies and courage in approaching big and novel ideas, Dave helps develop game-changing solutions, including one of the first enterprise-wide EMR patient savings programs, which reimburses suppliers based on performance.
“I leverage the newest healthcare digital innovations, with a special focus on reducing care inefficiencies by addressing the most common market challenges such as access, costs and quality,” Dave explains. “To do that, we look for cutting edge solutions at the intersection of technology and healthcare that can benefit patients and their care.”
Dave and his team recently armed more than 100,000 medical professionals with data-driven insights that help them improve care for patients with specific chronic conditions. Despite all his achievements, however, Dave is quick to note that such innovation cannot be achieved alone.
“Forward-thinking executive leadership set the stage for people like me to always push beyond the status quo,” he explains. “I capitalize on this by recognizing that innovation and change are not easy. I remind myself that successful, meaningful innovation is typically the result of the passion and dedication of a few people.”
Dave now has his sights on telehealth. He sees great potential for this growing technology to benefit patients, their caregivers and providers. His team is exploring all telehealth options—including doc-to-doc, doc-to-patient, remote monitoring through smart devices, and better health and wellbeing through coaching and mentoring. The goal: To find new ways to close care gaps at scale.
“Long term, I hope to prove that manufacturers can continue to play an integral role in improving patient outcomes, beyond the medications they provide,” Dave adds. “Our companies can deliver value beyond just the medicines and devices we manufacture, but it’s up to us to demonstrate it.”
