On October 4, we convened business leaders, innovators, and experts for forward-looking discussions on the future of global health. We tackled big questions including: What will global health look like in 2050? What is the role of the private sector in driving innovation? How can private-public partnerships build a stronger health infrastructure for the future? Will this pandemic ever end? And what is the next generation of leaders doing to address the topic of mental health and wellness?
Thank you to Walgreens and Genentech for sponsoring these engaging discussions about the future of health.
Keep reading to learn more about what our speakers covered and the key takeaways you need to know.
Future of Global Health
McKinsey’s Shubham Singhal offered insight into the big trends healthcare leaders are following now and for the future. Those seven trends include: talent shortage, inflation, sustainability of healthcare costs post-pandemic, COVID-19, aging, chronic conditions, and telehealth.
“How do we pivot our healthcare systems, which are designed around hospitals so we can treat people with acute event…[to] provide care to people on a continual basis and enable people to be able to care for themselves?” – Shubham Singhal
Reimagining the Future of Healthcare
U.S. Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Suzanne P. Clark sat down with Anita Allemand, Chief Transformation and Integration Officer of Walgreen’s Boots Alliance, Inc., to discuss their new strategic plan to create the pharmacy of the future. Allemand explained that the big picture goal is to become “neighborhood healthcare destinations” by “leveraging both healthcare providers and technology” in order to meet people where they are, increase access to care, and create better health outcomes.
“Really, it’s about meeting patients and consumers where they are.” - Anita Allemand
Global Pandemic Update
The World Health Organization’s Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, in conversation with the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s Michael Carney, discussed the current state of the pandemic and what to expect for the future. While the pandemic continues globally, there are “solutions” that will bring the end, including preventative actions, therapeutics, and vaccines. Van Kerkhove shared the WHO’s communication approach to be transparent about what they know, what they don’t know, and the importance in always striving to find answers.
“We understand that COVID-19 is not the only problem or the dominant problem in some countries…But COVID-19 has solutions. We can reduce the spread while keeping our businesses open.” – Maria Van Kerkhove
Private-Public Pandemic Preparedness
This panel featured business leaders and experts, including “Your Local Epidemiologist” Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, Genentech’s Jill Shotzberger, and Lisandro Torre of TEPHINET. Nisha Biswal of the Chamber’s Global Task Force for Pandemic Response hosted this discussion covering perspectives on the state of COVID-19, insight into surveillance and data collection, and the impact of key partnerships to fight pandemic issues. Genentech’s approach to creating novel partnerships, like the Medical Countermeasures Coalition, allowed leaders from multiple industries to come together to determine the best path forward. Focusing on empowering public health departments and improving communication at the local to international levels will also contribute to success during future pandemics, as described by Jetelina and Torre.
“Collaboration and communication are key…During this crisis, everyone we talked to, whether it was government, academia, or industry, said “What can we do to help?” That led to new partnerships we had never explored before.” – Jill Shotzberger
Transformative Tech and Telemedicine
This panel featured Dimagi’s Jonathan Jackson and telemedicine expert Dr. Tania Elliott, moderated by Doctor’s Without Borders’ Northan Hurtado, to discuss the trajectory of technology in health. Dr. Elliott offered key insights into the benefits of telemedicine for both patients and providers, including continuous data tracking and improving post-operative care. Jackson highlighted Dimagi’s CommCare technology that brings training, skills development, and data collection tools to providers in developing countries.
“What excites me the most is the asynchronous interaction and remote physiologic monitoring…that is absolutely the future of medicine.” – Dr. Tania Elliott
Youth Mental Health Ambassadors
This youth-centered segment, in partnership with Saving Our Daughters, featured a discussion between 13-year-old pre-med student and founder of “The Brown STEM Girl,” Alena Analeigh, and actress Celina Smith. It also featured cameos from numerous young actresses and mental health ambassadors including Aria Brooks, Tisha Custodio, Monique Green-Smith, Milan Ray, and Krista Marie Yu. They discussed the realities of mental health in our youth, advice for peers struggling with mental illness, and offered optimistic insight into the emerging sensitivity and empathy for mental health in younger generations.
“When something happens to you on the outside, you can see the bruise, the effects…but when you’re talking about mental health, people may be going through a lot of different things. You might just not see it.” – Monique Green-Smith
We hope you’ll share this content and takeaways with your colleagues and networks.
Be sure to join us for our Talent Forward summit on December 8 from 1:00 - 3:00pm ET, where we’ll discuss solutions for the most pressing challenges in education and workforce development. Register today!
