Altamonte, Fla.-based AdventHealth's journey into rapid genomic testing is a story of vision, strategic thinking, planning and partnership.
During a PwC-sponsored virtual featured session at Becker's Hospital Review 11th Annual Meeting in May, key players in AdventHealth's story shared highlights from the organization's journey. Speakers included:
- Neil Finkler, MD, CMO, AdventHealth Central Florida Division
- Wes Walker, MD, Director of Genomics and Personalized Health, AdventHealth Central Florida Division
- Gurpreet Singh, U.S. Health Services Leader, PwC
- Larry Patrick, Principal, PwC
Seven highlights from AdventHealth's journey:
1. Belief in genomics. Dr. Walker stated, "We feel that genomics is the future of medicine." He continued, "No other technology in the history of medicine has the ability to have such a profound impact on prevention, diagnosis and treatment across all specialties. . . when you look at the depth and breadth of the impact of genomics, there is no precedent." Mr. Singh sees the rise in genomics coming at an inflection point involving three P's: computing power, privacy of data and personalization.
2. Investment. Based on AdventHealth's belief in genomics, its leaders concluded, "We need to invest in this area," Dr. Walker said. Beyond financial investment, AdventHealth needed a corporate strategy around genomics and personalized health, a roadmap, a strategic framework, and a detailed plan that involved building human and technical capabilities.
3. Buy-in. Success at AdventHealth required broad buy-in. There has been strong executive sponsorship, aided by a clear path to financial sustainability. Physician buy-in has been achieved by providing education on the value proposition and by presenting data to clinicians embedded within their workflow. As Dr. Finkler said, "It's got to be in the workflow, it's got to be easily accessible, it has to be actionable."
4. Data integration. Data in silos have no value. A core tenet at AdventHealth, said Dr. Finkler, is that clinical data must be married with genomic data and other "omics" data. Dr. Finkler explained that the integration of data is the key to bringing value, improving outcomes and lowering the cost of care.
5. Data usage. Genomics produces an enormous volume of data. AdventHealth is using data clinically to tailor treatments for individual patients and diseases. This use of data for personalized treatments will ultimately improve outcomes and reduce costs. AdventHealth is also using deidentified data for clinical research.
6. Partnership. AdventHealth assessed its capabilities and identified areas where external expertise was necessary, such as in data science and governance. As a result, AdventHealth teamed with PwC because PwC brings expertise that AdventHealth lacks. PwC has also assisted by acting as a convener, connecting AdventHealth to a network of additional partners and facilitating those discussions.
7. Future focus. Looking ahead, Dr. Walker said AdventHealth plans to expand and grow its genomics program using a framework focused on prevention, early risk identification, diagnosis and treatment.
In recapping AdventHealth's genomics program, Mr. Singh said, "AdventHealth has figured it out. They've actually taken their genomics program and made it real for patients. This isn't a science experiment. It’s not just a test or a pilot. This is real for patients in the community."
To view the session on-demand, click here.