15.08.2024

Medtronic joins CleverHealth Network ecosystem

Photo: Enterprise Account Manager Finland Jouni Timonen and Nordic Country Director Panu Lauha.

Medtronic, a leading global medtech company, has joined the CleverHealth Network (CHN) ecosystem. Medtronic focuses on providing innovative solutions for the most complex and challenging health conditions. Nordic Country Director and Senior Director of Strategic Operations Panu Lauha from Medtronic sheds light on the aspirations of the company in joining CHN.

Innovation through collaboration 

Panu Lauha, the Nordic Country Director and Senior Director of Strategic Operations, leads Medtronic's efforts in the Nordic region. His role involves extending solutions beyond traditional product offerings to include services and solutions essential for the ongoing healthcare transformation. Medtronic's product portfolio includes for example pacemakers, diabetes pumps, neuromodulation devices, laparoscopic surgery tools, stents, and vascular prostheses.

Medtronic believes that innovation alone is not enough; collaboration is key in achieving tangible results. “HUS Helsinki University Hospital is a long-term client and partner for Medtronic, and joining the CleverHealth Network led by HUS is a welcome next step for us,” Panu Lauha says.

The company, with an extensive reach spanning over 150 countries and more than 95,000 employees, works closely with healthcare professionals to introduce new therapies and optimise treatments for over 70 of the world's most complex diseases. To achieve their goals, Medtronic is combining data, artificial intelligence, and a comprehensive understanding of the human body.

Medtronic focuses on chronic and operational healthcare, particularly in areas such as heart diseases, neurological conditions, diabetes, surgery, anaesthesia, and intensive care. The company aims to drive healthcare transformation by introducing tech into medtech, emphasizing digitalization, remote care, and addressing resource and financial challenges.

Expectations from the CleverHealth Networ

Medtronic's decision to join CHN was significantly influenced by its collaboration with HUS, a significant partner and client. The company recognises the immense need for healthcare transformation and the importance of network collaboration to achieve this.

The CHN provides a permanent network that facilitates the planning and execution of larger projects, reflecting a partnership approach essential for rapid and effective change. Medtronic expects the co-creation within CHN to generate value for all members, with data-driven insights leading to potential solutions for emerging challenges.

Contributions to the ecosystem

According to Panu Lauha, what Medtronic especially wants to bring to the table as the new CHN member is their expertise and understanding on European Union’s Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) projects. Seeing IHI funding as an underused resource in the Nordics, Panu Lauha would like to ignite discussions about potential collaborations within the CHN network to seek for funding from the IHI. Panu encourages the CHN to take on bold and collaborative efforts to overcome operational challenges and drive significant advancements in healthcare.

Medtronic aims to focus on clinical needs and gaps as drivers for joint R&D&I work. Their key areas of interest in CHN include brain stimulation for mental health conditions, Parkinson's disease treatment, and the use of digital twins in healthcare development. Other areas include enhancing patient pathways, remote care models, data analytics, and AI integration in clinical and operational settings.

Panu Lauha concludes: “In the next 2-5 years, I envision 1-3 IHI projects initiated at HUS, resulting in tangible healthcare solutions, as well as product innovations driven by the exceptional clinical expertise at HUS, contributing to chronic disease management and prevention.”

Medtronic has been involved in numerous projects aimed at improving patient care coordination and healthcare efficiency. These include data analytics and dashboarding for operational planning and remote care systems. The company has a strong network of Nordic partners and has participated in data-driven projects in Finland and Denmark.

 

More information: www.medtronic.fi