By: Ilia Rodríguez-Torres, Triple-S Chief Talent & Administrative Officer
The global economy could grow by $1 trillion if gaps in women’s health are addressed, while the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) could significantly transform the healthcare system.
These were the key ideas from the recent forum, Innovate to Elevate: Transforming Healthcare in Puerto Rico, held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Condado. Organized by Oliver Wyman, JM Surette Advisors, and Triple-S, the event sparked transformative conversations among invited panelists and women leaders in Puerto Rico’s health sector.
Each panel offered valuable perspectives. Terry Stone, Vice President of Oliver Wyman and leader of the global health practice, highlighted AI’s vast potential to revolutionize healthcare. Tools like DeepScribe enable providers to automate clinical notetaking, synchronize with patients’ medical records, and streamline billing, reducing documentation time by 75% and improving ICD-10 code capture by 34%.
Stone emphasized how AI can accelerate drug discovery, expediting new treatments’ entry into clinical trials. Danielle Ralic, founder of Ancora.ai, shared her platform’s mission to democratize access to clinical trials, allowing patients to quickly identify medical solutions for their health conditions. Ralic pointed out the challenges patients face in accessing trials that could save their lives and the transformative impact of AI in eliminating these barriers.
Myths About Women’s Health
Lucy Pérez, a partner at McKinsey, highlighted the global economic opportunities linked to closing gaps in women’s healthcare. Contrary to the belief that women, by living longer than men, are healthier, Pérez revealed that women spend 25% more time in poor health compared to men. Women experience 12 years of disability versus 9 for men, according to World Bank data.
Additionally, over half of the health gap affects women during their working years, resulting in significant GDP losses. Pérez discussed the untapped market potential in health conditions like endometriosis, which affects 1 in 10 women worldwide—the same prevalence as diabetes. However, there are fewer than 20 drugs in development for endometriosis compared to 580 for diabetes.
Her panel also discussed gaps in treating obesity, cancer, and other conditions affecting women, with insights from Dr. Eva Cruz of Senos Puerto Rico, Shelly Lanning of Visana Health, and Dr. Katherine Saunders of FlyteHealth.
Local Women Entrepreneurs in the Health Sector
The forum’s final panel showcased young Puerto Rican entrepreneurs addressing needs in the health sector. Doris Marie Candelario, co-founder of Insu Health Design, shared her innovation: a battery-powered medication cooler lasting 24 hours. Nimia Vázquez, founder of Biochoices, discussed personalized therapies with over-the-counter bioidentical hormones, while Lyvette Mercado, president of Metamed LLC, focused on products and services to treat diabetes that enhance self-management and adherence to insulin administration.
These exchanges highlighted the possibilities for Puerto Rico’s health sector. By addressing gaps in women’s health and leveraging AI’s potential, significant changes in healthcare systems can be unleashed locally and globally.