Microsoft brings two significant players on board to further transform healthcare

Microsoft has recently revealed that it is set to approach the growing complexities across the healthcare industry through and advance its position with the appointment of two key figures to Microsoft Healthcare.

Responsible for driving innovation and accelerating new health initiatives Jim Weinstein has been appointed to Vice President, Head of Innovation and Health Equity. Joshua Mandel will also become Chief Architect at Microsoft Healthcare.

Exploring technologies, such as artificial intelligence and cloud computing through its Healthcare NExT (New Experiences and Technologies) initiatives, Microsoft Health will continue to build new tools and solutions to empower clinical staff and enhance the patient experience.

Weinstein will work alongside Peter Lee, Corporate Vice President for Microsoft Healthcare, to drive the company’s strategic vision.

“Weinstein is a widely respected visionary, author, surgeon and leader in the future of healthcare delivery who has advised three administrations on healthcare policy,” Lee has said.

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Driving communication and collaboration with partners and customers, Mandel will work to build Microsoft’s open cloud architecture. With a background, both as a physician and software architect, and with past roles at Verily (under Google), Mandel will “develop next-generation standards for healthcare data interoperability,” Lee has stated. 

“Jim and Josh join us at an exciting time, as healthcare processes undergo a digital transformation. This transformation has created a wealth of healthcare data that has potential to help identify diseases earlier, create and improve treatments and improve the lives of patients across the globe.

“At Microsoft, we’re confident that many aspects of the IT foundations for healthcare will move from on-premise doctors’ offices and clinics to live in the cloud.”

Developing a new cloud architecture will support clinical teams and encourage secure data sharing, providing a seamless, connected experience and ensuring positive patient outcomes. It will also work to support researchers to develop new drugs, in compliance with all regulatory standards.

Whilst Microsoft continues to invest in a number of digital health projects, such as Microsoft Genomics, its partnership with Great Ormond Street, London, as well as Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) and Adaptive Biotechnologies as part of its NExT initiative, Google has placed significant investment in healthcare through its subsidiaries DeepMind, Verily and Calico.

Additionally, retail companies and tech giants, such as Walmart, Apple and Amazon are continuing to look at ways to transform healthcare