Persistent Systems is a digital engineering and enterprise modernization company utilizing deep technical expertise to help clients stay ahead. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Persistent’s Senior Vice President & General Manager – Global Lead, Healthcare and Life Sciences Business Ganesh Nathella to learn more about the company.
Ganesh Nathella’s Background
What is Nathella’s background? Nathella said:
“With over 26 years of global executive experience, I’ve had the privilege of spearheading strategies and driving growth within the technology and services industry. From navigating early-to-market stages to scaling businesses for leading companies across various industry segments, my journey has been one of continuous learning and innovation. My passion for healthcare spans over two decades, where I’ve collaborated with clients to enhance health outcomes, elevate quality of care, and reduce costs through strategic technology applications.”
“As the Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Global Health and Life Sciences business at Persistent, I lead the global HLS vertical, leveraging digital, data, cloud, infrastructure, and enterprise technology to drive large-scale transformations and propel our clients toward sustainable success in the ever-evolving healthcare landscape.”
“My primary responsibilities revolve around delivering outcomes for clients, addressing industry challenges, driving business strategy and growth (including P&L management), developing industry-specific solutions, and contextualizing technology for the health and life sciences sector. I lead initiatives aimed at driving value for healthcare and pharma clients and fostering growth within the sector. My role entails overseeing the execution of strategic initiatives, ensuring alignment with client objectives, and driving innovation to meet evolving industry demands.”
Favorite Memory
What has been Nathella’s favorite memory working for the company so far? Nathella shared:
“One of my favorite memories at Persistent is witnessing the impact we’ve made in improving lives worldwide. Our commitment to enhancing health outcomes and extending life expectancy is deeply fulfilling. We place consumers at the forefront, embracing a holistic approach from “cell to cure.” Our expertise spans across various therapeutic areas, allowing us to collaborate seamlessly across the entire healthcare ecosystem. Whether it’s partnering with academic medical universities, pharmaceutical companies, or health tech innovators, our focus remains on solving pressing industry challenges through the strategic application of technology. Seeing our efforts translate into tangible improvements in people’s lives is truly gratifying.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features in the HLS space? Nathella explained:
“Persistent serves as a Digital Engineering and Enterprise Modernization partner for companies within the Health and Life Sciences (HLS) ecosystem globally. Our comprehensive range of services includes:
- Strategy and Digital Transformation: Guiding organizations through strategic initiatives and digital transformations tailored to the HLS sector.
- Product and Platform Engineering: Developing innovative products and platforms to address specific needs within the health and life sciences domain.
- Salesforce Capabilities: Leveraging Salesforce technologies to streamline operations and enhance customer engagement within HLS organizations.
- Data and Analytics: Harnessing the power of data through AI/ML and GenAI to drive insights and improve decision-making in healthcare settings.
- Cloud, Infra, and Security: Providing robust cloud solutions, infrastructure management, and security measures to ensure data integrity and compliance.
- Integration and Interoperability: Facilitating seamless integration between disparate systems and ensuring interoperability across platforms.
- Intelligent Automation: Implementing intelligent automation solutions to optimize workflows and enhance efficiency in HLS processes.
In addition, we provide a suite of accelerators and frameworks designed to expedite various aspects of digital transformation, including cloud operations, application portfolio analysis and modernization, ITSM, report rationalization, natural language querying, subscription analytics, data democratization, digital platforms, and data quality enhancements. Moreover, we offer Digital Greenhouse, our trademarked approach to user-centric and persona-driven development.”
“Lastly, we have built specific accelerators for GenAI and verticalized solutions tailored to key areas within HLS, such as Cell and Gene Therapy, Case Management, CPQ, Revenue Cycle Management, and Care Management. We also provide connectors for essential applications widely used in Healthcare and Life Sciences, including EMR systems and Core Admin Platforms.”
“In summary, our robust suite of products, features, and accelerators empowers HLS organizations to embrace digital innovation, optimize operations, and deliver superior outcomes in today’s dynamic healthcare landscape.”
Challenges Faced
What challenges has the team faced in building the company? Nathella acknowledged:
“Indeed, navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of the healthcare industry presents its fair share of challenges. At a macro level, the sector grapples with the paradox of change—struggling to keep pace with the swift advancements in technology and evolving consumer expectations.”
“One significant hurdle we face is the sluggish adoption of new business models, digitization, and transformative technologies like AI and GenAI within the healthcare realm. Patients, particularly those in non-metro areas, continue to encounter barriers such as affordability constraints and limited care options. Moreover, disparities in health outcomes persist across various demographic dimensions, including race, gender, income, and orientation.”
“At a micro level, our clients confront a myriad of challenges, ranging from sustaining growth and optimizing margins to modernizing legacy systems and streamlining operational inefficiencies. High inventory levels and staffing issues further compound these complexities.”
“To address these challenges head-on, we’ve developed a multifaceted approach focused on four key areas:
- Telehealth and Population Health: We assist clients in launching telehealth programs, developing population health systems, and facilitating seamless data integration across the healthcare ecosystem. By enabling better coordination of care and accelerating disease identification, we strive to enhance therapy outcomes and patient recovery timelines.
- Cost-Neutral Initiatives: Our initiatives aim to deliver upfront savings and rationalize spending on software licenses through cost-neutral strategies. We prioritize guaranteed savings upfront rather than waiting until the end of the contract terms, along with implementing FinOps for cloud expenditures.
- Automation and Workforce Evolution: Leveraging automation, we streamline routine and repetitive tasks, driving cost efficiencies and enhancing workforce satisfaction. This evolution of the workforce toward higher-end work not only boosts productivity but also fosters innovation within client organizations.
- Talent Management: We offer a tailored approach to talent management, leveraging a strategic mix of onshore, near-shore, and offshore resources. Additionally, we provide solutions such as employee rebadging to address talent shortages and ensure continuity in client operations.
Through these strategic efforts, we’re committed to empowering our clients to overcome industry challenges, drive innovation, and achieve sustainable growth in an ever-evolving healthcare landscape.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones in the HLS space? Nathella cited:
“Throughout our 30+ years of experience in the HLS space, Persistent has achieved numerous significant milestones. Our accomplishments range from garnering recognition in analyst and advisor rankings to earning accolades from industry leaders such as Google, Microsoft, and AWS for our contributions to Social Impact, GenAI, and other industry offerings.”
“We are also proud of the exponential growth of our HLS segment, surpassing the overall corporate growth of the company. This growth trajectory highlights our dedication to delivering value and driving positive change in the HLS sector. Furthermore, our milestones include closing large deals and expanding into new areas such as Radiology and Compliance.”
“Our work spans various facets of healthcare and life sciences, encompassing Sales & Marketing, Experience and Engagement, Care Delivery, Value-based Care, Operations, Precision Medicine, Digital Labs, and Research and Development.”
“Our success is intertwined with the milestones we’ve helped our clients achieve. Some notable accomplishments include:
- Establishing multi-state longitudinal patient records that integrate clinical, claims, administrative, and Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) data to enhance patient care and engagement.
- Launching innovative care channels like telehealth, home health, and remote monitoring.
- Assisting clients in transitioning to value-based care models with pricing transparency and population health management.
- Introducing new business lines, such as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by modernizing core administrative and clinical platforms to reduce IT spending and eliminate technical debt.
- Implementing Digital Front Doors, Physician and Producer Portals, and Mobile Apps to enhance engagement, self-service, and retention, fostering better relationships with patients, members, clinicians, and producers/brokers.
- Utilizing AI/ML for precision medicine initiatives, resulting in improved patient outcomes.
- Automating existing infrastructure for clinical trials to facilitate decentralized trials and reduce costs.
- Implementing process automation around scientific instruments, particularly in laboratory (LIMS) and R&D setups, to improve efficiency and operations.
- Developing Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) solutions for medical device companies.
- Creating technology-enabled diagnostic solutions for faster diagnosis and early biomarker detection.
- These milestones underscore our commitment to driving innovation and delivering transformative solutions that positively impact healthcare outcomes.”
HLS Launch
Can you share the specifics of Persistent’s Population Health Management Solution launched using Microsoft Azure services? Nathella highlighted:
“Our solution is built around the principle of “True population health is looking at the entire person, not just their disease states”. Our aim is to reshape healthcare utilization, mitigate health disparities, and foster self-care, improved coordination, and clinical integration. Leveraging Microsoft Azure services, our solution addresses critical challenges in population health management. It seamlessly handles data ingestion, storage, data preparation, and OpenAI model training, providing a robust foundation for consumption. This integration allows us to effectively identify unmet Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) and tailor personalized interventions and engagements.”
“While we have focused on the impact and intervention aspects of the solution, Azure services also play a crucial role in generating actionable insights such as risk stratification and behavioral data analysis. Furthermore, Azure’s infrastructure ensures manageability, scalability, security, and HIPAA compliance, providing a comprehensive solution for HLS organizations.”
“This innovative offering empowers healthcare organizations to optimize population health management, drive better outcomes, and deliver personalized care at scale, ultimately transforming the healthcare experience for individuals and communities alike.”
Customer Success Stories
Can you share any specific customer success stories in the HLS space? Nathella pointed out:
“Over the years, we’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with organizations globally. Sharing some of these success stories from our work in the Health and Life Sciences (HLS) space:
- We implemented a digital front door for a transplant care company, leveraging the power of data, AI, and other technologies to enhance organ transplant outcomes.
- Our team developed ML algorithms for clinical diagnostic solutions aimed at early detection of lung cancer. This reduced analysis time by nearly 70%, significantly impacting efforts to combat a disease that claims around 400 lives per day.
- Coupling our scale and breadth of expertise with data science and AI, we developed complex and integrated kidney care solutions for an AI-enabled diagnostics company focused on the clinical management of kidney disease.
- Partnering with a private research university to integrate digital, data, and IoT technologies to address tuberculosis (TB), HIV, and comorbidities, advancing research and patient care in these critical areas.
- We built an innovative platform for data collection, medical record integration, patient engagement, and trial management infrastructure. This facilitated robust patient research by providing access to comprehensive clinical data for over two million patients in Louisiana, Texas, and beyond.
- Our product engineering services have helped leading scientific instruments, medical devices, and radiology companies, driving innovation and advancement in healthcare technology.
- Additionally, we’ve provided engineering capabilities to the technology arm of a leading healthcare insurer, supporting their mission to improve healthcare delivery and outcomes.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the Persistent from its competition? Nathella affirmed:
“Our competitive advantage and differentiation stems from an ability to help not only our clients but their clients – patients, members, healthcare professionals and more.
- Outcome-Oriented Approach: We prioritize problem-solving and tangible outcomes, accelerating the discovery, development, and distribution of therapies. Our solutions focus on precision and personalized medicine, making healthcare accessible and affordable while promoting health equity and remote holistic health. By reducing the failure rate for drugs, cutting the cost of care, and improving health outcomes, we help clients digitize and optimize processes and accelerate topline growth.
- Intersection of Industry, Technology, and Innovation: With a recognized heritage in product engineering, we possess the expertise to work across multiple therapeutic areas. With over 90 Doctorates and subject matter experts, we bring unparalleled depth of knowledge to our projects. Our culture fosters innovation through hackathons, partnerships with academia, and collaboration with industry leaders.
- Culture of Delivery Excellence and Differentiated Engagement Models: We offer upfront savings and a range of engagement models, including product, people, and site takeovers, BOT, GTC, and Green Field IT set-up. Our focus on delivery excellence and customer success is evident at the account level, with tailored solutions and end-to-end governance. Leveraging tools like GitHub Co-Pilot and Amazon Code Whisperer, we enhance developer productivity and ensure successful project outcomes.
- Emphasis on Global Talent: We attract and retain top talent, with 80% of our employees participating in ESOP. Through Persistent University, we provide customized training spanning domains, processes, tools, and technologies, ensuring our team remains at the forefront of industry developments.
- Orchestrator of Ecosystem: We leverage a 360-degree model, collaborating with hyperscalers and industry partners to deliver comprehensive solutions that meet the diverse needs of our clients.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of Persistent’s future company goals for the HLS market? Nathella emphasized:
“Our goal is to become a trusted strategic partner to clients, addressing key challenges such as reducing the cost of care, increasing access to care, reducing disparities, optimizing operations, and facilitating the launch of new products to achieve significant growth. Additionally, we plan to deepen our presence across therapeutic areas and industry value chains at a sub-segment level through new offerings and accelerators.”
“We aspire to enhance our reputation as an ‘ecosystem orchestrator’ by leveraging the best hyperscaler technologies, forming partnerships with academia, and collaborating with niche industry players.”
Additional Thoughts
Any other topics you would like to discuss? Nathella concluded:
“I’d like to highlight a couple of significant topics. Firstly, our GenAI offerings have garnered considerable attention within the industry. These solutions are backed by HLS-specific use cases and supported by a team of over 16,000 AI-trained technical and sales professionals. We’ve established top-tier partnerships with hyperscalers such as Microsoft, Google, and AWS, and respected organizations like HFS and other analysts have recognized our efforts.”
“Secondly, I want to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of our team members. With over 4,000 individuals dedicated to our HLS business unit and a larger workforce of over 23,000 employees, their dedication and expertise are the backbone of our success. Their unwavering commitment to excellence is truly commendable.”
