Candidate name: Lana Solberg
Title: Healthcare Solutions & Partnerships
Organization: Boehringer Ingelheim Canada Ltd
Lana Solberg grew up in Saskatchewan and got a Bachelor of Social Work at the University of Regina. She worked as a Social Worker in Regina for almost 10 years and then moved to Edmonton, Alberta where she started working for Boehringer Ingelheim (BI). She has held a variety of different positions at BI in both the sales and training departments. She now works in Healthcare Solutions & Partnerships where she has responsibility for the development of Partnerships across the Western Region. This is done through co-creating healthcare system solutions that improve patient outcomes and system efficiency. Over the past 6 years, Lana has championed numerous partnerships across the Western Region, including 2 partnerships with the University Hospital Foundation and the Government of Alberta around respiratory disorders, another one with Central Zone PCNs, Health Cities, Government of AB and Telus to deliver Chronic Disease Management virtually. In addition, a Partnership in Manitoba around improving diabetes care in Indigenous Populations, and a partnership with Saskatchewan Research Health Foundation (SHRF) on improving chronic diseases in Indigenous Communities. More recently, Lana led the development of a partnership in British Columbia with Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, and the Hospital Foundation on Planetary Health, Indigenous Health and Chronic Disease focusing on reducing the carbon footprint of healthcare in BC.
How long have you been a member of Digital Health Canada?
3 years
Why do you want to join the Digital Health Canada Board of Directors at this point in your career?
I have been working in the healthcare space with a Pharmaceutical company for 18 years and have seen the many different aspects of healthcare and the transition to digital health solutions. I feel like I have the experience from both my social work skills and pharmaceutical career to contribute to digital health’s mission and vision as well as Strategic Plan. I bring a unique perspective and can speak to how the industry can contribute to innovation and partnerships to support and implement digital solutions to accelerate the transformation of healthcare. I love to grow and learn and am interested in expanding my network across the country. So many of the priorities of Digital Health not only align with my work at Boehringer Ingelheim but also with me personally. I am excited about this opportunity and will strive to provide the best service and support to the Board’s responsibilities.
How does your experience align with the Digital Health Canada strategic plan and mandate?
For the last six years, I have been in a very unique role at Boehringer Ingelheim where my entire job is to connect, inspire and empower HCP to innovate and use digital tools to create the future of healthcare in Canada. The work that I do is focused on advancement and advocacy and working with multiple stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem to align on a shared purpose to improve the healthcare system and patient outcomes. A lot of the work that I do is connecting others and sharing valuable learned experiences or tools that can be shared provincially or nationally
What unique skills, perspectives and contributions would you bring to the Digital Health Canada Board?
The work that I do requires me to work with multi-stakeholder groups and identify the clinical need and articulate the value participating will achieve. My experience gives me a unique perspective that allows me to build trust with partners and positively influence them. The projects I work on can be very complex and I have the ability to navigate all aspects of this work. I am in the field working with multiple different HCPs, Health Authorities, Non-Profits, start-ups and Governments which allows me to see all sides, and really understand all of the different perspectives and how we typically all have the same end goal in mind (improve patient outcomes, improve healthcare systems), but how can we work better together and ensure the right people are at the table when planning these digital transformations. I can also give the industry perspective as I have been working at Boehringer Ingelheim for 18 years.
Do you or have or have you ever had any direct patient care experience (clinical)?
Prior to starting my career at Boehringer Ingelheim, I worked as a social worker in Saskatchewan, so not directly in the “traditional healthcare” system, but was very involved in direct client interactions and building trust, working together towards solutions and deep understanding of how social determinants of health affect health in general.
What segments within the Digital Health Canada community do you feel you will best represent?
- Emerging Professionals
- Vendors
- Leaders
- Healthcare Institutions
With which Digital Health Canada committees, task groups or activities have you volunteered in the past five years? Describe your most significant contributions to Digital Health Canada’s mission.
I recently was a part of the planning committee for the Calgary Winter Conference and attended multiple planning meetings and helped to plan a panel session. I was also asked to be on a panel presentation speaking to digital disruption and what different organizations are doing to disrupt healthcare. I feel like my personal mission is to “make a difference” and that is why every day I wake up and am passionate about the work that I do and that I am fortunate enough to work for a company that allows the type of work that I do, as there aren’t other pharma companies that have these types of roles. And similar to Digital Health Canada’s mission, my work mission is completely focused on connecting the right people for the right purpose. Inspiring and empowering stakeholders to think outside of the box or partner with me to do something they otherwise may not have been able to do. Focused on co-creating new models of care, improving patient pathways, and aligning on a common goal of working #bettertogehter. It was also me who suggested and was able to secure Boehringer Ingelheim Digital Health Canada membership and I have recruited more colleagues over the past 3 years. Also introducing many of my customers and other stakeholders in the ecosystem to Digital Health Canada resources, websites, webinars & conferences.
What other board appointments or relevant leadership experiences have you had in the past five years?
I am currently on the Advisory Board for Plug and Play Alberta, where my role includes: identifying challenges and defining focus areas for global startup/technology searches; reviewing and voting on the top startups on Selection Day to be accepted into the Plug and Play Batch accelerator program; meeting with startups to explore opportunities to engage further thru pilots, proof of concepts, and innovation days; and being an active champion for innovation. I was on the Board of Directors of my daughter’s daycare as a Director at large. It is an accredited, licensed, non-profit childcare centre and as the board of directors, we were required to oversee the policies and assist in decision making, grant writing, hiring of executive director etc. In terms of leadership experience both in my social work career, as well as in Pharma I have led numerous teams on special projects and partnerships and have a lot of experience leading without authority. It is my enthusiasm and passion and ability to develop trusting relationships that allow me to be successful in leading these projects. It allows a different type of relationship within the teams both internally at Boehringer, but also externally with multiple different organizations across western Canada. I feel like my leadership and forward-thinking around healthcare system improvement will be beneficial as a board member. I was also a part of the Health Cities Powering Smart Decisions working group to help strengthen and foster collaboration; enhance capabilities in the health innovation ecosystem; identify and develop opportunities to accelerate the introduction of health innovation and develop a short-term project that demonstrates a functional aspect of Alberta’s health innovation ecosystem.
Please tell us why you feel Digital Health Canada members should vote for you.
I believe I bring a different perspective to the group with my many years of social work experience which has allowed me to develop trusting relationships through great communication skills and integrity and honesty. I consider myself a lifelong learner and love sharing my learnings with others not only within my company but with my network of peers across Canada. One of my core values is doing what I say I am going to do and following through on commitments. I have a unique role in the industry that allows me to truly look beyond traditional areas that pharmaceutical companies typically engage in, and one of those key areas is digital health. I have been involved in multiple partnerships with health authorities, governments, non-profits, SMEs and clinical partners around implementing innovative models of care or addressing care gaps or opportunities to improve patient outcomes and healthcare sustainability. I believe in the value of collaboration and working better together is a key to success to really put the patient at the center of all that we do. I also was the recipient of Digital Health Canada’s 2021 Women Leaders in Digital Health award. I have a large network of professionals and organizations and am excited about the opportunity to contribute to the development and advancement of the Canadian digital health industry through the Digital Health Canada Board of Directors.
Do you currently hold the Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management Systems – Canada (CPHIMS-CA) credential?
No
What is your educational background? Please list all degrees and designations.
Bachelor of Social Work – University of Regina
SLAY Project Management Course
Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Training
AHS Design Thinking Program
Negotiation Training
Solution Focused Training
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Training
Council for Continuing Pharmaceutical Education (CCPE) Courses: Continuing Medical Education; Accreditation; Psychiatry; Evidence-Based Medicine; Respirology; Pharmacoeconomics; Managing People
