Focus Magazine - Winter 2017 - 5

FROM THE PRESIDENT
Mary Myers

Preparing for Change
The future of U.S.
healthcare requires
different skills than
other global markets.

Want to Learn
More?
Check out the
article on Page 24,
sharing thoughts of
four healthcare
leaders from a
panel discussion
at the LTEN
Medical Device &
Diagnostics Trainers
Summit.

s we both start and end a year, it's
always a good time to evaluate where
things stand. is is a challenge,
because we're in an industry that's subject to
political change, to new and ongoing
regulations and to a near-constant state of
upheaval. If it's any consolation, we're not alone.
Recently I was in China for a global training
event. e purpose was to address how firstand second-line managers are trained and what
new competencies they require to be
eﬀective. e entire Chinese market has
recently been turned upside down. Massive
disruption has occurred impacting access to
prescribers, availability of medication and field
compensation. e same training and coaching
approach is no longer a viable option. Sales
consultants and managers require new skills.
What they are required to know, say and do has
forever changed. How fast companies change
will impact who the new market leaders will be
and they will probably help shape the future of
healthcare in the country.
is is not so diﬀerent in the United States.
We have fewer sales consultants and more key
account managers. Healthcare prescribing is
dramatically impacted and so is our access. We
need to challenge ourselves. How do we train,
who do we train and what should we be
training in this new environment?
It's safe to say that market access will
continue to drive change in the U.S. healthcare
industry. is puts demands on how we engage
our customers, how we deliver our message and
how we train our teams.
e future of healthcare in the United States
requires diﬀerent skills than other global
markets like China's. Our employees must be
able to interact with formulary committee
members or similar entities, as well as payers
with knowledge and expertise in health

economics. Our
new normal
requires that our
team members
know how to
interact with
formulary
committees,
technology assessment
panels, payers, drug
information centers, pharmacy benefit
managers and other entities that make coverage
and reimbursement decisions. We must be
knowledgeable about what the Center for the
Evaluation of Value and Risk in Health (CEVR)
is recommending. Our training curriculum
must become more sophisticated. We need to
leverage the expertise of our supplier partners,
who make it their business to stay current and
are experts in this area of our business.
Hiring and training a more sophisticated
team requires a new way of thinking. How we
certify or "check to sell" these team members
will vary. If you are training a medical device
or technology team versus members such as
key account managers, market access/managed
care, sales consultants and their leadership
team members, you must innovate and provide
unique types of simulation training. Our
training teams require unique skills and should
leverage knowledge from MBA-like programs
on strategic thinking and planning,
negotiations and influence mapping.
During times of massive transformation -
which the U.S. healthcare industry is currently
involved in - we need to be proactive and start
changing what we deliver now. I urge you to
evaluate your curriculum, enhance your own
knowledge and start preparing for the future. It
is only a moment away. ■

Mary Myers is president of LTEN and director of training for Bayer HealthCare. Email Mary at
mary.myers@bayer.com.

FOCUS | Winter 2017 | www.L-TEN.org

http://www.L-TEN.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Focus Magazine - Winter 2017