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Alcidion is welcoming Will Smart, an accomplished global digital health leader, to the Board on 1 October 2024. Interested to learn more about his motivations for joining the team?
The impact of Alcidion’s Miya Precision technology is now reaching well beyond Australia and as part of our commitment to engaging with key global decision makers in healthcare, we are immensely proud to welcome a new face to the Board, Will Smart.
Will is a global digital health leader with extensive experience in both operational and non-executive roles. He has held key positions in major healthcare organisations, including Dedalus Group, a global digital health company, and the NHS, shaping national health IT strategies and leading large-scale implementations. His current board roles at Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and CareTech Partners, coupled with his active involvement in industry organisations like TechUK, demonstrate his deep understanding of the UK digital health landscape and his commitment to driving innovation.
In this short Q&A, Will shares why he is embracing a strategic leadership role with Alcidion – and importantly, why now.
Q. Can you name a professional achievement, or series of achievements, that you have been proud to contribute to as a leader in global health?
I have been fortunate to have a career that has enabled me to work in local, national, and international roles in healthcare and technology organisations.
In common with many health systems, the digitisation of hospitals remains a key challenge. At NHS England I was accountable for the Global Digital Exemplar (GDE) Programme which set out to support 16 acute, seven mental health, and four ambulance providers to achieve world-class digitisation levels. Most importantly, this initiative sought to codify the lessons of successful digitisation through the development of ‘Blueprints’ and creating a support network for the GDEs to assist Fast Followers to accelerate their journey to digital maturity. The ethos and learning from this programme continue to underpin the NHS’ Frontline Digitisation Programme.
The creation of a respected and recognised Health Informatics Profession is another area that I am proud of. In the UK, I oversaw the creation of the NHS Digital Academy as Chair of the Academy Steering Group. This was one part of the informatics professionalisation agenda within the NHS that also included the creation of the Federation of Health Informatics Professionals. I also was the International Board Member for the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) – the premier professional organisation for senior-level digital health leaders worldwide.
The Dedalus Global Executive team asked me to lead a critical programme in the UK to rebuild our market presence and reputation by transitioning our customers to the leading European Electronic Patient Record system, including the identification of ‘pioneer’ customers. I recruited a medical, nursing and technology leadership team to drive the programme. I acted as the ‘interlock’ between regional and corporate teams to unify the programme and ensure visibility of objectives, activities, and status. I successfully launched the programme, having led internal, customer and market-facing communications and, in less than two years, closed three contracts across the UK and Ireland and built a sustainable sales pipeline for the solution.
Q. What are your specific areas of expertise in advancing information, technology and informatics infrastructure in healthcare settings, internationally?
I have significant experience and expertise in shaping digital healthcare strategy, policy and programme delivery – connecting national strategy and policy to local delivery. I have worked with senior political, policy and service leaders to ensure that effective levers and incentives are in place to affect positive change for patients and staff.
As Chief Information Officer for Health and Care in England, I developed and delivered national strategies on information, technology and informatics, including:
- Ensuring that constructive and collaborative relationships are formed with national NHS and health and care organisations, that appropriate leadership, incentives and policy levers are available to support local health and care systems to enable their planning, commissioning and care delivery digitally;
- Providing advice to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care concerning digital Initiatives across Health and Social Care;
- Leading on the strategic procurement and implementation of the information and technology priorities to;
- be the chief commissioner and intelligent customer of data and technology needs, and
- commission and prioritise NHS Digital’s programme and service delivery.
- Transforming public access to information tools and services, underpinned by robust data security arrangements and with full regard for patient preferences around data sharing;
- Leading the delivery governance and assurance of all programmes of work, ensuring the benefits of information and technology investments in nationally funded programmes are realised with direct oversight of approximately £4.7 Billion cumulative NHS technology investment in the period 2016/17 to 2020/21, ensuring appropriate resourcing and funding and value for money; and
- Ensuring that NHS England and NHS Improvement have the data, information and supporting technology they need to fulfil their respective roles in the strategic leadership of the NHS.
Following the WannaCry attack on the NHS in May 2017, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) commissioned me to review lessons learned from the attack. DHSC published the report in February 2018, which comprised 22 recommendations for implementation across the system. As part of this review, I gave evidence to the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee about the NHS’ response to the attack and how the NHS would mitigate the impact of such attacks in the future. I chaired the NHS Cyber Operations Board, which is responsible for the ongoing oversight of local organisational preparedness, the allocation of national funding to support the remediation of vulnerabilities and for making recommendations regarding the application of compliance measures where significant risks have not been adequately addressed.
I also have significant experience leading digital transformation programmes in executive and non-executive capacities within the NHS.
Q. In your opinion, why is Alcidion’s technology and clinical impact so compelling?
Globally, healthcare systems continue to need help digitising care delivery. At the heart of this digital transformation are Electronic Medical Records (EMRs). However, many existing EMRs are tethered to individual institutions, inhibiting effective healthcare delivery by all actors operating within the health system.
Next-generation EMRs, such as Alcidion’s Miya platform help to intelligently connect systems, data, and people to create new care ecosystems that are greater than the sum of their parts.
These EMRs must:
- Connect the patient and their care teams;
- Move from a passive EMR model to an active ecosystem that supports care planning and execution;
- Support care plans across multiple conditions, organisations and settings, and that supports the creation of a single integrated ‘master’ care plan;
- Provides a user experience tailored to the individual needs of the patient and the caregiver at the point of care;
- Leverage data about the patient and the population to provide intelligent support for clinical decision-making and care execution; and
- Provide real-time analytics at individual patient and population levels to support research, planning, and measurement of outcomes.
Alcidion offers solutions, primarily through its Miya Precision platform, which integrates clinical decision support, patient monitoring, and workflow optimisation. This platform consolidates data from disparate systems, providing clinicians with actionable insights directly impacting patient care. The technology significantly improves patient safety and operational efficiency. For example, the Miya Results Tracking tool helps healthcare professionals manage high volumes of test results, reducing the risk of missed follow-ups and enhancing patient safety.
With its modular approach, Alcidion is actively working to overcome barriers to smart healthcare adoption. By addressing systemic inefficiencies and enhancing patient flow and remote monitoring capabilities, Alcidion’s technology supports the broader goals of healthcare systems to improve patient outcomes and operational productivity.
Q. From a commercial perspective, why does Alcidion’s technology present such a valuable opportunity for investors?
Alcidion’s technology presents a valuable opportunity for investors for several reasons, including:
1. Demand for Digital Health Solutions:
The global healthcare industry continues to invest heavily in digital health technologies to improve efficiency, patient outcomes, and cost management. Alcidion’s comprehensive platform addresses this growing demand by offering integrated solutions that enhance clinical decision-making and workflow optimisation.
2. The criticality of data standards and interoperability
Healthcare is increasingly operating as an ecosystem, where data is required to be available across multiple care settings to support disparate actors in delivering and supporting care activities. This requires data to be standards-based, interoperable and available at all points of an individual’s care pathway. The introduction of AI will amplify the criticality of real-time interoperable data to support care processes and decision-making, requiring new digital architectures and services.
Alcidion’s Miya Precision platform offers a modular architecture that can be deployed over legacy systems or in new sites, providing flexibility and scalability. This adaptability is a key differentiator from larger, more rigid incumbent solutions. The platform’s cloud-native design reduces capital costs and increases efficiency, making it an attractive option for healthcare providers looking to modernise their IT infrastructure.
3. Scalability
Alcidion’s technology is highly scalable and adaptable to various healthcare settings, from small clinics to large hospital networks. This allows the Company to target a broad market in terms of geography and customer segments, providing significant growth opportunities. Alcidion’s solutions can integrate seamlessly with existing healthcare IT systems. This interoperability is a critical differentiator in a market where many healthcare providers want to augment their existing digital investments rather than replace them entirely.
4. Proven Track Record and Clinical Impact
Alcidion has a proven track record of improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs. It demonstrates its value proposition by retaining existing customers and winning new clients.