When Nguyen Thi Hue Chi (Chi), Key Account Manager, first started at Philips nine years ago, the company had little presence in the Vietnam market, where the healthcare system was largely state-run. There was an absence of Philips offices in the country’s northern region, where she was based, and most Vietnamese doctors were unfamiliar with its product offerings.

“A decade ago, the Philips solutions installation base was minimal. Many doctors only knew about Philips when they had a chance to study in hospitals abroad,” Chi says.

However, the Vietnam government’s healthcare reforms – allowing a public-private mix, where a portion of hospitals could operate autonomously – created large market potential for quality medical devices.

She realized that this was a big opportunity for Philips to establish a presence in Northern Vietnam and a new challenge in her career – a vision she expressed in her job interview with the company.

“During my interview, I was truly inspired by my manager. I shared my ambition, which was in line with his strategy to establish a team in Hanoi dedicated to developing Philips’ presence in the Northern Vietnam region. I accepted the challenge.”

Today, the Philips Hanoi office has grown in size in terms of number of employees. Chi excels in a ‘double-hat’ role: she is the Key Account Manager for customers within the private sector, providing multi-modality products and solutions to hospitals, and Channel Manager for Image-guided Therapy (IGT) solutions for public hospitals, servicing Hanoi and the northern provinces.

undefined

Nguyen Thi Hue Chi, Philips Hanoi office

Exploring integrated end-to-end solutions for the public and private healthcare sector

In her dual business development position, Chi manages a close partnership with private hospitals, working with the hospital C-suite, hospital directors, Head of Imaging Department and Finance Controllers, while simultaneously supporting third-party dealers and distributors targeting the public healthcare sector. She also serves as liaison with government officials in ensuring first-hand understanding of central and provincial healthcare developments.

“The work can be very different. I work closely with public hospitals, partnering distributors in replacement and upgrading of existing equipment and systems, which has a direct impact on the quality of healthcare available to patients in the region,” Chi says. “I’m proud to say that I’ve built a strong distributor sales team to support the on-going, strategic partnership.”

“At the same time, I take on an advisory role, providing private hospitals with an end-to-end solution from hospital design, equipment planning and financing, to education and training of caregivers. These involve complex multi-modality solutions, spanning diagnostic imaging equipment to minimally-invasive solutions and platforms, targeting operating rooms, intensive care units, or oncology centers,” she explained.

Patients with complex pathologies require information from multiple sources and clinical domains to ensure accurate diagnosis and treatment. Philips IntelliSpace Portal 8.0, for example, is an advanced visualization and analysis solution that is designed to help physicians diagnose, follow-up, and communicate across clinical domains and modalities, with one seamless, connected workflow. Through the adoption of new technologies, more patients can be treated locally, more efficiently, and at lower costs.

“We have seen an increasing demand for our solutions. In Hanoi, the city’s largest hospitals, including Bach Mai Hospital and Vietnam-Germany Hospital, to name a few, have adopted Philips’ image-guided therapy systems, designed to optimize lab performance and provide superior care.

“Philips has always placed a strong focus on customer centricity, driving innovations and technology that enable us to deliver on our ‘quadruple aim’ of enhancing the patient experience, improving health outcomes, lowering the cost of care, and improving the work life of care providers. With my role, I have the opportunity to be involved in the solution creation process and deliver complex systems and solutions best suited to the needs of our customers,” Chi says.

undefined

Philips IntelliSpace Portal 8.0

Looking ahead

Prior to joining Philips, Chi worked with a Japanese medical device company for 13 years. Despite her wealth of expertise and experience in the industry, she is still relishing every opportunity to learn.

“The focus the company places on innovation and people development is what has kept me committed to growing my career here. Through learning opportunities from annual international workshops and learning summits, to working closely with my cross-functional and global colleagues, I have constantly been learning and discovering new ways of work. The impact of the work I do and the many opportunities I’ve had to maximize my career potential truly makes me feel respected and valued,” Chi says.

Looking back at her career highlights at Philips, Chi pointed to the first installation of Philips Azurion at 108 Military Central Hospital as a memorable moment. “Vietnam’s healthcare industry is expected to grow annually by over 20% in the coming years, thanks to rapid economic development. Hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hue, Danang and Can Tho, for example, will have increased demand for integrated medical solutions to better serve patients.

“There remains great potential in how Philips can impact healthcare in my home country, and I hope to achieve this together with Philips.”

[1] VietnamNet, “Vietnam imports large volume of medical equipment”, July 27, 2018