Welcome Chief of Staff Suzanna Gluck

Suzanna Gluck joined us to talk about her new role as Chief of Staff at Emergence. Suzanna’s background in data analytics at some of the world’s most well-known technology companies uniquely qualifies her to marry the worlds of healthcare and tech. Not for the sake of adopting the latest trends; but rather in service of facilitating healthcare delivery and creating a beta-testing ground for emerging technologies.

With a background in consulting, data, and social media technology, what made you want to shift to healthcare?

I’ve had a deep interest in medicine for as long as I can remember, which has led to a life-long exploration of how to bring a positive impact to the field. Initially, I was certain I wanted to be a surgeon, and in college studied neuroscience and non-western medicine as a pre-med student; volunteered for a mindfulness-based stress reduction center; and worked in a children’s neuroscience lab.  

 That’s when I got a reality check. My program connected students to female surgeons, and they all said the same thing: don’t become a surgeon. You’ll be paying off debt for decades, you won’t have time for anything else, and in the current healthcare environment, it’s just not worth the investment. I shadowed surgeons at another hospital one summer who reiterated the sentiment.

This changed everything and led me to pursue an entirely different kind of career. I knew I would return to healthcare with different skills, and could bring change from a business management perspective.

With so many opportunities in the healthcare space, what made you pursue Emergence?

There are a lot of reasons healthcare is broken. But, Emergence tackles the problem that kept me from pursuing a career in healthcare: it supports a good quality of life for doctors so they can practice medicine while enjoying whatever else it is they want to do in their lives.

So many of the doctors I talk to feel hopeless. Many are still underwater trying to make enough money to pay off their student loans, are stuck working terrible hours, and have no autonomy over their schedule. Their desperation is so clear. But when I talk to them about Emergence, they just light up. There’s really no other way to put it.

This excitement and animation from doctors is what made me jump at the chance to join the team ultimately.

Can you share more about the opportunities you see for Emergence to support biotechnology innovations?

There are incredible biotech advancements taking place all the time, and for various reasons it takes years to get these products to market. A system like Emergence can bring equipment and software to doctors without any financial burden or commitment by serving as a beta-testing ground for these new technologies. Bringing these products to market faster can have far-reaching, positive impacts on healthcare delivery more generally.

This is just one of the many opportunities we see — and we can’t wait to get started.