THE IT Impact

Improving the connections between scientists and patients in need of novel therapies gives the IT experts of EMD Serono a rare opportunity to directly affect the lives of others

"If you're in IT at a global science and technology company, you rarely have the opportunity to contribute to improving the life of the patient. My team and I are extremely privileged and in a very unique situation." For Stella Ivanov, Head of IT for Global Patient Services (Americas and APAC) and her team at EMD Serono, that beneficial, often unseen connection changes lives across the continuum of care.

EMD Serono, the U.S. healthcare business arm of Merck KGaA of Darmstadt, Germany, integrates cutting-edge science and innovative technology to develop products and devices that meet the needs of patients living with difficult-to-treat diseases, such as infertility, multiple sclerosis, and cancer. Their therapeutic areas cover neurology, immunology, fertility, endocrinology, and oncology.

Headquartered in Boston, the biopharma leader has made a significant impact on the world with pioneering achievements such as, including the first company to bring a recombinant human product for treating infertility to market. (A recombinant human product refers to DNA, proteins, cells, or organisms made by combining genetic material from two different sources.) The innovation led to the birth of the first IVF baby in the United States - and 5 million globally since.

As IT head for patient services, Stella Ivanov and her team enable platform capabilities for end users who have direct interactions with patients, caregivers, or healthcare professionals. We asked her what connection means in the context of delivering patient services in the digital age.