After several months of searching, Google has found an experienced professional, David Feinberg, to oversee and organize all of its healthcare initiatives. The Geisinger CEO will step into a healthcare leadership role at Google, where he will focus on creating strategies for the tech giant’s existing healthcare initiatives. Developing this new position is a way for Google to tap into the $3 trillion healthcare industry.
Feinberg’s Role
Feinberg will report to the head of AI Jeff Dean and also work closely with Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai. CNBC revealed that in his new role Feinberg will focus on “figuring out how to organize Google’s fragmented health initiatives, which overlap among many different business groups.” Some of Google’s current healthcare services / groups include Nest, Verily, Calico, DeepMind, and Google Fit, however, Google Fit is the only true client facing service. Nest is a subsidiary of Google Home and is hoping to enter the digital health business. Feinberg, the newest member of the Google team, will work to bring together health initiatives from all parts of the company as well; including Google Brain, Search, and Cloud.
Why Did Google Make This Move?
This move by Google comes after other companies such as Amazon, Apple, Berkshire-Hathaway, and JPMorgan Chase have announced their own health initiatives. Google is looking for a way to stay relevant and competitive with other companies, as they increasingly tap into the lucrative healthcare industry. Although the tech giant has a variety of products and projects, it has failed to monetize them thus far, in contrast to many of its competitors. Hiring Feinberg is ultimately an attempt to break into the industry and help combat strategic issues of both past and future.
With the help of Feinberg, Google will be able to boost home health, solve healthcare issues with transportation, use big data to battle disease, invent a new generation of fitness trackers, and secure its position as a world leader in AI. Geisinger’s CEO is seen as the perfect fit for the job; Feinberg can help facilitate the relationship between technology in healthcare. His track record at Geisinger with precision healthcare and predictive analytics will thrust Goole forward.
David Feinberg will step into his new role in 2019. A press release issued by Geisinger revealed that he’s staying with the health service organization through January 3rd, 2019 to facilitate a smooth transition.