In our latest #OurEntrepreneurs profile we meet cohort 6 Clinical Entrepreneur Penny Kechagioglou, a Consultant Clinical Oncologist.
Tell us a bit about yourself I am a Consultant Clinical Oncologist in the NHS, the Chief Clinical Information Officer and deputy Chi
I am a Consultant Clinical Oncologist in the NHS, the Chief Clinical Information Officer and deputy Chief Medical Officer at UHCW, leading on the digital transformation agenda in my NHS Trust. My research interest is in Leadership and Innovation and I have recently completed a doctorate degree with Warwick Business School in this subject. I am also a Trustee at Penny Brohn and CoppaFeel UK cancer charities and I co-Chair the British Society for Integrative Oncology.
Name: Penny Kechagioglou, NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Cohort 6
Occupation: Consultant Clinical Oncologist, Chief Clinical Information Officer and Deputy Chief Medical Officer
I am passionate about improving people’s health and wellbeing and motivating them to be the best they can possible be, personally and professionally. That is why I have been trained as a Functional Medicine (FM) Coach and FM doctor which has helped me understand the root cause of chronic illness and using lifestyle interventions and positive psychology to prevent, control or reverse chronic illness. I currently offer my services as a Holistic Doctor and Health Coach at the National Centre for Integrative Medicine, working with people with chronic conditions including cancer improve their life outcomes through lifestyle change.
Why did you apply to the programme and what are you looking forward to?
Having studied Innovation and Leadership for my doctorate degree, I came across the CEP programme and I fully connected with the program purpose. It’s about making an impact in the NHS, the communities and the system as a whole and this can only be done through innovation. Engaging with other innovators, sharing knowledge, encouragement and collaborating with them can only multiply the benefits of innovations. I also have an innovative idea which I believe will make a difference to people and the NHS as a whole and I feel the programme can support me in my vision to realise the benefits of my idea.
I am looking forward to seeing my idea moving closer to becoming a reality through the course of the programme, whilst at the same time making lifetime connections with all the awesome clinical innovators in the programme.
Tell us about your innovation
My innovation is an online personalised Health and Wellbeing coaching service, to empower people with chronic conditions, including cancer, take control of their health, prioritise Health and Wellbeing and apply lifestyle change to improve their Health. The platform will collect patient reported outcome and experience measures as well as sociodemographic data to understand what interventions work, for whom and under which circumstances, in order to build the personalised coaching service component and evaluate the interventions.
What motivates you?
We know that 1 in 3 people in UK live with at least one chronic health condition and that at least one third of those conditions are preventable or reversible. The evidence of Health Coaching in motivating people to change behaviours and applying sustainable lifestyle changes is overwhelming; the impact of such individual change is multiplied if we think about communities and population health management. I am motivated by the power of Health Coaching in preventing and reversing ill-health, improving people’s lives and reducing the burden on the NHS. I am motivated that my innovation can contribute to that aim.
How can we find out more?
I have only recently launched my innovation website where you can take a look at the innovation mission and initial offerings www.ocihealth.com. For more information please contact me on LinkedIn or Twitter.