In early January, Wharton offered its first ever course in India: “Innovation and the Indian Health Care Industry.”  This three-day mini-course, held at the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad, covered the full range of health care issues in India - hospital management, medical tourism, pharmaceuticals, and more.  Nine executive MBA students attended, joining 21 full-time MBA students, and three undergraduates.  The course was directed by Wharton health care professor Lawton Burns, but lectures were given by eleven executives and leaders in Indian healthcare, many of whom have ongoing ties to Wharton.

Dr. Prasad Kilaru was one of three medical doctors in the EMBA program to take the course.  “From a physician’s standpoint, there was really great information on hospitals, non-profits, pharmaceuticals, and more,” he said. “I also really enjoyed the lectures on medical tourism, including the presentation from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.”  

Rajani Veeramachaneni, a first-year MBA Exec student who runs her own strategy consulting firm claims it was “one of the best academic courses she has ever taken, as it approached the issue from so many angles.”  Veeramachaneni enjoyed not only the lectures on hospital management and medical tourism but the presentations on cutting-edge technologies, including e-Help, mobile health, and wireless medical technology.   “I was impressed by the low-cost structure of India’s healthcare system,” she said, “from which the U.S. can learn a lot.”

Robert Zwolinski, a second-year EMBA student in San Francisco, took the course with the aim of applying his findings to his current job.  As the Director of Operations of a small pharmaceutical company in the Bay Area, Zwolinski wanted to explore the possibility of outsourcing development work – including formulation development, clinical development, and clinical trials.  “The course provided me an excellent opportunity to find out what I need to send work over there,” he said.  “India is not just a low cost option.  India offers many advantages – the education, talent, and intellectual capacity for specific activities - all of these advantages combine to make India a high quality option that can facilitate speed to market for products in development.”

Chris Dickey had a Doctorate in Public Health, but his job as general manager of a health services company in Manhattan wasn’t fulfilling his goal of making a real impact on a large number of people’s lives. To change that, he enrolled in Wharton’s MBA for Executives Program in 2006 where he seized the opportunity to brainstorm with classmates whenever he could about possible business plans. Soon after he graduated, he and a partner had a plan in place to create Healthpoint Services, a market-based approach to meeting the health needs of consumers at the base of the economic pyramid. In addition to providing clean water, the business also provides medical clinics in remote villages that connect patients to doctors via videoconferencing technology and remote diagnostics.

It’s been about 18 months since he graduated so we asked Chris to share some of the highlights of his unique entrepreneurial experiences with us. In addition to sending us a video video from a recent trip to India, here’s what he had to say:

“Poor people in the developing world typically don’t have access to clean water and affordable, high-quality health care. We set out to change that through a village-based unit called a Healthpoint that combines a Reverse Osmosis plant attached to a raw water source with the latest in telemedicine technology, approved drugs, and 65 diagnostic tests (and counting) that cover a range of common illnesses.

My partner, Allen Hammond, and I are convinced that we are among the pioneers of this new market-based approach to meeting the health needs of this vast group of consumers making and spending less than about $3 per day. We believe that a commercial venture focused on delivering high-quality care at an affordable price will create efficiencies, economies of scale, and a profitable, scalable company that will transform health outcomes for millions of people.

We officially launched the first three Healthpoints in India last October to some fanfare – both the Punjab Governor and Finance Minister were there as well as the national media. The politicians were so impressed with the operation that they asked us to build 600 more units in the next three years!

I recently returned from a visit to the Healthpoints, which are in Mallan, Doda, and Kotbhai, and also to our new call center based in Bathinda. I’m delighted to say that the units are all thriving, even after such a short time. The waiting rooms are full, people are lining up with 20 liter jugs to purchase clean water, and the staff is thrilled to be part of a revolutionary effort to provide access to health care for rural villagers.

During that trip, I watched a follow-up visit to the Healthpoint in Mallan by a woman who had been treated by us for joint pain a week before. She came to review her progress on the prescribed medicines and to get further instructions. She appeared to be very content with her treatment, which cost her 30 rupees (about $0.65) plus the cost of the medicines. Her doctor, too, was happy with the outcome. The fact that the doctor and patient were looking at one another through video screens seemed not to register to either of them.

The next morning, we drove to Doda, a village of about 1,500 families, nearly all of whom make a living from the vast farmland that surrounds it. When we arrived at the Healthpoint, several men were packing their 20 liter jugs full of water (which cost them 2 rupees) on the backs of their bicycles. One of the amazing aspects of this company is that getting the water has become a man’s job in these towns, replacing a traditional woman’s chore. We think it’s because the Healthpoints are also high tech gathering places and getting the water is now a cool thing to do for the men!

Inside the Healthpoint, I joined a consultation in progress. A farm worker was suffering from pains in his shoulder and side. He had been to the local government clinic where he was given vitamins and a pain killer without any real discussion. Our clinical assistant took the man’s blood pressure, temperature, pulse, and weight, carefully entering it into his electronic medical record. During the examination, our doctor was present via a large screen monitor and was asking lots of questions. It turns out that the patient had experienced several episodes during his life that appeared to be epileptic seizures. The doctor ruled out an immediate threat to the man’s health and then asked whether the patient could afford 500 rupees to get an EEG in Bathinda to check for epilepsy. The patient said yes, he had saved enough over the past year to cover the expense.

Absent a referral by our doctor, who is known in Bathinda, that EEG might have cost the worker several thousand rupees, a sum that he would have to borrow from a local loan shark, thereby ensuring that neither he nor his young family would ever escape the economic and health consequences of his illness.

I saw several other patient visits that day, not only in Doda, but also in Mallan and Kotbhai, and I was impressed by the warmth and care provided by our staff and also by patients’ ease in being seen by a doctor on TV. It’s incredible that most of these individuals have never seen a real doctor before and now they interact with one as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. The video and sound quality is so high, the lighting is so good, and the care with which the employees treat these poor patients is so genuine that the exchange of information is excellent. I’d gladly trade some of my experiences with the medical system in New York for ones like this.

When I think back on all those hours spent at Wharton discussing business ideas that would  make a difference, we owe a significant debt of gratitude to my Wharton EMBA colleagues, including Sarabjit Singh, Vikas Khurana, Mike Parker, and Rittik Chakrabarti.  I really believe that there is a tremendous demand for services like ours, not just in Punjab but in many other Indian states and other developing countries.”

Thanks to Chris for sharing those highlights and good luck to Healthpoint Services in its future growth!

To learn more about Healthpoint Services, contact Chris Dickey at: chris.dickey@e-healthpoint.net

Hands-on learning is nothing new for Wharton EMBA students. After all, they go right back to their offices after weekends in the classroom to apply what they have learned. And they have ample opportunities for hands-on learning outside of work through International Seminars, the Global Consulting Practicum and Wharton’s Leadership Ventures to name a few.

Wharton l San Francisco students now have another option via the School’s Nonprofit Board Leadership Program (NPBLP) , which selects and trains Wharton MBA students to serve on the boards of directors of nonprofit organizations for one year using their high-level knowledge of areas such as accounting, finance, and marketing. Launched in 2005 to match Wharton MBA students in the Philadelphia area with nonprofit organizations, the NPBLP expanded this year to San Francisco.

“It was important to bring the program to Wharton|San Francisco to provide more leadership opportunities for students, to reach out to the local community, and to support local nonprofits by providing them with world-class business management knowledge,” says second-year EMBA student Caspar Horne, president of Provisi Experts in Santa Clara, CA, who helped establish the West Coast NPBLP program.

Horne says he was stunned by the enthusiastic responses from nonprofits in the San Francisco and Bay Area. In fact, there were more nonprofits interested in the program than available students so he hopes to expand the program next year.

While serving on a nonprofit board may sound like a lot to balance on top of work, family, and class commitments, Horne says it’s not as bad as it sounds. “It’s about  eight to 10 hours a month including the monthly board meetings and gives students a much richer experience during the Wharton MBA for Executives program because it’s not just reading a case and making decisions on paper. These are real organizations with real challenges,” he says.

Horne adds that since EMBA students tend to be farther along in their careers, many are interested in giving back through community leadership. “This program helps students prepare to take on those roles by working on causes they are passionate about. And it’s a great way to network beyond the student body!” he says.

Wharton|San Francisco second-year Executive MBA student Anand Hariharan, a manager at Cisco Systems in San Jose, was recently matched through the program to serve on the board of One Million Lights, a nonprofit seeking to distribute one million environmentally friendly, rechargeable solar lights to people around the world. “A deeper understanding of social entrepreneurship coupled with a goal of better education and quality of life for children and the under-privileged is the ultimate opportunity,” he says.
Other nonprofits participating in the Wharton|San Francisco NPBLP include the YMCA, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Junior Achievement, Education through Music, and Breath California.

Get more information on Wharton’s NPBLP.

When Wharton EMBA alumna Susan Sotiropoulos, AP marketing manager for DuPont Chemicals in Shanghai, had a business trip to the U.S. last month, she made sure to arrange her schedule so she could attend Wharton’s annual Leadership Conference as well. Having already attended the event twice before, she knew the speakers would discuss topics very relevant to her own career.

This time, Wharton Prof. Harbir Singh's presentation about how India’s top business leaders are revolutionizing management was of particular interest. “I work very closely with our team in India, and am hopeful that the additional insight from his talk will allow me to create further value in our work together,” she says.

Sotiropoulos, who graduated from Wharton in 2005, also was very interested in Global Vice Chair of Public Policy, Sustainability, and Stakeholder Engagement at Ernst & Young Beth Brook’s talk about the need for inclusive leadership in turbulent times. “While this is something we as leaders understand, very few of us employ systematic means to ensure we utilize this form of inclusive leadership to its potential,” she says. “However, this type of engagement will be necessary for my company’s future success in China.”

The annual Wharton event, says Sotiropoulos, is well worth attending not only because it exposes her to leadership talent that only top schools can attract, but also because it provides a chance to reconnect with colleagues both within and outside of the Wharton community. “I have asked colleagues to join me for this conference so I can reconnect with individuals I work with in a different manner than our regular interactions allow,” she explains.

Mark Turner, who graduated from Wharton’s EMBA program in 2001 and is the president and CEO of WSFS Financial Corp. in Wilmington, Del., agrees that events like the Leadership Conference are great opportunities for networking. “Since I’ve graduated, I’ve come back four times for this conference. In some cases, my classmates and I use it as an opportunity to get together and have dinner afterward, but it’s also a chance to get to know other alumni and business leaders because it is so well attended,” he says.

And it’s a “booster shot” in terms of leadership ideas and inspiration, which are critical these days to be an effective leader, he says. “You need to keep current with what others are doing and I come away from these events energized.”

Of particular interest to Turner at this year’s conference was Peter Guber’s talk about story telling. Turner says that the chairman and CEO of Mandalay Entertainment Group did a great job speaking about how to motivate other people to support your ideas and reinforcing the concept of authentic leadership.

“Programs at Wharton like the Leadership Conference add significantly to the value of my degree in terms of reconnecting with people, making new connections, and providing continuing education – I’ve always been a proponent of lifelong learning,” he adds.

Despite the rough economy, it’s still a great time to start a business, according to VCs at a recent panel discussion at Wharton|San Francisco.  The panelists – all Wharton alumni -- gathered last month to discuss current developments in the VC community and the impact on entrepreneurs.

Laura Onopchenko, who graduated from Wharton’s West Coast EMBA program in 2007 and is director of Wharton Entrepreneurial Programs (WEP) at Wharton|San Francisco, says the event – the first of several upcoming Friday night panels -- drew more than 160 students, alumni, and guests. “This is a hot topic not only for entrepreneurs, but for anyone who wants to get a pulse on entrepreneurship, find resources, and network within the Wharton community.”

The panelists included Wharton undergraduate alumnus Jim Lussier, general partner at Norwest Partners, Wharton MBA graduate Jim McElway, partner at Weston Presidio, and Wharton San Francisco EMBA graduate Ashmeet Sidana, general partner at Foundation Capital. The event was moderated by the new executive director at Wharton|San Francisco, Doug Collom, who is a partner at Wilson Sonsini.

After the panel discussion and Q&A, the event ended with time for networking. “The newest San Francisco class started recently so this was a great event for them to meet the extended Wharton alumni community and hear about a topic that is essentially part of our ecosystem in this area,” says Onopchenko, managing director at Techfarm Ventures.

West Coast EMBA students also had an opportunity last week to participate in Wharton’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) program, which brings successful entrepreneurs to campus for one-on-one discussions with students about their own aspirations as entrepreneurs.  Last week’s EIR, serial entrepreneur Gordon Campbell, general partner at Techfarm Ventures, shared his observations on the current environment for start-ups and reflected on his own experiences as an entrepreneur.

Read more blogs about Wharton|San Francisco:

Ready to Launch: West Coast EMBA Team Wins Top Prize in Wharton’sWe Business Plan Competition Business Plan Competition 

From Contacts to Office Space: EMBA Students Find Entrepreneurial Resources at Wharton in San Francisco “Incredible”

Web-Based Services Workshop at Wharton West an “Intense” Experience

From Speed Coaching to Interview Workshops: Women’s Events in Wharton’s EMBA Program Provide Professional Development and Networking Opportunities

Wharton West EMBA students are going to have access to some of the top business, government and technology thought leaders at the upcoming Supernova 2008 Conference to be held June 16-18 in San Francisco.

Diversity is critical to the success of our programs at the Wharton school.  Diversity of our student body and diversity of our academic curriculum enhance the learning environment, creating greater student engagement where each individual has an opportunity to contribute and thrive.