Diane Nanstad, VP, Health System Collaboration & Innovation, Available for Next Healthcare Leadership Opportunity

What’s your current role?

My career has centered on tackling health care’s most pressing challenges — from advancing population health and value-based care to generating data-driven insights and, most recently, applying artificial intelligence (AI) for clinical decision support.

In Health IT, I partnered with health systems to design and lead strategies that improved outcomes while advancing their clinical, financial, and operational goals. To further strengthen this expertise, I completed the MIT Sloan Executive Education certificate in Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare, building on my ability to help organizations leverage advanced technology to improve patient care and increase clinical decision-making.

I also bring experience across the Life Sciences, spanning BioPharma, Medical Devices, and Pharmaceuticals. Recognized as a Master Connector, I am known for cultivating collaborative relationships with health system executives and aligning diverse stakeholders to achieve measurable impact.

My journey has included roles at Sanofi, Oracle Health (Cerner), Premier Inc., Boston Scientific, and Boehringer Ingelheim.

When did you join the Women’s Health Leadership TRUST and what roles have you held within the TRUST?

I have been a member of the Women’s Health Leadership TRUST since 2012 and am currently serving my sixth and final year on the Board. During my tenure, I have served as Co-Chair of the Archive, Sponsorship, and Programming Committees, and have also contributed as a member of the Forum and Membership Committees. I was honored to be recognized at the Women’s Health Leadership TRUST Mentor of the Year for 2022.

What has been your favorite part of the TRUST?

I value the TRUST’s inclusivity, bringing together women from early careerists to CEOs across all sectors of health care. It creates a space where we can connect, collaborate and support one another as we navigate the ever-evolving health care landscape.

What is the best mentoring experience you’ve had?

As a TRUST member, I have worked with a number of mentees, and once I am their mentor, I am always their mentor. These relationships have proven to be mutually beneficial for both the mentee and me.

What was a pivotal moment in your career that significantly influenced your leadership style?

Boehringer Ingelheim invested in my leadership development training, and I later had the privilege of serving as an assessor for the same program. I recognize that not all organizations are able to prioritize leadership development, which makes me even more grateful for the experience. It has made me a stronger, more confident leader and continues to serve as the foundation for my work as a mentor.

What emerging trend in health are you most excited about and why?

I am most excited about the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to transform patient outcomes. AI has the ability to improve diagnostic accuracy, reduce under-diagnosis and misdiagnosis, and identify the most effective treatments through advanced clinical decision support.

Medical knowledge is now doubling every 73 days — far beyond what any individual can realistically keep pace with. At the same time, under-diagnosis and misdiagnosis of chronic disease remain pervasive, with rates ranging from 20% to 90% depending on the condition. The consequences are delayed care, poorer outcomes, and often avoidable harm.

By equipping physicians with AI, we can help them outperform peers in diagnostic accuracy and ensure patients receive the right diagnosis and treatment sooner. This represents one of the most impactful opportunities for technology to meaningfully advance healthcare.

How do you foster innovation and creativity within your team or organization?

I value lifelong learning and see it as central to building effective teams. By fostering collaboration internally within my organization and externally across my provider clients, I strive to create a culture that promotes continuous learning, knowledge sharing, career growth, innovation, and true partnerships.

What is something that not many people know about you?

I often describe my health care career as that of a unicorn. Rather than following a traditional career ladder, my journey has resembled a jungle gym — each role leading to the next exciting challenge. What many people don’t know is that my last four opportunities didn’t come from applications, but through LinkedIn or networking conversations. In fact, in 2018, I hired Anne Pryor to update my LinkedIn profile, and just eight days later, Cerner/Oracle Health reached out with an opportunity.

Words of wisdom to live by?

“Change is not something to fear. It is a chance to grow, to see new possibilities, and to step into what’s next.” — Unknown