17. Successful Medical Excellence: Defining, Building, and Scaling High-Impact Teams

Medical Excellence is rapidly becoming a cornerstone of high-performing Medical Affairs organizations—but what does it mean, and how can it be implemented in practice? In this episode, Scott Thompson is joined by two industry leaders, Michael Kahn and Chris McNabb, who bring hands-on experience in building and leading Medical Excellence functions at Spark Therapeutics and Bayer, respectively.

Together, they discuss:

• Defining Medical Excellence and how it differs from medical operations
• The role of Medical Excellence in enabling field teams and improving strategic alignment
• Key lessons learned from building and scaling Medical Excellence functions
• Balancing innovation (like AI) with foundational operations
• Organizational structure, stakeholder engagement, and team development
• The future of Medical Affairs and where Medical Excellence fits in
• 
  

Connect with Michael on LinkedIn:   / kahnmichael  

Connect with Chris on LinkedIn:   / chris-mcnabb-ph-d  

OnPoint: The Medical Excellence Podcast delivers insightful conversations on the most pressing issues facing top Medical Affairs professionals. Listen to stay ahead of industry trends and be inspired by leaders shaping the future of Medical Affairs. 

OnPoint is available on several podcast platforms, including the Acceleration Point YouTube channel.

#MedicalAffairs #MedicalExcellence 

[00:00] – Introduction & Meet the Guests

[02:30] – Defining Medical Excellence: More Than Operations

[06:00] – Building the Function: Standardization, Scope & Strategy

[12:00] – Gaining Buy-In & Aligning Stakeholders

[20:30] – Balancing Innovation with Operational Foundations

[31:00] – Team Structure: Big vs. Small Organizations

[46:30] – The Future of Medical Affairs & Closing Thoughts