SUNY Oswego alum shares ideas for health care system rescue in Quest keynote speech

Allan Shaw, a SUNY Oswego alum, said the health care system could be reformed through business strategies to better serve patients. His remarks came during the keynote speech at SUNY Oswego’s annual Quest Day.

Shaw’s approach suggested that using business strategies such as coordination, networking and strategizing could bring positive change to the industry.

“Vision and understanding of … new ideas and business models are necessary to successfully navigate the rapidly evolving health care landscape,” Shaw said. “Vision also transcends organizational direction, drug and resource allocation, and culture.”

Shaw is currently the CFO of Portage Biotech, Inc., a biotechnology company that researches methods of cancer treatment. He credited his time as a student at Oswego under what was then called the Program Policy Board for providing him with impactful experiences.

“The combination of my entrepreneurial and corporate background along with my strategic tactical, international capital markets experiences, provides me with a unique business perspective,” Shaw said. “Suffice to say, I know what good looks like, as well as what bad looks like.”

Shaw said he currently spends much of his time supporting developing immuno-oncology drugs. “You may ask, ‘why I’m focused on health care?'” Shaw said. “Any my answer to that is, ‘to make an impact.'”

Shaw said that a deep understanding of how to operate in a competitive environment is key to success in environments such as medicine.

“The importance of these qualities cannot be understated … without the benefit of this information, it’s next to impossible to inform decisions, much less understand an establishment to your advantage,” Shaw said.

He said that the health care system is currently broken and unsustainable. He cited the rising costs of care impacting patients and less than desirable outcomes.