Written by: Leo Flor BMATH, Director of Technology & Information Services

Not into reading? Try out the TikTok version of this article!

My education and experience to date has led me to a career in an often misunderstood and mischaracterized role in technology companies called Product Management. Essentially, a technical product manager’s job is to support the organization at different levels, influencing product-building, strategy and operations. We leverage different techniques and methods for embracing innovation to tackle problems and come up with solutions that solve for unaddressed needs, both for the customer or internal teams.

You might be wondering, what is a tech product manager doing working for a medical clinic?

This would be a completely valid question, if Cancer Fatigue Services (CFS) was just a medical clinic. It is more accurate to describe CFS as a ground-breaking healthcare startup. Fatigue is arguably the most prevalent, burdensome and complex non-fatal health issue experienced by people living with and after cancer. CFS is creating solutions for an underserved clinical population whose healthcare needs have been neglected. Identifying opportunities out of unmet needs, that is what product management is all about.

A better question might be to ask WHY would this product manager work for a clinic?

Earlier in my career, I worked at OntarioMD, an organization focused on helping primary care physicians transition from paper to electronic medical records. During that time, I saw first-hand how challenging data exchange between health systems would be. I recognized many opportunities to apply my computer science background to the benefit of both patients and clinicians. I am proud to have contributed to the early stages of integrated healthcare, though disappointed by the limited progress since then.

I LOVED working for a company that served doctors. My mom was a surgeon, she was an overall amazing human being and she was my hero. Ovarian cancer robbed the world of this wonderful person and I saw the work that I did to support doctors as a way to honour my mom’s memory. This newest venture into the healthcare space has an even deeper connection to my memory of her. Every patient we support and all of the clinicians I work with at Cancer Fatigue Services are a reminder of Mama.

It is hard to be mad at cancer. It has no face. But it does leave a person who is diagnosed and the people that care about them devastated, whether they survive the diagnosis and treatments or not. I want to transform the feelings of anger and fear into courage and hope. My personal experience fuels my desire to help those affected by cancer. I contribute by empowering our team to deliver the best possible healthcare experience for those we serve, through the technology and operational processes I played a role in developing.

— — —
A technology and product management background compliments the medical and scientific experts at Cancer Fatigue Services. All of the different technologies CFS has implemented and continues to employ have a similar origin story. We view every unmet need as an opportunity for exploration, using an agile approach to discover and deliver solutions. Throughout the process, we remain simultaneously focused on addressing the need, achieving business objectives, delivering value to users and optimizing patient experience.

Cancer Fatigue Services always looks for ways to leverage technology to further our mission to support anyone who has developed or experienced worsening fatigue at any point following a cancer diagnosis. Pictured here, I am helping our clinical team test and iterate on our cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) data collection.

This role at CFS is an amazing opportunity for any technologist. The culture of high-trust, curiosity, experimentation, embracing innovation and making data-driven decisions has been present at CFS since day one. It is exhilarating and fulfilling to work daily with doctors, scientists and other clinicians solving problems I was already keen to solve. I have found truly meaningful work that impacts countless lives, being able to use all of the skills and experience I’ve accumulated throughout my career.

I have found my ikigai.