Colombia Healthcare International S.A.S.: Driving Patient-Centric Digital Transformation in Latin America

Colombia Healthcare International (CHI), long a powerhouse in Latin American acute care, struggled in the early 2020s as patient expectations shifted toward convenience, transparency, and digital engagement. Legacy systems struggled under rising operational costs, competitive digital startups, and tougher regulations in Colombia, Peru, and Chile. In response, new CEO Enrique Sanchez, a former private equity executive, launched Project Access with aggressive cost‑cutting goals and promises of self‑service tools like appointment scheduling, medical records access, AI health prompts, and secure messaging. Sanchez handed execution to CIO Adrian Guerrero, who prioritized technical performance, and Oscar Ramos, a project manager who raised concerns about misalignments with real patient needs. The Bogotá pilot revealed major usability issues. Patients struggled with navigation, misinterpreted AI prompts, and abandoned the platform. Staff reported duplicate bookings and confusion. COO Carmen Acevedo warned of low digital literacy, poor connectivity, and untrained personnel, but her concerns were largely dismissed. As the rollout expanded, similar problems surfaced in Lima, Santiago, and Medellín. Ramos documented these setbacks even as Sanchez pushed for faster, broader deployment, equating momentum with success. Ramos now faces a critical choice. Should he deliver a polished progress report or candidly acknowledge foundational flaws and advocate for a strategic reset? That choice carries risk. The case highlights the tension between top‑down innovation and the empathetic, user‑centered approach required for truly patient‑centric digital transformation.