Wharton MBA Team Wins Business School Competition Focused on Long COVID Solutions
PHILADELPHIA - A team from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business took first place at the Interdisciplinary Case Competition (IACC) at the University of Michigan’s ross School of Business, presenting a business plan to address the challenges of Long COVID. The competition,held February 22-23,centered entirely around developing innovative solutions for the ongoing health and economic crisis caused by the condition.
The winning team, comprised of MBA candidates, focused on improving diagnostic pathways and access to specialized care for Long COVID patients. Their proposal outlined a scalable, technology-driven network connecting patients with multidisciplinary medical teams and leveraging data analytics to accelerate research. “We’ve got this knowledge now, that we have a duty to share and assist as we can,” said Xander Rodriguez, a member of the winning team.
this year’s IACC marked a significant shift for the traditionally broad-focus business school competition. Organizers deliberately chose Long COVID as the sole case study, recognizing the urgent need for business acumen to tackle the complex, multifaceted issues surrounding the condition. The competition drew participation from over 20 top business schools globally, including teams from Harvard, Stanford, and MIT.
Long COVID, characterized by persistent symptoms following an initial COVID-19 infection, affects an estimated 16 million Americans and millions more worldwide. The condition presents significant challenges to healthcare systems, economies, and individual well-being, with many patients experiencing debilitating symptoms for months or even years after their initial illness. The economic impact of Long COVID is estimated to be in the hundreds of billions of dollars annually due to lost productivity and healthcare costs.
The IACC’s focus on Long COVID reflects a growing recognition within the business community of the condition’s substantial impact and the potential for innovative solutions. Competitions like this aim to foster the development of viable business models that can address the unmet needs of Long COVID patients and contribute to a more effective response to the ongoing pandemic.
