DBT40 Honoree: Vishal Patel

Title: Medical Director, Healthcare Implementation and Practice Change

Vishal Patel | DBT PHOTO BY LUIGI CIUFFETELLI

Workplace: AstraZeneca

Age: 39

As Vishal Patel watched his favorite sports teams, the Giants, Yankees and Knicks, demonstrate glimmers of hope over the years, he has done the same for more than 25,000 medical patients across Delaware through his work at ChristianaCare and now AstraZeneca.

Among many accomplishments, Patel combined his experience and new skills to help fund and create a medical van to expand care access to patients in hard-to-reach communities, impacting more than 6,000 Delawareans over the course of two years. He also led ChristianaCare’s ambulatory efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic which he considers a pivotal point in his career as he learned how to navigate the crisis alongside his colleagues. 

As he grew in his career, he transitioned to the pharmaceutical industry at AstraZeneca to leverage his clinical and leadership experiences to better improve human health. Patel has since positively impacted the culture from his new role, encouraging AstraZeneca to be more inclusive and holistic while pushing medical and commercial teams to challenge the status quo.

Patel also serves on the development committee for REACH Riverside, benefiting from the creation of a wellness clinic and better resources for the Wilmington community and on the board for Dover Speedway’s Children’s Charity. His volunteerism does not stop in Delaware, however. Patel has traveled to every continent, except Antarctica, and has helped improve technology, literacy, English skills and exposure to the arts in several primary schools in rural India through ProjectLife. 

A Leadership Delaware 2020 cohort member, Patel enjoys exercising and participating in sports and gardening. He raises his two young children with his wife, Vrunda, who is a pediatric gynecologist at Nemours.