Medical Excellence Across Field Teams: Insights from Sanofi

Medical Affairs professionals are increasingly recognized as the strategic bridge between scientific innovation and real-world application — so much so that the function is now widely described as a third strategic pillar alongside R&D and Commercial. Demand from clinicians reinforces the shift: in Bain & Company's 2024 physician survey, 50% of physicians said they want more time with MSLs, compared with just 25% who want more time with sales representatives. Lori Long, US Field Medical Excellence Lead, Specialty Care at Sanofi, sits at the center of that evolution. With 25 years of experience, she recently moved from leading a single field medical team to overseeing medical excellence across seven therapeutic areas and 12 field teams. Lori joined Acceleration Point Co-CEO Scott Thompson on OnPoint: The Medical Excellence Podcast to share how she builds consistency, strengthens KOL engagement, and fosters innovation across Medical Affairs. Bain & Company

Key Takeaways

• Medical Excellence harmonizes processes, data, and standards across field medical teams while letting each therapeutic area address its own needs.
• Lori Long oversees medical excellence across seven therapeutic areas and 12 field teams at Sanofi.
• A unified dashboard system gives senior leadership a consistent view of field medical activity and supports data-driven decisions.
• Engaging KOLs across the full therapeutic lifecycle — from pipeline to late stage — keeps medical strategy aligned with real clinical needs.
• Piloting new approaches in one therapeutic area before scaling helps balance innovation with organizational consistency.

Medical Excellence is the discipline of standardizing how field medical teams operate — from data dashboards to KPIs to medical value stories — so an organization can act cohesively without losing the flexibility each therapeutic area requires.

What is the role of Medical Excellence in scaling innovation?

For Lori, Medical Excellence is about more than standardizing processes; it is about enabling teams to reach their potential while staying strategically aligned. She focuses on harmonizing critical elements like data dashboards, key performance indicators (KPIs), and medical value stories across teams. That way, each therapeutic area keeps the flexibility to address its unique challenges while the organization as a whole moves toward shared goals.

One of her key initiatives has been a unified dashboard system for field medical teams. By resolving foundational inconsistencies, the system helps senior leadership evaluate field medical activity and impact, making data-driven decisions more efficient.

How do field medical teams partner with KOLs for strategic alignment?

A cornerstone of Lori's strategy is working closely with KOLs. These relationships surface insight into healthcare trends and help align medical strategy with the needs of the clinical community. Lori emphasized engaging KOLs throughout the therapeutic lifecycle, from pipeline products to those nearing the end of their lifecycle.

"Collaboration with KOLs isn't just about gathering insights; it's about building trust and creating a shared vision that aligns with medical and organizational goals," she noted.

This collaboration is especially important in shaping the medical value story — a framework that communicates the impact of Medical Affairs in a consistent yet flexible way. By incorporating KOL feedback, field medical teams keep their strategies grounded in real-world clinical needs. (For a deeper framework, see KOL Engagement: Components of a Successful Plan.)

How do you balance innovation and consistency in field medical teams?

As Lori scales medical excellence across Sanofi, she balances innovation with consistency. Each therapeutic area — from rare diseases to mainstream treatments — has distinct needs, yet all share a common goal: advancing patient care through effective Medical Affairs strategy.

Her approach is collaborative. By engaging Senior Directors and Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs), she fosters an environment where teams share best practices and learn from one another. One example is piloting innovative solutions in specific therapeutic areas before scaling them across the organization — allowing for experimentation while ensuring proven strategies are implemented effectively.

What are the challenges of leading Medical Excellence at scale?

Lori candidly acknowledged the challenge of Sanofi's scale. Coordinating across 12 field teams and seven therapeutic areas demands constant communication and prioritization. To stay connected, she holds regular meetings with senior leaders and MSLs, alongside advisory councils that gather input from the field, and she aligns U.S. efforts with Sanofi's global medical excellence team.

"It's like turning a cruise ship," Lori explained. "Change takes time, but by staying connected and prioritizing effectively, we can make meaningful progress."

Her advice for others in similar roles: build trust, stay flexible, and communicate the "why" behind organizational change. These principles have helped her drive alignment and engagement even in the face of resistance. Teams facing similar capacity and coordination pressures may also find value in how to maximize field capacity.

Looking ahead: the future of Medical Excellence

Lori sees significant opportunity for Medical Affairs to lead in adopting new technologies, particularly across digital and AI. She highlighted the potential of generative AI to enhance data analysis, streamline workflows, and surface actionable insight for field medical teams. Her focus on personal development in areas like digital innovation reflects a commitment to staying ahead of industry trends. (For the broader landscape, see Innovation in Medical Affairs.)

Conclusion

Lori Long's work at Sanofi shows what Medical Excellence looks like in practice. By harmonizing processes, supporting innovation, and building relationships with key opinion leaders, she is helping shape how Medical Affairs operates across field teams — balancing consistency with flexibility, building trust, and adopting new approaches to deliver real-world impact.

For more insight into Medical Excellence and the role of KOLs, subscribe to OnPoint: The Medical Excellence Podcast. To learn how Acceleration Point can support your field medical team, connect with our team.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Medical Excellence in Medical Affairs?
Medical Excellence is the practice of standardizing how field medical teams operate — including data dashboards, KPIs, and medical value stories — so an organization can work cohesively while each therapeutic area keeps the flexibility to address its own needs.

How does a unified dashboard support field medical teams?
A unified dashboard removes foundational inconsistencies across teams and gives senior leadership a consistent view of field medical activity, making data-driven decisions more efficient.

Why is KOL engagement important to Medical Excellence?
Engaging KOLs across the full therapeutic lifecycle keeps medical strategy aligned with real clinical needs and helps shape the medical value story with real-world clinical input.

How can Medical Affairs balance innovation with consistency?
Piloting new approaches in a single therapeutic area before scaling them lets teams experiment while ensuring proven strategies are applied consistently across the organization.

What role will AI play in the future of Medical Excellence?
Lori Long sees opportunity for Medical Affairs to adopt digital and AI tools, including generative AI that can enhance data analysis, streamline workflows, and surface actionable insight for field medical teams.