Fitbit Hires Walgreen's Pellegrini To Help Integrate Into Healthcare

By Christine Kern, contributing writer

The move is designed to help the wearable app maker move more fully into the digital health sphere.

Health wearable app maker Fitbit announced it has lured Adam Pellegrini away from Walgreen’s Boots Alliance to serve as the company’s new vice president of digital health. He will assume the role as of September 6. Pellegrini was the man behind Walgreen’s expansion of MDLIVE to offer telehealth services from 20 to 25 states.

In November 2015, Pellegrini discussed the expansion of Walgreen’s MDLive telehealth services, staying, “We have seen that telehealth solutions play an important role in helping to improve patient outcomes, and we will continue to work to evolve our offerings to ensure our patients can choose what’s most convenient for them.”

Pelligrini has more than 20 years of experience across multiple healthcare sectors, with particular insights into omnichannel digital healthcare, integration of wearables, launching telemedicine platforms, and advancing digital pharmacy platforms. While with Walgreen’s Pellegrini led the largest retail mHealth integration of more than one million connected devices and launched the company’s first integration of wearables through the Balance Rewards program. This included Fitbit devices.

According to the press release, Pellegrini’s role will be to help Fitbit connect its products, information, data, and insights in new and innovative ways into clinical settings, and to develop new partnerships with healthcare systems, insurers and other payers, pharma companies, and medical device manufacturers.

“Fitbit is uniquely positioned to help drive better health outcomes by incorporating its innovative technology, renowned brand and powerful engagement into clinical healthcare programs,” said Pellegrini. “I’m a passionate believer in the power of digital health technology to improve the effectiveness, efficiency and reach of our healthcare system. I see a tremendous opportunity for healthcare providers, health plans and pharmaceutical companies to foster a more proactive, consumer-centric approach to healthcare using Fitbit’s products, software, services and extraordinary health brand.”