As a patient-focused, technology-driven specialty, interventional radiology has always valued the role that innovation and business acumen play in improving patient care.
In this series, IRQ speaks with IRs who hold corporate leadership positions to learn more about their career paths and why they felt pulled from the IR suite to the C-suite.
James F. Benenati, MD, FSIR
James F. Benenati, MD, FSIR
Name: James F. Benenati, MD, FSIR
Position: Chief Medical Officer for Penumbra, Inc.
Tell us about your current position and company.
James F. Benenati, MD, FSIR: I am the chief medical officer for Penumbra, Inc. Penumbra focuses on medical devices related to clot removal, aspiration thrombectomy and coil embolization, as well as virtual reality and immersive technologies for healthcare. I joined Penumbra full time in 2020 after 32 years in practice at the Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute at Baptist Hospital.
What drew you to industry?
JB: It came out of a quest for innovation. I loved clinical practice. My practice was always innovative, developing devices and taking part in clinical trials. That’s how I became involved with Penumbra—I felt we didn’t have a good solution for removing blood clots from the peripheral part of the body and wondered why we couldn’t use stroke devices in the periphery. I had been experimenting with the vacuum pumps, and a patient came in with a blood clot in his leg that we just could not remove. He was getting worse and had lost all function in his leg, so I decided to try something new. I ended up using a catheter we used for stroke and was able to remove the clot. This success made me confident in the idea, and I began thinking of a way to better design the catheter.
I met with Penumbra and explained the peripheral market and why a device like this would be useful, and they agreed to move forward with designing devices for the peripheral circulation. I worked with their engineers and strategy team to launch the product, which did quite well. As a result of that partnership, I became a consultant and worked with the company for several years until they offered me a position as the chief medical officer.
There seem to be more and more IRs serving in industry leadership positions. Why do you think this is a growing trend?
JB: IR has always been an innovative field. If you look at the devices that cardiologists and surgeons use, so much of that was born from IR technology. There has always been widespread recognition for that innovation, and companies have recognized the value of combining clinical expertise with innovation. This enhances product development efforts.
"There is a growing understanding of the enormous benefit of having clinical knowledge on staff."
The marketplace is getting very competitive, and companies are realizing they don’t fully understand the clinical needs of some of the spaces they’re competing in. So, there is a growing understanding of the enormous benefit of having clinical knowledge on staff. Physicians can aid in so many areas: clinical affairs, trial writing and design, and data accumulation. Clinical knowledge is also crucial to marketing, educational events, strategic development, and research and development. Clinicians are valuable in these areas because they understand what treating physicians want and need.
Meanwhile, IR has become much more clinical than the specialty used to be. Our brand recognition is improving and combined with our innovative roots, I think companies are starting to realize how well suited we are for these positions.
Do you see a way for industry to help in IR’s pursuit to generate more research and become more recognized?
JB: Absolutely. One of the things Penumbra does is educate non-IR physicians about disease states that may benefit from interventional procedures. For example, if we speak about a disease state like PE, we may conduct a training program for critical care doctors to better understand how interventional procedures may benefit their patients.
In addition, Penumbra works with a number of medical societies and non-profits with their missions to educate, disseminate scientific information, and conduct research We also actively seek IRs and IR groups to participate in some of our clinical trials, as Penumbra recognizes that this expertise is crucial to include in our research. We also want to support the future generation of medicine. We’ve run educational events and training events for physicians in training and for physicians recently out in practice to discuss current clinical data, different treatment strategies and the safe and effective use of devices that could be used in different clinical scenarios. Penumbra is also highly interested in fostering diversity and helping provide physicians from all backgrounds with the information and tools to best serve their patients.
How would you advise other physicians who want to partner with industry?
JB: To start, investigate why you want to work with industry and what you have to offer. Companies are looking for physicians who have a lot of experience, have run trials or have innovative ideas. Ask yourself what you bring to the table and how a potential partnership could create a net change in the industry or patient outcomes. Be analytical about your marketable skills and where you would best fit.
Next, research the company. Make sure that your values and ethics align. Understand what they want from a physician partnership and how their internal structure works. Every company is different—you may work for one division, or you may be in a role that impacts the entire company. Some companies ask their physicians to go on the road a lot, or only want them involved in certain projects. Ask around and seek out the guidance of other physicians who have worked in these roles, because understanding will bring you happiness. You don’t want to take on a position and be dissatisfied because it doesn’t match your needs and expectations.
If you’re considering moving to industry, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of finding mentors, role models and other physicians who have made the jump. Learn from them, listen to their advice and identify your priorities. If you’ve found the right company, those priorities will line up and you will have a fulfilling and rewarding experience.
