What Do Pickleball and Medscape Education Have in Common? Heather Lavigne.
August 27, 2025 | Insights, Leadership, impact
When she’s not taking on challengers on the pickleball court, you can find Heather Lavigne leading Medscape Education’s dynamic insights and impact team as Senior Director. Her leadership philosophy is rooted in three powerful words: curious, collaborative, and compassionate, a guiding approach that has already made a mark in her first few months at Medscape.
“I’ve spent my first couple of months at Medscape being curious to really understand our ways of doing business, but I truly believe good leaders never stop asking why? And what if? To explore new possibilities. My approach to work is collaborative because I believe the best ideas come from diverse perspectives. And finally, compassion drives my approach because I think people perform their best in environments where they feel valued and understood. It is important to me that my team members feel supported as they work through challenges and trust that their needs and goals as individuals are an important factor in how we do the work.”
Heather’s journey to Medscape wasn’t defined by a single moment; it was a steady build of insights and opportunities that sparked her curiosity and led her to a new chapter. “It’s not so much about a single moment for me, but rather a pattern I started to notice. I was always drawn to the moments of discovery people had when presented with new data. It’s so amazing to be in a meeting and to be sharing findings, and someone’s face lights up and they say things like “That’s so interesting!” or “I never thought of it that way!”
Exploring a career with Medscape was about the one-of-a-kind capabilities the company presents. For someone passionate about data and analysis, Medscape offered new opportunities that weren’t available elsewhere—ones that were perfect for someone with Heather’s skills and experience. “What drew me to Medscape is the ability to support practice change on a massive scale. The amount of data we have at our fingertips is unparalleled and allows us to better understand how health care providers learn throughout their careers and apply newfound knowledge, confidence, and competence to their practice.”
Heather believes these capabilities are fundamental to changing care and allowing clinicians to focus on person-centered healthcare.
“The capability I’m most excited about is understanding how education changes clinical behavior and, ultimately, improves patient experiences. We have an incredible opportunity to leverage our data to understand the patient journey and how the education of healthcare providers supports that journey in transformational ways. I’m so excited about the launch of Medscape’s Connected Care solution for exactly that reason. The more we can leverage the amazing ability to integrate data between patients and their clinicians, the better we can foster outcomes like shared decision-making and proactive health management.”
On her days off, Heather embraces her other passion: pickleball. As a fierce competitor and strategist, she loves the sport’s blend of intellect, community, and movement. “The game is surprisingly addictive; you need to quickly read your opponents, anticipate their next move, and adjust your strategy in real-time. It’s a game of constant, split-second problem-solving, like chess but with a paddle and a ball! What I love the most about it is the long-lasting community it creates. I have people in my life that I never would have met had it not been for our shared love of the game, and I’m so grateful for that.”
Heather brings that same sharp mind and collaborative spirit to Medscape’s mission every day. Curious about the power of insights and impact—or maybe even a pickleball match? Reach out to her at HLavigne@medscape.net.
This content was provided by Medscape Education
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