Who We Are
How we became patient engagement experts
Legacy Health Strategies was founded in 2009, driven by our Founder’s personal story that inspired his passion to bring the voice of patients to companies and accelerate the development and delivery of new medicines, treatments, and devices. Since its inception, Legacy has been a trusted partner, redefining standards for patient and community engagement. Our work is fueled by our personal commitment to engaging, educating, and empowering patients through innovation and collaboration.
Rolf Benirschke
Rolf’s third season as a placekicker in the NFL was cut short when he collapsed on a cross-country team flight before his diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease. He had two life-saving surgeries and was able to return to active play with two ostomies for another seven years. Following his NFL career, Rolf found purpose and passion in patient advocacy and sharing his incredible and inspiring story. His direct experience as a patient offered valuable perspectives on ways the healthcare industry could work together with patients, enhancing their empowerment. His relentless dedication contributed to meaningful progress, increasing awareness, education and empowerment.
Jessica Scott, MD JD
Jessica is a highly respected leader who brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her role at Legacy. As a physician, attorney, and former pharmaceutical industry executive, Jessica has a unique understanding of the intersection between medicine, law, and innovations that bring more medicines to people in need, sooner.
Her decade serving as a family medicine physician gives Jessica deep insight into the patient experience and the delivery of healthcare. As an attorney, she brings critical thinking, analytical skills, and experience using collaborative law in the health care arena in developing a novel solution for repairing trust when unexpected adverse events occur.
Her executive leadership roles at GlaxoSmithKline focused on building trust and transparency through clinical trial transparency, and at Takeda on building a global patient engagement capability for Takeda. Within three years, Jessica successfully integrated patient perspectives into over 50 global program teams, demonstrating her ability to shift mindsets and processes to be more patient-centered.
Jessica is an award-winning leader in patient engagement, having received honors like the Trail Blazer Award and PharmaVoice100 where she was named one of the top 100 most inspiring leaders in the industry. As a global ambassador of industry, she lends her strategic guidance to organizations like Bioethics International, DIA Patient Advisory Council, Patient-Focused Medicines Development, National Academies of Science Engineering and Medicine, and Harvard Multi-Regional Clinical Trial Center.
From a young age, Jessica Scott’s life took a poignant turn when she lost her sister to osteosarcoma. This deeply personal experience ignited a passion for Jessica to make a difference in the lives of patients and their families, driving her into field of health care with a vision to treat every patient and family as partners, informed and empowered as part of their team throughout their health care journeys.
In her role as a Patient Engagement leader, Jessica uniquely merges her extensive knowledge in medicine and law with an innovative mindset. She is at the forefront of transforming medical product development by incorporating patient perspectives, aiming for outcomes that benefit both patients and the healthcare industry.
Her approach is characterized by a seamless blend of novel solutions, digital strategies, and equity-centered approaches that have marked her as a credible, trusted thought leader and collaborator across the biopharma industry. Jessica’s profound understanding of the pharmaceutical landscape, shaped by leadership roles at GlaxoSmithKline and Takeda, emphasizes her commitment to shifting research and development towards a more inclusive model—developing medicines with patients, not just for them.
Outside of her professional realm, Jessica’s heart belongs to her family, with whom she shares her life and draws inspiration. Married with three children, Jessica Scott, MD, JD, exemplifies how personal loss can transform into a powerful catalyst for change, leading the charge in making the healthcare system more inclusive, compassionate, and patient-focused.
Legacy's team
We’ve built up an incredible team of experts, each with their own story rich in experience with diverse expertise, and all with a passion for furthering research and patient care. You can learn more about each of them by clicking the button below.