Kelsey Mellard, Sitka, on the future of specialty care

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In our latest episode, I had a chance to chat with Kelsey Mellard, Founder and CEO of Sitka. Sitka is a peer-to-peer, asynchronous video messaging platform and specialist network. Sitka connects clinicians to top specialists, alleviating the challenges of scheduling and geographic limitations and compressing the cycle of care by enabling rapid decision making. Sitka has raised $14M in Series A financing, led by Venrock, with participation from existing investors Optum Ventures, First Round Capital, Homebrew, Box Group, and Lifeforce Capital.

Kelsey shares insights into the role telehealth plays in the transition to value-based care, how Sitka is bringing specialty expertise to the front lines, and the importance of trust, transparency, and reliability in healthcare delivery. We also reflect on Kelsey’s personal career journey prior to founding Sitka, where Kelsey held positions at Honor Homecare, naviHealth, UnitedHealth Group, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation and the Kaiser Family Foundation.