Sitka’s telehealth platform navigates specialty care for aging boomers

As the United States prepares for an aging baby‑boomer cohort, demand for specialty care is outpacing the supply of providers, exposing gaps in a fragmented health‑care infrastructure. Sitka’s founder Kelsey Mellard, drawing on her experience at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation and at senior‑care tech firms naviHealth and Honor, saw an opportunity to use telehealth not for primary care but to guide patients through the complex referral process for specialty services.

She decided to build a platform that connects older adults with the right specialists, handles appointment logistics, and provides follow‑up support. The move aimed to turn a looming systemic strain into a scalable, technology‑driven solution that could improve outcomes for seniors while lowering costs for payers and providers.

Sitka raised $22.2M, launched a telehealth navigation service helping older adults access specialty care, easing pressure on the fragmented U.S. health‑care system.

The boomer generation is expected to be the oldest and longest‑living elder population in history, driving a steady increase in specialty‑care needs.

Traditional care models struggle to coordinate specialty referrals across state lines, insurers, and family caregivers, creating bottlenecks that telehealth can alleviate.

Mellard’s background in Medicare innovation and senior‑care technology gave her insight into how digital navigation could fill the gap left by under‑staffed specialty networks.

Early pilot work showed that patients using the platform reported higher satisfaction and fewer missed appointments, validating the strategic focus on navigation rather than direct clinical care.

Aligning telehealth with specialty‑care navigation unlocks access for aging populations, reducing strain on health systems; digital tools address demographic shifts better than broad solutions.

After launching the platform, Sitka raised $22.2 million in venture funding, as reported by Crunchbase. The company began serving health‑system partners and senior‑living facilities, helping older adults secure timely specialty appointments. While specific user numbers are not disclosed in the source, the funding round and continued investor interest indicate that the decision to specialize in telehealth navigation has gained traction and positioned Sitka to address a growing market need as the boomer population continues to age.