Kela Health

KēlaHealth is a healthcare data analytics company that provides patient-specific predictive insight and risk-stratification software intended to improve surgical quality and prevent complications. Its Surgical Intelligence Service is delivered as an AI-enabled API that supplies predictions and recommended interventions at decision points across the perioperative process, and is surfaced inside established medtech and software partner applications rather than as a standalone clinician tool.

The core product, Kela Scores, estimates each patient's likelihood of developing a surgical complication or adverse outcome, assessing and updating risk across nine major complication categories for any procedure throughout the perioperative process. Recommended interventions are stratified by the individual patient's risk profile and by each hospital's standards for cost, quality, resource utilization and patient experience. Models are trained on data from millions of surgical procedures, interventions and outcomes, and can be tailored to a given hospital using EHR, robotic and social-determinants-of-health data.

The company positions the platform as helping hospitals increase patient throughput and appropriate utilization, improve care-team productivity, scheduling accuracy and communications, predict individual risk and identify modifiable factors, and improve patient-safety indicators while reducing hospital-acquired conditions and readmissions. Hospital partners have applied the platform in colorectal, vascular, cardiac and orthopedic surgery.

Founding story

KēlaHealth was founded by CEO Bora Chang, MD, together with advisors Erich Huang, MD, PhD, and Zhifei Sun, MD, at Duke University Health System. As practicing clinicians they set out to build an objective, risk-based stratification tool after observing the complexity of decision-making in surgical patient care.

Business model

KēlaHealth delivers a cloud-based software-as-a-service solution to healthcare providers, surgeons and hospital systems. Its AI-enabled API is embedded in partner medtech and software applications, so industry partners can extend value beyond their core device and software offerings while hospitals receive predictive insights within existing workflows.

Cloud-based software-as-a-service sold to healthcare providers, surgeons and hospital systems, with delivery through partner medtech and software applications. Funding to date has also included government grant support from the NSF SBIR/STTR programs.

Traction

Reported results include a 41% reduction in surgical site infection with 26% cost savings in a vascular case study, and $3 million in annual savings in a single cardiac surgery service with 50% cost savings; Cedars-Sinai's Surgeon-in-Chief stated the cardiac partnership identified up to $3 million a year in cost savings. A Duke study reported a 21% reduction in acute kidney injury and 24% fewer readmissions after colorectal surgery. The company states it has been used across colorectal, vascular, cardiac and orthopedic specialties and has participated in the Cedars-Sinai Techstars Accelerator, Healthbox Studio and Plug and Play.

Latest developments

A Duke study reported that KelaHealth's platform was associated with a 21% reduction in acute kidney injury and a 24% decrease in readmissions following colorectal surgery. In October 2020 the company closed a combined $2.9 million seed and $10 million milestone-based Series A round led by Santé Ventures and Intuitive Ventures; the investment was Intuitive Ventures' first from its $100 million inaugural fund. The careers page lists no open positions.