RightCare Solutions

About RightCare Solutions

RightCare Solutions, Inc. operated as a healthcare technology company focused on reducing hospital readmissions and optimizing patient care transitions. The company was founded in 2012 by Dr. Kathryn Bowles, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, and Eric Heil, a graduate of the Wharton School. The foundation of the company was built upon a decade of research conducted at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, led by Dr. Bowles. This research, funded in part by a $5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, resulted in the development of the Discharge Decision Support System (D2S2).

The company's core business revolved around licensing its proprietary software to hospitals, health systems, and post-acute care providers. This software-as-a-service (SaaS) model generated revenue by providing tools to assess patients upon admission for their risk of readmission and their need for post-acute care. The D2S2 platform utilized an evidence-based algorithm to score key patient data, helping nurses, case managers, and discharge planners to make informed decisions and coordinate discharges to suitable post-acute care providers. For post-acute care facilities, the software streamlined the referral process by automating many administrative tasks, saving time and resources.

The company's journey began with the commercialization of the D2S2 technology through Penn's UpStart business incubator. A significant early achievement was winning the Janssen Connected Care Challenge in 2012, which came with a $100,000 prize used for further product development. This recognition highlighted the system's potential to standardize the highly variable discharge planning process. Co-founder Eric Heil brought a background in systems engineering and venture capital to his role as CEO, complementing Dr. Bowles' deep clinical and research expertise. In December 2015, RightCare Solutions was acquired by naviHealth, a subsidiary of Cardinal Health, which aimed to integrate RightCare's discharge planning capabilities with its own post-acute care management solutions.