Dr. Rebecca Jacobson Founded Astrata to Change Quality in Health Care and It’s Working.
Get to Know Astrata
Website: www.astrata.co
Astrata is a technology startup that specializes in digital quality solutions for health plans to solve real-world informatics challenges. Astrata’s flagship software, NLP Insights, is an advanced natural language processing system perfected over two decades by co-founders, Rebecca Jacobson, MD, MS, FACMI and Girish Chavan, Astrata’s Chief Technology Officer, their collaborators, and partners.
Headquarters: Pittsburgh, PA
Founded: 2019
President: Rebecca Jacobson, MD, MS, FACMI
Get to Know How Astrata Grew Out of UPMC Enterprises and Partnered with UPMC Health Plan
In 2017, Rebecca Jacobson, MD, MS, FACMI, joined UPMC Enterprises to develop an internal Natural Language Processing (NLP) program that could be used within the UPMC hospital and provider network and the UPMC Health Plan. It quickly became apparent that the work and progress Dr. Jacobson and her team had made over the course of a decade with NLP could have wide-ranging application and reach, both internally and across the health care ecosystem.
Between 2019 and 2021, Dr. Jacobson’s role at UPMC Enterprises evolved from being a UPMC Enterprises employee into the role of Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR). As an EIR, Dr. Jacobson was empowered, supported, and given the resources to develop, build, and launch a new technology startup company, Astrata, which officially launched during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2021.
After Astrata launched, the team immediately set out to pilot their technology with the UPMC Health Plan. The timing of the partnership could not have been better. At the time of Astrata’s launch, the health care industry was bracing for significant regulatory shifts related to payers and quality of care measurements. These regulatory changes presented an opportunity for significant innovation. Understanding what regulations were likely coming, the UPMC Health Plan decided to act, leverage Astrata’s technology, and unlike other payers, not just wait and see what would happen next.
Over time the pilot evolved as the teams at Astrata and UPMC Health Plan worked more closely. Through years of engagement, what began as a single-product focus grew into a series of solutions, from year-round reviews to Clinical Quality Language based on FHIR technology. Each iteration was significantly improved by feedback and active involvement from the UPMC Health Plan’s team. They helped shape everything from functionalities to user interface designs, often at a finely granular level.
“It’s truly a testament to this being a ‘need-to-have,’ not just a pet project,” Dr. Jacobson says. The partnership is more than transactional; it is strategic for both sides.
“We are helping them transform, and that forges a deep bond,” Dr. Jacobson notes. The commitment isn’t confined to leadership levels; it permeates through the entire organization, reinforcing that Astrata is not just a vendor but a strategic partner.
The journey with UPMC Health Plan gave Astrata its first client, validated its technological solutions, and deepened its understanding of payer-provider dynamics. The experience also made the transition to other clients more straightforward. “Our subsequent partnerships were incredibly diverse, which was fortuitous because it helped us understand the full spectrum of payer personalities and needs,” Dr. Jacobson mentions.
Get to Know Astrata’s President, Dr. Rebecca Jacobson
What makes you most excited to be in this field?
“I am passionate about improving quality of care through measurement and reporting. Historically, and still today, it’s been really difficult to measure and report on the quality of healthcare. Much of it is retrospective and based on claims data, which is not particularly reflective of whether health care is ‘quality health care.’ This model obviously must evolve, and it’s what drives my work to devise tools and techniques for leveraging the vast troves of data we collect within health care systems and practices into actionable, positive improvements in care. It’s why Astrata as a company exists today.”
“In the next phase of our development, our work is aimed at bringing these kinds of quality insights directly to the point of care. The objective is for health care providers to instantly access relevant quality metrics and information when a patient arrives, enabling immediate, data-informed health care decisions and conversations. It’s a way to bring the technology we have developed closer to the actual provision of patient care to improve outcomes and efficiency.”
How has UPMCE added value to your company?
“I am extremely grateful for our partnership with UPMC Health Plan, which was facilitated by our relationship with UPMC Enterprises. The Health Plan is a client, yes, but they are so much more than that. I don’t think we really see them as a client, nor do I think they view us as just another vendor. The relationship is so much deeper than that – symbiotic. We have shared goals and philosophy, and a profound desire to see each other succeed.”
Additionally, Dr. Jacobson acknowledges UPMC Enterprises’ guidance in managing the inherent risks and timing the spin-out of Astrata perfectly, even amidst the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a powerful example of how the right partnerships can catalyze innovation, deepen expertise, and facilitate market entry, particularly in complex fields like health care.
What advice would you give to a startup in the biotech/digital health space right now?
“Have the right partners.”
Learn more about Astrata and UPMC Enterprises’ portfolio of health care technology companies.
