At Innovate Springfield, we are proud to highlight founders who are building meaningful solutions right here in central Illinois.

This month, we are featuring Dr. Chaitanya Mamillapalli, physician, researcher, and founder of CareHealth AI. As a clinical leader at Springfield Clinic, he is addressing one of healthcare’s most urgent challenges: physician burnout and inefficient workflows.

For him, innovation did not begin with artificial intelligence.

It began with asking better questions.

A Doctor Who Sees Patterns Others Miss

Chaitanya has always been drawn to analysis.

“I’m the kind of person who likes to think through problems,” he says. “Internal medicine is like solving a puzzle.”

While some physicians gravitate toward procedural specialties, he was drawn to complexity. He found fulfillment in diagnosing difficult cases, identifying patterns, and connecting details others might overlook. That path led him to Endocrinology, where intricate systems demand patience, precision, and deep reasoning.

Over time, that same analytical mindset extended beyond patient care.

He began noticing patterns not only in disease, but in the systems that shape how medicine is practiced.

A Global Journey That Built Perspective

Chaitanya’s professional path spans India, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

His move from India to the UK was one of the most challenging periods of his life. It meant adjusting to a new culture, becoming fully independent, and navigating financial uncertainty while searching for residency placement.

“It was tough in the beginning,” he recalls. “You go from a structured environment to handling everything on your own.”

Nearly a year without stable employment tested his resilience. But it also strengthened his discipline and adaptability.

When he later transitioned from the UK to the United States, the experience felt much smoother.

“It was easier,” he says. “The systems were more similar, and there were more opportunities.”

Springfield ultimately became the place where his clinical expertise and entrepreneurial vision aligned.

The Problem He Could Not Ignore

Years into practice at Springfield Clinic, Dr. Chaitanya began seeing a growing issue that had nothing to do with medical diagnosis.

Physicians were spending enormous time navigating electronic health records. Simple actions required dozens of clicks. Repetitive tasks consumed energy that could have been spent with patients.

“A lot of the work we do every day is repetitive and not meaningful,” he explains. “You might perform 40 or 50 clicks for a single task.”

The systems were built by talented developers, but often without deep insight into real physician workflow. The result was inefficiency and rising burnout.

Instead of accepting it, he asked a different question.

What if the system adapted to the physician?

Building CareHealth AI

CareHealth AI did not emerge from a single moment of inspiration. It evolved from years of clinical experience and a growing curiosity about artificial intelligence.

After collaborating on early machine learning research using electronic health record data, work that earned national recognition, Chaitanya became increasingly interested in how AI could reduce operational inefficiencies in healthcare.

The mission was never to replace physicians.

It was to support them.

CareHealth AI developed an overlay application that integrates directly within existing electronic health records. There is no separate login and no need to switch systems. The platform customizes workflows based on individual physician preferences, reducing unnecessary clicks and streamlining documentation.

Today, the application is deployed within Springfield Clinic, supporting hundreds of physicians and serving nearly half a million patients.

A second application is preparing for pilot deployment, integrating with Cisco Webex Contact Center to automatically retrieve patient information during inbound calls. A third initiative, MedDX, is in development to support healthcare education and professional training.

“If you understand the system deeply, you can design something better,” he says.

From Founder to Ecosystem Builder

Chaitanya formally founded CareHealth AI in 2022. As the company grew, he recognized the importance of structured entrepreneurial guidance and community support.

In 2025, he joined Innovate Springfield to refine his approach to scaling and fundraising.

“I had never taken a formal entrepreneurship class before,” he says. “Bruce’s class helped me globalize what I was doing.”

The framework around value creation, value delivery, and value capture transformed how he communicates his company’s mission.

“Before, I would speak about things randomly. Now I think in terms of value. What am I creating? What am I delivering? What am I capturing?”

Angel School further shifted his perspective.

“When preparing to raise funds, I now think from the investor’s side. It forces me to be more structured and prepared.”

Beyond curriculum, he emphasizes the importance of environment.

“It’s a phenomenal space. Being around other entrepreneurs changes how you think.”

Strengthening the Ecosystem

When asked how Innovate Springfield could grow even stronger, Chaitanya offered a thoughtful perspective.

He believes deeper engagement with regional healthcare leadership could unlock significant opportunity for founders.

“If you bring the customers into the ecosystem, you attract more entrepreneurs,” he says.

Connecting hospital executives and healthcare decision makers more directly with local startups could lower barriers, accelerate innovation, and create stronger collaboration across the region.

For healthcare founders especially, access matters.

And ecosystems thrive when builders and decision makers share the same room.

Restoring Meaning to Medicine

Chaitanya’s journey reflects resilience, curiosity, and steady evolution.

From navigating international transitions to founding a healthcare technology company and scaling it through community support, he has remained focused on solving meaningful problems.

Through CareHealth AI and his continued involvement at Innovate Springfield, Chaitanya is not just improving workflows. He is restoring time, focus, and meaning back to the practice of medicine. And in doing so, he is quietly reshaping how healthcare is delivered in our region and beyond.