In-House Health has launched a state-of-the-art AI-driven scheduling platform designed to address the inefficiencies plaguing hospital staffing, particularly in nursing. Amidst an ongoing healthcare workforce shortage exacerbated by rising care delivery costs, traditional staffing methods have proven inadequate, leading hospitals to rely heavily on agencies, inflating operational costs. In-House Health’s technology aims to streamline the cumbersome, often manual process of nurse scheduling and staffing, which can dominate upwards of 15 hours a week for nursing team leaders who grapple with outdated systems like drag-and-drop interfaces or even pen and paper. By integrating artificial intelligence, the platform promises to reduce the time spent on scheduling by at least 50% and cut labor costs by 10%, presenting an advancement in operational efficiency and cost management in healthcare institutions.
The technology supporting In-House Health’s platform is sophisticated, leveraging millions of patient records to train its AI algorithms. This allows for predictive analytics that can forecast staffing needs and shift changes far more accurately and earlier than traditional methods. Such capabilities enhance the efficiency of shift scheduling and aim to improve overall patient care and safety. The improved predictability helps prevent the common pitfall of over or understaffing, which can lead to excessive overtime costs and the unnecessary expense of employing agency staff. Ari Brenner, one of the co-founders, emphasizes that the real value lies not just in saving time but in the improvement of staffing outcomes, reducing the financial implications of mispredicted staffing needs which often results in costly last-minute adjustments.
The introduction of In-House Health’s platform has been timely, with its official launch coinciding with National Nurses Week, showcasing the company’s commitment to addressing the immediate needs of nursing professionals. The platform’s development was guided by the insights of its founders, who bring a diverse range of experiences from healthcare operations to frontline nursing and technical expertise. Their firsthand experiences with the inefficiencies of traditional staffing solutions fueled their drive to innovate. The involvement of healthcare professionals like James Kerridge, who serves on the company’s Nursing Advisory Board, ensures that the platform remains aligned with the real-world complexities of healthcare delivery and nursing management. This collaborative approach facilitates the creation of a tool that not only meets the administrative needs of nurse managers but also addresses the broader dynamics of hospital staffing management.
Venture capital interest in In-House Health has been strong, with funding led by NEA and TMV, accompanied by early support from Vine Ventures and Longevity Venture Partners, bringing the total investment to $5.4 million to date. The backing by prominent investors shows the market’s confidence in In-House Health’s potential to redefine healthcare staffing. Venture partners like Blake Wu of NEA believe that In-House Health’s approach—utilizing advanced technological solutions to optimize existing resources—is a standout in the healthcare sector, which has been slow to adopt such innovations. The platform is not only seen as a technological leap forward but also as a means to achieve the ‘quadruple aim’ of healthcare: enhancing patient experience, improving population health, reducing costs, and improving the work life of healthcare providers, thereby setting a new standard in healthcare operational management.
