Tech Company Uses Algorithm to Fine Tune Nurse Hiring

The U.S. doesn’t have enough nurses to meet rising demand for healthcare services, and many facilities are looking for ways to reduce the amount of time it takes to find and hire nurses for a variety of different positions. A new startup known as Incredible Health is turning the tables by having hospitals apply for nurses instead of the other way around. Hiring managers can use the digital platform to quickly find nurses with certain qualifications. It’s free for nurses to set up an account, but the company charges hospitals for access.

The company screens nurse credentials and employment preferences and uses algorithms to help hospitals narrow their search based on who’s available. The platform categorizes nurses across 70 specialties and 250 skills.

Around 600 hospitals currently use Incredible Health to find talent, including Kaiser Permanente, Stanford Health Care, HCA Healthcare, Providence, Cedars-Sinai and Baylor Scott & White Health. The company has seen enormous growth over the last few years and recently earned unicorn status among investors, which is reserved for privately held startups valued at $1 billion or more.

“Nurses are the backbone of the US healthcare system, and they deserve the well-staffed teams and tools to not only succeed, but also feel fulfilled in their careers,” said Iman Abuzeid M.D., CEO and co-founder of Incredible Health.

“Our model has met the moment and changed the paradigm for both nurses and healthcare providers in the most challenging time in U.S. healthcare. We’re excited to accelerate our growth to affect even more change.”

The company received funding from Base10 Partners, a venture capitalist firm, as part of its Advancement Initiative, a fund designed to align the success of tech companies with wealth creation for underrepresented minorities. The Initiative donates 50% of the fund’s carried interest to Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) to create student scholarships and support university endowments.

“Incredible Health is an exciting addition to the Advancement Initiative portfolio,” said Jamison Hill, partner at Base10 Partners. “The company’s mission and support for nurses closely align with our values, but what truly makes Incredible Health special is how the company has transformed the way health systems recruit talent and nurses find work. The company is solving an urgent need in healthcare, and we’re excited to be a part of its next stage of growth.”

The platform strives to support nurses throughout their careers. In addition to finding a permanent job, nurses can use Incredible Health to build professional connections, grow their skills, and take advantage of relocation opportunities and educational scholarships.

The startup plans to expand to 90% of the national nurse workforce in the years to come.

“These past few years have brought many lessons learned, but one of the biggest is the importance of really listening to our nurses, and right now – nurses need more nurses,” said CEO David Lubarsky M.D. of UC Davis Health, which uses the platform.

“We’re glad to have streamlined our internal hiring operations to move past conventional time – with Incredible Health stepping in to do the heavy lifting. The company truly understands what our workforce needs and provides the right technology and support to see their mission through.”