Nursing workforce tech company acquisition aims to expand staffing solutions for healthcare providers

Some hospitals and healthcare providers are turning to on-demand staffing solutions to address a national nursing shortage, as well as an increased demand for flexibility in nursing, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

This week, on-demand workforce tech company ShiftMed acquired CareerStaff Unlimited, a leading managed service provider (MSP) developed by Genesis HealthCare.

With ShiftMed, vetted healthcare providers and systems can post open shifts to the platform and credentialed nurses on the site can pick up those shifts using an app on their mobile device. ShiftMed provides nursing solutions for acute care, post-acute care, and in-home settings. The CareerStaff Unlimited tool simplifies staffing for healthcare providers by offering access to a network of more than 1,000 staffing companies using a single-point solution.

With CareerStaff United, ShiftMed aims to offer more bespoke, on-demand solutions to healthcare providers based on their specific needs. The deal—the terms of which were not disclosed—also includes an exclusive-use agreement between Genesis and ShiftMed for seven years.

Zoom out. The acquisition comes as hospitals and healthcare systems address widespread nursing shortages, predicted to fall short by 78,610 full-time equivalents next year, according to nurse.org.

HR Brew reported in October that about 100,000 registered nurses left the profession amid the Covid-19 pandemic, and another 800,000 plan to leave by 2027 due to stress, burnout, or retirement.

With a shortage fueled by high rates of turnover, nurse retirements, and an increased demand for nursing professionals as the population ages, HR leaders in healthcare have been exploring the “uberization” of nursing with apps like ShiftMed and others in order to prioritize flexible scheduling.

In addition to tech platforms like ShiftMed, some systems are turning inward to develop their own on-demand program or platform. Northwell Health, for instance, rolled out its own internal staffing system—called FlexStaff—in 2014 that allows nurses to pick up on-demand work across the system.

“We knew that people want gig-work opportunities,” Northwell Health CHRO Maxine Carrington told HR Brew in December, of their own platform. “And so we figured, well imagine if we could provide that for our team members?” FlexStaff draws from a pool about 5,000 workers who can take on short-term or contract assignments within Northwell.