Provider Pool is an online labor marketplace created specifically for the healthcare industry. The platform connects hospitals and other healthcare organizations to their ideal nursing professionals for short-term and longterm staffing needs.
After working in the healthcare industry for nearly a decade, Janna Westbrook, Provider Pool’s founder, became completely immersed in the evolution of the healthcare workforce. There seemed to be an increase in the desire for flexibility over longevity; for impact and experiences over 401K matches. Traditional recruitment methods and employment incentives for healthcare professionals were becoming less and less effective. Hospitals were struggling to recruit top talent and adequately meet staffing demands.
Janna believed that there needed to be a community of healthcare professionals available for hospitals to access when needed. “Having an adequate number of nurses isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity,” Janna says. “If there is a shift or position left unfilled, a person’s life could be at stake.” Considering the impact of adequate staffing, it was important to Janna that healthcare organizations be able to set their own prices and escape the high markup that traditional staffing agencies charged.
During the idea stage, Janna pitched the concept of a web app that performs an algorithmic match between hospitals and healthcare professionals to Capital Innovators and received $100,000 in investment funding and a spot in their three-month business accelerator. Arch Grants has also supported Provider Pool’s mission with a $50,000 equity-free cash grant.
With a completed web app, Janna and her team are currently building out a mobile app and new features to deploy early 2020. “Everything about the way that we work—and find work—is changing,” Janna says. Businesses are moving to more project-based work and leaner operations. Younger professionals now dominate the labor market so it’s important that businesses utilize a staffing option that appeals to that demographic.”
January 2020 marks Provider Pool’s first anniversary, but already the platform has attracted over 400 nursing professionals and 12 care facilities across Missouri and Illinois. Because the Midwest has been an underserved market for technology-based companies, Provider Pool’s value is doubled.
In addition to bolstering the region with the innovation itself, Provider Pool gives Hospitals and Nurses direct access to one another, and that ultimately benefits patients. “This is the future of work in all industries,” Janna says, “and we are excited to be paving the way for the Healthcare industry to join in the globalization of online staffing.
