HCA Healthcare nurses report widespread frustration and safety risks from an artificial intelligence scheduling tool called Timpani. Developed alongside Palantir, the software has rolled out at roughly 130 of HCA's 190 locations since 2023. Nurses state that no one is happy with the application and complaints happen constantly.
Software causes understaffing and scheduling conflicts
Bedside workers allege the tool creates understaffed, imbalanced, and exhausted care teams by operating with minimal oversight. Timpani frequently schedules too few nurses or lacks experienced veterans during shifts, particularly on Sundays. It also ignores personal preferences for spacing out shifts, working nights and weekends, or taking specific days off.
Union leaders and workers report mounting pressure
National Nurses United union leaders report that HCA rejected requests for information about the technology. A former HCA data science manager filed a lawsuit in July alleging she was fired for raising concerns that the company deleted data used by Timpani to prevent auditing. HCA spokesperson Harlow Sumerford states that nursing leaders make final scheduling decisions and the tool is not designed to reduce staffing at patient expense.
Similar issues emerge at another healthcare provider
Rayus Radiology began receiving scheduling error complaints earlier this year after introducing a tool built on Palantir Foundry. That software linked requests to wrong patient profiles, listed mismatched tests, or invented personal details. Rayus spokesperson Kit Crancer emphasizes that the company uses technology to support rather than replace human judgment.
Palantir sales have nearly doubled to almost two billion dollars per quarter as organizations seek data analysis and automation help. Cleveland Clinic credited Palantir software with boosting patient capacity by forecasting emergency room discharges. HCA psychiatric center nurses filed a grievance over Timpani, and the matter is likely headed to arbitration.
