Nurses Can Now Get to Work Without Paying Upfront—Thanks to ShiftMed and Uber Health

Getting to work shouldn’t be the hardest part of a nurse’s shift, but for many healthcare workers, transportation can be a real barrier.

To help fix that, ShiftMed has expanded its partnership with Uber Health to provide rides without upfront fees for nurses at their partner hospitals. This partnership aims to make it easier for nurses and other healthcare professionals on the platform to get reliable rides to and from work.

Breaking Down the Partnership

ShiftMed is a scheduling platform that connects nurses and other healthcare professionals with hospitals, long-term care facilities, and other organizations that need extra help.

With this new expansion, more healthcare workers using ShiftMed Flex can now access Uber Health rides directly through the app. If transportation is a challenge, whether it’s lack of a car, long commutes, or odd hours, ShiftMed can now help remove that barrier.

According to the company, one in five U.S. workers is employed in healthcare, and reliable transportation plays a big role in keeping shifts covered.

“Reliable transportation is often the hidden key to consistent coverage,” said Seth Lovell, SSM Health’s System Vice President of Nursing Transformation and Innovation, in a statement.

A Win for Nurses and Health Systems

The partnership isn’t just about convenience — it’s also helping with staffing shortages and patient care.

With Uber Health’s technology built into ShiftMed’s platform, health systems can expand their coverage area and fill shifts faster. ShiftMed reports that healthcare organizations using its platform have seen clinicians fill more than 50 shifts per year using the Uber Health integration.

However, the rides aren’t free. Instead, the cost is automatically deducted from nurses’ shift earnings, eliminating any upfront or out-of-pocket payments.

For SSM Health, providing assistance with transportation for nurses has been a game-changer. The system says it’s helped more than double acute care coverage during peak demand, a big deal in today’s tight staffing environment.

Jacob Laufer, ShiftMed’s Chief Operating Officer, said the goal is simple: to make it easier for frontline healthcare professionals to get to work. The company believes removing transportation barriers helps both nurses and the health systems that depend on them.

Why It Matters

Across the country, hospitals and clinics are still struggling with nurse shortages and burnout. Giving nurses more flexibility and support — like reliable transportation — can make it easier to pick up extra shifts or work in new locations.

ShiftMed’s collaboration with Uber Health is part of a larger trend of tech solutions helping bridge workforce gaps in healthcare. By combining flexibility, convenience, and safety, this kind of innovation may help more nurses stay in, and return to, the profession.

As Valerie Holland, Uber Health’s Head of U.S. Sales, said:

“Through our expanded work with ShiftMed, we’re providing on-demand access to transportation for their employees, who often make up the largest wrkforce in their counties.”

For nurses, this means one less barrier between them and the patients who need their care most.

🤔 Nurses, share your thoughts in the discussion forum below.