HCA Nurses Say Palantir AI Scheduler Ignores Time-Off Requests
Nurses at HCA Healthcare report that Timpani, the Palantir-built AI scheduling tool, frequently assigns them to work on requested days off.
Nurses across HCA Healthcare say Timpani, an AI scheduling tool developed with Palantir, routinely ignores their shift preferences and assigns them to work on days they requested off. The complaints span multiple HCA facilities, according to accounts from nurses at the hospital chain.
HCA has deployed Timpani at roughly 130 of its 190 locations since 2023. The tool is designed to automate shift scheduling, but nurses say it often overrides their stated availability.
HCA spokesperson Harlow Sumerford said nursing leaders, not Timpani, make the final scheduling decisions. The company maintains that the software supports, rather than replaces, human judgment.
The concerns come as a former HCA data science manager, Angelique Russell, sued the company in July, alleging she was fired in retaliation for raising concerns about Timpani. Her lawsuit adds a legal dimension to the scheduling complaints.
National Nurses United has been among the groups highlighting the issue, as nurses push for more transparency and control over how AI tools affect their working hours.
Quick answers
What is Timpani?
Timpani is an AI scheduling tool developed with Palantir and used by HCA Healthcare to manage nurse shift assignments.
How many HCA locations use Timpani?
HCA has deployed Timpani at roughly 130 of its 190 locations since 2023.
What does HCA say about the scheduling decisions?
HCA spokesperson Harlow Sumerford says nursing leaders, not Timpani, make the final scheduling decisions.