Fed up with poor staffing levels and excessive burnout, nurses continue to leave hospital jobs in droves. Actually, experts I predict that the US healthcare industry will experience a shortage of 2.1 million nurses by 2025.
Hydraight was founded in 2018 as a telehealth platform and medical network that addresses this issue by allowing nurses to be their own bosses and work as independent 1099 contractors. Last week, the Las Vegas-based company launched updated app so the hundreds of nurses on its platform can have a more streamlined experience.
The startup’s platform enables nurses, medical spa technicians and other licensed healthcare professionals to control their own schedules and provide services outside of a hospital or traditional medical facility, said Hydreight CEO Shane Madden.
“The platform works as a marketplace, essentially like an ‘Uber for nurses,’ allowing them to connect directly with patients and provide services anywhere,” he said.
Nurses use Hydreight’s platform to offer services such as IV drip, Botox, Covid-19 testing and other medical and medical spa treatments. These services can be delivered to the patient’s home, hotel, office or any other convenient location, Madden said.
Patients who join Hydreight’s medical network can use its app — which works similar to popular food delivery apps — to order a medical service from its pharmaceutical IV menu or aesthetic services menu.
Hydreight’s platform provides medical director oversight, liability insurance, HIPAA-compliant documentation and access to a digital pharmacy, Madden added. This means nurses can work for themselves without the stress of running their own business.
Across all 50 states, Hydreight currently has 688 accounts providing medical services and tens of thousands of patients using its app. The startup said it’s difficult to say the exact number of nurses on its platform because each account is different — some have one nurse working alone, while others consist of a team of nurses who joined with the help of one account.
Some Hydreight nurses went viral on TikTok last year for posting videos saying they were paid more than traveling nurses. Hydreight nurses said they earn up to $3,500 a week. The average monthly salary for travel nurses is $9,790, which breaks down to about $2,500 per week.
Madden said Hydreight was founded to give nurses more autonomy and freedom, and the company will remain dedicated to serving their best interests.
“We are committed to continuous improvement and listening to what consumers need. This update gives nurses and other health and wellness providers more control over what they offer, as well as overall improved performance, usability, reporting, and aesthetic and functional upgrades. For both patients and service providers, this includes an improved booking experience and more options for how everyone wants to use the platform,” he said.
Hydreight isn’t the only company offering at-home IV services, though—there are others IV Doc. Madden believes his company stands out with its proprietary HIPAA-compliant software, medical director oversight, medical liability insurance and infusion protocols.
“There is no other mobile wellness organization that provides its partners with everything they need to run their business in one place,” he said.
Photo: Dilok Klaisataporn, Getty Images