SAN DIEGO: Aya Healthcare, the largest healthcare talent software and staffing company in the United States, has acquired Winnow AI, a data science-driven solution that uses artificial intelligence to predict and match physicians with open positions and existing teams.

The acquisition comes at a time when healthcare organizations are facing a historic provider shortage and need to find and retain qualified physicians.

Winnow AI helps healthcare organizations tap into a unique source of passive physicians who are likely to relocate to their region, based on their personal and professional connections, preferences, and career goals.

Winnow AI also identifies active physician job seekers through Aya’s DocCafe brand, the premier physician talent acquisition platform with the nation’s largest pool of active job seekers.

Winnow AI will operate within Aya’s Provider Solutions division, which also enables healthcare organizations to hire locum providers and manage their provider recruitment and engagement through Aya Connect.

Alan Braynin, the president and CEO of Aya Healthcare, said that the acquisition would help healthcare organizations effectively fill their open provider positions by offering both active and passive job seeker recruitment platforms.

“This acquisition is an example of our never-ending quest to deliver innovative solutions to our clients that create greater efficiencies, generate cost savings, and improve access to care for the communities they serve,” he said.

Winnow AI was created by SwitchPoint Ventures, an award-winning venture studio that builds AI-driven business solutions for the challenges of healthcare. Ray Guzman, the co-founder of Winnow AI and the CEO of SwitchPoint Ventures, said that Winnow AI offers a more targeted approach to building all-star teams by pinpointing candidates who match the profiles of a company’s best doctors.

“Aya’s ability to scale Winnow’s innovative solution will help healthcare companies dramatically improve their ability to attract, hire, and retain the best-fit providers for their organizations,” he said.

Paul Vernich, the co-founder and SVP of Winnow AI, said that he was thrilled to be joining Aya as they continue to develop and deliver Winnow AI to help healthcare organizations across the U.S.

Ardent Health Services, a leading healthcare provider, was an early development partner and customer of Winnow AI. Marty Bonick, the CEO of Ardent Health Services, said that Winnow AI was a game-changer for their ability to deliver quality care to their patients. “With Winnow AI, we have an awareness of every physician in practice.

Now we can bring together thousands of inputs to identify the perfect candidate who has natural connections to and an affinity for our company. It’s a game-changer for our ability to deliver quality care to our patients,” he said.