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NorthStar Anesthesia's rapid app development

NorthStar Anesthesia built a critical scheduling app for 3,000 clinicians in weeks using Databricks Apps.

Editor, StartupHub.ai

Jul 28 at 10:42 PMUpdated Aug 22, 20262 min read

Screenshot of the NorthStar Anesthesia scheduling app interface on a mobile phone. — The NorthStar Anesthesia scheduling app provides vital information to clinicians on the go.

Visual TL;DR

Scheduling app neededDriver

3,000 clinicians lacked critical scheduling and time-off details for shift trading

From the articleThe NorthStar Anesthesia scheduling app features color-coded shift views, facility selectors, multiple calendar modes, and shift notes, with data refreshing every 30 minutes.

Existing platform failedDriver

From the article 2 mentionsTheir existing commercial platform failed to surface essential data, particularly colleagues' time-off details, which is vital for a workforce that frequently trades shifts.

Mobile usability poorDriver

initial custom dashboards on Databricks were not mobile-friendly for clinicians

From the articleInitial attempts to build custom dashboards on their existing Databricks foundation proved insufficient due to poor mobile usability.

Databricks Apps chosenCore

From the articleThe decision to build directly on Databricks Apps was driven by the platform's ability to leverage existing data, governance, and single sign-on infrastructure, eliminating the need for new systems.

Rapid developmentEffect

NorthStar Anesthesia built the critical scheduling app in a matter of weeks

From the articleThis rapid development cycle allowed for quick iteration and multiple releases.

3,000 clinicians servedOutcome

new app provided accessible scheduling information to the entire mobile workforce

Improved operationsOutcome

reduced clinician stress levels and positively impacted daily operational efficiency

From the article 2 mentionsThis gap significantly impacted daily operations and clinician stress levels.

NorthStar Anesthesia, a major provider of anesthesia staffing across 25 states, faced a critical challenge: providing its 3,000-strong mobile workforce with accessible scheduling information. Their existing commercial platform failed to surface essential data, particularly colleagues' time-off details, which is vital for a workforce that frequently trades shifts. This gap significantly impacted daily operations and clinician stress levels.

A Mobile-First Solution

Initial attempts to build custom dashboards on their existing Databricks foundation proved insufficient due to poor mobile usability. "Because of the lack of mobile friendliness... we pivoted to the app," noted Erin Sarosi Bell, Program Manager at Synaptiq, NorthStar's implementation partner. The decision to build directly on Databricks Apps was driven by the platform's ability to leverage existing data, governance, and single sign-on infrastructure, eliminating the need for new systems.

Weeks, Not Months

A single software engineer from Synaptiq developed the React TypeScript application in just a few weeks. The NorthStar Anesthesia scheduling app features color-coded shift views, facility selectors, multiple calendar modes, and shift notes, with data refreshing every 30 minutes. Crucially, it provides the time-off visibility previously obscured by their commercial tool.

This rapid development cycle allowed for quick iteration and multiple releases. "Within a matter of weeks, we were able to build something that met the need and iterate on it rapidly, pushing out multiple releases," stated Dan Levine, CTO at NorthStar. The app has seen significant user adoption, climbing from 75-80 daily unique users at launch to over 110. Clinician feedback highlights its transformative impact, with many users reporting reduced stress and improved workflow. NorthStar plans to further enhance the app with AI-driven features, including natural language queries and automated reporting.

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#Healthcare #Anesthesia #Databricks #Application Development #Mobile Apps #Cloud Computing #Staffing Software

Written by

Editor, StartupHub.ai

Daniel Singer is the editor of StartupHub.ai, a technology expert and thought leader on AI and its applications across sectors, from fintech and healthcare to developer tooling and consumer software. He writes and tests the tools covered here thoroughly and regularly, and built StartupHub.ai to give founders, operators and buyers a clearer read on what they are actually being sold.

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