ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Asheville nurses and community members are expected to gather Thursday as part of a nationwide protest calling on hospitals and elected officials to cut ties with technology company Palantir.
The event, organized by National Nurses United, is scheduled for noon Aug. 27 at Pack Square Park. Nurses say they are particularly concerned about Palantir’s relationship with HCA Healthcare, which owns Mission Hospital in Asheville.
NNU says demonstrations are planned in eight U.S. cities, including Asheville, as part of its “Palantir Out” National Day of Action.
The union says it opposes Palantir’s growing role in health care and government, arguing that the company’s technology can threaten patient privacy, nursing jobs and public resources.
What nurses are protesting
HCA Healthcare developed its Timpani nurse scheduling and staffing platform in collaboration with Palantir. HCA describes Timpani as an automated scheduling and staffing tool that uses information such as employee preferences, skills and patient-volume forecasts to help hospitals manage staffing.
NNU says the system shifts some scheduling and staffing decisions away from local managers and toward an automated system.
The union argues that relying on automated systems for staffing decisions could worsen staffing problems and contribute to delays in patient care.
Mission Health spokesperson Nancy Lindell said Mission Hospital does not currently use the Timpani scheduling tool.
“Across HCA Healthcare, scheduling technology is used to reduce administrative work and help nursing leaders accommodate nurses’ scheduling preferences,” Lindell said. “The tool is a resource used by nurse leaders and does not make scheduling decisions or use patient data.”
NNU also says HCA has not provided enough information about how Palantir’s technology handles patient and health care worker data.
Asheville protest
NNU says the Asheville protest will focus on HCA Healthcare’s relationship with Palantir and the union’s broader concerns about the company’s role in health care and government.
The union is calling on hospitals to end their relationships with Palantir and provide greater transparency about how technology is being used in patient care and staffing decisions.
The Asheville demonstration is scheduled for noon Thursday, Aug. 27, at Pack Square Park West, 121 College St. NNU says nurses will be joined by patients and community allies.
The union’s claims about Palantir’s role in hospitals, staffing and health care technology reflect NNU’s position and have not been independently verified by 828newsNOW.