symplr Rolls Out AI-Driven Tools to Optimize Healthcare Operations at ViVE 2026
symplr® introduced new AI-driven enhancements to its Operations Platform at ViVE 2026, zeroing in on the unglamorous work that slows health systems down: staffing, contracts, and vendor credentialing. The focus is simple-automate the repeatable, surface what matters, and give time back to care teams.
These upgrades align with pressure points highlighted in symplr's 2025 Compass Survey: staffing shortages, financial strain, and clinician burnout. The pitch isn't flashy AI-it's practical intelligence embedded into daily workflows.
"Operational efficiency isn't a single initiative; it's the sum of removing friction from dozens of everyday workflows," said Robert Bart, MD, Chief Medical Information Officer at UPMC. With better tooling for staffing, contracts, and compliance, he noted, teams spend less time on administration and more time on patient care.
Unified Workforce Management
After acquiring Smart Square in 2025, symplr combined symplr Workforce and symplr Smart Square into one platform. The goal: place the right people, in the right place, at the right time-without manual rework.
- AI-driven predictive scheduling to align staffing with demand
- Open-shift management to fill gaps quickly and fairly
- Automation for complex payroll and labor policies to reduce errors and rework
AI-Enhanced Contract Management
Contracting moves faster when risk is surfaced early and review cycles are tight. symplr adds AI where legal teams and administrators feel the most drag.
- Conversational AI for instant answers on terms, clauses, and obligations
- AI-assisted review and redlining to flag risk and standardize language
- Workflow tools that accelerate approvals while maintaining compliance
Vendor Access with Smart Badge
Vendor management gets a lift with symplr Access Smart Badge. It reduces manual kiosk check-ins and provides real-time visibility with automated credential verification-cutting overhead and tightening compliance tracking.
"Healthcare doesn't need AI layered onto broken workflows-it needs platform innovation built for operational realities," said Theresa Meadows, CIO in Residence at symplr. She emphasized these upgrades are built to reduce friction, increase confidence, and improve impact for patients, clinicians, and staff.
Why this matters for health systems
- Fewer manual touches across staffing, contracts, and vendor access
- Stronger labor cost control through demand-aware scheduling and policy automation
- Shorter contract cycles with clearer risk visibility
- Real-time vendor compliance and lower administrative overhead
- More focus on patient care, less on paperwork-key for clinician well-being
Practical next steps
- Map top friction points: nurse staffing, float pools, contract turn times, vendor check-ins
- Pilot AI-driven scheduling on one unit; benchmark fill rates, OT, and agency spend
- Run a controlled contract review trial; track cycle time and risk findings
- Standardize vendor credential policies, then enable Smart Badge access
- Set metrics upfront: labor variance, FTE admin time saved, compliance exceptions
For a broader view of where AI delivers real operational lift in care settings, explore AI for Healthcare.
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