Autumn-Kyoko Cushman, CEO of ShiftRx, joins Disruption Interruption to reveal how AI is tackling the U.S. healthcare provider shortage—projected to hit 87,150 by 2037. Her platform automates admin tasks, boosts clinician pay by up to 40%, and restores focus to patient care.
TAMPA BAY, Fla., June 4, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The U.S. healthcare system is standing at a critical juncture, facing an alarming provider shortage that threatens to destabilize access to quality care. By 2037, the estimated shortfall will reach 87,150 full-time equivalent primary care physicians, according to the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis. (1) With burnout, inefficiencies, and administrative demands pushing talented clinicians out of the field, what's the solution?
Autumn-Kyoko (AK) Cushman, Co-Founder and CEO of ShiftRx, joined Karla Jo Helms (KJ) on the Disruption Interruption podcast to share how her company is leveraging AI to tackle the clinician shortage while addressing the administrative burden. "By automating non-clinical tasks, we can increase provider salaries by 30-40%," says Cushman. Her disruptive platform streamlines tedious processes like scheduling, credentialing, and onboarding, freeing clinicians to focus on their true mission—patient care.
A Compounding Crisis Demands Action
The healthcare industry has long struggled with chronic staffing issues, exacerbated by mounting administrative burdens. These inefficiencies steal critical time from clinicians and compromise patient care. Cushman has firsthand experience with the system's flaws as a former healthcare provider.
"I saw the challenges of short staffing on both sides—first as a provider, then as the daughter of a patient," Cushman shares. Her mother's fight against brain cancer was made even harder by the lack of resources and consistent care, an experience that solidified Cushman's determination to drive lasting change.
Burnout rates are at an all-time high, and startling statistics underline the extent of the crisis. "Over half of healthcare providers in the U.S. are planning to leave their clinical roles within the next year," Cushman notes, adding that the COVID-19 pandemic amplified existing issues like under-enrollment in medical programs and increasing patient loads.
ShiftRx is stepping in with a bold vision to fix the broken system, starting with cutting-edge AI solutions designed to address the heart of the problem.
AI as the Game-Changer in Healthcare Workforce Management
ShiftRx's innovative platform uses generative AI and large language models to revolutionize how healthcare systems staff and manage their clinical workforce. By eliminating reliance on traditional staffing agencies and job boards, Cushman's solution drives cost efficiency while improving care quality.
"Our AI-powered solution acts as a healthcare administrator in your pocket," Cushman explains. "It automates non-clinical tasks like scheduling, onboarding, and payroll. This doesn't just reduce errors, it lets healthcare systems reallocate budgets to pay clinicians more and give them better resources."
For rural areas in particular, where pharmacies often serve as primary care facilities, these innovations are crucial. "We've seen firsthand how proper staffing improves care delivery, especially in underserved communities where resources are limited," says Cushman.
Beyond tackling staffing inefficiencies, ShiftRx is laying the foundation for a sustainable healthcare workforce by empowering clinicians to earn while they learn, ensuring professional development remains accessible across socio-economic barriers.
Links
Disrupting the Medical Workforce Crisis: AI's Role in Solving Provider Shortages, with AK Cushman
https://omny.fm/shows/disruption-interruption/disrupting-the-medical-workforce-crisis-ai-s-role-in-solving-provider-shortages-with-ak-cushman
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akcushman/
Company LinkedIn: https://www.shiftrx.io/
Disruption Interruption is the podcast where you will hear from today's biggest Industry Disruptors. Learn what motivated them to bring about innovation and how they overcame opposition to adoption.
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About Disruption InterruptionTM
Disruption is happening on an unprecedented scale, impacting all manner of industries— MedTech, Finance, IT, eCommerce, shipping, logistics, and more—and COVID has moved their timelines up a full decade or more. But WHO are these disruptors and when did they say, "THAT'S IT! I'VE HAD IT!"? Time to Disrupt and Interrupt with host Karla Jo "KJ" Helms, veteran communications disruptor. KJ interviews badasses who are disrupting their industries and altering economic networks that have become antiquated with an establishment resistant to progress. She delves into uncovering secrets from industry rebels and quiet revolutionaries that uncover common traits—and not-so-common—that are changing our economic markets… and lives. Visit the world's key pioneers that persist to success, despite arrows in their backs at http://www.disruption-interruption.com.
About AK Cushman
Autumn-Kyoko (AK) Cushman is reimagining the future of healthcare staffing. As Co-Founder and CEO of ShiftRx, she is pioneering a new era in clinical workforce management by developing an autonomous staffing agent that reduces administrative burdens and addresses the nationwide clinician shortage—starting with pharmacy. Through cutting-edge AI and a bold vision for efficiency, ShiftRx is transforming how healthcare systems connect talent to need.
Before founding ShiftRx, AK built a distinguished career at the intersection of healthcare, technology, and government. She served as a Client Success Manager for IBM Watson Health, managing strategic partnerships and optimizing access to MarketScan research databases. Prior roles included leading precision medicine initiatives with the National Cancer Institute as a Project Manager at Essex Management, and advising the Department of Veterans Affairs as a Management Consultant at Sigma Health Consulting.
AK's journey began as a Hospital Corpsman in the U.S. Navy, where she supported the Executive Medicine team and developed a deep-rooted commitment to patient-centered care. With a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from American University and a track record of impactful leadership across sectors, AK Cushman is a champion for smarter, scalable, and equitable healthcare delivery.
About Karla Jo Helms
Karla Jo Helms is the Chief Evangelist and Anti-PR® Strategist for JOTO PR Disruptors™. Karla Jo learned firsthand how unforgiving business can be when millions of dollars are on the line — and how the control of public opinion often determines whether one company is happily chosen, or another is brutally rejected. Being an alumnus of crisis management, Karla Jo has worked with litigation attorneys, private investigators, and the media to help restore companies of goodwill into the good graces of public opinion — Karla Jo operates on the ethic of getting it right the first time, not relying on second chances and doing what it takes to excel. Helms speaks globally on public relations, how the PR industry itself has lost its way, and how, in the right hands, corporations can harness the power of Anti-PR to drive markets and impact market perception.
References
1. National Center for Health Workforce Analysis. State of the Primary Care Workforce, 2024 . Nov. 2024.
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SOURCE Disruption Interruption
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