Providence’s promise to “know me, care for me, ease my way” not only shapes our care philosophy, but also how we approach technology across the organization. That means investing in AI tools that reduce administrative burden and create a more seamless day-to-day experience.

Across Providence, AI is used thoughtfully and strategically to help caregivers spend less time managing tasks and more time practicing at the top of their license. From streamlining inbox management to improving scheduling, these tools are designed to support the people behind the care.

Why reducing administrative burden matters

Caregiver burnout is one of the most pressing issues in healthcare today. A 2024 report found that 72% of registered nurses experienced moderate to high levels of burnout, and 23% had considered leaving the profession altogether. Much of that burden comes from administrative complexity rather than patient care itself. One way we’re addressing this problem at Providence is through AI solutions built from the inside out.

AI messaging built by caregivers, not just for them

Digital messaging has become one of the primary ways patients connect with care teams, but it has also added complexity. Messages arrive continuously and often require staff to manually review and prioritize each one before determining urgency.

To help ease that burden, Providence developed Provaria, an AI-powered In-Basket Assistant designed in collaboration with the caregivers that need it most. Provaria helps caregivers manage inbox volume by identifying urgent messages, organizing requests by clinical context and suggesting next steps so teams can respond more efficiently—which not only assists caregivers but ensures priority patient needs are addressed quickly.

For instance, Provaria recently flagged a message from a patient with depression and suicidal thoughts, ensuring it was addressed within an hour—compared to the three days it might have taken previously when messages were handled in order of arrival.

When developing Provaria, “we didn’t think of our caregivers as customers,” says Dr. Ford Parsons, Chief of Analytics Innovation at Providence. “They were helping build this with us. We had informatics gurus. We had AI gurus. And we had clinical gurus all working together. I think it would be pretty hard to do if we didn’t have that culture of collaboration here at Providence.”

In its first 10 months, Provaria screened 300,000 messages across 264 clinics. Caregivers experienced a 57% reduction in inbox volume, while patients received responses nearly twice as fast. More than three million messages have now been processed with Provaria’s support.

Importantly, AI does not replace human judgment.

“AI is helping humans know what order to look at the messages,” Dr. Parsons says. “AI is not replying to people. There’s always a human, either a medical assistant, nurse or doctor, reading the message.”

Better schedules with fewer last-minute coverage requests

Unpredictable staffing needs are one of the most persistent stressors in healthcare. Last-minute schedule changes and fluctuating patient volumes can create added pressure for caregivers.

Providence now uses AI-powered predictive scheduling tools to help create more accurate and equitable staffing plans. By analyzing patient volume trends, seasonal patterns and caregiver competencies, these tools help reduce last-minute coverage requests and create schedules that better support caregivers.

Simplifying workflows and tools used every day

Supporting caregivers also means making everyday technology easier to navigate. Providence is working to reduce the number of disconnected tools caregivers interact with throughout the day.

“We want to lower the cognitive burden of our caregivers by eliminating having to have duplicate tools,” says Aaron Palis, Chief Information Officer at Providence.

Across Providence, several initiatives are helping simplify their experience:

• Epic Optimization focuses on getting more value from Providence’s electronic health record platform, reducing the need for separate tools that pull caregivers away from their primary workflow.
• EasyPass and Clinical Workstation Modernization aim to simplify access by moving toward a single login and device experience, reducing the need to navigate multiple systems throughout a shift.
• MedPearl uses AI to surface evidence-based clinical guidance more quickly, helping caregivers coordinate care confidently and connect patients with the right specialists sooner.

“Whether it’s nurse call systems, badging systems, all those different things our caregivers lovingly call the ‘utility belt,’ how do we standardize that onto one platform and make it as easy as possible?” Palis says.

Together, these efforts are designed to reduce friction so teams can spend less time managing systems and more time focused on patient care.

AI that gives time back

“AI has given caregivers back tens of thousands of hours annually so they can focus on top-of-license activities rather than manually going through schedule creation,” says Natalie Edgeworth, Senior Manager of Workforce Optimization and Innovation at Providence.

That is what Providence’s AI strategy is really about. When caregivers have more capacity, patients receive better care and when caregivers feel genuinely supported, they stay.

For healthcare professionals thinking about where to build a long-term career, this kind of support is a direct expression of our 165-year mission to provide compassionate, high-quality care to every person, including the caregivers delivering it.

Caregivers are co-creators here

What makes Providence different is the culture behind it. Clinical staff work alongside informatics specialists and data scientists to make sure every tool fits the real demands of the job.

“Those experts working together was the real secret sauce,” Dr. Parsons says.

Providence is also one of the few health systems in the country to have signed the Rome Call for AI Ethics, a commitment to developing AI that is transparent, accountable, inclusive and human-centered. In healthcare, that kind of accountability matters.

Ready to join us?

We are actively looking for nurses and nursing support, diagnostic imaging technologists, medical assistants, therapists and many others who want to be part of a team that prioritizes the caregiver experience.

Explore all open positions or keep in touch to be informed of new opportunities.