Corner Health has secured US$32.5m in seed and Series A funding for its AI platform for nurse practitioners running primary care practices.
The Series A round was led by Oak HC/FT, with participation from existing investors First Round Capital and Zigg Capital.
The company said the funding will support workforce growth, further development of its artificial intelligence technology and launches in additional US states.
Anne Gifford, co-founder and chief operating officer of Corner Health, said: “The dominant use of AI in healthcare today is helping clinicians move faster and see more patients.
“We’re using AI to create the opposite outcome. Our providers can see fewer patients, spend 2–3x more time with each one, and still build thriving independent practices.”
Corner Health offers a platform that allows nurse practitioners in Arizona and Washington to launch and operate their own clinical practices.
Its product, Cora, is an AI-enabled operating system that automates primary care operations.
The system handles administrative work including billing, lab orders, patient scheduling, referrals, prior authorisations and patient communication.
Prior authorisation is the process of getting approval from an insurer before certain treatments, medicines or services can be provided.
According to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, there are more than 461,000 nurse practitioners across the US.
More than half of US states and territories have full practice licensure laws for nurse practitioners, including Arizona and Washington.
Full practice authority means nurse practitioners can assess patients, make diagnoses, start and manage treatments, prescribe medicines and order or interpret diagnostic tests.
The Association of American Medical Colleges has projected that the US could face a shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036.
Nurse practitioners are increasingly taking on ownership roles to help close gaps in primary care, particularly in underserved communities.
