DirectShifts
DirectShifts is a US healthcare labor marketplace connecting 50,000+ clinicians with hospitals, telehealth providers, and mental health platforms for permanent, locum, per diem, and travel staffing across all 50 states, monetizing via placement commissions, subscriptions, and per-state licensing services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What DirectShifts does
DirectShifts (legally FirstLocum Inc.) is a US-based healthcare labor marketplace headquartered in New York that connects clinicians with healthcare organizations across all 50 states for permanent, locum, per diem, telehealth, and travel staffing. The platform is a modular system comprising a healthcare job board, an applicant tracking system (ATS), shift scheduling, timesheets, internal resource pool management, and integrated credentialing, monitoring, payer enrollment, and multi-state healthcare license management, with mobile apps on iOS and Android.
Customers span telehealth providers (Access TeleCare, Curai Health, BetterHelp), mental health platforms (Grow Therapy, Headway, Cartwheel, Included Health), retail health (Walmart Health), and acute-care systems (HCA Healthcare, Mount Sinai, Contra Costa Health), with the supply side anchored by 50,000+ active clinicians reporting a 92% satisfaction rate and a 4.9/5 rating across 500+ reviews. Business model is multi-revenue: commission on staffing placements, subscription for job board access and internal resource pool management, and per-state licensing fees tiered from $175 (RN) to $500 (physician), with bundle discounts available.
Strategic positioning is supported by Y Combinator W19 pedigree, a strategic investment from Serent Capital in November 2022, the July 2021 acquisition of Melnic Consulting Group, partnerships including AAPPR and Vitable Health, and a reported 35% time-to-hire reduction at Access TeleCare that validates platform efficiency for telehealth staffing customers.
DirectShifts firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DirectShifts
- Legal name
- FirstLocum Inc.
- Website
- https://directshifts.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- DirectShifts is a US healthcare labor marketplace connecting 50,000+ clinicians with hospitals, telehealth providers, and mental health platforms for permanent, locum, per diem, and travel staffing across all 50 states, monetizing via placement commissions, subscriptions, and per-state licensing services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DirectShifts industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Healthcare Staffing Services
- NAICS
- Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54)
- SIC
- Services-Help Supply Services (7363)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Self-Directed/Consumer-Directed Caregiver Enrollment & Payroll Support (HSABAMAI)
Keywords
Where DirectShifts is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
DirectShifts business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Healthcare Staffing Commission: Commission-based staffing fees charged to healthcare employers for successful clinician placements through the platform
- Job Board Access: Healthcare employers pay to post and manage job openings on the platform
- Licensing Services: Administrative support and paperwork preparation services for clinicians seeking state licensure, with tiered pricing by profession
- Internal Resource Pool Management: Employers manage their own talent pool through the platform
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Registered Nurse State Licensing - $175 per state ($600 for 20 states, $500 with bundle discount) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Behavioral Health Therapist Licensing - $300 per state ($800 for 20 states, $640 with bundle discount) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Nurse Practitioner & Physician Assistant Licensing - $400 per state ($1,000 for 20 states, $750 with bundle discount) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Physician Licensing - $500 per state ($1,600 for 20 states, $1,200 with bundle discount) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
DirectShifts product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DirectShifts operates a healthcare labor marketplace that connects licensed clinicians (physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals) with healthcare organizations for contract, per-diem, and full-time staffing needs. The platform offers credential verification, an applicant tracking system (ATS), and an internal resource pool management module to support healthcare employers. It also provides paid licensing services to clinicians seeking state licensure support.
Product overview
DirectShifts is a healthcare staffing platform with a modular architecture. The core DirectShifts Platform serves as the central hub, complemented by specialized modules including Telehealth Staffing Solutions, Telehealth Recruitment Solutions, Internal Resource Pool, and Healthcare Job Board for workforce management. Additional operational modules include Applicant Tracking System, Timesheets, and Shift Scheduling for recruitment and workforce administration. Compliance-related modules encompass Licensing Services, Credentialing Services, Monitoring, Payer Enrollment, and Healthcare License Management. A Mobile App provides on-the-go access to the platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Healthcare Staffing Marketplace Two-sided online marketplace that matches licensed clinicians — physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and allied health professionals — with hospitals, health systems, skilled nursing facilities, and clinics seeking contract, per-diem, and full-time staff. Buyers are healthcare employers; supply is individual clinicians who list availability and credentials on the platform.
- Clinician Licensing Services Paid service for clinicians that assists with state licensure applications, renewals, and multi-state credentialing, enabling faster onboarding onto the marketplace and into employer assignments. Customers are individual clinicians.
- Applicant Tracking System (ATS) for Healthcare Employers Employer-facing applicant tracking system that enables healthcare organizations to manage candidate pipelines, track applications, and progress clinicians from sourcing through credentialing and onboarding within a single workflow integrated with the DirectShifts marketplace.
- Internal Resource Pool Management Module that allows hospitals and health systems to manage their internal float pool of clinicians — surfacing internal candidates first, then filling remaining gaps through the DirectShifts external marketplace. Customers are healthcare provider organizations.
Quantifiable outcome
- 92% of clinicians rate DirectShifts as satisfied
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use DirectShifts
Customer profileNamed customers19 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
DirectShifts technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
DirectShifts partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Vitable HealthcorePartnership to provide clinicians nationwide with affordable access to primary care and insurance guidance, including virtual visits and no out-of-pocket costs. Initiative aims to address healthcare access barriers faced by healthcare professionals, improving their well-being and ability to deliver quality care.
- AAPPRCorporate partner relationship with American Association of Provider Compensation Professionals (AAPPR).
- Access TeleCareminorTelehealth provider case study client that reduced time-to-hire by 35% and cut staffing costs after partnering with DirectShifts for clinician recruitment nationwide.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
DirectShifts competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Vivian Health: Healthcare-focused job marketplace connecting clinicians (nurses, allied health, physicians) with per-diem, travel, and permanent roles. Direct two-sided competitor to DirectShifts in the clinician staffing marketplace category.
- Nomad Health: Online marketplace for travel nursing and allied health clinicians, with credentialing and licensing workflows. Closely comparable business model and clinician audience to DirectShifts.
- Trusted Health: Healthcare staffing platform focused on nurses and allied clinicians, offering job matching plus credentialing and licensing support. Overlaps directly with DirectShifts' marketplace and licensing modules.
- ShiftKey: Per-diem healthcare workforce marketplace serving nursing, allied, and behavioral health professionals across facilities nationwide. Directly comparable marketplace economics and clinician base.
- Aya Healthcare: Large healthcare staffing firm with a digital platform for travel, per-diem, and permanent clinician placement. Overlaps with DirectShifts on hospital system staffing but operates at materially greater scale.
- Clipboard Health: Two-sided marketplace placing nurses and allied health professionals into per-diem shifts at facilities. Same marketplace model and clinician audience as DirectShifts.
Broad incumbents
- AMN Healthcare: Public, large-scale healthcare staffing and workforce solutions company serving hospitals and health systems. A broad incumbent competitor across travel nursing, locum tenens, and permanent placement.
- CHG Healthcare: Established healthcare staffing provider spanning locum tenens, travel nursing, and allied health. Competes with DirectShifts for enterprise healthcare employer relationships at much larger scale.
- Indeed: Generalist job marketplace that has expanded into healthcare verticals. Provides baseline competition for healthcare job postings and clinician discovery that DirectShifts specializes in.
Emerging players
- Headway: Mental health clinician staffing and payer-credentialing platform. Overlaps with DirectShifts in behavioral health clinician recruitment and is both a customer and a partial competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
DirectShifts social profiles
Digital presenceDirectShifts compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
DirectShifts financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DirectShifts leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
DirectShifts funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors10 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DirectShifts M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DirectShifts
What does DirectShifts do?
DirectShifts operates a healthcare labor marketplace that connects licensed clinicians (physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals) with healthcare organizations for contract, per-diem, and full-time staffing needs. The platform offers credential verification, an applicant tracking system (ATS), and an internal resource pool management module to support healthcare employers. It also provides paid licensing services to clinicians seeking state licensure support.
Is DirectShifts a public or private company?
DirectShifts is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was DirectShifts founded?
DirectShifts was founded in 2018. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is DirectShifts based?
DirectShifts is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does DirectShifts make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Healthcare Staffing Commission is the primary driver. The others are job Board Access, licensing Services and internal Resource Pool Management.
Who are DirectShifts's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Vivian Health, Nomad Health, Trusted Health, ShiftKey, Aya Healthcare and Clipboard Health. Broad incumbents are AMN Healthcare, CHG Healthcare and Indeed. Headway is listed as an emerging player.
Does DirectShifts have an API?
No public API is recorded for DirectShifts.
What industry is DirectShifts in?
DirectShifts's product category is Healthcare Staffing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSABAMAI, Self-Directed/Consumer-Directed Caregiver Enrollment & Payroll Support. Its NAICS code is 54 and its SIC code is 7363.