CarePods scales micro-staffing across regional Michigan zones

Agency goals

Expand the reach of local care facility coverage

Serve a diverse population of clinicians

Increase customer satisfaction

Lower operational costs

Overview

CarePods is an on-demand healthcare staffing platform with a big mandate, serving regional care facilities with a wide range of operational patterns. Uber Health supports CarePods in providing micro-staffing dispatch, covering active service zones throughout Southeast Michigan.

Connected across Metro Detroit

Service zones: A, 0–5 mi; B, 5–15 mi; C, 15–30+ mi.

Map labels: MACOMB, OAKLAND, Rochester Hills, Pontiac, Sterling Heights, LIVINGSTON, Lake St. Clair, Warren, Novi, Southfield, ONTARIO, CANADA, Livonia, Detroit, Westland, Dearborn, Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, WAYNE, WASHTENAW. N. Scale: 0, 5, 10 mi.

Scale at 42.4° N · City dots are label anchors, not facilities

Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Coverage details and staffing figures supplied by CarePods.

Michigan county land only; small waters omitted; Canadian shoreline not shown. Roads omitted.

Zone A · Local reach · 0–5 miles. High Facility Density | Hospital Networks. CMS Staffing Average: 3.2 Stars. Annual Nursing Turnover: ~38%. Primary Risk: Traffic bottlenecks, parking fees. CarePods Response: Rapid SMS micro-dispatch (<8 min arrival).

Zone B · Regional reach · 5–15 miles. Moderate Facility Density | SNFs & Rehab Centers. CMS Staffing Average: 2.4–2.8 Stars. Annual Nursing Turnover: 45%–55%. Primary Risk: Fuel spikes from $3.00 to $4.60+ per gallon. Vehicle breakdowns. CarePods Response: Sponsored Uber Health rides eliminate fuel strain.

Zone C · Extended reach · 15–30+ miles. Scattered Facilities | Rural & Outer Regional Care Homes. CMS Staffing Average: 1.8–2.2 Stars (Critical Staffing Penalties). Annual Nursing Turnover: 60%+. Primary Risk: Zero public transit access, long distances. CarePods Response: Guaranteed long-distance shift fulfillment via Uber Health.

Staffing figures supplied by CarePods.

Pilot project

CarePods started micro-staffing dispatch as a pilot project with Uber Health to improve existing on-demand staffing service by implementing new technology and integrating it with the CarePods web platform. The pilot project grew into a service that provides Michigan clinicians with greater flexibility and more options for their shift needs.

With the CarePods and Uber Health partnership, clinicians receive on-demand rides to connect to or from a healthcare facility or anywhere within an active zone with a valid shift dispatch. Clinicians can confirm a shift on the CarePods web platform or via SMS text dispatch. Clinicians benefit from increased shift options on their schedule, while facilities benefit from lower cost per shift and flexible staffing options.

“CarePods is designed to provide first-mile and last-mile connections to local healthcare facilities and to fill in service gaps in low-density areas where traditional fixed-agency service does not work effectively.”

CarePods Operations Team

The clinician experience

To fulfill a shift with CarePods, clinicians open the CarePods web portal and confirm their availability and location parameters. Clinicians are asked if they are open to Uber Health to fulfill their shift trips, and through backend dispatching they are matched to the valid and most efficient options, whether self-transit or Uber Health.

Two ways to confirm. One connected workflow.

Illustrative workflow.

Mobile web

carepods.co

Your next shift

Confirm your availability and location parameters to find a shift that works for you.

Availability & location confirmed

OPEN SHIFT

Open LPN Shift — Westland Care Center (7:00 AM – 3:30 PM)

Include Uber Health Ride · ON

Sponsored ride · $0 out-of-pocket

Confirm shift

SMS dispatch

CarePods SMS dispatch

Text message

CarePods Alert: Open LPN shift at Westland Care Center (7:00 AM - 3:30 PM). Sponsored Uber Health ride included. Reply YES to claim.

YES

Shift confirmed! Your Uber Health ride is scheduled for 6:20 AM pickup.

Data supplied by CarePods.

Clinicians can complete the booking all within the convenience of the CarePods platform or by responding directly to SMS dispatch. With a valid shift confirmation, clinicians can travel within a CarePods micro-staffing zone or to a designated local facility. The average wait time for clinicians is significantly faster than traditional agencies, which has contributed to a high customer satisfaction rate.

How it started

In 2026, CarePods piloted new technologies to improve and expand on-demand micro-staffing service and integrate scheduling tools into the CarePods web platform. CarePods’ model included a broad vision to lower barriers to accessing shifts by unifying technology platforms and third-party transit operators under the CarePods ecosystem.

CarePods launched the micro-staffing service across initial pilot zones in Michigan, expanding and contracting dedicated staffing pools under a flexible operating model. CarePods partnered with Uber Health to supplement dispatch with a non-dedicated transit service to lower operating costs and improve response times. CarePods clinicians could then choose Uber Health rides at zero out-of-pocket cost within the micro-staffing service boundary.

How it’s going

During peak healthcare labor shortages, facilities saw severe agency cost overruns. CarePods took the opportunity to convert low-performing agency contracts to additional CarePods micro-staffing service zones as part of its network redesign. CarePods expanded further with additional regional zones across Southeast Michigan.

“Each of our current active zones has been developed and maintained with careful evaluation of the local attributes in the zone such as existing facility density, land use patterns, and business activities,”

CarePods Operations Team

Today, CarePods connects monthly shifts using a combination of dedicated local supply and non-dedicated Uber Health rides, operating at a reasonable cost and delivering significant per-shift savings compared to legacy agency markups.

By the numbers

Covering Wayne County.

Faster shift matching. Less commute friction.

Traditional Agency — Speed-to-Fill: 24–48 Hours. Traditional PRN agency industry benchmark.

CarePods + Uber Health — Speed-to-Fill: Under 10 Minutes. Average speed to fill.

Traditional Agency — Facility Markup: 40%–100%+.

CarePods + Uber Health — Facility Overhead: Reduced.

Traditional Agency — Shift Call-Out Rate: 15%–25%.

CarePods + Uber Health — Shift Completion Rate: 98%+. Average: 98 percent or higher with integrated transit support.

Call-out rate and shift completion rate are distinct measures, not complements.

Traditional Agency — Worker Fuel Strain: Out-of-Pocket.

CarePods + Uber Health — Worker Commute: $0 Out-of-Pocket.

7.1 miles — Average trip distance.

Under 10 minutes — Average dispatch wait time for Uber Health pick-up dispatch.

Data supplied by CarePods.

Support through every season

Winter Surge · Nov–Mar. Demand: High Shift Demand (Flu/RSV). Risk: Extreme Commute Risk (Snow/Ice). CarePods Impact: 98%+ Arrival Rate.

Spring/Summer Peak · Apr–Aug. Demand: Medium-High Shift Demand (PTO). Risk: High Commute Risk (Fuel Spikes $4.50+/gal). CarePods Impact: Zero Out-of-Pocket Ride Sponsorship.

Fall Baseline · Sep–Oct. Demand: Operational Baseline. Risk: Moderate commute risk. Routine traffic and changing weather. CarePods Impact: Under 10 Min Shift Matching.

Winter arrival rate and overall shift completion rate are reported as separate measures.

Data supplied by CarePods.

Overcoming barriers

Although this project involves web platforms, SMS dispatches, and software coordination, the largest barrier to getting a project like this off the ground is a human obstacle.

“People are creatures of habit. Many of our new users had been going to the same agency phone tree and filling out paper timesheets for years. Now we are asking them to engage with us in a new way to use micro-staffing service. We worked tirelessly to provide ample support to clinicians and facilities as they transitioned to this new service.”

CarePods Operations Team

As CarePods transitioned low-performing agency routes to on-demand service, it invested heavily in direct outreach and increased levels of customer service. One example was ensuring that customer service and dispatch representatives were prepared to educate users on the workflow changes and how clinicians could change along with them. CarePods also staffed grassroots community outreach with team members on-site at local facilities to provide one-on-one instruction and service change information to users.

Advice to other care networks

CarePods took a very iterative approach to service design, carefully assessing the unique needs of each micro-staffing service zone. Peer platforms and care networks should adopt a similar approach: do not expect all your service zones to perform equally. Some may have a popular hospital hub or key destination that drives higher volume, and others might benefit from a lower cost per shift for a low-density area compared with a legacy agency.

Conclusion

CarePods’ hybrid delivery approach, with a mix of dedicated local clinicians and non-dedicated Uber Health vehicles, proves the power of right-sized workforce sizing to scale micro-staffing operations, control operating costs, and provide greater service flexibility. Using Uber Health to supplement its dedicated operations has allowed CarePods to maximize its fixed assets and tap into a flexible supply of non-dedicated vehicles to respond when shift demand spikes.

This hybrid model offers the best of both worlds: the accessibility and credentialing standards of a direct workforce and the efficiency and flexibility of the cost-per-trip model that transportation network companies use.

CarePods Operations Team