Ascertain, a healthcare technology company focused on empowering care teams with AI-powered solutions, has secured $10 million in Series A funding in a round led by Deerfield Management with strategic participation from Northwell Health. This new investment will fuel Ascertain’s growth and expand access to its innovative platform, aimed at enhancing the quality of patient care, accelerating care journeys, and improving the cost-efficiency of care delivery across the healthcare system. Ascertain’s AI-powered case management solution is designed to automate time-consuming workflows, allowing healthcare teams to focus more on delivering better care to patients rather than handling administrative tasks. The platform is aimed at addressing key challenges faced by health systems, payers, and independent provider groups, including an acute labor shortage and increasing administrative burdens.
Addressing Healthcare’s Staffing Crisis with AI
1. Reducing Administrative Burdens for Healthcare Workers
Case managers spend up to 60% of their time on manual administrative tasks, such as documentation, prior authorizations, and compliance. Ascertain automates these tasks, freeing up case managers to focus on higher-impact activities like care planning and managing high-risk patients. This is particularly important in light of the over 100,000 open positions for case managers and administrative roles in the US, a severe labor shortage that hinders healthcare organizations’ ability to meet patient needs.
2. Improving Patient Care with Streamlined Workflows
The AI-driven solution has already shown strong results in partnership with Northwell Health, where Ascertain’s platform was piloted to process authorizations, demonstrating its effectiveness in enabling healthcare teams to spend more time focusing on patient care. According to Mark Solazzo, President of Strategic Initiatives and COO at Northwell Health, “Ascertain’s ability to automate and streamline workflows has allowed our team to direct their efforts toward patients and families rather than administrative tasks.”
AI-Driven Innovation for Healthcare Organizations
3. Reimagining Healthcare Workflows
Julian Harris, M.D., Operating Partner at Deerfield Management, praised Ascertain for using AI to reimagine healthcare workflows from the ground up, instead of merely enhancing existing systems. “Ascertain is creating more efficient, frictionless workflows, providing health systems with innovative ways to care for patients,” he said.
4. Collaborating with Health Systems for Greater Impact
Building on the success of its work with Northwell Health, Ascertain is positioning itself to partner with other health systems to further drive efficiency and improve patient care. The company is part of the Aegis Digital Consortium, a collaboration of 11 leading health systems working together to scale AI-enabled technology solutions to address healthcare’s most pressing challenges related to quality, cost, and equity.
A Strong Leadership and Vision for Healthcare Transformation
5. A Visionary Leadership Team
Ascertain is led by Mark Michalski, M.D., a seasoned leader with experience at Mass General Brigham, Amazon, Butterfly Network, and Hyperfine Research. Under Michalski’s leadership, Ascertain has refined its agentic AI solution, making it flexible, easy to deploy, and seamlessly integrated into existing healthcare systems. As the company scales, Michalski will continue in his role as CEO while also becoming Chief Information Officer at Deerfield Management, signaling strong strategic alignment for the company’s future.
6. Access to Data and Distribution Channels
Michalski emphasized that Ascertain’s collaboration with Deerfield, Northwell, and Aegis will provide access to valuable data, distribution channels, and workflows, unlocking new levels of efficiency for healthcare workers. “We believe this collaboration will lead to breakthrough solutions that help healthcare workers manage patient care more effectively and ensure that patients receive the right care at the right time,” said Michalski.
A Future of Improved Patient Care and Efficiency
As healthcare systems face increasing administrative burdens, staffing shortages, and fragmented workflows, Ascertain’s AI-powered case management solution is providing a much-needed solution. By automating manual tasks and streamlining workflows, Ascertain is enabling healthcare teams to focus on what matters most—providing higher quality care, faster care journeys, and more cost-efficient delivery. With the new investment, Ascertain is poised to scale its solution and partner with additional health systems to transform the future of healthcare.
