The most up-to-date, comprehensive, and accurate source of data. Your organization can access profiles of every active provider in the U.S.—over 3.5 million.
See how we’ve helped leading healthcare organizations achieve significant cost savings, improve data accuracy, and enhance patient care. Here, you will find our results, research, reports, and everything else our scientists are testing in the Veda Lab – no lab coat required.
At Veda we understand that every data point is an opportunity to improve the healthcare experience. And we can see the potential when data is no longer a barrier.
Veda Brings AI Data Solutions to Provider Group Organizations
Accurate data simplifies referral management to address outcome gaps
October 9, 2023, MADISON, Wis. – Veda, a health technology provider specializing in accurate, curated provider data, is introducing new features to support healthcare provider organizations making specialty referrals. In an effort to get patients the care they need and help improve outcomes, Veda’s solutions remove barriers for both referring providers and patients.
In one survey 1, as many as one-third of patients don’t follow through on a referral to a specialist from their primary care provider. Provider groups who can deliver accurate referrals can improve the chances of a patient pursuing specialty care.
1. Becker’s Payer Issues: Only two out of every three patients actually receive the care that they need when a referral is made.
“With our accurate provider data and human-in-the-loop technology, we can positively impact the legions of patients who are not accessing necessary specialty care,” said Meghan Gaffney, CEO and co-founder of Veda. “In addition, our technology can help capture potential lost revenue for provider organizations by managing referral leakage to providers outside of the organization.”
Health plans across the country currently benefit from Veda’s suite of AI-powered products. With this expansion, Veda is delivering solutions to health systems and provider groups for the first time with the product Vectyr.
Vectyr curates data from more than 100,000 unique sources, optimizing results for each provider every 24 hours. Rigorous scientific validation methodology ensures that users have the most up-to-date data for every provider in the country, on-demand, every day. The database provides records for physicians, nurses, allied health, behavioral health, pharmacists, and dental providers.
About Veda
Veda blends science and imagination to solve healthcare’s most complex data issues. Through human-in-the-loop Smart Automation, our solutions dramatically increase productivity, enable compliance, and empower healthcare businesses to focus on delivering care. Veda’s platforms are simple to use and require no technical skills or drastic system changes because we envision a future for healthcare where data isn’t a barrier—it’s an opportunity. Follow Veda on LinkedIn.
Supervised vs. Unsupervised Machine Learning: Using The Right Tool For The Job
It’s Veda’s philosophy that any new technology tools we utilize are not meant to wholly replace human engagement. We believe that technology should help elevate humanity. With a focus on performing meaningful work, people can achieve their highest value. Technology should help people help people.
As a Data Science as a Service (DSaaS) company, Veda leverages scientific principles within our unique AI and machine learning systems to perpetually clean, correct, and monitor evolving provider and facility data. A lot of companies claim to offer accurate provider data, but none are as committed to using science to solve deeply entrenched provider data problems.
At Veda, we use AI systems including natural language processing (NLP), supervised, and unsupervised learning components that can be leveraged to solve a wide array of payer data challenges depending on what tool is right for the job. No matter what, we start by understanding the problem—not by applying a method.
The Roles of Supervised and Unsupervised Learning
Supervised Learning
Veda utilizes supervised learning because it doesn’t require “perfect” sources of data— it can make use of the good parts of any data source and knows how to ignore errors. With supervised learning, a data scientist is watching and helping train a model with all the healthcare nuances and industry-specific language, etc. to make the model a good one.
We’ve measured individual sources of data for years—including attestation— and haven’t found any at 90% or above yet. Supervised learning is incredibly accurate with the data we have access to today. The benefit is the highest accuracy which is flexible and not dependent on a single data source.
Unsupervised Learning
We also use unsupervised learning for offline data exploration and research to learn more about a dataset, to help design better machine learning features for supervised learning systems. That’s because unsupervised learning separates big collections of data into groups on its own. The benefit of unsupervised learning is its ability to pick out patterns in the data.
Unsupervised learning separates big collections of data into groups on its own. Some will claim that unsupervised learning, alone, is superior to supervised learning because of the lack of human intervention. However, most algorithms require the user to specify upfront how many groups they want the data separated into. So no matter what data is being grouped, one would have to delineate exactly how many groups are wanted ahead of time and the exact number of groups the data is sorted into regardless of whether the groups match up well with the data. This requires the user to have upfront knowledge of exactly what labels and groups they need.
But the biggest pitfall of unsupervised learning is that there’s no labeled training data, which means there’s no actual measurement of how well it’s working and placing the items into the correct groups. And with no way of knowing how well it’s working, it’s impossible to depend on unsupervised learning as a primary method for accuracy.
The Right Tool For the Job
Supervised and unsupervised learning are tools, and just as you wouldn’t remodel your kitchen and only use a saw, you shouldn’t only use one kind of machine learning model.
Veda’s technology and approach to data challenges are fundamentally different from other provider data technology companies in that we focus on fully automating both the static information and the more challenging temporal information about a provider—data that changes at varied rates over time, like practice address, phone, and group affiliation. Our patented systems do not require manual outreach to providers, rather they rely on data created by providers throughout their established workflows. This increases data accuracy by reducing human error while also decreasing provider abrasion. Validating millions of temporal data elements in real-time requires Veda’s full automation system and could not be solved manually.
Above all, we believe that AI and machine learning are the best ways to solve the provider data quality problem because:
These techniques do not require us to know how accurate our sources of data are ahead of time—the machine figures out how to tell good data from bad
AI makes the most of imperfect and changing data
They do not require provider participation—we use data they already create in their day-to-day workflows, so no need to persuade providers to take additional action
It works—we have scientifically tested attestation along with “source of truth” modeling, and Veda’s approach has the highest measured accuracy of any approach in the industry.
Artificial Intelligence, ChatGPT, and the Relationship Between Humans and Machines
By: Dr. Bob Lindner, Chief Science & Technology Officer, Co-Founder
If the explosive launch of ChatGPT has taught us anything, it’s that there is a growing appetite for engaging with AI. According to a recent UBS study, the chatbot from OpenAI reached 100 million monthly active users in January— only two months after its launch. By comparison, it took TikTok about nine months to reach that milestone and Instagram two-and-a-half years.
While ChatGPT and the generative AI that powers it represent the latest advancements in AI and machine learning, the fact is that organizations and individuals have been trying to harness the power of AI for years. Some see it as the wave of the future. Others are scared of what it portends for the complicated relationships between humans and machines.
Many people are so afraid of being displaced by the automation that artificial intelligence brings that they overlook the benefits of this amazing technology. But the fear of “robots replacing humans” isn’t the only thing that gives people pause. There’s also concern that machines will make unacceptable errors. Of course, when people make the occasional mistake, we’re used to giving them the benefit of the doubt, but we struggle to do the same for machines because we don’t know how to contextualize their errors.
Why do we react so emotionally to AI? How can we shift our perspectives? And how can we actually score recommendations in AI systems? The hope is that with greater understanding, we can apply AI to more business settings and drive greater success.
Digging deeper into our fears and hesitations
Behaviorally, people tend to fear things we don’t understand or that seem out of our control. When it comes to risk, specifically, we struggle to comprehend how to assess it in an objective—rather than emotional—way.
For example, think about self-driving cars. The thought of a car without a driver makes many of us uneasy. Even though more than 75% of us will be in at least one major car accident during our driving lifetime, we’re afraid to put autonomous cars with this type of driving record on the road. While the probability of an accident is likely not higher than for a human driving a car, the combination of not knowing the exact percentage of risk and not being in control makes it harder to accept. We’re just not used to making our decisions based on probability; we are used to listening to our gut.
In my experience, the best way to get comfortable with objective assessment of risk is practice. Over time, it becomes more natural to look at the numbers as opposed to looking at our emotional response. Of course, understanding exactly how AI works helps too.
Understanding how to assess risk associated with AI
AI acts on two types of systems: deterministic and probabilistic. With a deterministic system, an outcome can be determined with relative certainty. This includes apps like Amazon, Doordash, and Venmo, which generate predictable types of data within a confined system. These are usually not considered “mission-critical,” and as a result, we’re willing to tolerate some level of inaccuracy in their algorithms. For example, when Netflix recommends a movie that doesn’t actually interest us, we don’t cancel our subscription to the service. We just look at the next recommendation in the queue or scan the top 10 titles of the week. We’re forgiving.
Probabilistic systems have built-in uncertainty. The exact output is not known. Think about the difficulty of forecasting the weather. It’s hard for us to understand the uncertainty of probabilistic systems and the stakes get even higher when we’re dealing with “mission critical” data, like we are in healthcare technology. In order to process the data with a probabilistic AI system, we have to score it and set a threshold for “good” data; anything with a score below our threshold is discarded and anything higher is deemed an acceptable level of risk and included in the data set.
The first step is to understand how these systems work, and the second is to set thresholds to score data that matches your risk tolerance.
Take a risk
With machine learning models, we are training a system to learn and adapt in order to improve—so it’s necessary to make assessments on an ongoing basis, rather than measuring an automation system’s performance once and only once. Because of that, it’s essential to have patience, as data can and will change, depending on many factors.
While risk makes people feel uncomfortable regardless of the setting, it’s time to address those fears and reluctance to move forward. Once we have tangible examples and parallels we often relate and tolerate it better.
As for ChatGPT and its generative AI brethren, the key will be for each person who engages with these tools to determine what level of risk they are willing to take. For most of us, a simple chat about something mundane or unimportant is likely acceptable. For some, the exchange of critical data or asking it to perform an important function will be a bridge too far. For now.
Veda, a data automation startup serving payers, has partnered with OutCare Health to help patients and payers identify queer-affirming providers.
OutCare Health, a nonprofit advocating for queer health equity, is known for OutList—what it calls the most comprehensive directory of LBGTQ+ affirming providers. Veda will incorporate those data into the information it offers to payer clients.
CEO Meghan Gaffney Selected for EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ North America Class of 2023
Veda’s Meghan Gaffney Selected for EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ North America Class of 2023
Ernst & Young LLP (EY) is proud to announce that Meghan Gaffney, CEO of Veda, a health technology provider specializing in accurate, curated provider data, is one of the 23 women founders from 20 companies selected for the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ North America (Winning Women) Class of 2023.
Now in its 16th year, the program identifies talented entrepreneurs with scalable companies in the United States and Canada and connects them with the networks and resources they need to accelerate growth and scale their businesses.
Participants receive customized executive education, introductions, and access to the Winning Women community around the world, as well as the entirety of the EY global entrepreneurial ecosystem, including members of the Entrepreneur Of The Year® and EY Entrepreneurs Access Network (EAN) programs.
“Women founders contribute trillions to the US economy, and studies have shown that when women are empowered, the economy grows,” said EY Americas Industry and Solutions Leader Cheryl Grise, who also serves as the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women North America Program Executive Sponsor. “At EY, we believe that a rising tide lifts all boats, so the success of women impacts the success of every business,” said Grise. “Over the last 16 years, the Winning Women program has intentionally addressed societal gender-based challenges that often confront women entrepreneurs by providing these phenomenally talented businesspeople with greater access, guidance and knowledge, which are the tools they need to continue to break the mold, inspire innovation and be shamelessly ambitious. I welcome these women to the fold and look forward to seeing them do even bigger and greater things.”
Cheryl Grise
Members of the Winning Women Class of 2023 have ambition, creativity and a desire to build a better world in common. They are tackling problems from inclusivity, to offering healthier products and food, to solving for complex health care issues. Others are bringing to the table innovative solutions in supply chain, data management, marketing and more. The founders selected for the program display unparalleled ingenuity, business prowess, ambition in crafting solutions and a formidable can-do attitude that allowed them to break from the pack of their peers to stand out.
“2023 has been filled with many economic ups and downs – from geopolitical unrest, to interrupted supply chains, to inflation – there has been plenty to make consumers tighten their belts” said Maranda Bruckner, EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women North America Program Leader. “I applaud these business leaders for not only surviving these challenges, but exceeding growth and profit expectations when others did not. They are outstanding examples of being unstoppable and shifting entire industries. We are excited to have them in the program, and deeply congratulate them on this recognition.”
The EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women North America program serves women business owners who are founding CEOs of any US or Canadian privately held company. Company revenues typically range from at least $2m to $30m annually. The EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women program participants become part of a global peer community, which includes more than 900 entrepreneurs in 55 countries and on every continent.
“Every year, I am so pleased to welcome the newest class of the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women North America program, who are not only incredible leaders in their organizations but also in their communities,” said Lee Henderson, Americas EY Private Leader. “It is an honor to provide these best-in-class founders with resources and access to EY’s vast entrepreneurial ecosystem to help them scale, attract talent and disrupt industries. I am always excited to see where these entrepreneurs go next. I already know it’s only up from here.”
The Class of 2023 will be officially recognized in November 2023 at the Strategic Growth Forum®, one of the nation’s most prestigious events for ambitious, high-growth, market-leading business leaders.
About Veda Veda blends science and imagination to solve healthcare’s most complex data issues. Through human-in-the-loop Smart Automation, our solutions dramatically increase productivity, enable compliance, and empower healthcare businesses to focus on delivering care. Veda is simple to use and requires no technical skills or drastic system changes because we envision a future for healthcare where data isn’t a barrier—it’s an opportunity. To learn more about Veda, visit vedadata.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
About EY EY exists to build a better working world, helping create long-term value for clients, people and society and build trust in the capital markets.
Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate.
Working across assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax and transactions, EY teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing our world today.
EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. EY member firms do not practice law where prohibited by local laws. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.
Ernst & Young LLP is a client-serving member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited operating in the US.
About EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ The EY organization is committed to seeing women lead. EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ is a global program for successful entrepreneurs whose successful businesses show more potential to scale. Through access to global EY networks throughout the entrepreneurial ecosystem, pioneering founders on every continent secure the resources, advice and connections they need to scale their businesses sustainably. This one-of-a-kind community of founders is rewriting rules and remaking markets. Visit ey.com/us/winningwomen.
About EY Private As Advisors to the ambitious™, EY Private professionals possess the experience and passion to support private businesses and their owners in unlocking the full potential of their ambitions. EY Private teams offer distinct insights born from the long EY history of working with business owners and entrepreneurs. These teams support the full spectrum of private enterprises, including private capital managers and investors and the portfolio businesses they fund, business owners, family businesses, family offices and entrepreneurs. Visit ey.com/us/private.
At Veda, a healthcare data solutions company headquartered in Madison, we’ve been using AI technologies like supervised machine learning for years, adapting our policies as we go, to stay ahead of a rapidly changing tech landscape. Recently we’ve tackled the use of LLMs such as ChatGPT, Google Bard, GitHub, and others by employees on our office systems. In doing so we learned a bit along the way that may help other businesses working on similar policies.
Open Enrollment: Tips for Enhancing Provider Directory Accuracy
Prepare for Open Enrollment with Directory Accuracy
Provider directory accuracy leads to a positive experience for health plan members. But often overlooked is the importance of directory accuracy during open enrollment when both existing and prospective members are making choices for the upcoming year. Read on for open enrollment tips.
According to a recent eHealth survey, “Coverage for preferred doctors is a bigger consideration than affordable monthly premiums.” In fact, “31% of respondents say finding a plan that covers their preferred doctors or hospitals is their number one priority when choosing a plan.”
Inaccurate and incomplete directory information misrepresents health plan coverage, the leading priority for members during open enrollment. It also establishes an erroneous benchmark of user experience for enrollees — a first impression with your members should start on a good footing.
With nearly half of Americans considering a change to their health plan during open enrollment, your plan could gain a competitive advantage by clearly demonstrating the breadth of accurate and comprehensive provider information in your directory. Furthermore, accurate directories will only continue to enhance the member experience once they choose a plan and begin contacting their newest practitioners.
Open enrollment is right around the corner, but it’s not too late to make targeted changes that have the greatest impact on the member’s experience. Veda’s automation tool makes thousands of suggested changes to your directory in less than 48 hours.
Open Enrollment Tips for Provider Data Improvements
Here are three open best practices and recommendations to quickly and strategically improve directory accuracy before November 1, 2023—and what to plan for in 2024 and beyond.
Make Segments: In lieu of whole directory changes, start small. Segment the directory with open enrollment priorities in mind. Veda recommends segmenting by market or specialty.
Be Specific: Target the high-impact data elements within a segment to get the needed results before open enrollment. Think provider level data such as clearing out deceased or retired providers or location level like updated addresses.
Act Confidently: Grab the highest impact, highest confidence recommendations. Bonus: Implementing mass maintenance of high confidence scores can automate directory fixes eliminating administrative burdens almost immediately.
Armed with a directory diagnostic, you can confidently address critical directory errors resulting in improved directory accuracy.
Ready, Set, Go: Get a Provider Directory Diagnostic Snapshot
Veda will diagnose your directory data, giving you a snapshot of your directory with fixes that can be enacted quickly. Armed with a directory diagnostic, you can confidently address critical directory errors resulting in improved directory accuracy.
Veda Partners with OutCare to Support Health Equity for LGBTQ+ Communities
Partnership with OutCare Health helps patients and plans identify LGBTQ+ affirming providers, improving access to care
Veda, a health technology provider specializing in accurate, curated provider data, has partnered with OutCare Health, a leading organization championing LGBTQ+ health equity.
Among software companies, Veda was ranked 22nd and it was the highest-ranked company on the list from Wisconsin.
The groundbreaking collaboration addresses the unique needs of LGBTQ+ communities by incorporating the data from OutCare Health’s OutList®, the largest, most comprehensive directory of LGBTQ+ affirming providers, into the high-quality provider data that Veda delivers to its health plan customers.
The OutList® features thousands of providers across all specialties nationwide. The collaboration will make it easier for patients to find providers and for health plans to build LGBTQ+ affirming provider networks.
The need for accurate and inclusive provider data has never been more critical. More than half of LGBTQ+ patients experience stigma in healthcare settings, and more than 92% believe it’s crucial to find LGBTQ+ affirming healthcare providers.
“By leveraging OutCare Health’s comprehensive OutList® through Veda’s robust provider data solutions, health plans can make informed decisions, ensure accurate and meaningful referrals, and provide members with timely access to the quality care they deserve.”
OutCare Health Founder and President, Dr. Dustin Nowaskie
“Many of the health plans that we work with are actively looking for ways to ensure their members have access to LGBTQ+ affirming care,” said Meghan Gaffney, CEO and co-founder of Veda. “They know that patients in LGBTQ+ communities report higher rates of negative health experiences and have higher risk for medical and mental health conditions. Our customers are taking action, and this partnership enables us to help health plans in all communities deliver affirming and supportive experiences for their members.”
Recent research by OutCare Health and Healthgrades laid bare the critical need for patients to find informed and supportive doctors. The survey revealed that LGBTQ+ patients are more likely to have skipped care in the past year and less likely than the heterosexual cisgender population to have had important health screenings. Even more troubling, 18% of LGBTQ+ patients have experienced medical trauma, 125% the rate reported by cisgender, heterosexual patients.
Together, OutCare Health and Veda are revolutionizing the healthcare landscape by empowering health plans to prioritize LGBTQ+ health equity and create more inclusive, affirming healthcare experiences for all LGBTQ+ people.
The two organizations will host an America’s Health Insurance Plans webinar on October 25. Visit www.ahip.org/webinars soon to register for the webinar titled Is Your Provider Directory Offering Inclusive Access for LGBTQ+ Members?
About Veda Veda blends science and imagination to solve healthcare’s most complex data issues. Through human-in-the-loop Smart Automation, our solutions dramatically increase productivity, enable compliance, and empower healthcare businesses to focus on delivering care. Veda is simple to use and requires no technical skills or drastic system changes because we envision a future for healthcare where data isn’t a barrier—it’s an opportunity. To learn more about Veda, visit vedadata.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
About OutCare Health OutCare Health is a leading 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting health equity for LGBTQ+ communities worldwide. OutCare’s mission is to empower LGBTQ+ people with comprehensive information, resources, support, and education, including an affirming healthcare provider directory, mentorship, training, research, community building, support groups, webinar series, blogs, and much more. OutCare’s vision is to create a world where every LGBTQ+ person has access to quality healthcare and feels empowered to live their healthiest, most authentic life. To learn more about OutCare, visit outcarehealth.org and follow on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter.
Veda Data Solutions, a Madison, Wis.-based company that solves healthcare’s most complex provider data issues was named by Inc. as No. 176 on the 2023 Inc. 5000 list revealed today.
Among software companies, Veda was ranked 22nd and it was the highest-ranked company on the list from Wisconsin.
The Inc. 5000 is an annual list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. The prestigious ranking provides a data-driven look at the most successful companies within the independent, entrepreneurial business segment. Facebook, Chobani, Under Armour, Microsoft, Patagonia, and many other household name brands gained their first national exposure as honorees on the Inc. 5000.
“When we started Veda, we set out to make the healthcare industry more efficient and build a company that we could be proud of,” said Meghan Gaffney, CEO and co-founder of Veda. “Being named to the Inc. 5000 list validates our solution and vision and recognizes the Veda team who works tirelessly each day to help people access the care they need.”
Meghan Gaffney, CEO
The Inc. 5000 class of 2023 represents companies that have driven rapid revenue growth while navigating inflationary pressure, the rising costs of capital, and seemingly intractable hiring challenges. Among this year’s top 500 companies, the average median three-year revenue growth rate ticked up to an astonishing 2,238 percent. This year’s Inc. 5000 companies have added 1,187,266 jobs to the economy over the past three years.
“Running a business has only gotten harder since the end of the pandemic,” says Inc. editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk. “To make the Inc. 5000—with the fast growth that requires—is truly an accomplishment. Inc. is thrilled to honor the companies that are building our future.”
For complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, location, and other criteria, go to www.inc.com/inc5000. Veda will also be included in the September issue of Inc. as the magazine highlights the top 500 companies.
About Veda
Veda blends science and imagination to solve healthcare’s most complex data issues. Through human-in-the-loop Smart Automation, our solutions dramatically increase productivity, enable compliance and empower healthcare businesses to focus on delivering care. Veda is simple to use and requires no technical skills or drastic system changes because we envision a future for healthcare where data isn’t a barrier—it’s an opportunity. To learn more about Veda, visit vedadata.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000
About Inc. Inc. Business Media is the leading multimedia brand for entrepreneurs. Through its journalism, Inc. aims to inform, educate, and elevate the profile of our community: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters who are creating our future. Inc.’s award-winning work reaches more than 50 million people across a variety of channels, including events, print, digital, video, podcasts, newsletters, and social media. Its proprietary Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to rank the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The recognition that comes with inclusion on this and other prestigious Inc. lists, such as Female Founders and Power Partners, gives the founders of top businesses the opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. For more information, visit www.inc.com.
Methodology Companies on the 2023 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2019 to 2022. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2019. They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2022. (Since then, some on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2019 is $100,000; the minimum for 2022 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Growth rates used to determine company rankings were calculated to four decimal places.
Veda’s provider data solutions help healthcare organizations reduce manual work, meet compliance requirements, and improve member experience through accurate provider directories. Select your path to accurate data.
Velocity
ROSTER AUTOMATION
Standardize and verify unstructured data with unprecedented speed and accuracy.