Asheville -- August 26, 2026: Asheville nurses are scheduled to protest Palantir’s relationship with HCA Healthcare on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, at noon at Pack Square Park West, 121 College St., in downtown Asheville. The demonstration highlights concerns among local nurses that automated scheduling technology, specifically the Timpani platform, could override professional judgment and negatively impact patient care within their hospital environment.
The protest is part of a broader “Palantir Out” National Day of Action organized by National Nurses United (NNU), with similar events planned in eight U.S. cities. In Asheville, nurses, patients, and community allies are expected to participate. NNU states its opposition to Palantir’s expanding role in health care and government, raising concerns about patient privacy, nursing jobs, and public resources.
A key point of contention for Asheville nurses is HCA’s use of Palantir-linked technology in hospital staffing, particularly the Timpani nurse scheduling and staffing platform. While HCA describes Timpani as an automated tool that considers employee preferences, skills, and patient-volume forecasts, NNU argues the system shifts staffing decisions away from local clinical judgment and toward automation. Nurses in Asheville specifically fear that such automated systems could worsen existing staffing problems and lead to patient care delays.
Mission Health spokesperson Nancy Lindell stated that Mission Hospital, owned by HCA Healthcare, does not currently use the Timpani scheduling tool. The hospital's position is that "The tool is a resource used by nurse leaders and does not make scheduling decisions or use patient data."
This local protest comes amid years of ongoing conflict between Mission Hospital nurses and HCA over staffing levels, patient safety, and working conditions. While Mission nurses have participated in previous demonstrations, this event marks a new, national focus on Palantir, in addition to existing local concerns. The national action is significant, with NNU calling it its largest coordinated effort against Palantir to date.
The core concern for nurses is that health care staffing decisions could become increasingly dependent on algorithms and automation, potentially reducing the role of bedside judgment in real time. This dispute reflects broader tensions surrounding the integration of artificial intelligence and data analytics in hospitals, especially when linked to labor shortages and patient-safety concerns.