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StaffKnex CEO Mark Woodka

BEDFORD HEIGHTS, Ohio — Health care scheduling company StaffKnex added $1.3 million to its first round of venture funding as it prepares for a broader sales effort, its chief executive said Friday.

The company provides scheduling software that alerts nurses, working mostly in long-term care facilities, about open shifts and schedule changes. The company received its latest funding from Early Stage Partners and Glengary, which completes a Series A fund-raise of $1.9 million, Chief Executive Officer Mark Woodka said.

Since its launch, StaffKnex has expanded the way it contacts the workforce. Early investors liked the business’ use of text messaging, yet only half of America’s mobile phone users actually use text messages. Under that model it was unlikely an employer could communicate immediately with its entire workforce.

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Now StaffKnex also converts its text messages into voice messages for the non-TXT crowd. The company is also developing ways nurses can control how and for what they receive messages. For example, nurses could opt to only get e-mail alerts about open shifts, but not receive a message when vacation requests are approved.

StaffKnex will use the money to build out its sales and marketing efforts and add one developer, Woodka said. It has about 25 customers largely in the Midwest. The company will now focus on a national sales effort.