Advocate Health announced Thursday it is partnering with Zipline to launch the nation’s largest hospital-based drone delivery network starting in 2027.
The Charlotte, North Carolina-based health system will initially offer delivery using Zipline’s Platform 2 system in the Charlotte market and eventually expand the offer to patients in the Chicago and Milwaukee markets. According to the announcement, if the program is fully utilized, the company plans to make more than 100,000 deliveries per year.
“Advocate Health is changing the way health care is delivered by deploying drone technology to deliver medicines and medical supplies,” Colin Lane, executive vice president of professional and support services at Advocate Health, said in a statement. “This technology allows patients to not only get the prescriptions and essentials they need, but also to ensure they are delivered to their doorstep, even during times when their local pharmacy may be closed.”
Lane said the drone program will not only deliver medicines and supplies to patients’ homes, but also transport test specimens between facilities, allowing patients to receive results more quickly.
The drone delivery program will also expand to Georgia as the health system “continues its commitment to rural patients,” according to the announcement.
Drone deliveries are becoming increasingly popular among healthcare organizations and retailers such as Amazon and Walmart.
Advocate Health joins a group of other health systems that have partnered with Zipline for drone deliveries, including Cleveland Clinic, Intermountain Health, Mayo Clinic and MultiCare.
“Zipline will help Advocate Health quickly and reliably get patients what they need, even at home. This is the clearest sign yet that hospital-based drone delivery will become a new cornerstone of how health systems serve their communities,” Hilary Brenzel, Zipline’s managing director for the U.S. market, said in a statement. “Faster delivery of medications and supplies means an improved patient experience across Advocate Health’s region.”
