WellSpan Health to Revolutionize Pharmacy Delivery with Zipline’s Drone Technology
WellSpan Health, a leading health system in Pennsylvania, is set to revolutionize the patient experience by partnering with Zipline, the world’s largest autonomous delivery service. This partnership will bring innovative medical drone delivery to Pennsylvania, making the process of getting prescriptions filled as simple as pressing a button.
“WellSpan continues to reimagine what healthcare can look like for our patients. With Zipline, we’re creating a future for our patients where getting a prescription filled is as simple as pressing a button,” said Roxanna Gapstur, Ph.D., R.N., president and CEO, WellSpan Health. “We’re making our system lower cost, faster, and more sustainable by bringing this exceptional technology to South Central Pennsylvania.”
Zipline’s all-electric, autonomous drones will transport prescriptions directly to patients’ homes and move lab samples and medical products between WellSpan’s facilities. The drones are expected to make deliveries up to seven times faster than current automotive delivery, providing a faster, more convenient care experience for patients.
The partnership will utilize Zipline’s Platform 2 home delivery system, known for its fast, precise deliveries and quiet operations. The system’s all-electric autonomous drone, known as Zip, flies to its destination and hovers safely high up in the sky. Its autonomous delivery droid descends on a tether, steers to the correct location, and gently drops off its package to an area as small as a patio table or the front steps of a home. Patients can track their delivery down to the second.
“Zipline has been improving access to healthcare for eight years. Together with WellSpan Health we will bring prescriptions and medical products right to patients’ doorsteps with fast, sustainable and convenient delivery,” said Keller Rinaudo Cliffton, Co-Founder and CEO of Zipline.
Zipline’s deliveries emit up to 97% less CO2 on average than a traditional automotive delivery, aligning with WellSpan’s green initiatives and sustainability efforts, including its pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2030.
Zipline’s onboard perception system was the first one approved by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to fly long distances beyond the visual line of sight. This approval will enable it to serve South Central Pennsylvania at scale.
Over the coming years, WellSpan Health plans to integrate Zipline’s service within select facilities. To join Zipline’s waitlist visit FlyZipline.com/get-delivery. To learn more about WellSpan’s green initiatives and sustainability efforts as a whole, visit WellSpan.org/Sustainability.
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