Zipline, a leader in instant logistics, has announced a first-of-its-kind partnership with Intermountain. Together, Zipline and Intermountain will deliver prescriptions and medical supplies to patients in the Salt Lake City metro area. The operation is expected to grow over a multi-year period to ultimately complete hundreds of deliveries each day and be capable of delivering to approximately 90% of patient homes in the region.
With Zipline’s automated, on-demand delivery service, Intermountain will make care more accessible and convenient for patients. The initial focus will be delivery of specialty pharmaceuticals and homecare products to patient homes within a 50-mile radius of the Salt Lake-area distribution center. Over time, Intermountain plans to expand to deliver a range of medications and products, including prescriptions, specialty pharmaceuticals, and over-the-counter items.
“Making access to healthcare faster and more convenient will lead to better health outcomes for our patients,” says Intermountain CEO Marc Harrison, MD. “And with Zipline, we’re making the idea of true care at home a reality for many of our patients.”
Zipline’s automated, on-demand delivery service features a fleet of small, fixed-wing autonomous aircraft. These aircraft can travel long distances in most weather conditions and safely, gently, and quietly parachute packages to an area about the size of several parking spaces. Zipline’s aircraft are entirely electric and can help reduce vehicle traffic and carbon emissions from medical deliveries in Utah.
“Intermountain Healthcare shares our vision of powering telemedicine with instant logistics,” says Keller Rinaudo, co-founder and CEO of Zipline. “Patients can connect with providers from the home, and then receive the medications and supplies they need in a matter of minutes, directly to their doorsteps. For example, a cancer patient could receive her medication without ever leaving her home. Or a single parent could get his child’s antibiotics without a trip to the pharmacy. Instant access to care is not just about convenience. It comes down to making healthcare more equitable, efficient, and reliable for people, regardless of where they live or their circumstances.”
Zipline and Intermountain will begin construction in early 2022 and plan to begin deliveries by midyear.
Zipline operates at multinational scale in Ghana and Rwanda, with plans to soon launch operations in Japan and Nigeria. After five years of operations, Zipline recently announced it has completed more than 200,000 commercial deliveries.
The CEOs of both companies will discuss the new partnership during a panel at Reuters Total Health Virtual Global Conference on Wednesday, November 17. For more information, please visit reutersevents.com/events/healthcare.