FORT WAYNE, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Parkview Regional Medical Center has included a fleet of delivery robots in its building design to solve the logistics challenge of covering nearly 1 million square feet in a timely and efficient manner. The hospital’s new TUG robots®, built by Pittsburgh-based Aethon, will transport medications, meals, linens, equipment, supplies and trash to and from patient floors around the clock.
More than 400 TUG robots are being used in hospitals across the country as a solid business solution that improves workflow and increases efficiency in healthcare. The TUGs are completely autonomous, able to “call” elevators, open doors, stop for obstacles and safely navigate hallways without human assistance. With a towing capacity exceeding 500 pounds, TUGs can be customized to meet the specific needs of any hospital, which is precisely what has been done for Parkview Regional.
“Aethon’s robots are a reliable and affordable way for hospitals and medical centers to get things where they need to be when they need to be there,” says Aethon President Aldo Zini. “This is especially important when hospitals are expanding or building entirely new facilities, and they are looking for creative ways to cover additional territory.”
Because the TUGs don’t require special architecture considerations or infrastructure, they can be integrated into both existing facilities and new construction. “Hospital expansions can be especially challenging as departments that were centralized in an existing building may no longer be central under the new design,” adds Zini. “Robots are a cost-effective method for these hospitals to make deliveries without adding staff. And most importantly, they allow nurses, pharmacists, dieticians and other highly trained personnel to focus on patient care, which is what they do best.”
The new Parkview Regional Medical Center, a $536 million regional facility, will include 400 private rooms and will open in 2012. It is the newest addition to Parkview Health’s extensive system serving northeast Indiana, which includes eight hospitals and a network of primary care and specialty physicians. More information is available at www.parkview.com.
“Work flow and traffic flow are important considerations when building a new facility,” says Judy Boerger, chief nursing executive for Parkview. “Aethon’s TUGs allow us to eliminate waste and spend more time focusing on patient care.”
This agreement with Parkview brings to 50 the number of TUG robots that Aethon has sold to U.S. hospitals within the last quarter. Some of the other hospitals that are just beginning to use TUGs include VA facilities in Orlando and Las Vegas as well as Griffin Hospital in Derby, Conn.
Aethon is the nation’s leading provider of mobile, self-guided robots to hospitals and was named one of the nation’s best robots for 2010 by robotics leader Singularity Hub. More information about Aethon’s TUGs is available at www.aethon.com.
CONTACT:
For Aethon
Carol Stevenson, 818-597-8453, x 3
[email protected]
KEYWORDS: United States North America Indiana Pennsylvania
INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Technology Hardware Health Hospitals General Health
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