Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1489485
22 INNOVATION Amazon Clinic makes debut: 6 things to know By Naomi Diaz Amazon is expanding its healthcare presence with a new virtual offer- ing called Amazon Clinic. Amazon Clinic, unveiled on Nov. 15, will allow patients in 32 states to message clinicians through a secure portal to seek personalized treatments and prescriptions for common conditions such as urinary tract infections, dandruff and migraines. Patients can also seek birth control options, according to a press release from Amazon. Six things to know about the service: 1. e service does not yet accept insurance, but customers can use insurance to help pay for medications prescribed by a licensed clinician through the platform. 2. e company said patients can fill prescriptions using Amazon Pharmacy or any pharmacy of their choice. 3. To use the service, customers select the condition they're inter- ested in speaking about and then choose a preferred provider. 4. Aer completing a questionnaire, they'll connect with a clini- cian in a secure messaging portal to respond at the customer's convenience. 5. Amazon said if a condition isn't suitable to be treated through the service, it will let customers know that before they connect with a provider. 6. Two weeks of follow-up messages are included with the cost of the initial consultation, which Amazon said in "many cases" would be equal to or less than the cost of the average copay. e announcement of Amazon Clinic comes a few months aer the retail giant announced it was shutting down Amazon Care, a different telehealth service offered to corporate customers, by Dec. 31. at program, which launched in 2019 as a pilot for employees, pro- vided virtual urgent care and offered in-home visits from nurses for a fee to perform testing and vaccinations. n Tampa General's $15M innovation hub looking to back more startups By Naomi Diaz T GH Innoventures, the technology and innovation arm of Tampa (Fla.) General Hospital, launched with $15 million in seed funding and is looking to invest in two more startups by the end of 2022, the Business Observer reported Nov. 2. The innovation hub has invested in three startups since its launch in 2021 but is looking to increase its investments, collaborations and presence. One way the health system is doing so is by creating a TGH Innovation Day, which would include workshops, collaborations and learning sessions. According to Rachel Feinman, vice president of innovation at Tampa General, this event would help get employees across various departments excited about innovative solutions. TGH Innoventures consists of an innovation lab that creates, tests and modifies ideas and tools; an accelerator program that helps early-stage startups; and a venture capital fund that supports healthcare entrepreneurs, scientists and administrators. n Mercy to deploy a fleet of robots throughout hospitals in 2023 By Naomi Diaz M ercy Hospital Jefferson has successfully piloted a fleet of robots to assist nurses with tasks such as delivering patient meals, linens and medications. The Festus, Mo.-based hospital has been using TUG robots for the past three years to help nurses accomplish time- intensive support tasks, which in turn has given nurses more time to spend with patients, according to Nov. 14 press release from Chesterfield, Mo.-based Mercy health system. "When there aren't enough hands or feet to get everything done, a set of wheels can make all the difference. TUGs, autonomous robots, take care of so many tasks that used to slow us down and take time away from our patients," said Kim Kerlagon, a patient ambassador at Mercy Hospital Jefferson. "They can pick up and deliver patient meals, linens and even medications. Every trip a TUG makes is one a human being doesn't have to, and for nurses and other caregivers, it means we can spend more time with our patients." After the success of the pilot, the robots will be put to use at Mercy's largest hospital in St. Louis, with a target launch date by the end of January 2023, followed by launches at other Mercy hospitals throughout the year. n