Delnor Hospital’s drone delivery program saves time transferring specimens, medical supplies

Time is at a premium when it comes to people’s health. A pilot drone delivery program at Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital in Geneva is addressing this.

A partnership between Northwestern Medicine and the Valqari drone delivery company in Lombard sends specimens and medical supplies in time-saving flights between the hospital and the Delnor Cancer Center.

Without the drones, most deliveries at Delnor are made during four scheduled courier trips, or by nursing staff or laboratory technicians who make the deliveries on foot across Delnor Drive. It takes about a half-hour to cover the half-mile round-trip on foot. Staff does this more than 40 times a month.

Drone delivery lets nurses do what they do best — care for patients.

“A half-hour is a good chunk of a nurse’s day,” said Ryan Walsh, Valqari CEO and founder. “We can make that same delivery in about 4 minutes.”

Delnor is among the first hospitals in the United States to try out drones for inter-site deliveries.

The Valqari drone has a wingspan of about 3 and a half feet and can carry a 15-pound payload, though staff generally uses a 10-pound maximum to be safe.

There have been more than 250 successful flights since the program kicked off on Aug. 1.

“We’ve had a 100% success rate. It’s been wildly successful thus far,” said Sal Dazzo, vice president of administration at Northwestern Medicine.

“I think it’s incredible,” he said. “It’s very much aligned with why we’re here, and it’s for our patients. Northwestern Medicine has a very strong patients-first mission.”

As an example, a nurse needing a blood product for a patient would place an order using a computer tablet. The product is prepared, packaged and put into a locker at the nearest Valqari DronePort.

The package is then remotely attached to the drone. The drone executes a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airspace check and, once approved, will fly to the other drone port.

Once the drone arrives at the receiving port, the package moves to a secure locker. A Valqari app notifies the nurse of the delivery’s arrival, verifies their identity, and opens the compartment for the nurse to pick up the package.

“We are cutting out multiple steps, especially on delivery, and precious time in order to reduce treatment times by our patients,” Dazzo said.

The drone is automated, but a pilot is nearby to supervise its flight, as FAA regulations currently mandate that a drone must be within the eyesight of an operator.

No patient information is visible to the flight team, and the drone is not equipped with a camera.

Hospital staff can order these deliveries on demand, unrestrained by courier schedules.

Dazzo and Walsh both look toward a future when drone regulations allow the delivery of items throughout the Northwestern Medicine network, to patients’ homes even in rural areas, or even provide blood to crash scenes.

“Those are the things that start really improving people’s lives,” Walsh said.

Even now, though, the technology has evolved from what Dazzo called “a dream” to a practical application that helps patients, and fast.

“I think staff has responded very positively,” Dazzo said. “They’re seeing this thing up in the air, and they’re starting to see and read about it. I think people are amazed.”

https://www.dailyherald.com/20241024/news/delnor-hospitals-drone-delivery-program-saves-time-transferring-specimens-medical-supplies/