Savioke Blog A COVID Delivery Robot Significantly Cuts Runner Time and Provides Faster Results.

The Problem.Most drive-in COVID-19 testing sites use four employees and it can take up to two weeks or more to draw a sample, test it for COVID-19, and deliver results.The Solution.Hutchinson Health, through an affiliation with SwissLog Healthcare, is processing more critical tests faster by deploying an autonomous Relay Delivery Robot named "Jim" to run the new samples -- without human contact -- from the collection tent to the hospital lab.Laura Templin-Howk, Hutchinson Health Lab Manager, MLS, MBA, explains:"Within Health Partners, there are six drive-up stations. They're collecting typically up to 300 patients per location per day."They have manned their drive-up stations with the collector, an intake person, a prepper... I think they have four people who are dedicated to each drive-up lane. Some places have two lanes; other places have one.Hutchinson Is The Only Location Where We Staff That Tent with One Person."Because we don't need a runner, our volumes are less than theirs. But even when we get up to 80% capacity, we're still able to manage it with one because we can get those samples moving back and forth with Relay."We wouldn't be able to get down to that lean of a staffing model if it wasn't for having some transport system which Relay is able to give to us. "We're new, we're the western face of the health partner system and we want to be a regional presence for many of our health partner services."Being a collection site for COVID testing was a prime opportunity for us to become that regional presence. To be able to offer those kinds of services out here and making sure we were a part of that is really important.Fantastic Turnaround Times."Because our turnaround times are so fantastic with this COVID, I've even had employers -- when we've pointed out that their employees are positive -- the employers have called back and questioned me that can they believe their employee because they can't believe that they got those results back so fast."To be able to provide that service -- and to provide it so quickly and at a high quality level -- has been really rewarding."Hear Laura's interview.