Drone Delivery in Utah: Zipline and Intermountain Healthcare Launch Program

Zipline and Intermountain Health Launch Medical Drone Delivery in Utah

by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby

Today, instant logistics and delivery leader Zipline announced that it is launching a delivery service in the Salt Lake Valley area in Utah, where prescriptions and medical products will be delivered directly to the yards of Intermountain Healthcare patients.

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The Utah delivery system will expand over the course of the next five years, eventually becoming capable of servicing over 1 million people.

Following a series of test flights beginning several weeks ago, eligible customers are now able to sign up to use the service and place orders. The company will determine whether deliveries can be made to a home based on factors such as yard size, location, and surrounding airspace, and will then contact those customers who meet the requirements. The service will begin by delivering to local communities within a few miles of the Zipline distribution center, with new distribution centers and community drop-off locations to be added over time.

“This partnership allows us to reach patients faster than we ever thought possible, at a time that’s convenient for them,” said Gordon Slade, Intermountain Healthcare’s associate vice president of supply chain logistics. “Combined with our telehealth services like Connect Care, it’s possible to virtually see a doctor and get medication you need delivered from Zipline, without having to travel to a clinic or the hospital.”

What Drone Delivery in Utah Looks Like

Zipline’s delivery system deploys a fleet of small, fixed-wing, electric autonomous aircraft that delivers packages to customers’ yards, where they are lowered to the ground via parachute. These aircrafts are able to fly up to a 50-mile radius in a range of weather conditions, and produce a minimal amount of noise. The company estimates that these flights emit about 30 times less CO2 per mile than an average electric vehicle and up to 98% less than a combustion engine vehicle.

“Think back to the last time you had a doctor’s visit and then had to trek to the pharmacy for your prescription, making what can already be a time-consuming experience that much more draining, or the last time your child was ill and you had to pack the family in the car just to get cold medicine,” said Bijal Mehta, head of global fulfillment operations at Zipline. “Zipline and Intermountain Healthcare are working together to eliminate the burdens that make it harder to get the care you need when you need it. We believe instant delivery is a key element to the future of healthcare and we are excited to bring our service to the Salt Lake City area to make people’s lives better, easier, and healthier.”

This service will allow Intermountain to provide convenient and accessible care to its patients, both in-person and virtually. The companies will eventually expand beyond the Salt Lake Valley to other areas in Utah, providing patients with access to the necessary care regardless of location.

Read more about Zipline:

• Zipline and E-Commerce Platform Jumia Begin Retail Drone Delivery in Africa
• NASA and Zipline Sign Space Act Agreement to Pursue m:N Drone Operations
• Zipline Continues to Expand US Medical Drone Delivery Services: Washington State
• Zipline in North Carolina: Automated, On-Demand Drone Delivery of Medicines and Supplies
• Zipline Reveals Acoustic-Based Detect and Avoid Technology: Is This the Holy Grail for Drone Tech?

Ian attended Dominican University of California, where he received a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and a keen interest in technology, he is now contributing to DroneLife as a staff writer.