Meep Meep! That’s Moxi the robot saying hello as it comes down the hallways of Rochester General Hospital (RGH) and Unity Hospital, helping deliver or pick up essential supplies across multiple hospital units. Rochester Regional Health (RRH) has the only acute care hospitals in New York State using this cutting edge technology to support pharmaceutical, lab, nursing and other hospital staff so they can focus on what they do best: patient care.
“We are excited to introduce Moxi robots to our staff, and look forward to having them help our pharmacy, lab, supply and nursing teams perform those time-consuming tasks that take them away from their patients,” said Casey Wilbert, Rochester Regional Health, Senior Director, Acute Care Pharmacy Services. “We have been looking for innovative ways to help ease some of the burden on our staff, and find efficiencies throughout the system. Moxi is a step in that direction, and an exciting way to support, not replace, our valued hospital team members.”
Moxi was designed and created by Diligent Robotics, a robotics company from Austin that develops artificial intelligence to enable robots to collaborate with and adapt to humans. Moxi is equipped with an arm, gripper hand, and mobility to navigate hospital hallways safely.
Moxi helps with non-patient-facing tasks. Using machine learning technology and an array of sensors, it maps the hospital and uses those mechanized arms to navigate multiple types of doors including those that require badge access. The robots have three different sized and locked drawers, so they can grab supplies, deliver lab samples and pick up medicines from the pharmacy. Automating these tasks allows hospital team members to spend more time with patients, saving them hundreds of steps and hours of time around the hospital floors.
“There are times when our clinical staff is pulled away for non-clinical related tasks because they are doing everything they can to provide the quickest, safest care for their patients,” said Shannon Bentham, Vice President and Chief Nursing & Patient Care Officer for Unity Hospital. “Sometimes there are simple tasks like picking up supplies or medications that may be too large to fit in our internal tube system. That takes our nurses away from the unit. Moxi is a solution to that challenge, giving our clinical teams time back at the bedside to continue providing the high-quality care that our patients deserve.”
Moxi robots are currently still mapping out the best and most efficient routes at RGH and Unity Hospital and will be fully operational by the end of the month.
“We know the workforce challenges health care systems all around the country are facing right now. Rochester Regional Health is committed to finding innovative ways to ease the strain and stress on our staff. Moxi is one tool helping us do that, and helping us use all our resources wisely and efficiently,” said Wilbert.
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