Nation's First Emergency Drone Operation For Hospital's Pandemic Response Launches

First Ongoing Long-Range Drone Logistics Flights Approved by FAA

Novant Health Becomes First Hospital System Granted Part 107 Waiver

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May 27, 2020, 06:00 ET

CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Novant Health, Inc., a not-for-profit, integrated healthcare system headquartered in North Carolina, announced the launch of America's first emergency drone logistics operation by a hospital for its pandemic response. The launch was made possible through a partnership with Zipline, the world's only national scale, on-demand logistics service, which will provide drone flight services.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted Novant Health a Part 107 waiver to begin operation, which is being launched as part of the North Carolina Department of Transportation's (NCDOT's) Unmanned Aircraft System Integration Pilot Program (IPP).

The operation provides contactless distribution of personal protective equipment and critical medical supplies to Novant Health frontline medical teams in the Charlotte, North Carolina, metro area. The operation helps position Novant Health, which operates 15 hospitals and nearly 700 locations in the southeastern United States, to adapt quickly to the evolving pandemic and could lead to innovative uses such as testing, drug trials, and vaccine distribution in the future.

The groundbreaking operation will provide ongoing drone logistics flights in Class-D controlled airspace, where all air traffic is actively managed by the FAA, under a part 107 waiver issued to a major U.S. healthcare system. True to its roots, North Carolina is once again "First in Flight."

"Novant Health has long been at the forefront of leveraging technology to enhance how health care is delivered to our patients," said Angela Yochem, executive vice president and chief digital and technology officer, Novant Health. "The COVID-19 pandemic has tasked us with being even more nimble and innovative in how we solve complex challenges. Fast-tracking our medical drone transport capability is just one example of how we're pioneering in the health care industry, which is known for being resistant to change. We are very grateful to the FAA and North Carolina's DOT for their help to expedite the process during this unprecedented time."

"Zipline has been hard at work helping other countries respond to the pandemic," said Zipline CEO Keller Rinaudo. "And we're proud to partner with Novant Health, a true leader in health care innovation, to begin helping in the United States as well. We're likely in for a long-term fight against COVID-19. Using contactless drone logistics will be an important tool in that effort. The work underway here in North Carolina will provide the rest of the country with a blueprint for how to build the most resilient and responsive health care system possible."

Over the next two years, the partnership plans to expand beyond emergency operations in the Charlotte area to regular commercial operations, subject to approval under FAA Part 135 rules, to serve health facilities and, ultimately, patients' homes across the state. Novant Health and Zipline's partnership seeks to create a next-generation model for health system logistics leveraging contactless drone deliveries.

"Hopefully, this project and ones like it can help ease the strain on our medical supply chains," said N.C. Secretary of Transportation Eric Boyette. "We're living through an unprecedented situation, and we're going to need innovative solutions like this to get us through it."

About The New Operation

The FAA approved the pandemic response operation through Part 107 waivers granted to Novant Health. Zipline, which has partnered with Novant Health, will provide drone flight services under an agreement with Novant Health, supported by additional agreements among Novant Health, Zipline, and NCDOT.

The emergency drone fulfillment center, which is adjacent to the Novant Health Logistics Center in Kannapolis, North Carolina, will launch Zipline drones to distribute Novant Health's critical medical products to its area hospitals. The emergency drone fulfillment center was made possible by Stewart-Haas Racing, which generously contributed the site.

Two initial routes have been approved by the FAA for the launch of operations. Service will begin with flights to Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center and expand in later phases. Flights to initial facilities will range in distance from 20 to 30 miles round trip.

Prior to the launch of this operation, typical drone logistics flights in America ranged between 500 feet to a mile and a half in distance. Zipline's drones have a round trip range of over 100 miles, making them capable of delivering medical supplies from the Novant Health Logistics Center to more than 30 additional Novant Health facilities upon approval.

The drones take off from and land at the emergency drone fulfillment center, requiring no additional infrastructure at the Novant Health facilities they serve. Deliveries are made from the sky, with the drone descending to a safe height above the ground and dropping off a box of medical products by parachute at a designated spot. The drones are capable of carrying close to four pounds of cargo, flying up to 80 miles an hour, even in high winds and rain.

The emergency fulfillment center, like those operated by Zipline in the nations of Rwanda and Ghana, can serve an almost 8,000 square mile area and micro-target the distribution of more than two tons of medical supplies a week.

About Novant Health
Novant Health is an integrated network of physician clinics, outpatient facilities, and hospitals that delivers a seamless and convenient healthcare experience to communities in Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Georgia. The Novant Health network consists of more than 1,600 physicians and over 29,000 employees that provide care at nearly 700 locations, including 15 hospitals and hundreds of outpatient facilities and physician clinics. In 2020, Novant Health was the only healthcare system in North Carolina to be included on Forbes' Best Employers for Diversity list. Diversity MBA Magazine has also ranked Novant Health third on its 2019 list of "Best Places for Women & Diverse Managers to Work." Novant Health provided more than $993.2 million in community benefit, including financial assistance and services, in 2019.

For more information, please visit our website at NovantHealth.org . You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook .

About Zipline
Zipline is the world's only national scale, on-demand drone logistics service. Its mission is to provide every human on Earth with instant access to vital medical supplies. Zipline's drones have flown more than 1.8 million miles in multiple countries, delivered more than 110,000 medical products, and helped to save thousands of lives. The most respected investors in the world support Zipline, including Temasek, Baillie Gifford, Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, GV, The Rise Fund, a global impact fund managed by TPG, Katalyst Ventures, Toyota Tsusho Corporation, and Stanford University.

SOURCE Novant Health