May 20 2015
Aethon is pleased to announce St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Fort Thomas Kentucky has installed the TUG® autonomous mobile robot to deliver medications securely from the pharmacy to nursing units throughout the facility.
TUG, the autonomous mobile robot from Aethon, delivers medications securely in hospital. (Photo: Business Wire)
“Safe and accurate medication preparation and timely delivery are key to patient care and satisfaction,” comments John Giordullo, System Director of Pharmacy. “The TUG robot allows our pharmacy staff to focus squarely on the clinical and patient-centered parts of their jobs rather than the task of delivering medications through the hospital.”
The TUG robot has been installed in about 140 hospitals nationally. TUG transports and delivers medications, laboratory specimens, meals, linen, and surgical supplies and can haul a variety of environmental services payloads such as trash, regulated medical waste and soiled linen. At St. Elizabeth, a single TUG delivers over 400 medication orders daily, traveling approximately 5.5 miles. Biometrically secured access ensures the correct nurse receives the medications and assures the pharmacy the medications were properly delivered.
“As nurses we want to provide the best care possible to patients. Medications are central to patient care as well as their comfort. The TUG has been very reliable, predictable and easy to use. It has made our jobs as nurses more efficient and has eliminated calls to the pharmacy looking for medication deliveries,” says Benita Utz, Vice President of Nursing.
“Hospitals have long managed the logistics process necessary to procure goods into the hospital. They have only recently started to manage the internal logistics process. This is where the TUG robot shines - as an intralogistics service robot. It does the dull, dirty and potentially dangerous job of transporting and delivering materials. It is able to ride elevators, navigate unexpected obstacles and safely travel among the public. Each customer using our TUG autonomous robot has a strong focus on efficiency as well as patient care. Hospitals have embraced the efficiency and quality mandates and we are delighted to be working with St. Elizabeth Healthcare to help them advance their operations,” says Aldo Zini, CEO Aethon.