By Lindsay Doty
Indiana University Health is show casing cutting-edge robot technology at its new hospital supply warehouse in Plainfield.
The IU Health Integrated Service Center, located at 390 Airtech Parkway, uses robot technology to sort, pick up and distribute medical supplies from gauze to syringes.
The robotically-controlled machines select the orders from stacks of bulk inventory inside the 300,000-square foot building.
Since the first shipment in July 2018, the center has expanded supply services to include all 16 hospitals.
“Opening of the Integrated Service Center fundamentally changes the way IU Health supplies its network of hospitals and medical offices,” Dennis Mullins, senior vice president of supply chain operations for IU Health, said. “This fully integrated service center leverages the latest supply chain technology to let us improve the way healthcare is delivered.”
IU Health leaders say the streamlined technology saves about $4.6 million a year in supply chain expenses and allows IU Health to be its own self-distributor of products.
The media got a chance to tour the building and observe the robot technology on May 29.
The integrated service center is run by a team of around 40 employees. Another 70 people work in the building.