Advocate Health to Launch Nations Largest Hospital Drone Delivery Network, Spanning Multiple Markets

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 26, 2026 — Advocate Health announced Thursday it will launch the nation’s largest hospital-based drone delivery network, transforming how many of its patients receive prescriptions and home health supplies, while also reducing turnaround time for lab results, which are vital to timely diagnosis and treatment.

Through a contract with Zipline, Advocate Health will bring this vision to life, underscoring its leadership in using technology to improve patient experience and operational efficiency. At full scope and following all regulatory processes, Advocate Health will drone-deliver prescriptions, labs, and medical supplies in three of its markets, carrying out more than 100,000 deliveries a year. The first flight will deploy in 2027 in the Charlotte market, then expand to the Chicago and Milwaukee markets. There are also plans to deploy the technology in Georgia as Advocate Health continues its commitment to rural patients, increasing access to high-quality care.

“Advocate Health is rewiring care delivery by implementing drone technology to deliver medication and health supplies,” said Collin Lane, Advocate Health executive vice president, professional and support services, which includes pharmacy and lab functions. “This technology will ensure patients not only have the prescriptions and supplies they need, but have them delivered right to their doorsteps, and during a time when their local pharmacy may have closed.”

The new drone network will also allow for swifter transport of specimens between hospitals and labs within each market, resulting in quicker results for patients, Lane said.

“Zipline will help Advocate Health get patients what they need fast and reliably, even at home. It’s the clearest sign yet that hospital-based drone delivery is a new cornerstone of how health systems serve their communities,” said Hillary Brendzel, managing director, U.S. Markets for Zipline. “Faster deliveries of medications and supplies mean a better experience for patients across Advocate Health’s regions.”

The delivery process starts when an order — such as a prescription, lab specimen or medical supply — is picked up by a Zipline drone at an Advocate Health site.

Zipline’s electric drone then quietly flies to its destination, whether it’s a patient’s yard or another Advocate Health facility. Upon arrival, the drone stays up to 300 feet in the air while a pod on a tether with the order inside of it descends down to the ground. The pod makes precise deliveries even in high-wind and bad weather conditions, leaving the order behind while it flies back to charge for its next delivery.

Zipline’s aircraft operate with the approval of the FAA, include many redundant flight-critical systems and are designed to minimize sound and human interactions by keeping the aircraft far away from humans and physical obstacles. Zipline operates on four continents and has made more than 2 million commercial deliveries.

For Advocate Health patients, this service is a quick, secure and safe way to transport medications and supplies to their homes.

“Thanks to our vision to always think differently to best meet the needs of our communities, we are transforming how patients access prescription medications and home health supplies while improving efficiency of lab deliveries across our markets,” Lane said. “Advocate Health is excited to lead the way in harnessing the latest technology to improve outcomes for our patients.”

About Advocate Health

Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States. A preeminent academic health system at the forefront of clinical excellence, innovation and research, it delivers care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin and Wake Forest University School of Medicine is its academic core. Nationally recognized for expertise in heart and vascular, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, Advocate Health is also a pioneer in the delivery of virtual health care. It is accelerating discovery by making research participation part of the standard-of-care through its one-of-a-kind National Center for Clinical Trials, plus two affiliated life-sciences-focused innovation districts and one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs. With more than 165,000 teammates serving patients at 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations across six states, Advocate Health reinvests over $6 billion each year to improve community health, making it one of the nation’s largest providers of community benefit.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

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