NYU Langone Health tries out Amazon Business initiatives for supply purposes

Amazon is continuing to squeeze its way into the healthcare arena.

This time, it’s teaming up with a health system. NYU Langone Health in New York City is a “strategic development partner” and “in pilot mode” with Amazon Business, according to Crain’s New York Business.

Chris Holt, leader of global healthcare at Amazon, discussed the topic at NYU Langone’s Health Tech Symposium last week, Crain’s reported.

The tech giant’s business unit lets organizations’ procurement offices pinpoint specific supplies that employees can reorder.

An NYU Langone spokeswoman told Crain’s the health system was “in talks about partnership and participating in some pilot opportunities” with Amazon.

Holt also stressed that his company wants to move beyond the medical supply space. Its larger goals include leveraging Alexa for healthcare. Patients can use the device in their homes, and NYU has started using Alexa in some of its recovery rooms, he said. Additionally, the Seattle organization wants to harness its Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods brands to revamp hospital cafeterias.

Amazon has been making healthcare headlines for quite some time. Last summer, reports surfaced that its 1492 lab was exploring EHRs and telemedicine.

And in January came the news that it is teaming up with J.P. Morgan and Berkshire Hathaway to launch a new joint venture. The project, which will initially focus on tech solutions that will help the three companies’ U.S. employees and their families with healthcare, was having a tough time pinning down a CEO. However, last week, Warren Buffett told CNBC the group has settled on a leader and will most likely reveal the name in two weeks. Geisinger CEO David Feinberg was apparently one of the top picks for the position, but recently said he will remain at the helm of the health system, according to CNBC.

Source: medcitynews.com