It’s been almost three years since Endeavor Health Edward Hospital in Naperville welcomed a new employee to the team, a robot named Moxi.
Moxi is an autonomous delivery robot developed by Diligent Robotics in Austin, Texas. There are currently two Moxis that roam the halls of the hospital, helping the nurses run errands, like picking up and dropping off prescriptions.
Since rolling up at the hospital in 2022, the Moxi robots have made a big impact and reached major milestones. They’ve traveled about 48,000 miles, almost twice the circumference of Earth, and have saved nurses more than 100 million steps, according to Elmer Dulce, director of nursing for all inpatient cardiac telemetry units at Endeavor Health.
“If you think about that, where nurses wouldn’t be able to put that time and energy, they can actually be at the bedside. And to date, it’s about 103,000 deliveries made,” said Dulce.
Moxi robots save time for nurses to be with patients
Moxi travels around the hospital with ease, preprogrammed with a digital map and an “ID” that she uses to get into different areas.
Staff say her built-in compartments can transport about 3 litres of fluid, different medications, and additional items all at once, saving time.
“It saves me from having to leave the floor, leave the department, walk away from the patient to take something or to pick something up when I can use Moxi to do it. I don’t have to go, so I can stay where I’m at with the patient at the bedside,” said Joanna Lozada, a nurse at Endeavor Health Edward Hospital.
Another nurse, Annemarie Ellsworth, explained that the time saved allows nurses to better connect with their patients.
“People come here when they’re kind of at their worst, and I like to find out things about them. I like to just spend some time being normal with them and not just talking about their illness, and it means a lot to people. It just settles them down. It makes them less anxious about everything that’s going on with them,” said Ellsworth.
An exciting face to see and a part of the Endeavor Health family
Over her three years on duty, Moxi has brought a great deal of excitement to the hospital’s hallways for employees and patients alike.
Lozada noted that she’s a favorite among guests, especially young children who love to see the robot in action.
“They love to chase after her or get in front of her, or see her move her eyes. Maybe she’ll talk to them if they’re lucky enough…. It just lightens the day,” said Lozada.
For the staff at Endeavor Health, she has become more than just a robot.
“You cannot help but be happy. When you see Moxi, it’s a welcome member of our family, and really, it does bring us joy…By her giving us that time to be at the bedside. We really are doing what we do best, which is provide the best care we can,” said Dulce.
If you have a story idea, we want to hear from you!
