BayCare Expands Autonomous Hospital Delivery with New Relay Robots at Winter Haven Hospitals

Why It Matters

By offloading routine logistics, the robots free nurses to concentrate on patient care, directly mitigating staffing shortages and reducing burnout while delivering measurable efficiency gains for hospital operations.

Key Takeaways

• Two new Relay robots deployed at Winter Haven hospitals
• Robots handle 500+ deliveries and save 150+ nursing hours monthly
• Autonomous navigation includes elevators and badge‑controlled doors
• 99%+ delivery reliability reduces staff burnout and improves patient care
• No infrastructure changes needed; robots are sterile‑ready and contact‑free

Pulse Analysis

The chronic nursing shortage has pushed health systems to explore technology that can reclaim clinical time. BayCare’s latest rollout of Relay’s Stork and Miles robots reflects a growing consensus that autonomous logistics can be a scalable remedy. By integrating robots that navigate elevators, badge‑controlled doors, and crowded hallways, hospitals can shift non‑clinical tasks from overburdened staff to machines, creating a measurable buffer against burnout and turnover.

Relay’s platform leverages LiDAR and 3‑D computer vision to achieve near‑perfect navigation without the need for costly infrastructure retrofits. The Winter Haven deployment is projected to complete more than 500 deliveries per month, translating into over 150 saved nursing hours—equivalent to fifteen 10‑hour shifts. Such efficiency gains not only improve bedside availability but also enhance patient safety, as faster specimen transport reduces turnaround times for critical lab results. The robots’ sterile‑ready design further supports infection‑control protocols, a priority in post‑pandemic healthcare environments.

Industry analysts view BayCare’s expansion as a bellwether for broader adoption of autonomous delivery in hospitals nationwide. With a reported 99%+ delivery reliability and a track record of over one million global deliveries, Relay Robotics offers a compelling ROI narrative that aligns with value‑based care models. As more health systems confront staffing constraints, the combination of low‑maintenance, infrastructure‑light robots and demonstrable labor savings positions autonomous delivery as a cornerstone of future hospital operations.