BayCare Health System, a not-for-profit academic health care system in West Central Florida, and Rovex, a Florida-based robotics startup, today announced a strategic partnership to pilot how robotics could support hospital operations and patient transport workflows. The pilot began at BayCare's Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater, Florida, this month.
The engagement will begin with a phased pilot at BayCare's Morton Plant Hospital focused on evaluating workflows, transport patterns and operational opportunities within the hospital environment, with later phases designed to support potential in-hospital robotic stretcher movement. No patients will be transported by the robot during the current pilot.
Rovex's device, dubbed Rovi, is designed to attach to existing stretchers and beds while keeping patients connected to their care teams.
The technology is designed to support — not replace — team members by reducing physical strain and operational burden. Through this pilot, BayCare can evaluate how emerging technologies like robotics can complement existing workflows, support safe operations and strengthen a resilient workforce.
Rovex believes robotics could eventually help hospitals improve throughput and make better use of existing capacity. As the population ages and health care workforce shortages continue to grow, hospitals will need practical new tools to meet rising demand while supporting health care workers.
For hospitals, patient transport is an essential part of care delivery. Delays in patient movement can ripple across the system, slowing imaging and procedural workflows, disrupting schedules, increasing strain and injury risk for staff, and creating a less efficient experience for both patients and care teams.
