In a quiet transformation from a merchandising giant to a healthcare giant, Amazon could start from the front door and deploy a vast logistics network and grow its medical footprint to potentially save lives.
In 2023, Amazon piloted a multi-month pilot program called Project Pulse, equipped with a defibrillator and CPR training driver in the delivery van, according to Bloomberg. More than 100 drivers participated in cities such as London, Amsterdam and Bologna, some of whom received alerts from the Civic Responders app and arrived on the scene. (Rescue services reportedly were already treating the victim.)
The company has not made any progress, but “we are evaluating feedback and investigating additional opportunities for future programs,” an Amazon spokesperson told Bloomberg.
That would probably be a public relations victory for the company. It is also a way to expand Amazon’s healthcare ambitions beyond the one health provider, the primary care provider that paid $3.9 billion in early 2023.
Rivals such as Walgreens and Walmart have retreated from primary care. Walmart closed its primary healthcare business last April, closing 51 locations, and Walgreens is once again private for $10 billion by Sycamore Partners.