Amazon is bringing its Just Walk Out technology to hospitals with a new program called badge pay. The tech allows doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff to grab what they need from the store and simply walk out, with no need to stand in line or check out. The Just Walk Out technology is available at more than 120 third-party locations including airports, stadiums, university campuses, and now healthcare operations.
The program will allow healthcare employees 24/7 access to food while also expanding the functionally of their employee badge.
Employees will be able to link their badges with their payroll deduct account, then after shopping, the purchase amount will be automatically deducted from their payroll deduct account.
St. Joesph’s/Candler at its Candler Hospital campus in Ga. is the first U.S. hospital to employ the technology.
“Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology supports our smart medicine strategy by providing high-tech solutions to our patients, visitors and co-workers, even with food service,” said Paul P. Hinchey, president and CEO of St. Joseph’s/Candler, in a statement. “With this technology, Candler Hospital co-workers needing a quick snack or a meal during the third shift, as well as visitors taking care of friends or family members, have a convenient way to purchase the meals, snacks, and drinks they need so they can quickly get back to their loved ones.”
Amazon also made a few other recent advancements in its checkout-free shopping program. The company recently implemented new sensor capabilities that enable an expanded product line up. Just Walk Out technology-enabled stores use sensors such as cameras, shelf sensors, weight sensors and RFID tags.
Amazon also worked with campus card providers so students can use their meal plan accounts to enter Just Walk Out technology-enabled stores.
And the technology provides analytics that showcase insights on how products are considered, picked up, returned to the shelf, and purchased.
Check-out free programs have been popping up more and more in the foodservice space as of late.
Last year, Grubhub’s higher education arm brought Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology to it’s college campuses.
And the University of Pittsburg brought the tech to its campus for the second time last year.