Robot Nurses Are Now on the Job at a Texas Hospital

A team of robot nurses is now on the clock at Odessa Regional Medical Center in Texas, and hospital staff say they couldn't be more excited.

Meet Moxi, a five-foot, 300-pound service robot that runs medications, lab specimens, and supplies throughout the hospital around the clock. ORMC has brought three of the robots on board, each equipped with hospital badges to access locked areas and QR code navigation to move independently through the building.

The goal isn't to replace nurses, but to cut down on the miles they walk every shift. "The burden of walking across the hospital, the miles they put on, that falls on them, when in reality, they should be focusing on patient care," said Joe Griffiths, Director of Robot Operations at Diligent Robotics, the company behind Moxi.

Emergency Room Director Jami Brothers said the robots have already made an impression on staff. "We are super excited to have Moxi on site. She's been in the ER all day today, running lab specimens. Everybody is really excited."

Concerns that the robots could shrink the nursing workforce haven't gained traction with the staff actually working alongside them. "Everybody's like, oh, they're going to take your jobs. They're not," Brothers said. "They're a tool to make us better at our jobs so we can spend more time with the patients."

The robots also come with a charming feature: LED lights that display heart eyes when interacting with staff. Brothers says it's already sparked friendly competition on the floor. "When they come down the halls and you see the heart eyes," she said, "I think they are the cutest thing ever."

Hospital officials say innovations like Moxi will be key to keeping up with growing patient demand as the region expands.