EMERGING TECH
EMERGING TECH
EMERGING TECH
Apple is launching its own medical clinics to care for employees and test devices
Apple Inc.’s healthcare ambitions appear to be far broader than previously thought.
Citing multiple sources familiar with the matter, CNBC reported late Monday that the iPhone maker will soon launch a network of medical clinics to provide care for employees and their families.
The insiders added that Apple also plans to use the centers as a testing ground for healthcare projects. In December, word leaked that it plans to build a new iteration of the Apple Watch with an electrocardiogram for measuring heart activity.
The sources who revealed the clinic initiative said that the facilities will launch this spring. They’re set to operate under the wing of a new Apple subsidiary called AC Wellness.
The division already has a publicly accessible website along with two clinics in Santa Clara County, the home of Apple’s headquarters. A job listing spotted by CNBC indicates that one of the centers is located directly on the company’s corporate campus. Apple has published openings for roles including primary care doctor, exercise coach and a clinical program designer.
The clinics may already be operating at a limited capacity. Multiple former staffers from Stanford University’s health system have reportedly been “affiliated” with AC Wellness for at least five months, which could’ve been enough time for Apple to start initial trials. The company is separately collaborating with Stanford medical staff on a heart rate study involving the Apple Watch.
News of the iPhone maker’s plan to launch the clinic network follows hot on the heels of a similar update from another major tech firm. At the end of last month, Amazon.com Inc. partnered with Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. on an initiative to provide healthcare services for their combined 1 million employees.
There are no details on whether Amazon plans to provide care to employees directly or merely offer insurance. However, the company made headlines last month by hiring Martin Levine, a Seattle medical executive who had previously run a clinic network called Iora Health. Amazon also has a sizable medical supplies business that it’s reportedly working to expand.
Image: Andrew / CC BY-SA 2.0
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