Arkansas health system installing 432 Amazon Echo devices

Little Rock, Ark.-based Baptist Health is installing Amazon Echo Show devices in COVID-19 patient rooms across nine hospitals to allow clinicians and patients to communicate virtually.

Three things to know:

1. Amazon donated the devices as part of its $5 million global initiative to help communities affected by COVID-19. Baptist Health will deploy the 432 devices to patient rooms so they can conduct video calls with their clinicians.

2. The smart devices include two-way communication and an 8-inch touch screen. Physicians, nurses and therapists can virtually "drop in" to patients' rooms and see patients more frequently without using the personal protective equipment necessary to physically enter the patient rooms.

3. Baptist Health consulted with the firm Aiva on the project, and Amazon will cover the cost of the Aiva service contract in addition to the devices.

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