Did you know Amazon has an online healthcare platform? However, the eCommerce company will close the Amazon clinic on December 31, 2022.
Its official name is Amazon Care, and you may check it out at amazon.care. The homepage displays the message, “Amazon Care will end all operations after December 31, 2022.”
Neil Lindsay, senior vice president of Amazon Health Services, explained the service was not sustainable for its enterprise customers.
More details about the Amazon clinic
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The eCommerce giant shared a copy of this email message with Fierce Healthcare. Amazon Care was part of its attempt to enter the healthcare industry.
In 2019, started providing primary care and telehealth services to Amazon workers and their families in Seattle.
In other words, people could have video consultations with doctors for minor issues instead of visiting a physical clinic.
The Amazon clinic expanded its coverage to all 50 US states. Moreover, it launched in-person services in seven cities, including Baltimore and Dallas.
The company also tried to increase employer partnerships and signed on other firms as clients. These include Whole Foods Market and Silicon Labs.
These third parties would use the platform to reach customers. In turn, Amazon Care becomes a convenient way to access medicines and healthcare services.
CEO Andy Jassy shared a letter to shareholders earlier this year that explained Amazon’s healthcare expansion. It cited the Amazon clinic as an example of “iterative innovation.”
Jassy and his team “gathered and listened to extensive feedback” from its enterprise clients and workers. His email to employees explained why the healthcare platform will shutdown:
“Although our enrolled members have loved many aspects of Amazon Care, it is not a complete enough offering for the large enterprise customers we have been targeting and wasn’t going to work long-term,”
Conclusion
The Amazon clinic will be closing its digital doors by the end of the year. Yet, the opportunity for other telehealth platforms has only been expanding.
For example, Southeast Asian health tech platform Speedoc recently raised $28 million from investors. CEO Dr. Shravan Verma said his company would use the capital to offer services to “every home and for every person.”
You could also use technology to expand your opportunities for growth and improvement. Start by reading more Inquirer Tech articles.