Michigan Medical Drone Delivery Pilot Expands to Multiple Aircraft and Sites
Second phase will test longer flights, multiple drones and sensor technology as partners explore rural healthcare logistics
A medical drone delivery project in northern Michigan will begin its second phase on October 6. The new round of testing will expand the scope of a pilot first conducted in 2025.
Traverse Connect, Munson Healthcare, blueflite, and Central Michigan University’s Rural Health Excellence Institute are leading the project. Test flights will run between Munson Medical Center and Crystal Lake Health Center in the Traverse City area through October 30.
The flights will simulate deliveries of medical supplies, laboratory samples, and medications between Munson Healthcare facilities.
The second phase will introduce longer flights, multiple drones, and sensor technology. The project has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, according to the partners.
“This second phase of the medical drone delivery flights significantly expands the project beyond the successful first phase in 2025,” said Warren Call, president and CEO of Traverse Connect. “This phase extends the flight duration and pilot operation with multiple drones and sensor technology, with approval from the Federal Aviation Administration. The research and operational data gathered will inform best practices for statewide and national adoption, establishing a replicable model for rural healthcare drone integration.”
Building on the 2025 Pilot
The first phase took place from May 9 through May 20, 2025. The project completed nearly 70 flights within a one-mile radius of Munson Medical Center.
Those flights focused on the feasibility of transporting patient laboratory samples between healthcare facilities. The partners also examined whether drones could improve clinical workflows and reduce the time between testing, diagnosis, and treatment.
The second phase moves the project closer to testing a broader healthcare logistics network.
“We are very excited to build upon what we’ve learned and carry that momentum into this next phase,” said Tracy Cleveland, Munson vice president of supply chain and president of Northern Michigan Supply Alliance. “Expanding this innovative project to now fly multiple drones to multiple Munson Healthcare sites will help us take another step toward operationalizing this for our region and other rural communities.”
Drone delivery could have particular value in rural healthcare systems. Hospitals and clinics often serve patients across large geographic areas. Moving samples, medications, and supplies between facilities can require significant driving time and staff resources.
The Michigan project aims to gather operational data that could help determine where drones can improve those logistics.
Michigan Supports Advanced Air Mobility Testing
Traverse Connect received funding through Michigan’s Advanced Aerial Mobility Activation Fund. The Michigan Department of Transportation, Office of Future Mobility and Electrification, and Michigan Economic Development Corporation collaborate on the program.
The fund supports projects designed to advance Michigan’s readiness for advanced air mobility and coordinate efforts across state agencies. Newlab also provided support for the medical drone project.
For Munson Healthcare, which serves communities across 29 counties in northern Michigan, the pilot offers a test case for connecting healthcare facilities by air.
The second phase will provide additional data on operating multiple aircraft across a larger network. The results could also help the partners evaluate whether the model can scale to other rural healthcare systems.