Medtronic Joins Hands With La Poste to Accelerate AI-Based Healthcare

Together with the French postal service La Poste, the medical technology company Medtronic has formed a data collaboration with the objective of constructing an AI-powered platform that would facilitate a variety of digital healthcare services.

La Poste, which in addition to delivering mail also offers banking and insurance solutions, has announced plans for expanding further into the healthcare industry this year. It intends to use its extensive network of locations in France and around the world to lay the groundwork for providing logistics and transportation for tangible medical equipment, in addition to the handling of electronic patient records. These plans were outlined earlier this year.

Dominique Pon, who serves as the CEO of La Poste’s health and autonomy division, expressed in a statement that, during a period when the La Poste Group reveals its healthcare sector aspirations, the declaration of this strategic collaboration with Medtronic, a prominent entity in healthcare technology, signifies the initial step in their dedication to expediting healthcare innovation. They aim to achieve this by harnessing data and AI to enhance and streamline the patient care experience.

La Poste administered screening tests, face masks, medications, and home care during the COVID-19 epidemic. The firm also hosted digital monitoring programs and gave a 300 million euro package of zero-interest loans to clinics and communities through La Banque Postale.

The Integrated Health Solutions division of Medtronic, meanwhile, frequently collaborates with hospitals located in other countries to provide remote monitoring of patients and optimize procedure efficiency in cardiology catheter labs and treatment rooms through the implementation of digitalization initiatives.

“We are looking forward to bringing our proven medical experience, the strength of cutting-edge technologies, and our expertise in optimizing patient journeys to join forces with La Poste in this strategic partnership,” stated Medtronic’s Integrated Health Solutions VP, Frédéric Noel.

Last year, Medtronic made public their intentions to separate their remote patient monitoring arm and their respiratory division. In addition to the medtech giant’s existing IT offerings and telehealth platforms, the newly formed subsidiary will be responsible for managing the Puritan Bennett brand of ventilators manufactured by the company, as well as linked bedside monitors, pulmonary oximetry sensors and anaesthesia hardware. According to recent reports, the Carlyle Group is one of the possible bidders for the assets, which would be part of a transaction that could be worth $7 billion.

In other positive news for Medtronic, it has sealed a visionary five-year, €5 million landmark innovation collaboration with University of Galwawith, with a strong emphasis on three core pillars: cultivating the medtech ecosystem, promoting STEM, and developing research,