Apple to launch experimental medical clinics for employees
Several big tech companies have ventured into the healthcare industry this year, and now Apple is jumping into the mix.
Apple is launching AC Wellness, a network of health clinics for its employees and their families, this spring, reports CNBC, citing "sources familiar with the company's plans."
On the network's website, AC has job postings for a number of employees, including a clinical exercise coach, nurse practitioner, primary care physician, and phlebotomist. The postings specify that the employees will work in a new Apple Park Wellness Center, in addition to other potential wellness centers in Santa Clara Valley.
According to the posting, the wellness centers will offer a "concierge-like healthcare experience" for Apple dependents. Candidates are expected to have "appreciation for the patient experience and passion for wellness and population health."
Apple isn't the first corporation to provide independent healthcare to its employees. Amazon, J.P. Morgan, and Berkshire Hathaway announced an independent healthcare business to serve the three companies' employees in January.
But Amazon's venture seems to be targeting rising healthcare costs, while Apple's goal seems to be innovation in patient care.
The company has demonstrated that its ambitions to become a leader in healthcare transcend the fitness-tracking prowess of the Apple Watch, from its medical records storage app to its ResearchKit and CareKit platforms and heart study in conjunction with Stanford University School of Medicine.
It's also possible that even if you're not an Apple employee, you could someday reap the benefits of this network. Anonymous sources told CNBC that the project may allow Apple to test new health initiatives on employees before rolling them out to additional customers.
And AC Wellness Networks appears to be an independent medical practice under contract with Apple, rather than a subsidiary of the company itself -- so its customer base could expand in the future.
Monica wrote for Mashable's Tech section with a focus on retail, internet of things, and the intersections of technology and social justice. She holds a degree in creative writing from Brown University, and has previously written for Dow Jones Media, the New York Post, Yahoo Finance, and others. In her free time, she can be found attempting to cook Asian food, buying board games, and looking for new hobbies.
