Apple joining effort to build $2 billion hospital
Apple has joined up with other computer firms, including eBay, HP and Intel, in an effort to build a brand new hospital in Stanford, near Palo Alto, CA. The hospital is expected to cost over US$2 billion, and $550 million of that will be donated and raised by the corporate partners program, which Apple has signed on to as a member. Outside of raising money, the corporate partners are invited to join in the technological design of the facility, donating and contributing ideas and technology to help change "the way people interface with the hospital."
Apple certainly knows quite a bit about interfaces -- we've seen the iPad placed in hospitals before. Macs and iPhones have a lot to offer to health care as well, on a variety of levels. Planning for the new hospital has been going on for the last five years; construction, due to start later on in 2011, isn't expected to be complete until 2017.
