Cardinal Health has announced a new test program that would use drones to make deliveries to pharmacies, in today's bite-sized hospital and health industry news from Illinois, Wisconsin, Kentucky, and Ohio.

• Illinois/Wisconsin: Advocate Aurora Health has announced it will raise its minimum wage from $15 an hour to $18 an hour, effective Dec. 5. According to the health system, the increase should raise the monthly income for team members at the bottom of the scale by about $500 on a pre-tax basis. In addition, the organization's roughly 20,000 employees who currently earn more than $18 an hour will also receive raises. According to Jim Skogsbergh, Advocate Aurora’s president and CEO, "Our team members go above and beyond in service to our patients, communities and each other. It's an honor to recognize them with wage increases, comprehensive benefits and career advancement programs." He added, "Helping talented individuals establish lifetime opportunities and rewarding careers at Advocate Aurora is critical to delivering on our purpose of helping people live well." (Morse, Healthcare Finance News, 11/15)

• Kentucky: Baptist Health on Monday announced the appointment of two new leaders to the health system. Chris Roty will take over as COO of Baptist Health Lexington, effective Dec. 6. Roty joined the organization in 1994 and has served as president of Baptist Health Paducah for the past four years. The health system also announced that Matt Bailey will continue his 36-year health care career as Roty's interim replacement as president of Baptist Health Paducah. Bailey most recently served as interim president of Baptist Health Floyd in Indiana. (Jensik, Becker's Hospital Review, 11/15)

• Ohio: Cardinal Health on Tuesday announced plans for a pilot program with drone operator Zipline International to decrease transportation costs for high-priority shipments and shorten delivery times for items sent to U.S. pharmacies. The program is set to begin in 2022 outside Charlotte, N.C., pending approval by the Federal Aviation Administration. Drones with an 11-foot wingspan would carry loads of four pounds or less from a Zipline distribution center to pharmacies in a 10-mile radius in as little as 15 to 30 minutes. (O'Neal, Wall Street Journal, 11/16)