OSF HealthCare Accelerated

Aortic aneurysms are often called “the silent killer” because they develop without symptoms and can be deadly if undetected. A team from OSF Innovation is working on a new project that could change how these dangerous conditions are found and monitored.

Join us as we discuss the Jump ARCHES grant-funded work to use 3D modeling and automation to analyze medical images of the aorta. The goal is to make diagnosing and tracking aortic aneurysms faster, more accurate and less dependent on manual measurements. In research conducted, this tool showed that automated 3D measurements closely matc...

Around 40,000 babies each year in the United States are born with a significant congenital heart condition. About one in four of these babies has a critical congenital heart defect that requires immediate surgical or medical intervention within the first year of life. OSF Innovation is helping surgeons at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois find new ways to bring hope for the smallest patients.

Join us as we discuss the work of OSF pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon Harma Turbendian, MD, who is dedicated to improving care for children with complex heart defects by advancing no...

Nurses are the heart of health care, but the profession continues to face challenges with burnout and emotional exhaustion. At OSF HealthCare, leaders are finding new ways to support and empower nurses.

Join us as we discuss the Nursing Innovation Fellowship. This three-year program equips experienced nurses to think creatively, collaborate across disciplines and lead change while staying close to the patients they serve. Fellows learn to assess their practice, identify opportunities for improvement and apply innovation in real time. Along the way, they grow from fellows to mentors to innovators, helping shape a...

For more than a decade, the Advanced Imaging and Modeling (AIM) Lab at OSF Innovation has been creating 3D printed heart models to help surgeons plan complex procedures. Now, the team has taken a major leap forward, developing the nation’s only automated process for creating 4D beating heart models from CT scans.

Join us as we discuss how 4D hearts are changing surgical planning, improving patient outcomes and drawing attention from hospitals across the country. Using machine learning to segment and stitch together time-sequenced 3D images, the AIM Lab has transformed static visuals into dyn...

Sometimes being innovative means reimagining everyday challenges, like finding a way for kids with central venous ports to safely stay active. That’s exactly what an exercise physiologist at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois and engineer at OSF Innovation Studio did when they created PortGuard, a breakthrough protective device designed to safeguard ports during play, sports and movement.

Join us as we share the development of PortGuard, a device designed to protect medication ports so kids can stay active. For one young girl, who once had to pause her favorite activities after rece...

Being innovative sometimes means being willing to do something different, like using a device in a way it hasn’t been used before. That’s exactly what a team at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois in Peoria did to save a young child’s life.

Join us as we share the story of a groundbreaking, first-of-its-kind surgery: the successful implantation of an extravascular implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (EV-ICD) in a toddler, the youngest and smallest patient in the world to receive this device.  After suffering cardiac arrest at home, the child was diagnosed with Brugada s...

Succession planning for any organization can present opportunities and, sometimes, challenges. OSF HealthCare has recently undergone leadership changes with an eye to the future.

Host Shelli Dankoff chats with OSF executives Michelle Conger, president, Kirsten Largent, chief financial officer, and Emily Shields, chief strategy officer, about how they are helping guide OSF into the future, grounded in Mission and driven by innovation.

Join us as we discuss their new roles at OSF, highlighting the organization's commitment to developing leaders from within. The conversation touches on each leader’s career journey, the challenges th...

Relax, it’s not brain surgery.” We’ve all heard the phrase used to downplay difficulty. It’s become shorthand for tasks that don’t require extraordinary precision or have life-altering consequences, but when it actually is brain surgery, every millimeter matters.  OSF HealthCare is pioneering an innovative new way to remove brain tumors with NeuroBlate.

Join us as we explore how this new, minimally invasive tool can provide ease and comfort to those experiencing brain lesions or unwanted tissue associated with tumors. Unlike traditional surgery, NeuroBlate uses an MRI-guided probe to create a small openi...

The 17th-century proverb goes, “A stitch in time saves nine.” It’s a metaphor that suggests that addressing an issue right away can prevent it from escalating into a bigger, more costly, or more difficult problem later. It’s a reminder to be proactive and to take care of problems before they become overwhelming. That proverb is the perfect lens through which to view the pilot of DAX Copilot at OSF HealthCare.

Join us as we explore how this generative AI technology is becoming an essential “stitch in time” for clinicians, easing the burden of documenta...

The medical community is connected across the country and beyond in many ways. It’s how medical innovations and advances are shared, celebrated and learned from. That’s true here in Central Illinois, a hub for groundbreaking pediatric heart care, thanks to innovative technologies and collaboration with world-class experts.

Join us as we discuss pediatric heart care with two renowned pediatric cardiac surgeons. One got his start in Central Illinois; the other is sharing his talents right here at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois. This episode is a compelling look at how expert...

Most people now know how telehealth and virtual care have transformed health care but are you familiar with virtual nursing?

Join us as we discuss what virtual nursing is (and what it isn’t) and the real benefits it’s delivering for patients, bedside nurses and the broader health care system. Using virtual nurses for admission and discharge is saving patients time, freeing up bedside nurses to focus on direct care, improving documentation and creating better patient experiences, all while helping OSF HealthCare build a more sustainable future for hospital care.

To be innovative, by definition, is to find a new way to do things. In the health care industry, OSF HealthCare stands out as a leader, continually advancing innovative solutions that benefit both patients and providers.

Join us as we celebrate and discuss OSF being named one of Fortune’s Most Innovative Companies in America for a second time. We’ll explore what it means to be truly innovative, highlighting the culture of innovation at OSF and the rigorous evaluation process that placed OSF among the 300 companies chosen for this recognition.

Host S...

Your family history could hold critical clues about your health. By combining cutting-edge technology with genetic research, OSF Innovation is empowering physicians with information that fosters a more personalized approach to care, potentially saving lives.

Join us as we explore how OSF Innovation is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze medical records and identify individuals who may be at risk for familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). Often undiagnosed, FH is a genetic condition that causes dangerously high levels of LDL cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease, heart attacks and strokes, even in younger adults. For...

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in the U.S., but increases in non-invasive screenings and advancements in screening technology are improving early detection. OSF Innovation worked with OSF gastroenterologist Omar Khokhar, MD, to pilot and implement GI Genius, an FDA-approved AI-powered tool that enhances physicians’ ability to detect polyps during colonoscopies, bringing cutting-edge care and detection to patients.

Join us as we explore how GI Genius provides an added layer of support for physicians, improving accuracy in polyp detection. With colorectal cancer rates rising in younger adults, this innovative technology is...

After a hospital stay, the last thing you want is to end up back in the hospital. Home health care plays a vital role in recovery, and OSF HealthCare is redefining it with solutions that help keep patients healthier at home and on the road to recovery.

Join us as we explore OSF Enhanced Home Care, a program designed to reduce hospital readmissions by supporting complex patients after hospital discharge. This unique collaboration between OSF OnCall Advanced Care and OSF Home Care Services provides 24/7 coordinated care, remote monitoring, medication assistance and more.

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Developing innovative approaches to address a variety of issues facing health care requires input and cooperation from multiple sources. The Innovation Academic Incubator (IAI) at OSF Innovation helps encourage that process.

Join us as we explore the IAI, a unique program at OSF Innovation that fosters collaboration between clinicians and academic institutions to develop groundbreaking health care solutions. With over 200 research projects funded, 140 publications and 12 patents, the IAI is transforming ideas into impactful solutions.

Host Shelli Dankoff chats with Mike Cruz, MD, chief operating officer for OSF HealthCare and...

Faith and innovation may seem like an unusual combination, but at OSF Innovation they come together in extraordinary ways.

Join us for an inspiring conversation with two Mission Partners who also happen to be members of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George. These Sisters combine their deep faith with cutting-edge roles at OSF Innovation. From performance improvement to innovation engineering, learn how their unique perspectives and faith shape their groundbreaking work.

Host Shelli Dankoff chats with Sister M. Maris Stella, F.S.G.M., performance...

Over 3 million Americans rely on pacemakers, with 200,000 implanted each year. These small, battery-powered devices use electrical impulses to keep hearts beating at a steady rhythm. However, pacemaker technology is advancing rapidly and there are new, innovative options available.

Join us as we discuss how dual chamber leadless pacemakers are transforming heart care by offering a wireless, less invasive alternative to traditional pacemakers. This innovative device uses two small wireless implants placed directly in the heart. The device lasts longer and has fewer complications for those who are eligible to receive it.

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You head to your provider’s office for a visit. Wouldn’t it be great if you could feel confident they had all of the pertinent information they needed for your visit?

Join us as we discuss Clinipane, an innovative solution that brings essential patient information to the forefront during appointments. With the support of a Jump ARCHES grant, this new tool leverages AI to sift through vast amounts of data in electronic medical records, presenting clinicians with real-time, relevant insights tailored to each patient’s needs.

Host Shelli Dankof...

Fish skin, pig intestine, pig bladder, cow tendon and more – oh my! It’s not something out of Oz. These are things being used to save people from having limbs amputated.

Join us as we discuss the work of an OSF HealthCare vascular surgeon to save patients from amputation through advanced regenerative reconstruction. He does it through procedures currently reserved for the most serious of cases like severe bacterial infection, traumatic crushed limbs and lower limb ulcers that have become infected and spread throughout the body. OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria is t...

No one wants to face the journey of cancer, especially with the added fear of breast cancer for women. But for those at high risk, there's something that can help detect breast cancer earlier.

Join us as we discuss the risk assessment program for breast health at OSF HealthCare. CancerIQ is a tool OSF uses to help identify patients at a high risk of getting cancer based on their personal and family histories. As part of that assessment, some high-risk patients are identified as eligible for getting breast MRIs in addition to their annual...

Many people have ideas they believe can make an impact but don’t know where to start. Peoria, Illinois, has a new space to support making those ideas a reality.

Join us as we discuss Distillery Labs, a startup hub dedicated to connecting people, ideas and resources to launch and grow new businesses. With a focus on innovation, inclusivity and community, Distillery Labs provides a welcoming and accessible environment where entrepreneurs can thrive and contribute to economic growth.

Host Shelli Dankoff chats with Doug Cruitt, executive director of Distillery Labs, and...

77% of adults over the age of 50 prefer to age in place. Sometimes, that’s easier said than done, depending on where you live and the state of your health.

Join us as we discuss a new program that helps older adults age at home. The state of Illinois and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have awarded OSF HealthCare a contract to be one of the first in the state to offer a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE).

Host Shelli Dankoff chats with OSF HealthCare le...

When it comes to cancer, no one wants to waste time.

Join us as we discuss the rapid intake system at the newly opened OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute. With the capacity to treat nearly 4,000 cancer patients a year, this process starts patients on their cancer care journey as quickly as possible with prompt diagnosis and treatment. 

Host Shelli Dankoff chats with Sarah Ince, RN, director of Contact Center operations at OSF OnCall, and Amanda Luczkowiak, RN, a manager of Contact Center operations at OSF OnCall, about this innovative approach to patient car...

How do you get students excited about a career in health care? There are endless opportunities, but not every child has the chance to explore the possibilities.

That’s where OSF STEAM comes in. The OSF STEAM program provides numerous opportunities for students to explore careers in science and health care. Join us as we discuss the OSF STEAM medical immersion program, a unique opportunity to engage high school students in career exploration.

Host Shelli Dankoff chats with the team at OSF Innovation responsible for the program. Noël Adams, vice presi...

The goal and focus of every health care provider is to do what is best for patients, but implementing that best practice can sometimes be a challenge.

Join us as we discuss the participation of OSF HealthCare in a national initiative with the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to accelerate and improve the implementation of research results in clinical care to improve patient outcomes. As part of this initiative, OSF will use its expertise to develop and implement strategies to reduce the delay in adopting proven practices.

Host Shelli Dankoff chats wi...

OSF OnCall has been a leader in developing innovative digital care delivery models and recently had the opportunity to showcase its groundbreaking work on a national level.

In early May, OSF OnCall and OSF Innovation represented OSF HealthCare at the American Telemedicine Association’s (ATA) national conference. OSF was invited to exhibit our innovative digital care delivery models, being one of only two health care systems invited to participate.

Host Shelli Dankoff speaks with Jennifer Junis, senior vice president of OSF OnCall and Ann Mond Johnson, CEO of the American Telemedicine Asso...

If something as simple as a blood test could help lead you to find out you have cancer earlier – increasing your chances of survival, would you take it?

Join us for a discussion on improving early lung cancer detection rates through a collaborative effort between OSF HealthCare, the OSF Cancer Institute and DELFI Diagnostics. It’s an important effort, considering only 16 percent of lung cancer cases are discovered in the early stages.

Host Shelli Dankoff chats with Susan Tousi, chief executive officer of DELFI Diagnostics and Mark Meeker, DO, internal medicine physic...

How many times have you thought to yourself, “I could fix that problem,” if only you were given the opportunity? Thanks to OSF Innovation, some nurses got a chance to do just that.

Join host Shelli Dankoff along with Lori Wiegand, chief nursing officer for OSF HealthCare and Kip McCoy, vice president of the Innovation Studio for OSF HealthCare for a discussion about the Nursing Trailblazer Challenge. We’ll cover lessons learned and how they're continuing to solicit innovative ideas to transform health care.

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The Sisters have always valued innovation. OSF HealthCare has a long-standing history of innovating in pediatric care, which continues today.

Two of those innovators are Bill Albers, MD, a pioneering pediatric cardiologist and Tim Miller, MD, OSF HealthCare’s first neonatologist, who developed the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Both have written books capturing that history. We explore the early days (along with author Monica Vest Wheeler who spoke directly with nurses) to see how they shaped the best care for our smallest patients today and in the future.

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The C word – Cancer. It’s something no one wants to hear. Navigating the journey can be exhausting for everyone involved, including those within the health system helping patients navigate their care. What if there was something that could help reduce the potential for burnout?

Host Shelli Dankoff is joined by Dr. Jon Handler, clinical informaticist and senior innovation fellow for OSF HealthCare to discuss how OSF is leading the way in the creation of an artificial intelligence algorithm to better balance workloads for nurse navigators.

Connect with us at osfinnovation.org/healt...

If you or a loved one was facing a critical medical procedure, you would want your physician to have the best information available for their decision-making, wouldn’t you? That’s where the Advanced Imaging and Modeling (AIM) Lab through OSF Innovation comes in.

On this episode of the OSF HealthCare Accelerated podcast, we take a closer look at the AIM Lab and how it helps surgeons and other physicians make the best decisions for their patients thanks to its segmentation service.

Joining host Shelli Dankoff for this discussion are Matthew Bramle...

This episode of OSF HealthCare Accelerated is real people discussing artificial intelligence, or AI. It’s increasingly prevalent in business and society, and we are hearing more and more about it when it comes to health care.

Host Shelli Dankoff is joined by Dr. Tyler Fitch, director of Medical Informatics and Integration for OSF HealthCare and Dr. Mark Meeker, vice president for Community Medicine for OSF. Among the topics they tackle: How improvements in AI may help reduce provider burnout and increase patient access.

By definition… the word FAILURE means a lack of success. But is that REALLY always the case?

On this episode of Health Accelerated it’s anything BUT a fear of failure! Kelly George, Vice President of Performance Improvement at OSF HealthCare and Devon Kelly, Manager of Performance Improvement at OSF, join host Shelli Dankoff talk about failure in health care and why that actually is a GOOD thing.

It’s that time of the year when it’s traditional to look back on the journey. The OSF HealthCare Media Relations has covered a wide range of topics throughout the year.

On this episode of Health Accelerated, host Shelli Dankoff is joined by media relations coordinators Colleen Reynolds, Matt Sheehan, Tim Ditman, and Paul Arco for a year in review conversation about how 2023 saw a lot of growth for OSF HealthCare in innovative and exciting ways we are helping to change the delivery of health care to meet the needs of those we serve.

It’s late in the day… you’re not feeling so hot, but the last thing you want to do is haul yourself to a clinic or Urgent Care to see a provider. Thanks to technology, you may not have to.

On this episode of Health Accelerated, we explore a different kind of house call from a medical provider. Susan Wolf, Clinical Director of Digital Care for OSF OnCall and Katie Hendricks, Lead Provider of Digital Care for OSF OnCall, join host Shelli Dankoff to discuss virtual urgent care.

Launched in 2022, the OSF OnCall Digital Hospital, an innovative alternative to traditional hospital care for people with certain health conditions, allows you to receive hospital-level care from the comfort of your own home. This new model has been caring for patients for a year.

Dr. Matthew Gorman, chief medical officer for OSF OnCall, and Melissa Meier, the manager of digital care for the digital hospital command center join host Shelli Dankoff for a one-year check-up chat on this episode of Health Accelerated, brought to you by OSF HealthCare.

Healthcare simulations serve several purposes – education, assessment, research, and helping a health system do what’s best for patient safety. We are joined on this episode of Health Accelerated by Dr. Lisa Barker, Medical Director of Simulation and Ann Willemsen-Dunlap, Director of Educational Development at Jump Simulation & Education Center in Peoria, Ill. to look at the work they are doing to affect change in the healthcare landscape both for patients and clinicians.

When we think of being innovative in how we affect health care and what that means for patients, we often think about the means and the machines. But sometimes all of THAT requires an innovative philanthropic approach to make it happen. Tom Hammerton, President of the OSF HealthCare Foundation, and John Heller who, along with his wife Annette, established the Heller Center for Kids with Cancer at OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois, join host Shelli Dankoff on this episode of Health Accelerated to talk discuss how innovative health care and philanthropy are connected.

You’ve seen the headlines: Millions of Americans are facing a mental health crisis - both adults and children. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in five adults experience mental illness each year. That number is one in six for children 6-17.

On this episode of Health Accelerated, host Shelli Dankoff is joined by Dr. Samuel Sears, a psychiatrist and director of Behavioral Health Physician Services for OSF HealthCare, and Emily Shields, the Vice President Business Development for OSF to discuss this important topic and just one of the ways OSF HealthCare is looking to...