As we begin a new year at OSF HealthCare, we’re reflecting on 2024 and the major strides in digital transformation to make access to care and health information seamless for our patients. At OSF, we continue to collaborate with our academic and business partners to leverage collective expertise and to responsibly use the power of artificial intelligence, always taking care to use guiding principles of what is fair, appropriate, valid, effective and safe (FAVES).

The efforts are highlighted here in our Top 10 Digital Health and Innovation stories of 2024 in no particular order.

1. OSF Unveils new 55+ primary care service in south suburban Chicago: Called OSF Complete Care 55+, this is a unique collaboration between OSF HealthCare Little Company of Mary Medical Center and OSF OnCall, the digital arm of the health care Ministry. When launched in early 2025, this primary care program will incorporate in-person visits, plus a mix of virtual care, digital health monitoring tools and 24/7 access to a care team focusing on those with chronic conditions.

2. Building an AI prepared workforce: OSF HealthCare leaders took just six weeks to develop mandatory training about generative AI for all 24,000 OSF Mission Partners (employees) because tools were already publicly available. Melissa Knuth, Vice President of Planning, outlines that to rise to the challenge, she worked with OSF Innovation to use mixed media to keep the content interesting and tapped generative AI tools to assist with the content creation.

3. OSF Digital Hospital patients in Rockford area say it’s the best medicine: OSF OnCall expands its digital hospital program to Rockford and receives rave reviews from some of its first patients. In addition, a well-known farm broadcaster shares her story about receiving acute-level care from the comfort of her own home and urges others who are eligible to consider the option.

4. OSF Innovation sets the table for solution to prevent cancelled surgeries: Two OSF HealthCare nurses turned to the OSF Innovation Studio team to help improve their Device Table software that serves as a database for implanted medical devices – offering information needed for surgical teams to reference for safety in surgery planning. We also reported on the creation of a spin-off company, OpenSurg, which will license and promote widespread sales of Device Table and related support features.

5. OSF HealthCare experts: ‘Establish guiding principles when developing digital care strategy’: OSF OnCall was a spotlight vendor and presenter at this year’s American Telemedicine Association’s annual Nexus conference in Phoenix, Arizona. OSF OnCall Senior Vice President Jennifer Junis advised during her presentation that health systems use guiding principles when developing their approach to digital health and to involve clinicians and patients when piloting new programs and digital tools. OSF HealthCare has also become a founding member of an ATA Digital Center of Excellence.

6. Mapping the future for early diagnosis of rare diseases: A Jump ARCHES grant-funded project with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is using generative AI and knowledge graphs that map symptoms to detect rare diseases. Adam Cross, MD, who leads the OSF Children's Innovation Lab in Peoria, Illinois, wants to create a point-of-care tool for primary care providers to help patients get an early diagnosis of a rare disease.

7. Health economist: Connectivity and trust can expand telehealth: OSF OnCall hosted its first-ever digital health symposium which drew nearly 150 clinicians and vendors. Keynote speaker health economist and advisor Jane Sarasohn-Kahn stressed evidence-based digital technologies can improve health outcomes, but health systems need to build trust and expand community partnerships to increase engagements.

8. Fast-Tracking Hope: Rapid Intake at the OSF Cancer Institute: OSF HealthCare began 2024 with the opening of its new comprehensive Cancer Institute, offering advanced radiation therapy such as brachytherapy and proton beam therapy.  It also launched a new rapid intake system, developed by OSF OnCall and OSF Innovation to offer a single point of contact through OSF-HOPE (844- 673-4467) so cancer patients can be immediately connected to treatment and support services.

9. Piloting a smarter colonoscopy: OSF HealthCare St. Joseph Medical Center piloted artificial intelligence-backed colonoscopies, using a company called GI Genius, to improve detection of precancerous polyps. During the pilot, the adenoma detection rate (ADR) averages increased among all patients involved to as high as 12%, while individual physician ADR increased as high as 32.8%. The technology is now being implemented across the OSF Ministry.

10. Testing the path to better concussion diagnosis: An OSF Innovation lab-designed FlightPath app is now being tested by athletes at Illinois State, Bradley and Illinois Wesleyan Universities. The app only takes about two minutes to collect more than a million data points as a person tries to catch a hummingbird within a 3D space on a screen. The clinical trial could last two years. 

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa recently suffered his third confirmed concussion in 25 months – just another reminder that football and other contact sports pose the threat of a traumatic brain injury.  Research indicates it’s important to accurately and immediately diagnose a concussion because the consequences of misdiagnosis or faulty management can lead to major disability or death.

Illinois State University senior Cyerra Hibbert knows about concussions. She’s had multiple ones while playing soccer in high school and at ISU, the most recent just a month ago. Hibbert is one of the first athletes to test a new FlightPath concussion app. The lead app developer is *Adam Cross, MD, a pediatric hospitalist and clinical informaticist for OSF HealthCare and director of the OSF Children’s Innovation Lab at Jump Simulation & Education Center in Peoria, Illinois. He is working with co-lead Inki Kim, of the Health Care Engineering Systems Center at the Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

The concussion assessment app is a grant-funded project through Jump ARCHES, a research collaborative that partners teams of clinicians and engineers working together to improve patient outcomes and reduce health care costs. The FlightPath app is being tested at Illinois State, Illinois Wesleyan and Bradley Universities as part of a clinical trial and research coalition.  Hibbert used the FlightPath app after receiving instructions from her athletic trainer six days after she received a blow to the head during a game.

Hibbert was able to finish the test. It only takes about two minutes to collect more than a million data points as a person tries to catch a hummingbird within a 3D space on a screen.

“After a while it did bring a little confusion or if I wasn’t aware of where the bird flew on or off the screen, that did trick a little bit of my memory and concentration skills, so I do think it’s definitely approachable," Hibbert explains. “It’s definitely doable. I think just based on your outcome will determine where you are in your concussion level.”

Dr. Cross says the single biggest risk factor for prolonged time to recovery is delayed diagnosis, so FlightPath is his answer with its ability to diagnose a concussion within minutes. His research team has done some internal testing.

“Regarding how well it detects differences in impairments with people – how well they can determine if someone is functioning, acting appropriately, or if there's if there's something else going on. The challenge has been really doing that with individuals that have true concussion,” says Dr. Cross.

Athletes with a suspected concussion are challenged by FlightPath to walk in their environment while trying to keep a hummingbird in a bubble on the screen.

“The players themselves are trying out this app while concussed after having been consented earlier on in the year so that we can get data around how they perform with this app while concussed versus not concussed, and comparing that to the normal, typical present-day evaluation techniques that the trainers perform.”

Dr. Cross stresses, right now, the clinical trial does not involve trainers using the app to help make decisions. He says the research is not that far along and data collection needs to happen first. But, Karan Rai, MD, a sports medicine physician with OSF HealthCare who also serves as the team doctor for ISU Athletics, says eventually, the data from FlightPath could help beyond diagnosis.

“It in turn can help us with making prognoses, coming up with recovery timelines, implementing certain vestibular therapy. Other than diagnostic purposes, we can extrapolate that data to help us come up with a better treatment plan as well.”

Takes the pressure off
Both Hibbert and Dr. Rai are excited to be part of what they consider ground-breaking research that has the potential for helping athletes in the future. Hibbert, who plans to go into medical sales, says it’s helpful to have an objective tool for an evaluation. She thinks it takes the pressure off athletes.

“Because as athletes, we’re always eager to be on the field or play the game and to have that mindset to be better and get back on your feet as quickly as you can. I think this app will allow you to really settle and to really take your time with your symptoms.”

The clinical trial is looking at whether FlightPath can do as good or better as traditional methods in diagnosing a concussion.  So far, Dr. Rai says nearly 15 athletes who have suffered a concussion have completed a FlightPath assessment and it’s been performing well.

“Results are early so far but in our sample size we found some associations at least where FlightPath has shown some abnormalities similar to what other examinations have found as well, whether that’s the SCAT test or the ImPACT test.”

There are other concussion applications commercially available, but Dr. Cross suggests none are as robust as FlightPath.

“There aren't any, as far as I've seen, that use this mixed reality approach to gather the kinds of data that we're gathering. This is very rich data in a very short time in our app. One of the things that makes it so unique and sets it apart is that we get so much data about so many different manifestations of concussion in such a short time.”

Testing is expected to take at least two years. After testing, the app will be submitted to the FDA for clinical approval.

Here is a video demonstrating how the app works.

*Dr. Adam Cross also holds these positions:
Assistant Professor, University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria, Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine
Adjunct Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Health Care Engineering Systems Center (HCESC)
Clinical Research Informatician, OSF HealthCare | Jump Trading Simulation & Education Center (JTSEC) 

Dr. Adam Cross, ISU soccer player Cyerra Hibbert and Dr. Karan Rai

B-roll of ISU soccer player Cyerra Hibbert on soccer field

B-roll of FlightPath app demonstration

Like many communities, the older population in Streator, Illinois has grown – so much so that 20% of residents in the north central city are 65 or older. So, it’s no surprise that healthy aging ranked as the fourth-most important health issue in the most recent Community Health Needs Assessment There’s also a big concern about mental health which ranked second for identified health needs in the 2022 survey.

That demographic information and identified health priorities will help guide the innovation sprint by medical students from the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Peoria (UICOMP). They’re part of the EquIMED program – a four-year elective track for medical students. During an innovation sprint, third and fourth year students are challenged with developing an innovative tool or approach to solve a fundamental problem.

Starting February 12, five EquIMED students will be spending a week in Streator to learn first-hand about health challenges for those 65 and older. They will then pair up to develop solutions.

“We have medical providers and social service agencies under one roof at the Center for Health in Streator so there are opportunities for collaborative solutions,” says Community Health Engagement Program Manager Ellen Vogel.

Vogel points out the second-most populous city in LaSalle County, Streator does not have an adult day center or a senior center.

The EquIMED program was developed with an understanding that the challenges facing rural and under resourced communities across the globe are the same as in the U.S. and so solutions developed could help regionally and globally.

“As many as 1.5 million Illinois residents lack access to health care because they live in rural and/or medically underserved communities. We need to come up with solutions that provide more access, but also that can support those residents in between appointments,” says John Vozenilek, MD, vice president for Innovation & Digital Health, OSF HealthCare. Dr. Vozenilek who is also a UICOMP professor and course director adds, “The University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria EquIMED track offers a four-year curriculum and the opportunity to expose future medical providers to patient populations with unique struggles as well as strategies for how to create innovative solutions for them.”

EquIMED students are learning about innovation through hands-on work, small group sessions, simulations, online lectures, lunch and learns, dinner speakers, as well as from instruction by OSF Innovation experts who work at the Jump Trading Simulation and Education Center, a collaboration between OSF HealthCare and UICOMP.

“The solutions generated by the students have the potential to offer real value, but the real value to the EquIMED students is the journey of discovery and what they learn through an iterative process to advance health equity innovation across environments where health disparities exist. They learn how to ask questions, communicate, document, think critically and research what’s already available and bring the best options forward,” explains UICOMP Program Coordinator Erica Litzsey, MS. “They can use the approach in the future whether they become physicians serving rural, urban or any type of community.”

Additional Background

Some previous solutions from EquIMED students are being developed further in partnership with Bradley University:

• PeoriaFresh! - The software system allows food banks and local gardeners to collaborate and share produce.
• Diabetes and Resourceful Testing (DART) - An app that uses community health workers to increase access to diabetes testing supplies so glucose levels can be measured at least once a week. It will also provide a dashboard with alerts or individual patients better manage their glucose levels. Bradley and OSF are providing additional funding for both efforts through an Innovation for Health grant.

The diabetes management program was a solution proposed by students working in Uganda which has a problem with patients being able to access and afford diabetes testing supplies, particularly in communities with no hospitals or medical clinics. UICOMP has an ongoing relationship with a university in Uganda but due to unrest in the East African country, along with a U.S. travel ban, students won’t be traveling there for their innovation sprint this semester. Erica Litzsey says EquIMED program leaders are looking for another university willing to collaborate to expand the global options for embedding students for future innovation sprints abroad. 

B-roll for EquIMed  program

The Illinois Science & Technology Coalition (ISTC) released a new report showing university campuses in Illinois founded 694 startups over the past five years, contributing 2,093 new jobs to the state. The unique data was released at Jump Trading Simulation & Education Center in Peoria, Illinois through ISTC’s Illinois Innovation Index on University Entrepreneurship. The report focuses on new business creation in the state through university assistance and affiliation.

The Index also found that of the active university-supported startups founded over the last five years, 82% (359) remained in Illinois. John Vozenilek, MD, vice president and chief medical officer, OSF Innovation and Digital Health says the report is impressive in showing how universities, which are anchor institutions in their communities, are economic drivers.

OSF HealthCare has 15 hospitals that also serve as anchor institutions in Illinois and Michigan. To accelerate innovation, OSF partners with five higher education institutions throughout the state. Dr. Vozenilek says leveraging their expertise in emerging technologies will advance new transformative ideas for health care coming from students as well as from OSF Mission Partners (employees).

Vozenilek was the keynote speaker at the event that highlighted the Illinois Innovation Index report findings. It also brought together key university, community and state economic development leaders to discuss the findings. Vozenilek stresses that new technology, such as virtual and augmented reality, as well as the Metaverse, will allow entrepreneurs to more easily scale educational simulations and training for new innovations, including new medical devices.

According to the ISTC report, women-founded companies increased their share of the startup population, from 28% in the 2018 Index to 40% in 2023. Vozenilek finds those results especially encouraging.

“I love to see the growth of women-owned businesses so the idea there are support structures and dedicated efforts to bring more diversity to our field, I think is incredibly important. We’ll see all kinds of new businesses coming from these constituencies.” 

Foreign-born founder percentages increased from 35% in 2020’s Innovation Index to 48% this year according to the coalition. As Vozenilek sees it, that could help OSF HealthCare ensure it is tapping into global expertise.

“I was also intrigued by the state’s interest in foreign born entrepreneurs to give them visas so that some of their ideas take hold in our communities; so think about how we can really draw from the world community (experts) to address challenges here in Central Illinois.”

The Illinois Science & Technology Innovation Index also provided evidence that for every dollar spent on a university-backed startup, it resulted in $10 in follow-up venture capital funding, offering more evidence that university supported efforts are a good investment that result in turning successful ideas into promising businesses.

Video clips with Dr. John Vozenilek

In a rapidly evolving technological landscape, machine learning has emerged as a transformative force; it is reshaping countless industries, health care included. Machine learning and artificial intelligence increases productivity, reduces human errors and frees up time for other tasks that can have greater impact. In the case of converting medical scans into 3D or 4D images for a deeper view of organs, tissues and tumors, AI has the possibility of changing how surgeons prepare to operate on patients with complex issues.

Matthew Bramlet, MD, is a pediatric cardiologist at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria who specializes in congenital cardiac MRI for the Children’s Hospital of Illinois.  His Advanced Imaging and Modeling (AIM) lab at Jump Trading Simulation & Education Center is focused on translation of medical images into 3D and 4D interactive models (for 3D printing for virtual reality) to assist in pre-surgical planning of complex cardiac and cancer cases. 

According to Dr. Bramlet, the heart is a unique organ because it changes shape as it expands and contracts to pump blood through the body. This change in shape becomes a problem when the muscle of the heart grows abnormally and obstructs its own ability to pump blood out of the heart. This is a problem, because no current technology exists that allows a surgeon to view this 4D, dynamic obstruction. 

Rather than relying on years of trial and error of surgical expertise to determine the correct way to cut out muscle to relieve the obstruction, this project seeks to provide the surgeon with a VR view of their next patient’s beating heart in 4D.

The Innovation for Health (IFH) grant program with Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois is designed to inject funding ($50,000) to combine clinical problems with computer science expertise.  Assistant Professor Sam Hawkins, PhD, and graduate students at Bradley University plan to utilize machine learning to convert standard medical images into a sequence of 3D models, that when played sequentially create a 3D beating heart; the “4D heart”.  

This concept has been previously demonstrated by Dr. Bramlet’s AIM lab, but it took an entire summer to convert images of a 4D heart, showing both the expansion and contraction of the heart that could be viewed through a virtual reality headset. Dr. Bramlet says that’s not a sustainable approach.

“How do we put the CT data into a computer and slice by slice, say this is the myocardial tissue so we get an exact replica of the heart. But I don't need just one (3D replica of a heart); I need 20 to make each phase of that heart (he simulates the sound of repetitive beats) into a 4D heart.”

Assistant professor Hawkins believes machine learning can be leveraged to perform the labor-intensive process of converting images. Hawkins explains Computer Science graduate students at Bradley are part of the research effort.

“First, we need to figure out what part of the image is the heart and what part is not. And then we need to combine these tiny images into a 3D image. And then we need to do that many times to get the 4D.”

Improving pre-surgery planning

The solution should allow surgeons to virtually preview the beating heart of their patient, showing the obstruction in 4D, therefore providing a completely new pre-surgical analysis tool. The multidimensional view allows surgeons to zero in on structures of the heart, significantly enlarge elements and get a much better view of the anatomy. This machine learned 4D generation of a beating heart will be a first of its kind technology.

Researchers believe creating an automated solution can reduce the manual process of converting images from months, to hours, and eventually perhaps minutes. That option could eventually be applied to images for other types of complex medical cases in adults, children and the smallest infants.

Dr. Bramlet says new AI-supported software could provide a scaled solution for surgeons everywhere.

“The most immediate impact isn’t going to be the 4D heart. The impact at a grander scale will be the scalability of how any program will be able to create models for pre-surgical planning; 3D printed or for VR with this technology.”

Hawkins believes the technology will lead to other hospitals adopting the approach for pre-surgery planning.

“It has the potential to really remove the barrier of entry for institutions that don’t have the expertise or the time but do have images they wanted to view (more intricately).”

This entire machine learning project has been made possible by Jump Simulation’s long-term investment in sharing 3D insights. Since, 2014, Jump has contributed 3D models of congenital heart disease to Dr. Fauci’s 3D database at the NIH. This library of annotated 3D models provides the rich dataset of raw material needed for machine learned insights into automated segmentation of patient specific 3D models.  

Within a year, this project aims to automate, through machine learned algorithms, the conversion of cardiac CTs into virtual reality. The 4D view will enable surgeons to see the beating hearts specific to individual patients.

Imagine being a surgeon who can plan a surgery in VR by seeing the beating heart of your patient before you walk into the OR. This project seeks to transition this vision from science fiction to science fact.

Dr. Matthew Bramlet

Sam Hawkins, PhD

4D Hearts B-roll

OSF HealthCare and Bradley University are focusing on cancer prevention and treatment, as well as improving overall cardiac imaging plus pulmonary lung monitoring for babies and young children. The grants are the result of a partnership announced earlier this year between the Peoria, Illinois-based health system and the city’s premiere private university. The awards be given twice a year with joint funding from each organization.

This first round of grants, totaling nearly $200,000, have been awarded to four projects for research into rapidly developing the best, innovative approaches to medical training and health care delivery. The IFH grant awards include co-investigators from both Bradley University and OSF HealthCare.

Here are the Innovation for Health projects for spring 2023:

Toward Automation of a 4D Heart from Retrospectively Gated Cardiac CT Scans

Lead researchers
Matthew Bramlet, MD, OSF HealthCare
Samuel Hawkins, PhD, Bradley University

The goal of this project is to determine the feasibility automating the segmentation of the 18 phases of gated cardiac CT scans to generate patient-specific, 4D beating hearts and that these 4D animations can be placed into and analyzed in a digital stereoscopic format such as virtual reality.

Pulmonary Acoustic Sensor Telemetry Array (PASTA)

Lead researchers
Adam Cross, MD, FAAP, OSF HealthCare
Suruz Miah, PhD, Bradley University
Connor Davey, BA, OSF HealthCare
Reid Jockisch, BS, OSF HealthCare

This venture is an expansion of the Pulmonary Acoustic Sensor Telemetry Array (PASTA) project which is focused on developing a device for use with an algorithm to remotely monitor lung sounds in pediatric patients. The primary deliverable of this phase is a physical device that is easily replicable and records eight channels of audio simultaneously without losing quality due to compression with minimal quality loss due to compression.

Characterization of Changes in Biomechanical Properties and Cell Aggression in Ovarian Cancer Stem Cells Following Exposure to Chemotherapy

Lead researchers
Kalyani Nair, PhD, Bradley University
Craig Cady PhD, Bradley University
Daniel Chan, MD, PhD, OSF HealthCare

The objective of this concept is to determine whether treatment with a chemotherapeutic agent will induce identifiable changes in the biomechanical properties of cancer stem cells which can be correlated with an increase in cancer stem cell aggression. Identifying biomechanical properties linked to an increase in aggression may suggest alternative approaches to suppressing cancer stem cell activation and reducing the recurrence of cancer.

Humanizing Breast Cancer Prevention: A Community-Based Approach to Increase Health Literacy and Address Breast Cancer Health Disparities among Local Underserved Women

Lead researchers
Heather Ford, MFA, Bradley University
Scott Barrows MA, FAMI, OSF HealthCare
Tianjiao (Grace) Wang, PhD, Bradley University|
Rachelle Pavelko PhD, Bradley University
Mary Stapel, MD, OSF HealthCare

This project aims to address health disparities among underserved groups by developing a community-based solution to effectively increase breast cancer health literacy and raise awareness of breast cancer prevention among local ethnic minority women.   

A top-tier Peoria sports attraction is getting a new name. Stadium 1 & 2 at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex will now be known as OSF 1 & OSF 2.

“OSF HealthCare is excited to be partnering with Louisville Slugger Sports Complex.  We share a common commitment to children, families and the Peoria community,” says Mike Wells, president of OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center.  “Louisville Slugger’s expansive facilities encourage activities that promote strength, wellness and good health.  We at OSF are proud of our commitment to the greater Peoria area supporting organizations like Louisville Slugger that make central Illinois such an amazing place.” 

“Louisville Slugger Sports Complex, a premier youth sports destination, is excited to collaborate with OSF HealthCare, one of the leading health care systems in the Midwest. This collaboration presents many opportunities for both parties. We look forward to working together to provide the best possible experience for our young athletes and our community,” adds Mark Peterson, president and owner of the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex.

This weekend, Bradley University softball will play the inaugural games at the newly-named Louisville Slugger Sports Complex – OSF HealthCare Field. BU opens its home season Friday, March 24, with a double header on Saturday the 25.

OSF HealthCare joined today with Bradley University to announce an expansion of the Bradley-OSF HealthCare Strategic Alliance. The new Innovation for Health (IFH) partnership is aimed at generating scholarly research that can translate into practical solutions to improve individual and community health.

Designed to create a robust, collaborative research community, the new agreement is between employees at two of Peoria’s largest and most impactful nonprofit institutions: Bradley University and OSF HealthCare. Significantly, Bradley will be the first private university to enter into a formalized research partnership with OSF HealthCare. The two anchor institutions have a shared history within the Peoria community; Lydia Moss Bradley was instrumental to the founding of both organizations.

The IFH partnership will connect faculty scholars from Bradley’s five colleges with clinical researchers through OSF Innovation Labs and other OSF HealthCare providers to address health care challenges within and beyond the greater Peoria area. OSF Innovation is an arm of OSF HealthCare, comprised of designers, engineers, data scientists, performance improvement specialists and other experts who work tirelessly to find the best ideas that will bring the greatest value to patients and communities. The formalized relationship will leverage Bradley’s expertise in the health and natural sciences. It will also create opportunities for Bradley University faculty in business, engineering, education, computer science, interactive media, communications, the humanities, the social sciences, and other areas to contribute to solutions-based research focused on the social determinants of health (factors influencing health outside of a medical setting), rural health, and dimensions of cancer treatment and prevention.

Financial support

The OSF-Bradley agreement commits $1 million for each of the next five years to provide annual funding opportunities in the fall and spring for innovative, interdisciplinary projects addressing important health care challenges. The first request for proposals with awards up to $50,000 will be announced soon.

“We believe expanding academic collaborations can assist OSF HealthCare with breakthrough innovations, including new medical devices, digital solutions, improved work processes and new service models,” said CEO of OSF HealthCare Bob Sehring. “Bradley University is a natural partner because of its proximity to our headquarters, but more importantly, because we can tap into the expertise and ideas incubated and accelerated through Bradley’s Turner School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation as well as the Peoria NEXT Innovation Center, also housed at the university.”

“For OSF HealthCare, the expanded partnership will support the needs of researchers, medical educators, clinicians and most importantly, patients,” added John Vozenilek, MD, vice president and chief medical officer, OSF Innovation and Digital Health. “We’ll now have additional resources and a formal process to focus strategically on ideas and novel approaches to impact medical education and simulation, prevention and treatment significantly. Additionally, we’re excited about the prospects of developing digital health solutions and novel approaches to improve access to quality patient care and to reduce health care costs, which is vitally important, particularly for our most vulnerable populations.”

The newly signed agreement comes as Bradley University celebrates 125 years of giving students practical skills to contribute to the modern world as founder Lydia Moss Bradley desired. Given Bradley’s strong commitment to experiential learning, the partnership will also allow faculty to engage their talented students in impactful applied research. Conceivably, students could participate in projects that encompass a variety of disciplines, such as nursing, data security, game design and development, health literacy, psychology, social work and biomedical engineering.

Bradley University President Stephen Standifird, PhD, said expanded collaboration supports the Bradley mission and strategic plan. It also should improve the pipeline and recruitment of future employees for both institutions.

“We want to foster innovation and creativity through collaboration and build powerful alliances that can help each organization,” said Standifird. “Bradley’s faculty represent curious, industrious and socially conscious individuals who have an entrepreneurial mind-set. Together, we can explore solutions to some pressing needs in health care. In addition, our strategic plan embraces the contributions of each of our colleges and units. They can facilitate learning experiences for our students that will benefit the broader Bradley community while advancing thought-provoking, practical, and interdisciplinary scholarship.”

Blazing  a Trail

A Trailblazer Challenge will be the first effort under the Innovation for Health or “IFH” umbrella, crowdsourcing ideas for later development, while serving as a catalyst for building a connection between Bradley faculty, OSF clinicians and members of the innovation team.

Christopher Jones, PhD, vice president for strategy and innovation at Bradley University, said faculty are poised to make significant contribution to solutions that’ll make a difference, not only for health care in Peoria, but for health systems throughout the country and beyond.

“Peoria has been at the epicenter of some amazing developments such as mass production of life-saving penicillin,” said Jones. “This collaborative work could also serve as an economic engine, potentially generating intellectual property the two institutions can share, as well as new opportunities that align with the goals of Peoria BioMade, Distillery Labs, Peoria Next and other entities advancing discovery, innovation, entrepreneurship and economic growth in the region.”

The agreement provides opportunities for Bradley alumni and other community stakeholders to contribute financially or offer their talents for research, pilots and prototypes that ultimately could attract additional resources through local, state and federal grant dollars.

As a testimony of their visionary philanthropy and as a reflection of their ongoing commitment to innovative health care, Kevin and Lisa Schoeplein and OSF HealthCare Foundation have worked together to create the Kevin and Lisa Schoeplein Innovation Endowment. This will help fund collaborative work with Bradley University, including the best projects emerging from Trailblazer Challenges.

Bradley University affiliate faculty member and director of the OSF Innovation Design Lab, Scott Barrows, is excited about having a reliable source of funding to spur ongoing collaborative research.

“We have seen the importance of health literacy during the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to expand options to reach those who can be easily influenced by disinformation and misinformation,” stressed Barrows. “This agreement will accelerate and expand our capabilities to advance community health education, and to develop and test solutions that improve health outcomes in Greater Peoria and Central Illinois.”

The Innovation for Health partnership is built upon successful models. Since 2014, OSF has partnered with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria (UICOMP) to fund 124 research projects with grants totaling $8.3 million. Those Jump ARCHES efforts are aimed at improving patient outcomes and reducing health care costs. In 2021, OSF formalized a research partnership and made a significant financial commitment with the University of Illinois Chicago through the Community Health Advocacy (CHA) grant program to address health and wellness challenges in urban communities.

Video clips with Bob Sehring, Steve Standifird, Chris Jones and Dr. John Vozenilek

Signing B-roll