Top 5 Digital Health stories of 2025

Digital health continues to reshape how people connect with care — breaking down barriers of distance, time and access in ways that were once unimaginable. In 2025, those advances moved from promise to practice, with new technologies helping patients get care faster and using data to make more informed decisions. OSF HealthCare, through its OSF OnCall digital health arm, has been able to reach communities that have long been underserved. From artificial intelligence and virtual care to immersive technologies and smarter data use, OSF OnCall continued to push health care forward.

These are the Top 5 digital health stories of 2025, in no particular order.

From crisis to confidence: Patient praises new OSF 24/7 primary care – Marci Schneider Batsakis of Orland Park, Illinois was the first patient enrolled in OSF CompleteCare 55+, a new hybrid model of primary care in Evergreen Park, using virtual visits and digital connections to help older people get fast access to providers and stay on top of their health. Schneider Batsakis called the round-the-clock care team number when her blood pressure became dangerously high and that led to timely treatment in the hospital, follow-up support, and a care plan tailored to her needs.

OSF HealthCare receives $1.5 million for new mobile pregnancy and postpartum care unit An OSF OnCall Connect mobile van will offer doorstep service as an extension for women on Medicaid enrolled in a pregnancy and postpartum digital support program. Meridian and Centene Foundation provided $1.5 million in funding for the van to operate in maternity deserts in 12 Illinois counties.

OSF HealthCare offers another layer of monitoring for moms and babies – OSF HealthCare launched 24/7 virtual labor monitoring to enhance in-person care with AI technology. AI software alerts OSF OnCall Acute OB nurses to potential risks, enabling quick coordination with staff at Family Birthing Centers at hospitals across the OSF HealthCare Ministry. This is part of a broader effort to reduce mortality rates among women and babies which remain high compared to other wealthy nations. As part of that effort, we also opted to extend to all patients in the I-80 region, regardless of payor, a Medicaid program for virtual visits and digital support. The area has lost a number of OBGYN providers.

Skip the wait with new OSF OnCall virtual exam visit – OSF OnCall Urgent Care walk-in clinics can get busy, especially during the winter with respiratory viruses. So OSF HealthCare installed new technology in urgent care clinics, allowing patients to do in-office virtual visits and bypass the waiting room. Visitors to the OSF OnCall Urgent Care can get accurate testing and diagnoses using digital tools and an on-screen OSF medical provider.

OSF HealthCare using virtual ER to cut patient wait times – OSF HealthCare is using an innovative approach to help reduce wait times in the emergency departments at OSF HealthCare Saint Elizabeth Medical Center in Ottawa and Peru. Patients who meet certain criteria will be given the option to divert to a virtual medical exam through the use of advanced technology and an onsite nurse.

Top 5 OSF Innovation stories of 2025

As we kick off a new year at OSF HealthCare, we’re looking back at 2025 and the big steps we took to make it easier for patients to access care and health information. Working alongside our academic and business partners, we continued to tap into shared expertise and use artificial intelligence in thoughtful, responsible ways — always guided by what’s fair, appropriate, valid, effective and safe (FAVES).

Those efforts are reflected in our Top 5 OSF Innovation stories of 2025, listed in no particular order.

OSF HealthCare named one of America’s Most Innovative Companies – Fortune recognized OSF for its innovation culture and forward-thinking approach, highlighting digital and AI-driven advancements transforming care delivery. OSF first received this distinction in 2023.

OSF Innovation brings VR beating hearts to life for safer surgeries – Thanks to a breakthrough at OSF Innovation, surgeons can “see” their patient’s heart beating in 3D before ever stepping into the operating room. For surgeons, the benefits are game-changing. They can see not only the anatomy but also how it changes with every beat. This is especially critical for conditions such as hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, where the problem lies in how the heart contracts. Even more surprising, the AI began rendering valves — structures notoriously difficult to see on CT scans.

An OSF inventor collaborates to help kids play safely through cancer – Exercise physiologist Nick Kemp collaborated with OSF Innovation Studio to design Port Guard that protects the central venous access port for kids with cancer who want to play and stay active. Seven-year-old Amaneigh Stevenson, pediatric cancer patient, was part of testing and declared, “It makes me feel safe. I love it a lot.”

OSF developing app to diagnose migraines sooner and more accurately – For millions of people living with migraine headaches, getting the proper diagnosis can take years, sometimes even decades. A new digital tool developed by a team at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria (UICOMP) and OSF HealthCare aims to change that by helping primary care and other first-contact healthcare providers to identify patients with migraine quickly and accurately.

Decoding your DNA to prevent disease – Using innovative genetic testing, OSF HealthCare stepped farther into personalized medicine in 2025, with a pilot to allow people to be tested with just a swab of their cheek for genetic mutations to determine if someone is at high risk of any of 10 major diseases. So called polygenic testing is not yet covered by insurance but for someone with a a family history of heart disease, cancer or Alzheimer’s, this $250 test could provide some early warning signs and better yet, early intervention.

Speaking to health care leaders, providers, and medical students at Jump Trading Simulation & Education Center in Peoria, Illinois, Kyle Zebley, senior vice president of public policy for the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) and executive director of ATA Action, said the lapse wasn’t caused by technology or lack of provider readiness but by government dysfunction.

“On October 1st, patients across the country woke up to discover they had lost access to their doctors overnight,” Zebley said. “Not because of a technological failure or malpractice, but because of politics. That morning of October 1^st, Medicare telehealth flexibilities, the lifeline that millions of Americans had come to rely on, simply expired.”

The lapse affected Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries and hospitals, including OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria, participating in the federal Acute Hospital Care at Home program, after Congress failed to extend pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities. Although most private and Medicaid plans continued covering virtual visits, the sudden loss of federal authorization created confusion for providers and patients alike.

During the OSF OnCall Digital Health Symposium keynote speech, Zebley called the situation “a product of dysfunction, delay, and short-term thinking,” despite years of bipartisan support for telehealth across both the Trump and Biden administrations.

He stressed telehealth became collateral damage in a larger breakdown of governance.

On the 41st day of a record-long government shutdown, the U.S. Senate voted 60 to 40 to approve a continuing resolution to reopen the government. The measure would fund much of the government through January 30 and provide funding for some agencies through the end of next September. It also includes an extension of a waiver that allows for telehealth services for Medicare recipients.

Need a permanent fix

Zebley has been urging lawmakers to transform temporary extensions into permanent, digital-native health policy that provides stability for hospitals, clinicians, and patients. He argued that bipartisan goodwill alone is not enough. But Zebley is not convinced the rollercoaster ride is over.

“In the short term, it’s going to continue to threaten at least to be the rollercoaster that it has been in 2025. We have two political parties at total loggerheads – putting aside their agreement on the efficacy of telehealth and virtual care services – they disagree about almost everything it would seem.”

Zebley pointed out OSF HealthCare has been a leader in using digital technology and virtual care to transform health care.

“OSF has continued, through OnCall (its digital health arm), to really push the boundaries of their workforce and push the boundaries of increasing their capacity to do more good for more patients wherever those patients might be. He added, “They really are the gold standard in the use and deployment of technology.”

However, he argued health systems such as OSF can’t build business models around continuing resolutions. Clinicians can’t plan care around congressional calendars. Patients shouldn’t have to wonder whether their next therapy session or prescription refill depends on the latest vote count in Washington.

The future of telehealth

His vision for the future – a “digital-native, AI-enabled” health care system, where policy keeps pace with innovation and where care is continuous, data-driven, and equitable. The telehealth leader emphasized technology has advanced rapidly – from remote monitoring and hospital-at-home programs to AI-assisted diagnostics, but policy and regulation have lagged behind. Zebley stressed a permanent fix is needed.

“So that our fellow citizens, yourselves included, can lead healthier, better lives with more individualized care treatment that really is able to take advantage of the massive reams of data that our health care system can and does produce and come up with bespoke health care plans for them that meets them where they are.”

The lack of a permanent policy, he argued, doesn’t just slow innovation, it denies care.

The ATA and ATA Action are coordinating national coalitions to push for long-term reform, including the ATA Action Advocacy Council, the Virtual Foodcare Coalition, and the Advancing Digital Health Coalition, all aimed at ensuring that digital health access remains stable and bipartisan.

The ATA, through its Center of Digital Excellence is also continuing to collect data to provide additional evidence that telehealth is safe and that it is expanding access to care despite a shrinking workforce.

Regardless of the current lapse, Zebley is optimistic Congress will eventually make telehealth coverage permanent because he says it is one of the rare success stories of American health policy. He reminded those in the room in Peoria that data has already shown that telehealth is not only popular, but it is efficient, cost-effective and patient-centered.

Kyle Zebley

B-roll-OSF OnCall Digital Health Symposium

The new care model is focused on individuals who are looking for a more personalized way to stay on top of their own health. We understand adults may be juggling the care of aging parents or grandchildren or both, managing work schedules or just generally navigating busy daily calendars, that often result in deprioritizing their own office visit. The service focuses on easy communication, self-scheduling, navigation and 24/7 support. During a construction update for the 6,300-square-foot building at 9858 S. Western Ave., in Evergreen Park, leaders outlined specifics about the modern look and feel of the clinic, along with what patients can expect from this new primary care model designed specifically to meet the needs of 55+ health consumers.

The unique service will include:

• The ability to choose how you access the care – whether that’s in person at the clinic, virtual or in your home
•  A care navigator who will be available to help guide care across the continuum with things like insurance questions or specialty care coordination
•  Remote patient monitoring which provides blood pressure cuff, scales, oxygen monitoring, and much more in your home that integrates into our medical records to ensure our care team can provide more consistent monitoring to proactively manage the chronic condition
• Group visit to provide education and support around chronic conditions as we know having support is key to success

The new clinic will feature:

• Lobby area with coffee bar, fireplace and USB plug-ins
• A Connect Bar for education where navigators will help patients set up Bluetooth wearables or communication device
• 10 exam and treatment rooms equipped for virtual visits
• Education room for group visits for education, device training, condition tracking and management
• Family consult room for private discussions that can include extended family or support individuals

“Many people 55+ are beginning to manage chronic conditions – such as diabetes, heart problems, or arthritis - and often more than one. For people in this phase of their life, OSF is excited to bring a new, proactive approach to care that gives patients multiple opportunities to access treatment and support,” OSF HealthCare Little Company of Mary Medical Center President Kathleen Kinsella stressed. She added, “While this building will be the physical location, this primary care program will extend beyond these walls by incorporating a mix of virtual care, digital health monitoring tools and 24/7 access to your care team.”

National Institutes of Health Research shows more than one-third of caregivers continue to provide intense care to others while suffering from poor health themselves. This highlights the importance of providing easier options for staying on top of chronic conditions for this 55+ population.

This new program is a unique collaboration between OSF HealthCare Little Company of Mary Medical Center and OSF OnCall, the digital arm of OSF HealthCare which has delivered convenient and custom digital health solutions to individuals for more than 10 years. 

 “At the forefront of this model are our care navigators who offer a genuine point of contact for patients, helping to coordinate all the patients’ health needs,” said Kate Barth, chief nursing officer and vice president, On-Demand Services, OSF OnCall. “Navigators pull in resources from a multidisciplinary care team to personalize the care experience and help patients choose the care that best fits their lifestyle, whether it be a virtual visit with a specialist, a primary care appointment right here in this building or setting up remote monitoring tools in a patient’s home to regularly check vitals.”

The clinic construction will take several months with a planned opening in spring of 2025.

Video clips with Kate Barth and Kathleen Kinsella

More than 1.5 million rural Illinois residents face significant health care access barriers due to a lack of resources and limited infrastructure. OSF HealthCare serves many rural communities in Illinois and Michigan and leaders are looking at telehealth and digital health tools and platforms to bridge those gaps.

Part of the strategy involves collaborating with academic partners such as Illinois State University in Normal. A team made up of faculty at ISU and clinicians from OSF is working on a project to educate the future workforce on using a telehealth platform that can allow real-time assessments, consultations, diagnosis and creation of care plans, along with providing health education for people with chronic conditions in rural, medically underserved communities with aging populations.

The project called STARTED – Simulation to Address Rural Telehealth Education Development is funded by a joint OSF-ISU Connected Communities grant as part of an ongoing collaboration.

Associate Dean for Academics, Susie Watkins, PhD, RN, Mennonite College of Nursing at Illinois State says the platform will allow nurses to hold pop up clinics in homeless shelters or other community sites.

“This would help us provide some care in a community like that where they don't otherwise have access to health care, and that could potentially avoid them having to use the emergency room for things like ear infections and strep throat,” Watkins says. 

The platform also has attachments that can be used for physical exams performed by a nurse. Data and video from the exam could then be sent back to a provider at a distant hospital or clinic to review and offer a diagnosis and treatment recommendations, including prescriptions or referrals to a specialist.

Watkins holds up attachments as she explains, “It has an attachable otoscope that would record a full ear exam to determine if the ears are inflamed, and then also has an oral tongue depressor feature that one could examine the back of the throat for potential tonsillitis. 

There are other devices that can connect to the platform to provide assessments on heartbeat, lung sounds, blood pressure and other tests such as blood glucose levels that can be sent to the off-site provider via the platform.

The Director of Interprofessional Education at Jump Simulation, Ann Willemsen-Dunlap, CRNA, PhD, is co-lead on the collaboration for the first year of training 120 Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and 24 Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) graduate students. She’s supporting the development of web-based learning modules that use patient scenarios, video vignettes and telehealth simulations using standardized participants.

Trained actors will be used

Standardized participants are specially trained actors who portray patients from rural communities with various health challenges. The actors also provide an assessment with standardized metrics that measure competency in various areas including wellness screening, disease specific illness-related triage, disease self-management support using motivational interviewing and person-centered goal planning techniques. Willemsen-Dunlap says the standardized participants also give verbal feedback once the simulation is over.

“They’re going to be talking with their learners about how the interaction made them, as patients, feel from a first-person perspective.” 

Willemsen-Dunlap says eventually community health workers, as trusted advisors, can be trained to go into homes within medically underserved communities to help patients get comfortable with the portable technology that allow for in-home exams, rather than requiring patients to travel long distances for care.

“I think that having a community health worker present in the home to facilitate the interaction and nurses who are skilled and comfortable working in the digital environment, as well as providers who had similar training is going to be the key to success,” Willemsen-Dunlap stresses. 

Other funding sources are being sought from governmental or non-governmental organizations to support additional work to implement a rural health mobile clinic that uses this training and technology to deliver exams and health-related care within underserved communities.

In areas of so-called connectivity deserts, where the internet is not available or is unreliable, OSF OnCall, the health system’s digital care arm, could use an OSF OnCall Connect On the Go van for exams using the enhanced virtual platform and on-site connectivity.

Watkins says one-third of older adults in rural communities have two or more chronic diseases so its important patients continue to stay on track in managing them.  

“This technology would allow nurses to connect with patients on an ongoing basis between provider visits and do that condition specific assessment and also the self-care assessment and make sure that the patient is staying on target with their goals and all of the treatment recommendations made by their provider at the previous visit.” 

In the future, training could also involve behavioral health or dietary students who could be brought in on a telehealth visit to receive training on how to address additional concerns that are influencing a patient’s overall health and wellbeing.

Video clips with Susie Watkins

Video clips with Ann Willemsen-Dunlap

B-roll of robust telehealth platform