OSF HealthCare has expanded and renovated the emergency department (ED) at OSF HealthCare St. Mary Medical Center in Galesburg, Illinois. The space has been expanded by 7,000 square feet, adding six additional rooms to accommodate patients.

OSF HealthCare held a Blessing & Dedication of the space on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.

“We are deeply committed to meeting the growing healthcare needs of our community, and this expansion of the emergency department reflects that commitment. By investing in additional space, resources, and capabilities, we are ensuring patients and families have timely access to high-quality emergency care close to home,” says Zach Yoder, President of OSF St. Mary Medical Center. “This dedication is about more than growth. It is about strengthening our ability to serve the community with compassion, excellence and readiness for the future.”

Since the expansion, hospital leaders report a 30% decrease in time for patients to see a provider.

“This will allow us to provide timely, high-quality care for a greater number of patients. Adding a second triage room allows our Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) to evaluate patients from the waiting room without impacting the triage nurse’s ability to efficiently care for patients,” says Nathaniel Baker, MD, managing medical director of emergency medicine with OSF HealthCare St. Mary Medical Center. “This change ensures patients’ care can move forward even while in the waiting room.”

OSF HealthCare leaders, physicians and staff attended, as well as community partners, celebrating this expansion which provides additional care to the Greater Galesburg region. This expansion echoes the commitment of OSF to the Greater Galesburg Area, and across the Ministry.

B-Roll

With the objective to accelerate cancer detection and care for residents in the greater West Central Illinois region, OSF St. Mary Medical Center (Galesburg) now has access to leading-edge technology, allowing medical providers to scan a person’s lungs and get a biopsy on the same day.

On Thursday, February 5, board-certified pulmonologist Usman A. Cheema, MD, OSF Medical Group (Galesburg), performed a bronchoscopy utilizing the hospital’s new Intuitive ION robotic system, a minimally invasive way to biopsy a patient’s lungs and get answers more efficiently.

"Robotic bronchoscopy has become the way of the future in terms of lung nodule diagnosis. It allows us to biopsy very small nodules (dense areas of tissue, or spots)," says Matthew Sehring, DO, managing medical director, OSF Medical Group, Galesburg. "We can biopsy lung nodules that were not able to be biopsied previously because they were too small. It also allows us to biopsy nodules that are far out on the edge of the lungs that were difficult to reach before.”

The goal of the Ion technology is primarily to diagnose lung cancer early. However, it also gives patients with non-cancerous lung nodules peace of mind.

"We are hoping to diagnose lung cancer while it is very small, at a very early stage, and provide patients with the opportunity for either surgical or radiation cure of their cancer. That's our number one goal," Dr. Sehring says. “So, for our patients who do have lung nodules, we want to provide them with a diagnosis, whether it is cancer or something else.”

If a person has a history of smoking or a family history of lung cancer, Dr. Sehring says it’s important to get screened. Screening remains the greatest tool to catch lung cancer early. Some nodules used to be biopsied using a needle from outside the body. The robotic bronchoscopy allows the team to biopsy from the inside in a safer way, preventing possible complications. When a lung nodule is diagnosed at an earlier stage, it is much more likely to allow for curative treatment.

"A lung cancer screening is very simple. It's a low-dose CAT scan of the lungs. Most lung cancer screenings are covered by insurance. It's a two-minute scan," Dr. Sehring says. "You get scheduled for a CAT scan. You come in and there's no contrast or IV required. You come in, get your CAT scan, and it's usually read within 24 hours."

If cancerous nodules are found in the patient's lungs, they will be referred to our multidisciplinary lung cancer team for further evaluation and treatment. This includes a surgeon who decides if the lung nodule can be surgically removed. There is also a medical oncologist who can advise if chemotherapy or immunotherapy is needed. Lastly, a radiation oncologist is part of the team and can provide radiation treatment if necessary.

The addition of robotic bronchoscopy is the second instance in the last six months that OSF St. Mary Medical Center has acquired leading-edge technology to enhance its minimally invasive robotic surgery services. In August 2025, the da Vinci 5 surgical system was added, expanding access to minimally invasive, robotic-assisted surgery in the greater Galesburg area.

“Robotic surgical technology can improve safety and outcomes during complex surgery. Combining the best technologies with personalized treatment and care for our patients reinforces our Mission of serving with the greatest care and love,” says Rachel Stomberg, MSM, vice president, Operations and Special Projects. “Only at OSF can residents of Galesburg and the greater West Central Illinois region have access to the expertise of our Mission Partners and Physicians in finding the health care they need right here close to home.”

To learn more about the health care ministry at OSF St. Mary Medical Center, visit www.osfstmary.org.

Effective Sunday, March 29, Yoder will transition to president of OSF HealthCare Holy Family Medical Center in Monmouth, OSF HealthCare Saint Luke Medical Center in Kewanee and OSF HealthCare St. Mary Medical Center in Galesburg.

Yoder has been serving as interim president of OSF St. Mary Medical Center and OSF Holy Family Medical Center for the last few months. Before this move, he was serving as the president of OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center in Alton starting in 2025. 

Lisa Schepers, DNP, will continue to serve as interim president for OSF Saint Anthony's as the search for president continues. Jackie Kernan, RN, MSN has been serving as president of OSF Saint Luke Medical Center for many years. With this change, Kernan will focus exclusively as president of OSF Saint Katharine Medical Center in Dixon.

Yoder will direct all internal operations while focusing on high quality and cost-effective care for those OSF serves. Under his leadership, OSF Saint Anthony's achieved a CMS Star Rating improvement from 2 to 3 stars, multiple Leapfrog Safety Grade A ratings and secured its first-ever MAGNET accreditation with distinction.

Yoder earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Southern Illinois University and a Master of Health Administration from Webster University in St. Louis. He continued his educational career, earning a Master of Healthcare Operational Excellence from Washington University in St. Louis.

Zach Yoder has been appointed interim president of both OSF St. Mary and OSF Holy Family. He will step away from his current role as president at OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center in Alton for up to six months to support this transition. During this period, Lisa Schepers, DNP, currently vice president and chief nursing officer, will serve as interim president of OSF Saint Anthony’s.

Moving forward, OSF plans to align OSF HealthCare Saint Luke Medical Center in Kewanee, OSF St. Mary and OSF Holy Family under a single president through the upcoming search process. This integrated leadership model will strengthen the regional approach for OSF to deliver care throughout the west central Illinois market. OSF Saint Luke will continue to be led by Jackie Kernan, MSN, RN, during this transition. Once this position has been filled, Kernan will remain as president of OSF HealthCare Saint Katharine Medical Center in Dixon.

These interim leadership changes will be effective January 5, 2026.

John Rinker, DO, of OSF HealthCare, is in his mid-40s and in good health but he recently embarked on a journey that began with a quick swab inside his mouth to find out if he was at high risk of any of 10 major diseases.

The test that includes a simple cheek swab is polygenic testing. Polygenic testing focuses on the cumulative effect of many common genetic variations to determine a person’s risk for developing complex diseases, while genetic testing typically focuses on a single gene or a small number of genes to identify specific genetic conditions or mutation. Why did he get the test? Dr. Rinker believes knowledge is power.

“And potentially, how is it likely if I’m affected, I want to make sure that I’m aware for my children, right? And so personally, I chose to get the test done, because if there’s anything that I found, I would want to do everything in my power to make a change, if at all possible, so I can live a healthier life and a longer life.”

Dr. Mark Meeker, DO, is former vice president of Community Medicine at OSF HealthCare, now vice president and chief medical officer of OSF HealthCare St. Mary Medical Center and OSF HealthCare Holy Family Medical Center. Meeker explains polygenic testing creates Polygenic Risk Scores (PRS) that aggregate the effects of thousands of genetic variants to assess a predisposition to common diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and various cancers.

“(It’s not) looking for a specific change in a gene that puts you at risk of a specific disease. It’s risk categorization. So, do you have an elevated risk for something like Alzheimer’s or diabetes or colon cancer or breast cancer? Not ‘Do you have the BRCA (Breast Cancer Susceptibility) gene, the specific gene that puts you at risk for breast cancer?’ But ‘Do you have a compilation of genes that puts you in a higher risk category?’”

OSF HealthCare has been offering polygenic testing at five OSF Medical Group locations including Peoria, Galesburg, Kewanee, and Pontiac. The test carries an out-of-pocket cost of $275 because it is currently not covered by insurance. But, for some people it’s worth the cost to have the knowledge or peace of mind that comes with knowing if they’re at high risk for common cancers and diseases such as coronary artery, atrial fibrillation, and stroke.

Dr. Rinker has a family history of prostate cancer and fully expected he would turn up at high risk for that. However, his results showed Dr. Rinker at high risk for Alzheimer’s disease. There’s no cure but he says good diet, exercise and – importantly – getting enough sleep can help with prevention.

“That’s definitely something I’ve been trying to maximize or improve, not only from an Alzheimer’s perspective. But, you know, you’ll find a lot of these things in the human body all interact with something else, and you’re not just getting one improvement and one small outcome that you’re looking at. Well, that might be what the impetus for change is (but) it’s going to have a whole trickle-down effect on a whole host of other health issues or prevent a whole number of other health issues.”

Who is a good candidate?

The target group of individuals to get polygenic testing is between 20 and 65 because that’s when added screening and any lifestyle changes can have an impact. Dr. Rinker is excited about the potential to prevent disease among those who are at high risk.

“The more that we can find or identify a disease early the more we can either prevent the disease or get upstream of the illness occurring; always leads to better outcomes.”

Dr. Meeker explains that polygenic tests expand the analysis beyond family history and genetic testing to broader examination of the human genome.

“If you use a questionnaire, for example, a family history and stuff to screen for certain cancers, if you add polygenic risk scores to that, you can increase the pool of high-risk people by two- or three-fold, because it catches more people than these preliminary screening tools just don’t catch.”

The eight-month pilot continues. Leaders will consider whether to expand the testing across the OSF Ministry by considering the number of people taking advantage of it, along with feedback from providers and patients.

While PRSs can identify individuals at higher risk, they have limitations for complex conditions influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. But, Dr. Meeker believes in the future, polygenic risk scoring will influence individual screening recommendations.

“The hope is, as we learn more in this area and get this more highly refined, that we can really target our screening so we can screen fewer people to find the ones that are really at risk, without having to screen everybody and spending all that money and having all that exposure, you know, the potential false positives.”

Polygenic risk scores in the future could also help identify individuals who are most likely to benefit from specific treatments, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of clinical trials. And Dr. Meeker asserts, as research continues, more targeted, personalized approaches to care and prevention can improve overall health and wellness.

Currently polygenic testing is still in an early phase of the pilot, so it is available through five select OSF Medical Group providers in Peoria, Galesburg, Kewanee, Sheffield, and Pontiac. If you have questions, talk with your primary care provider or learn more at the National Human Genome Research Institute.

Top 10 health risks included in polygenic testing:

1.    Breast cancer

2.    Colon cancer

3.    Prostate cancer

4.    Ovarian cancer

5.    Coronary artery disease

6.    Atrial fibrillation

7.    Stroke

8.    Type 1 diabetes

9.    Type 2 diabetes

10.  Alzheimer’s disease

Dr. John Rinker

Dr. Mark Meeker

B-roll of polygenic testing

The $5 million expansion will add 7,000 square feet to the existing space, including one additional triage room and six additional treatment rooms. 

The expansion will enhance the ability of Mission Partners to serve patients through innovative space planning to improve efficiencies and connection throughout care delivery. 

"OSF HealthCare remains invested and dedicated to providing exceptional care for our rural communities, which is something we’ve done for over 115 years in the Galesburg community,” said Lisa DeKezel, president of OSF HealthCare St. Mary Medical Center. “This redesign is a crucial step in enhancing the quality care we deliver, elevating patient experiences, and addressing the evolving needs of our community." 

Construction is set to begin by the end of 2024 and is expected to take approximately 18 months to complete. 

During the project, the emergency department will remain open and fully operational, ensuring uninterrupted care for patients. 

However, during the initial phase, patients arriving by car may be re-routed to a nearby adjacent entrance. Signage will be posted to guide patients accordingly. 

"While there will be some inconveniences during construction, the end result will be a vastly improved experience for our patients, visitors, and Mission Partners," DeKezel said.

OSF HealthCare remains committed to “serving persons with the greatest care and love” in the spirit of Christ and following the example of Francis of Assisi. 

The OSF St. Mary Medical Center emergency department redesign reflects this mission. 

The OSF HealthCare Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Fellowship program is adding emergency medicine to the list of tracks for fellows.

The OSF HealthCare APP Fellowship is accredited with distinction as an Advanced Practice Provider Fellowship Program by the American Nursing Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation in Practice Transition Programs.

The 12-month program has more than a 97% graduation rate and offers 100% of graduates a permanent position within OSF HealthCare. The robust, cutting-edge APP Fellowship program at OSF is among the most mature of all health systems in the country.

The APP fellowship program focuses on professional growth by offering mentorship, regular feedback and skills assessment that build on the knowledge fellows learned in graduate school. At the end, they are more prepared to transition into full-time practice. OSF HealthCare is also leveraging federal grant money to extend primary care support to high-need communities with vulnerable populations, using resources such as OSF Care-A-Vans to support street medicine teams or on-site clinics.

The APP Fellowship curriculum stresses the importance of excellent communication with patients and colleagues. Other confidence-building exercises result in developing decision-making and other soft skills that often result in fellows advancing quickly to leadership positions within their area, region, or even across the OSF Ministry.

This new track in emergency medicine will allow fellows to rotate through a variety of emergency departments within our OSF HealthCare system, caring for different populations of patients in critical access hospitals to Level 1 Trauma Centers. Using the Jump Trading Simulation and Education Center, the program will provide hands-on skills training to equip new APPs for any situation they may encounter.

If interested in joining the APP fellowship program, please fill out the form here to receive more information.

Una gran cantidad de visitas al servicio de urgencias se debe a problemas abdominales.

Los Institutos Nacionales de Salud publicaron un estudio que confirma que las dolencias gastrointestinales representaron el 11 % del total de visitas al servicio de urgencias entre 2016 y 2019, mientras que poco menos del 17 % de esos pacientes fueron ingresados en el hospital. Esto se alinea con el porcentaje de visitas relacionadas con problemas abdominales en todas las instalaciones de OSF HealthCare. Desde el 1 de abril de 2023 hasta marzo de 2024, hubo 36,340 visitas al servicio de urgencias relacionadas con problemas abdominales, alrededor de un 9 % de las visitas totales.

El Dr. Samuel Vázquez es cirujano general en OSF HealthCare. Muchos de los pacientes que trata sufren de dolor de estómago agudo que termina siendo algo más grave.

“Las razones más comunes por las que las personas ingresan a la sala de urgencias son que están sufriendo un ataque de vesícula biliar o de apéndice”, señala el Dr. Vázquez. “Si ya ha pasado por una cirugía, corre riesgo de sufrir obstrucciones intestinales, por lo que puede sufrir dolor abdominal agudo, junto con vómitos y náuseas. Las hernias son la razón más común. La situación es que, normalmente, está levantando algo, cortando el césped, etc., y le empieza a doler, y el dolor no desaparece”.

Razones para buscar ayuda

Si tiene dolor abdominal agudo, náuseas, vómitos y fiebre, hay razones para hablar con su proveedor médico. Según la gravedad de los síntomas, podría derivar en una visita al servicio de urgencias.

No se trague el dolor, actúe rápido

El Dr. Vázquez afirma que el tiempo es esencial. Si se presentan síntomas graves, trátelos de inmediato.

“Cuando se trata de problemas quirúrgicos agudos, como hernia, obstrucción intestinal, ataques de vesícula biliar o apendicitis, el momento más fácil y mejor para atenderlo es cuando se presenta por primera vez”, indica el Dr. Vázquez. “Podemos tratarlo unos días más tarde, pero esto hace que todo sea más difícil”.

Aumento de casos durante el verano

Las temperaturas más cálidas suelen ir acompañadas de un aumento de las actividades divertidas al aire libre. Sin embargo, el Dr. Vázquez dice que también hay una correlación entre los meses de verano y el aumento de visitas al servicio de urgencias por problemas estomacales.

“Especialmente por hernias, porque todo el mundo está al aire libre haciendo trabajos de jardinería, deportes, etc.”, afirma el Dr. Vázquez. “Asimismo, durante las vacaciones, es mucho más frecuente ver patologías de la vesícula biliar porque todo el mundo come fuera de casa y no come lo que come normalmente. Tienden a tener estos ataques”.

Consejos de prevención

El Dr. Vázquez señala que hay cosas que se pueden hacer a diario para reducir las probabilidades de acudir al servicio de urgencias por problemas estomacales. Evite fumar, coma más saludable, coma menos alimentos procesados y haga ejercicio para mantener un estilo de vida saludable en general.

Aunque los ejercicios abdominales fortalecen los músculos que rodean el abdomen y la ingle, también pueden provocar hernias, sobre todo al levantar mucho peso.

Clips de entrevistas en vídeo

A significant number of emergency department (ED) visits are due to abdominal issues.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) released a study, confirming that gastrointestinal complaints accounted for 11% of total ED visits between 2016-2019, while just under 17% of those patients were admitted to the hospital. This is on par with the percentage of abdominal-related visits at all OSF HealthCare facilities. From April 1, 2023, through March of 2024, there were 36,340 ED visits related to abdominal issues, about 9% of the total visits.

Samuel Vazquez, MD, is a general surgeon with OSF HealthCare. Many of the patients he treats are suffering from severe stomach pain that ends up being something more serious.

“The most common reasons why people need to come into the emergency room is because they’re having a gall bladder attack or appendix attack,” Dr. Vazquez says. “If you’ve had surgery before, you’re at risk for bowel obstructions so you can get pretty severe abdominal pain, along with vomiting and nausea. Hernias are the most common reason. The story is, you’re usually out lifting something, mowing the yard, etc. and you get pain, then the pain doesn’t go away.”

Reasons to be seen

If you’re experiencing severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and a fever, these are reasons to speak with your medical provider. Depending on the severity of symptoms, it could lead to an ED visit.

Don’t stomach the pain, act fast

Dr. Vazquez says time is of the essence. If serious symptoms are presenting themselves, deal with them right away.

“When it comes to acute surgical issues like hernia, bowel obstruction, gall bladder attacks or appendicitis, the easiest and best time to take care of it is when it first presents itself,” Dr. Vazquez says. “We could still take care of it a couple days later, but it does make everything that much harder.”

Summer upswing

The warmer temperatures are often met with an increase in fun, outdoor activities. But Dr. Vazquez says there is also a correlation between the summer months and an increase in ED visits due to stomach issues.

“Especially for hernias because everyone is out and doing yard work, sports etc.” Dr. Vazquez says. “Likewise, during the holiday season, it’s much more common to see gall bladder pathology because everyone is eating out and not eating what they normally eat. You tend to have these attacks.”

Prevention tips

Dr. Vazquez says there are daily things you can do to decrease the chance of an ED visit due to stomach issues. Avoid smoking, eat healthier, eat fewer processed foods, and exercise to maintain a healthy overall lifestyle.

While core exercises do strengthen the muscles around the abdomen and groin, it can also lead to hernias, especially when lifting heavy weights.

Video Interview Clips

OSF HealthCare held a Blessing & Dedication of the new OSF Center for Health in Galesburg.

This new facility, located in the former Cottage Medical Building, will complement the services offered at OSF St. Mary Medical Center.

“OSF has been a part of the Galesburg community since 1909, growing and responding to its needs as well as those of our surrounding rural communities in alignment with the Mission of our Sisters. We are so excited to be able to continue to expand access to our health care services in Galesburg, furthering our commitment to this exceptional community we are privileged to serve,” says Lisa DeKezel, President of OSF St. Mary Medical Center.

The Center for Health will provide more space for primary care services provided through OSF HealthCare, including family practice and internal medicine; endocrine and diabetes; behavioral health and psychiatry; and occupational health.

“With this new facility, we are proud to be able to serve the diverse needs of this community. Our family practice office will see patients of all ages who wish to establish a primary care physician to address all their preventive and chronic health care needs. Our internal medicine team supports patients 18 and older with routine and complex health needs. Our diabetes and endocrinology team helps to manage and control diabetes, with help from an advanced practice provider team, dietitian, and nurse education,” DeKezel says.

“We are excited about bringing growth to Galesburg through the recruitment of qualified health care professionals,” says AJ Querciagrossa, CEO of the Western Region for OSF HealthCare. “We are actively recruiting for endocrinology, family practice and internal medicine providers.”

A ribbon cutting was held in collaboration with the Galesburg Area Chamber of Commerce.

OSF Center for Health B-Roll