OSF HealthCare has once again been recognized by Fortune as one of America's Most Innovative Companies for 2025. OSF first received this distinction in 2023. 

This ranking is highly competitive, with only the top 300 companies selected from thousands analyzed. Winners were determined by Fortune and Statista, the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider, through a rigorous evaluation process that included a survey of 40,000 U.S. employees and 2,500 industry experts, as well as patient data and expert advisory board reviews. Organizations were assessed in three key areas: product innovation, process innovation, and innovation culture.

Of the 300 U.S. companies with the highest score awarded by Fortune as America’s Most Innovative Companies 2025 OSF was rated at 264 overall with an improvement in its culture (249) and process (202) scores from 2023. OSF was the only health care system in Illinois to make the list.

The recognition highlights significant strides by OSF in integrating forward-thinking solutions to enhance patient care and operational excellence.

“This honor reaffirms that innovation isn’t just something we do — it’s who we are,” said Bob Sehring, CEO of OSF HealthCare. “From groundbreaking treatments to AI-driven advancements, OSF is leading the charge in transforming health care.”

OSF HealthCare continues to make headlines for pioneering advancements, including:

• A historic first: Successfully implanting the world’s first extravascular implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (EV-ICD) in a 2-year-old patient who suffered sudden cardiac arrest.
   
• Faster, seamless cancer care: Launching a rapid access program at OSF Cancer Institute to speed up and streamline patient access.
   
• At-home pediatric monitoring: Developing a program for RSV and other respiratory illnesses to reduce hospital visits.
   
• AI-powered rare disease detection: Utilizing AI and Large Language Models to enhance primary care diagnostics.
   
• Revolutionizing concussion diagnosis: Creating FlightPath, a cloud-based app that uses AI and eye-tracking to diagnose concussions within minutes.
   
• Enhancing clinical efficiency: Piloting AI-driven software that listens to clinician-patient conversations and generates real-time clinical documentation.
   
• Advancing early cancer detection: Testing AI technology to improve the identification of potential cancerous polyps during colonoscopies.
   
• Shaping the future of AI in health care: As one of 38 payers and providers partnering with the White House, OSF is helping define responsible AI-driven change in the industry.
  
   

“Since our founding in 1877, innovation has been the heartbeat of our Mission,” said Michelle Conger, president of OSF HealthCare. “Being named one of America’s Most Innovative Companies for the second time reflects our relentless pursuit of cutting-edge solutions, from leveraging AI to empowering our frontline Mission Partners to bring transformative ideas to life.”

Learn more about America’s Most Innovative Companies and the Fortune recognition, visit Fortune.com. 

To explore how OSF is reshaping the future of health care, tune in to the OSF HealthCare Accelerated podcast on Spotify, Google, and Apple Podcasts.

Sister Agnes Joseph Williams, O.S.F., chairperson of OSF Healthcare Ministries, has announced that Bob Sehring, chief executive officer, has shared his intention to retire in April of 2026. To facilitate a smooth transition, Michelle Conger will assume the role of president of OSF HealthCare on January 1, 2025, and will then succeed Sehring as chief executive officer when he retires.

“It is with deep gratitude that we honor Bob’s extraordinary contributions to OSF HealthCare. Under his leadership, our Ministry has achieved remarkable milestones, including strategic growth through mergers and acquisitions serving 17 communities with hospitals, providing care for more than 1 million patients this past year, demonstrating strong leadership through the pandemic and the post impacts on our health system, advancements in oncology services including the opening of the OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute in Peoria earlier this year, and an unwavering commitment to rural health care,” said Sister Agnes Joseph.

“Michelle’s impact on our Ministry has been wide-reaching including leading strategic and innovative approaches to keeping OSF at the forefront of the changes in providing health care for our communities. Her leadership and dedication to operational excellence will ensure the continued success of our Ministry.”

Sehring joined OSF in 2002 as vice president for Business Support Services for OSF HealthPlans, Inc.  He was promoted to chief executive officer of that organization in 2004. In 2013, Bob was appointed chief Ministry Services officer before being named chief executive officer of the Central Region for OSF HealthCare in 2015. He became CEO of the Ministry in 2017.

“Serving the sacred Ministry of OSF HealthCare has been a deep blessing in my life. The Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis have long served as a touchstone for me, and all Mission Partners (employees), that ensures we strive to serve every person with the greatest care and love,” said Sehring. “Looking to the future, I have the utmost confidence that Michelle will lead the Ministry with a focus on doing what is best for our patients by providing compassionate and advanced care to our communities for years to come.”

Conger began her career at OSF in 1993 in a clinical capacity and as a 6 Sigma Black Belt at OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria. She has been the chief strategy officer since 2010 and chief executive officer of OSF OnCall Digital Health since 2018. Conger has led the digital strategy for OSF to produce new and innovative virtual care models to drive transformation and achieve excellence which is recognized throughout the health care industry.

“I am truly honored for the trust the Sisters and Bob are placing in me as the next CEO for our Ministry,” Conger shared. “OSF HealthCare has flourished under Bob’s leadership, and I look forward to our continued collaboration to advance health care for the communities we serve. Health care continues to evolve, and we will prioritize ensuring OSF is a leader in meeting the expectations of our patients and advances in clinical excellence.”

Bob Sehring clips

Michelle Conger clips

The 300 U.S. companies with the highest score were awarded by Fortune as America’s Most Innovative Companies 2023. OSF was rated at 194 in product rank, which helped it place 254 overall.

Fortune and Statista, the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider, selected the inaugural group of America’s Most Innovative Companies 2023 based on product innovation, process innovation and innovation culture, which includes the introduction of a corporate culture that promotes creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. The evaluations were based on a compilation of online surveys and input from experts in various fields, from recruiters to management consultants and patent attorneys. 

“It's incredibly humbling and exciting at the same time. I think a lot of health care systems are committed to innovation, but this is really part of the DNA of OSF, the Sisters have been innovating for 100 years,” said Michelle Conger, OSF HealthCare Chief Strategy Officer and CEO OSF OnCall Digital Health. “This recognition is an outgrowth of innovating for our communities and being true to the Mission of OSF. We’re excited about where OSF is going to go next in terms of focusing on innovation. No industry needs innovation more than health care, and we're committed to that and are really hopeful that 10 years from now, we'll be talking about the types of innovation that we've been able to bring forward.”

OSF HealthCare has been making headlines due to its groundbreaking advancements in recent months, including:

• Launching a digital hospital that allows patients to receive hospital-level care from the comfort of their own homes
   
• Expanding remote patient monitoring for patients with chronic conditions which also allowed the Ministry to quickly implement a solution to address a surge in childhood RSV cases
   
• Developing a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly for vulnerable older individuals
   
• Using 3D printing and virtual reality in life-saving surgeries
   
• Collaborating with the Illinois Department of Health and Family Services and several Federally Qualified Health Centers to form the Medicaid Innovation Collaborative, which addresses social factors that impact health 
   

Learn more about America’s Most Innovative Companies and the Fortune recognition, visit Fortune.com.

Interview clips with Michelle Conger

Alpine Health Systems is pleased to announce the launch of an AI-based software platform that can improve hospital discharge for patients with complex health conditions, and in some cases, multiple social needs. The platform allows case managers to quickly identify at-risk patients to safely transition to an appropriate site of care.

Peoria, Illinois-based OSF HealthCare and its innovation catalyst OSF Innovation, along with Indianapolis-based venture builder High Alpha Innovation, served as partners for the development of Alpine’s tool that can benefit hospitals nationwide.

Hospitals are filled with increasingly complex and difficult-to-treat populations, including those entering the hospital with more than one chronic illness and comorbidities. These patients often have multiple challenges, including intensive medical care needs, complex family expectations, criminal history or inadequate home support. Caring for these patients in a hospital setting far beyond their geometric mean length of stay (GMLOS) results in massive costs for providers and a missed opportunity to care for patients who need it most.

Starting with a simple rules-based architecture and Machine Learning (ML) as well as Natural Language Processing (NLP), Alpine helps case managers who are critical to the discharge process to elevate complex cases earlier, reducing excess hospital stays and improving patient outcomes. The platform identifies and prioritizes important patient risk factors in advance of hospital discharge to ensure a holistic look at what will lead to the best setting and support for the patient.

Unlike competitors, Alpine leverages non-clinical and social determinants of health (SDOH) factors that might not be part of a patient’s electronic health record or be easy to locate within the record. Alpine’s software searches historical case notes for additional risk factors, ensuring a highly accurate risk profile in real-time. As Alpine is developed and refined, it will become more capable of recognizing the factors that can put a patient at increased risk of delayed discharge and matching those factors with appropriate recommendations for case managers.

Easing the job of hospital case managers should also help hospitals attract and retain individuals for these critically important positions, thus Alpine provides that additional value for hospitals and health systems. 

Alpine is led by Miami-based co-founder and CEO Humberto Alexander Lee, a seasoned health care technology veteran with experience in high growth, venture-backed health care companies. Lee has worked with diverse organizations such as HCA Hospitals, Cerner, Assurant Health and AXA Assistance. Lee is a serial founder and investor in the health care startup space. Prior to Alpine, he served as CEO of Statra, a health care analytics SaaS platform. He was co-founder and CTO of PxSource, which was acquired by Revolution EHR in 2015, as well as co-founder and CTO of Tesser Health, which was acquired by ELMC Group in 2019.

“Everyone in need deserves to be treated with love and care – that’s the driving force behind Alpine,” notes Lee. “We're thrilled to partner with OSF HealthCare and High Alpha Innovation to help both hospitals and patients with one of the most challenging problems facing health care today.”

“Launching a new venture such as Alpine has the power to change the world,” adds Elliott Parker, CEO of High Alpha Innovation. “This is a solution that the market needs, and the speed and learning power of AI will successfully get it into the hands of hospital systems much faster than other approaches."

Michelle Conger, chief strategy officer of OSF HealthCare and CEO of OSF OnCall Digital Health, says, “OSF Innovation is dedicated to leveraging technology and best practices to elevate care, and the launch of Alpine will both improve patient outcomes and reduce the cost of health care. We’re excited to work with Humberto and the team at High Alpha Innovation to bring to life this important innovative solution.”

OSF Ventures, the corporate investment arm of OSF HealthCare, begins a new era of leadership and investment as founding leader Stan Lynall begins a transition to retirement. For now, Lynall, the senior steward of OSF Ventures, will continue in a part-time role focused on portfolio management including board positions with eight portfolio companies.

Founded in the last quarter of 2015, OSF Ventures is part of the Innovation strategy of OSF HealthCare, a 15-hospital system in Illinois and Michigan. Investments are focused on Series A and Series B rounds for startups with digital solutions, tech-enabled services and medical technology, including medical devices, diagnostics and therapeutics.

Mayank Taneja, who joined OSF Ventures in 2016 as one of the earliest members of a high-performing team, began a new generation of leadership and stepped into the role of vice president of venture investments on June 26. Taneja has been with OSF HealthCare since 2014. He brings experience in the health care industry across multiple disciplines including the practice of medicine, working with early stage companies, supporting venture investments and innovation strategies.

In addition to direct investment in 28 companies, which is its primary focus, OSF Ventures has invested in two strategically aligned health care venture capital funds: Ascension Ventures and LRV Health. In his new role, Taneja will oversee $250 million in assets across three funds.

OSF Ventures has experienced nine successful exits since its launch. As director, Taneja led OSF investments and served as a board observer on several of these companies including: Current Health (acquired by Best Buy), SilverCloud (acquired by Amwell), CareSignal (acquired by LightBeam Health) and Paradigm Diagnostics (acquired by Exact Sciences). He has also worked closely with OSF executives across the system to foster innovation and advance new ideas and technologies; many that have been or will eventually be deployed within the OSF Ministry.

“We know as a health care system we need to constantly innovate to serve patients and caregivers better and we are always looking for new partners who can bring value to those efforts,” says Michelle Conger, OSF HealthCare chief strategy officer and CEO of OSF OnCall Digital Health.

“Stan has built a strong ventures program that helped OSF HealthCare become a leader in the world of health system-sponsored investment programs, scaled through partnerships and practical collaborations with budding tech companies that brought emerging health care solutions to our clinics and hospitals, most often before they are broadly marketed and deployed.”

Before joining the OSF Ventures team, Taneja worked with the usability services team at OSF, supporting health care startups pilot their technologies and also performed human factor studies for FDA submission. Prior to joining OSF HealthCare, Taneja worked at Zimmer Inc. in its post market risk surveillance division as part of the Zimmer Leadership Program. He also practiced internal medicine for four years in New Delhi, India.

The leadership transition will also mark the beginning of investments utilizing the third and largest board-approved OSF Ventures fund of $100 million. The focus will remain on med-tech and innovative workflow solutions that ensure caregivers have what they need, particularly after the challenges of the past two-and-a-half years.

Lynall adds, “As we continue to approach care in new ways, I believe Mayank will continue to excel in selecting partner startups that are focused on our strategic initiatives, engaging them on an ongoing basis offering guidance and the clinical expertise at OSF HealthCare.”

OSF HealthCare expects growth in AI/machine learning, precision medicine, blockchain and process automation, among other areas of innovation. Taneja believes it’s an exciting time to be in a position to further OSF HealthCare efforts to become a leader in the ethical use of data and approaches such as machine learning to support prevention, early diagnosis, treatment and improved outcomes.

In reflecting on his new role, Taneja says, “When I practiced medicine in India, I never imagined I would have a hand in guiding investments and connecting clinicians with opportunities to pilot revolutionary technology. I’m proud to offer strategic support that helps OSF HealthCare meet the challenges of finding better ways to care for our patients, through investments and testing tools that provide sharper imaging, AI diagnostic support for earlier and accurate diagnoses, and technology that helps our providers know their patients better, including their social needs so we can offer a more patient-centered approach to caring for them.”

But Taneja acknowledges the landscape is not without challenges. “As we consider new investments, we must realize we’re in an era of fewer providers having to serve a growing number of patients,” he says. “So it’ll be critically important we invest in ways to streamline processes, prioritize patient needs and find ways to help people help themselves manage chronic conditions and stay healthier.”