OSF HealthCare Newsroom

OSF CompleteCare 55+ marks first year with growth and improved community health

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 16:16:23 -0500

Carla Richardson of Beverly on the southwest side of Chicago loves it when her grandson tells her, “You’re lookin’ fresh Nonnie!” She jokes, “This is what 77 looks like. But then again, I’m an old hippie.”

Richardson also credits her "fresh look” to her positive attitude and the consistent care she’s been receiving at OSF CompleteCare 55+. The clinic at 99^th and Western Avenue in Evergreen Park opened a year ago this month. It offers a new kind of primary care targeting older adults with ongoing health conditions who are looking for community, hands-on care and 24/7 access to real providers, not chatbots.

For Richardson, the vibe is great.

“They’re glad to see you. You don’t feel like you’re a patient. You feel like you’re going somewhere where someone really cares about you. They keep in touch with you, which is so important. I get texts from Taylor [Taylor Wen, PA, her OSF CompleteCare 55+provider] on MyChart, and it’s just an interaction that is rare.”

Richardson was diagnosed four years ago with pulmonary sarcoidosis, and she has a history of pulmonary embolism and pneumonia. Plus, she has to be on blood thinners. Frustrated with her previous care, she tried OSF Complete Care 55+ shortly after it opened, and she’s been thrilled with her experience.

“My first experience with Taylor was just phenomenal. She was knowledgeable, patient, and she seemed like she cared. And going to doctors, sometimes you're just a patient number. And I didn't feel that here.”

Wen, a physician assistant, also sent Richardson to get a bone density scan where Richardson learned she had severe osteoporosis – so bad that she had to reduce the weight of her purse for fear it would break her wrist. Richardson is so grateful because she believes knowledge is power.

Staying connected to consistent care

Although she doesn’t consider herself computer savvy, Richardson says she’s learned to use OSF MyChart, and it keeps her connected to Wen.

“It’s easy to use, and it helps me monitor and keep up with my own health issues. I like the fact it reminds me when I have appointments coming up. I’m retired but I’m still busy.”

Richardson remembers when doctors made house calls and says the care she’s getting now reminds her of that.

“When the doctor would come to your house with his bag. I know it was 100 years ago. But it’s so personal now, here. And you go to other places, and you’re waiting and waiting. And no one really seems to care.”

The 6,300 square-foot clinic features 12 exam rooms and on-site labs. Sandy Valino Stock, DO, medical director of OSF CompleteCare 55+, says many people enjoy the option to connect digitally 24/7. Virtual visits make it easy to get answers to questions, especially after hours when symptoms aren’t severe enough for emergency care. Richardson says that kind of convenience could save her from long waits in the emergency department, only to be sent home with a quick evaluation and remedy.

Dr. Valino Stock says about half of the people who use the clinic take advantage of virtual visits, while the other half are seen in-person.

“Patients love the virtual concept because they don’t have to miss as much work. It’s just convenient for them,” Dr. Valino Stock shares. “Sometimes it’s a case where the patient comes into the clinic and their loved one wants to be tuned in, but they’re at work. So, they can be virtual during that visit, and they can be present if they need to be.”

More than half of the clinic’s patients have high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol, one-fourth have diabetes and significant osteoarthritis, and about 10% have heart failure.

But consistent care is helping improve those conditions. For example, almost 80% of patients are now meeting blood pressure and A1c targets, up from 34% and 58% respectively.

The clinic has also seen success in increasing completion rates for screenings such as mammograms, bone density tests and colonoscopies. These preventive steps are often overlooked, but they play a key role in long-term health.

GLP1 medication management is available

As people age, weight management can also become more difficult as metabolism naturally slows. Dr. Valino Stock explains that metabolism typically declines by 1% to 2% each year after age 20. At CompleteCare 55+, more than half of patients are overweight or meet obesity criteria. This is important because extra weight on the body leads to most of the medical conditions being treated.

GLP-1 medications such as Mounjaro or Ozempic are, as Dr. Valino Stock put it, “magical” in helping people lose weight. But the GLP-1 journey requires regular check-ins and medication management.

“We see them monthly for the most part as they’re getting started on these GLP-1s. So, patients have better success at getting healthier, whether it’s controlling their blood sugars or lowering their weight and doing it in a healthy manner where they can maintain their muscle and minimize the side effects.”

Many who enroll in OSF CompleteCare 55+ are women in pre-menopause and menopause. The outlook for Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for menopause has fundamentally shifted in the past 10 years. Following major reviews, experts now recognize that for most healthy women under 60 or within 10 years of the onset of menopause, the benefits of HRT far outweigh the risks.

“If no contraindications, we can help women sleep better, have a little bit more energy, feel themselves and just continue life because life is very busy. So, if we can help a woman get a good night’s sleep, everything changes for that woman.”

Beyond direct medical care, digital health care navigators at a “Connect Bar” in the lobby also help with insurance issues, coordinating appointments with specialists and navigating OSF MyChart and other tools to monitor their health. Events such as Tech Tuesday also allow for group sessions to address technology challenges.

Navigators also connect people with resources to address social needs such as transportation to appointments or senior centers or food insecurity. Through educational events with speakers on health topics and partnerships with local organizations, clinic leaders continue to learn more about the needs of the people they're serving.

Additionally, regular outreach efforts keep providers connected. For example, at the OSF CompleteCare 55+ clinic, any community member can access free blood pressure screenings from 10 a.m.-noon every first and third Tuesday of the month.

Learn more here about OSF CompleteCare 55+ primary care.

Video clips with Carla Richardson

Video clips with Dr. Sandy Valino Stock

B-roll-OSF CompleteCare 55+

Top 10 OSF HealthCare digital health and innovation stories of 2025

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 07:00:00 -0600

From crisis to confidence: Patient praises new OSF 24/7 primary care

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 08:46:24 -0500

Marci Schneider Batsakis of Orland Park, Illinois never imagined when she enrolled in a new type of primary care that offers 24/7 digital access that she would be using it the first weekend.

Schneider Batsakis was the first patient to enroll in mid-June in OSF CompleteCare 55+. The service offers around-the-clock digital support, plus virtual and in-person care at its new clinic at 99^th and Western in south suburban Evergreen Park. She liked the idea of coordinated care that was connected to a hospital system.

“I wanted my care to be coordinated in a more organic way. I wanted my doctors to have privileges at the same hospital, have a passing recognition of each other, so that I knew I truly had a team working with me.”

OSF Complete Care 55+ is operated by OSF HealthCare, a 17-hospital system that includes OSF HealthCare Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Evergreen Park. OSF CompleteCare 55+, focuses on patients who are 55 or older and experiencing two or more ongoing health conditions. For Schneider Batsakis, that’s high blood pressure and arthritis.

High blood pressure was the issue six days after first enrolling. The retired nurse knew something was wrong and sure enough, her blood pressure was extremely and dangerously high. Schneider Batsakis used the OSF CompleteCare 55+ 24/7 care team phone number, and an advanced practice registered nurse listened to her symptoms and immediately told her, “Either you call an ambulance, or I will.”

Schneider Batsakis said she needed that clear advice and was glad she could get it at 11:30 on a Saturday morning. She spent that night in the hospital where she received tests and was monitored.

“I'm fine now, but had he not told me what to do, I might have spent the next hour trying to figure out if I really wanted to do it. Should I be calling someone to drive me to the hospital? So, it really was exactly what I needed.”

Schneider Batsakis jokes that her daughters have degrees from Google university and in this case, they were glad their mom had someone to call and get great, reliable advice. She has also given them, as medical power of attorneys, the 24/7 care team phone number.

Schneider Batsakis’ follow-up at OSF CompleteCare 55+ was the Monday morning following the weekend health emergency.

Schneider Batsakis shares. "What CompleteCare offered me was a place to come in on that Monday, admit that I was scared, talk about my concerns, and I felt like they [her concerns] were listened to. I felt like I was validated, and we sat and came up with a plan of care that's right for me.”

Part of her care plan will include a referral to a registered dietitian because while in the hospital, she was tested for diabetes, and her A1C, a measurement average blood sugar levels over time, was a bit high.

Schneider Batsakis welcomes the referral and says she's pleased to get expert advice on how to maintain a healthy blood sugar level.

The newly built OSF CompleteCare 55+ clinic features 12 exam rooms, on-site labs, and extended hours. Features were developed through listening sessions with the older adult community on Chicago’s south side and southwest suburbs to hear what care the community wanted.

Managing medical director Sandy Valino Stock, DO, says future plans include group visits for education. OSF CompleteCare 55+ offers at-home digital monitoring tools and devices that allow 24/7 support. The clinic also features a Connect Bar, an area of the lobby where care navigators help patients get connected to OSF MyChart, messaging options and to make appointments with specialists.

Schneider Batsakis looks forward to feeling a part of a community and to getting the care where and when she needs it. The active suburban resident also encourages those 55 years and beyond to consider enrolling so they can experience a new level of access and a more personalized approach to care.

“Especially if you’re a woman who no longer needs your OB/GYN and you’ve been using urgent care as your primary care; this is where you need to be. The community of people understand that we are not youngsters. They understand what’s going on with us. They’re looking at our age and our concerns and helping us be the best that we can be as we move forward.”

Here's the website for more information, including frequently asked questions or to get started with OSF CompleteCare 55+.

Marci Schneider Batsakis

B-roll-OSF CompleteCare 55+ patient story

OSF HealthCare offers new approach to primary care on Chicago’s south side

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 15:00:10 -0500

Leaders from OSF HealthCare and OSF OnCall, the digital health arm of OSF HealthCare, gathered for a blessing of a new clinic that provides an innovative approach to 55+ primary care for people who have ongoing health conditions. The OSF CompleteCare 55+ clinic fills a 6,300-square-foot building at 9858 S. Western Ave., in Evergreen Park. The clinic will begin seeing patients June 16.

This unique approach to care provides guidance and education beyond routine visits and 24/7 digital connection to a care team to allow people to stay on top of their own health.

Highlights of the unique features:

·         In-person or virtual visits, including extended and after-hours care
·         24/7 access to your care team and digital health monitoring tools
·         Help with appointment scheduling and coordination, insurance referrals and pre-visit planning to maximize time with
their provider
·         On-site labs for convenience
·         Personalized care plans with group education and support to better understand your health conditions

OSF CompleteCare 55+ is a service of OSF HealthCare Little Company of Mary Medical Center.

The facility features:

·         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 devices
·         12 exam and treatment rooms equipped for virtual visits
·         Opportunities for group visits, group education, or support with device technology or remote patient
monitoring equipment
·         Family consult room for private discussions that can include extended family or support individuals

Many people 55 and older are balancing the responsibilities of caring for children, grandchildren and elderly parents, while still working themselves,” says Kathleen Kinsella, president of OSF Little Company of Mary. “This age group is busy! Because of that, their own health care needs often take a back seat. That’s why we created a new kind of primary care that offers appointments outside of traditional business hours, virtual options and care coordinators who can help you make connections to specialists when needed.”

Kate Barth, chief nursing officer and vice president, On Demand Services, OSF OnCall, says in designing the program, OSF held listening sessions with 55 and older community members about what features they would like to see in a new approach to primary care.

“We learned people want a choice of in-person or virtual visits, onsite lab services, help with care coordination and pre-visit coordination to maximize time with medical providers,” Barth shares. “Care navigators can also help deal with insurance issues, coordinating appointments with specialists, and extended clinic hours were features that came out of those listening sessions.”

Sandy Valino Stock, DO, is the medical director of the new OSF CompleteCare 55+ clinic. She has cared for patients with complex chronic conditions for more than 17 years through traditional primary care and concierge medicine models. She is passionate about serving communities and optimizing her patients’ health through a personalized, proactive approach. Dr. Valino Stock stresses CompleteCare 55+ strives to keep an aging population healthy and navigate the complex health care system when they are sick.

“The new model from OSF HealthCare differentiates itself from other primary care models by using a team approach to care for patients with multiple medical conditions. OSF CompleteCare 55+ utilizes technology to provide remote patient monitoring, 24/7 telemedicine support, while personalizing a patient’s health care journey. Chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease take a toll on not only the patients but also those who care for them. Our team at OSF CompleteCare 55+ eases these challenges.”