Harvey Castro, MD, known professionally as DR GPT™ highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence in health care during an OSF Innovation Showcase at Jump Trading Simulation & Education Center, emphasizing its potential to shift medicine from a reactive system to one focused on prevention and predictive care.

During an interview ahead of his presentation, Castro said people don't come to the emergency department until something's wrong, but he thinks advances in AI-powered predictive analytics could give health care providers opportunities to intervene before diseases progress.

“Now we’re going to be able to do predictive analytics and know that you’re going to have a heart attack in five years, 10 years from now. Or, like I was saying, this conversation you could say, ‘You know what, the AI is detecting that Dr. Castro has prediabetes and I didn’t know that. And so now the AI is telling me. Now, I’m like wait I need to lose weight, I need to take care of myself, and now I don’t even get diabetes because I’m jumping on it years before the actual condition.”

AI will speed time to diagnosis

Dr. Castro suggests that today’s five-year-old could live to 150 because of the advancements in longevity that artificial intelligence will bring. He also highlighted the technology’s potential in pediatric medicine and rare disease diagnosis, where patients and families often wait months or years for answers. AI systems trained to recognize patterns in symptoms and medical histories could help physicians identify rare conditions faster and begin treatment sooner.

“But what if we could take that year and a half and crunch it down to a day or two, and now we have a diagnosis?” Castro said. “Now as a parent, you know what's wrong. It’s got to be so frustrating not to know, especially when it comes to your children.”

Among those at the OSF Innovation Showcase were physicians who are treating kids at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois. His message hit home as Dr. Castro reminded the audience that 50% of rare diseases impact children.

During his remarks, Castro also discussed how health care systems, such as OSF HealthCare, are increasingly building their own AI models using local patient data. He said using region-specific information is critical to ensuring AI tools accurately reflect the populations they serve. He calls that the “gold standard.”

“Let’s say I'm in Texas and I come up here and I say, ‘Here's my data. Let's use this AI here,’ it's not representative of the population here.” Castro stressed, “Right there you can make the argument that it’s going to hallucinate versus yours which is not. I think that’s key.”

Patients are already leveraging AI

For physicians and other providers, Dr. Castro advised that they should leverage AI because patients are already doing it. However, he said patients should not rely on the technology alone for medical advice. Because AI-generated responses can sound authoritative even when inaccurate, he said physicians must remain actively involved in evaluating and confirming information.

“The problem with ChatGPT is it sounds so real and it sounds so correct and it personalizes to you and it knows what words to use so that if it’s making it up, it sounds so real, so the average person won’t know is this hallucinating or is it saying something wrong or is it right? He emphasized, “That's why I say, especially health care, we need that doctor in the loop.”

Dr. Castro serves on a panel of health care leaders advising OpenAI, which operates ChatGPT, on best practices.

He shared that OpenAI is rolling out a new, optional safety feature for ChatGPT called Trusted Contact. This feature is designed for adult users (18+) and acts as a mental health safety net, allowing users to designate a friend, family member or caregiver to be notified if ChatGPT's systems detect that the user is engaging in conversations that indicate a serious risk of self-harm.

Despite concerns that artificial intelligence could make health care feel less personal, Castro argued the technology may actually improve patient interactions by reducing administrative burdens on physicians. AI transcription tools, for example, can allow doctors to spend less time typing notes and more time focused on patients.

In looking to the future, Dr. Castro envisions a day when wearables will combine with AI-connected devices in the home that will analyze daily waste, weight and other personal data and send a text to alert someone about a medical concern. In the end, he says artificial intelligence will be better for humanity and allow health systems to better care for people.

Harvey Castro, MD, MBA, known as DR GPT™, is an emergency physician, Chief AI Officer, author, keynote speaker, and physician futurist. He speaks and advises on AI in healthcare, digital health, clinical workflow, space health, and the future of human-centered medicine.
 

Media clips with Dr. Harvey Castro

B-roll-OSF Innovation Showcase

This year’s honorees include Colleen Klein, Nicole Esterdahl and Tiffany Magallanes. They have each demonstrated extraordinary vision, creativity, and measurable impact in their respective areas. The awards were announced during the OSF Innovation Showcase at Jump Trading Simulation & Education Center.

Driving the Future of Health Care Innovation

“These innovators exemplify the Mission of OSF HealthCare by transforming challenges into opportunities for meaningful change,” says Becky Buchen, senior vice president, OSF Innovation. “Their work is not only improving today’s care experience but also shaping the future of how care is delivered across our Ministry.”

The Innovator of the Year Awards highlight the commitment of OSF HealthCare to advancing innovation that is scalable, sustainable and grounded in the needs of patients and Mission Partners.

Research Innovator of the Year: Colleen Klein, PhD, APRN, Research Scientist

Colleen Klein is recognized for her pioneering contributions to the Medicaid Innovation Collaborative, where she has advanced digital health research through rigorous, implementation-focused methodologies. By integrating an approach that uses mixed-methods research, implementation science and applied health services evaluation, Klein has helped bridge the gap between evidence generation and real-world application.

Her work stands apart by examining digital health interventions within real-world Medicaid delivery systems – addressing access, engagement and equity while accounting for operational realities. Through this approach, Klein has generated meaningful insights into patient trust, digital engagement and utilization patterns. Her research has resulted in multiple peer-reviewed publications and provides a scalable, equity-focused framework for digital health innovation across health systems.

Klein’s nominator says, “Colleen has supported team members in understanding research methods, measurement strategies and evaluation frameworks, strengthening collective capability and promoting methodological consistency. This mentoring approach has enabled teams to engage more effectively in data-informed decision-making and continuous learning.”

Non-Clinical Innovator of the Year: Nichole Esterdahl, MSN, RN, Director of On Demand Operations, OSF OnCall

Nichole Esterdahl is being honored for leading a transformative initiative that reimagined care delivery within OSF OnCall Urgent Care. In response to rising patient volumes and long wait times, identified as the top driver of patient dissatisfaction, Esterdahl spearheaded the development of a self-service, in-clinic virtual visit model.

This innovative hybrid solution allows patients to independently connect with virtual providers using existing tools, including OSF MyChart and TytoCare diagnostic technology, while seamlessly integrating onsite clinical support when needed. The model has completed 505 visits since implementation, achieving an average door-to-door time of just 23 minutes and 34 seconds and an exceptional Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 92.31.

Esterdahl’s leadership was defined by adaptability and collaboration. After initial workflows proved misaligned with real-world operations, she engaged frontline staff, identified barriers and pivoted to a more intuitive, patient-centered model. Now implemented across all OSF OnCall Urgent Care locations, the solution requires no additional staffing, improves throughput, and enhances both efficiency and patient experience, positioning OSF as a leader in hybrid care delivery.

Esterdahl’s nominator says, “Nichole’s innovation aligns perfectly with current health care trends, including digital transformation, hybrid care models, operational efficiency and patient empowerment. As urgent care continues to evolve, her work positions OSF OnCall as a leader in modern, technology-enabled access to care.”

Clinical Innovator of the Year: Tiffany Magallanes, Vice President of Operations and Special Projects, OSF HealthCare Saint Elizabeth Medical Center

Tiffany Magallanes is being recognized for her transformative leadership in reimagining radiology care delivery through scalable, technology-enabled models that expand access while maintaining the highest standards of quality and safety.

She led the development of two groundbreaking system-level innovations: an MRI remote scanning program and a remote radiologist model for diagnostic breast imaging. Through strategic partnerships with OSF OnCall, Pointcore and GE HealthCare, Magallanes designed a multi-phase pilot enabling remote MRI technologist support that enhances local capabilities, supports staff training and allows complex imaging to be performed closer to home. Approximately 20 advanced MRI exams that previously would have required patients to travel outside their communities have now been retained locally, with no increase in safety concerns and improved technologist confidence.

At the same time, Magallanes reimagined diagnostic breast imaging by implementing a remote radiologist model across multiple sites. This innovation eliminated geographic bottlenecks and significantly improved access, enabling patients to consistently receive diagnostic mammograms within seven days. The model has already expanded to four locations, with a fifth site planned, increasing both diagnostic and preventive screening capacity across the region.

Importantly, these innovations were intentionally designed for sustainability and scale. With standardized workflows, replicable playbooks and minimal additional infrastructure requirements, both programs are positioned for expansion across additional OSF markets and beyond. Magallanes is already advancing new concepts, including remote radiology models for ultrasound and other specialty services, while contributing to enterprise-wide transformation initiatives.

Her nominator says, “What distinguishes Tiffany as an innovator is her ability to anticipate challenges such as workforce shortages, access gaps and care fragmentation, and to proactively design solutions that are both visionary and operationally sound. Her leadership in complex initiatives, including system-wide imaging standardization efforts, has streamlined workflows, reduced denials and improved patient access across the Ministry.”

Justin Baker, MD, clutches a tiny koala bear as he talks about his approach to treating children facing a life-limiting or life-ending illness. The oncologist and palliative care specialist was a keynote speaker at a recent OSF Innovation showcase at the Jump Simulation & Education Center in Peoria, Illinois. Dr. Baker has also served as a consultant for palliative care at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois.

The koala reinforces his message: Quality of Life for All Kids or QoLA which means embedding palliative care early and into every aspect of caring for a very sick child. Dr. Baker is a nationally recognized leader in pediatric palliative care with more than 30 years of experience and helped develop one of the country’s first integrated programs dedicated to this approach. He is now the chief of the Division of Quality of Life and Pediatric Palliative Care at Stanford Medicine. Additionally, he serves as the associate chief quality officer for Patient Experience and Holistic Care at Stanford.

Dr. Baker says palliative care works along with traditional treatment to reduce suffering, not only physically but emotionally and spiritually. It’s not an either/or situation but a yes-and approach, combining disease treatment and quality of life care. It’s what Dr. Baker describes as a holistic approach that involves every member of the care team, from social workers and psychologists to radiation and medical oncologists and nurses – everyone.

One aspect of holistic palliative care involves fostering communication. Dr. Baker says often families engage in something called “mutual pretense” where everyone pretends everything is OK. Instead, he recommends the care team promote honest communication to discuss goals for the child and family to drive treatment decisions.

“All of a sudden, people can take a breath, talk about the things that really matter, and all that energy that was being used to pretend that things are OK, it is now being channeled into doing things that make everything better. We can then focus on how we make today the best day possible.”

Communicating bad news does not steal hope according to Dr. Baker. He says hope is a coping mechanism that gives a sense of purpose and adds to quality of life.

“When we think about promoting hope, what we try to do is hope for the best and plan for absolutely everything. And one of the most important things we do is we provide anticipatory guidance.” 

Preventing regret is a key strategy

Anticipatory guidance helps families make difficult decisions by thinking about the best and worst case scenarios. Specifically, Dr. Baker says he emphasizes the importance of helping families prevent regret.

“I think preventing regret is one of the most important things we can do and the best way to do it is to walk alongside that family, helping them make these very difficult decisions and that we carry some of that weight.”

Research also reveals that regret can significantly impact grief and bereavement, leading to increased anxiety, depression and higher mortality. So, Dr. Baker preaches about the need for pausing and reflecting to consider whether medical interventions ensure that treatment aligns with the patient and family’s wishes.

“Usually, we just do things, and we do things to the patient rather than thinking ‘Are we doing this for the patient? Are we doing this for the family?’ And so, too often we do because we can without fully contemplating whether we should. It’s a way to be a little bit provocative to say, ‘Did you really pause and think about this?’” 

Lastly, Dr. Baker stresses the medical community often views pediatric palliative care as end-of-life care, but this is not the case for most patients and families who embrace the idea of reducing stress and having support from everyone who they come in contact with throughout their care journey.

Dr. Justin Baker

B-roll for Dr. Baker's speech and patients at OSF HealthCare Children's Hospital of Illinois