OSF OnCall Connect and the I-80 region are partnering to offer a new obstetric care model. Pregnant or postpartum women in Ottawa, Peru, Mendota and surrounding communities will now have the opportunity to schedule more visits virtually during their pregnancy. In addition, all I-80 patients will be eligible to enroll in the Pregnancy and Postpartum Support program that offers 24/7/365 access to an OB care team. 

I-80 patients will now be offered virtual visits at eight, 12, 19, 24, 30 and 34 weeks. The two-week postpartum visit can also be scheduled virtually. 

Visits are available seven days a week from 7 a.m.-7 p.m., offering patients additional flexibility and opportunities. Nurses on the OSF OnCall Connect team will enroll all I-80 OB patients in the pregnancy and postpartum support program at no cost, providing continuous access for questions and concerns, conducting virtual discharges and scheduling follow-up appointments. Patients will also be screened for social drivers of health such as food, transportation, housing and other supports. OSF OnCall does have a mobile unit to support pregnant-postpartum women on Medicaid who might need care brought their doorstep.

”The one-year program combines virtual visits, 24/7 digital support and in-person care to ease travel burdens, strengthen follow-up and provide a healthier pregnancy and postpartum experience,” says Kate Johnson, manager of Digital Care-Women’s Services, OSF OnCall. “We are committed to innovative solutions that keep care personal while expanding access.” Johnson adds, “Women will benefit from coordinated prenatal and postpartum monitoring and stronger follow-up, while in-person care teams will maintain key milestones and bedside care.”

The OSF OnCall Connect care team will also support post-delivery education before a woman is discharged from the hospital, making sure she has follow-up appointments scheduled, understands the need for regular blood pressure checks and offering lactation services if needed.

The research collected during the year-long pilot will evaluate outcomes, patient experiences and staff insights to guide improvements and shape patient-centered care and communications. 

B-roll-OSF OnCall Pregnancy-Postpartum support for I-80 region

Additional content re: OSF OnCall Pregnancy and Postpartum support:
24-7 connection through OSF OnCall empowers patients and improves outcomes
OSF HealthCare receives $1.5 million for new mobile pregnancy and postpartum care unit

No one wants to go to a hospital emergency department (ED), but sometimes, there’s no avoiding it.

As OSF HealthCare joins other health systems struggling with staffing shortages, it is also seeing patients without access to primary care showing up in emergency rooms and facing long waits for less serious health issues. To meet the challenge of long wait times, OSF is turning to virtual technology to move patients through their ED experience more efficiently.

Anyone coming into the hospital emergency department at OSF HealthCare Saint Elizabeth Medical Center in either Peru or Ottawa, Illinois will be triaged to determine the seriousness of their condition or injury. Patients who qualify for this time saving option for care will be taken to one of our virtual care rooms where a nurse helps establish a video connection and assists the patient with any hands-on equipment needed for a video visit with the virtual provider.

“Our virtual physician will be able to do an assessment of each patient virtually, through the use of advanced technology and the onsite nurse. They will develop an appropriate treatment plan, coordinate prescriptions, and a follow up care plan,” says Dawn Trompeter, president of OSF Saint Elizabeth Medical Center. “We want to offer a better experience for everyone, and qualified patients can be seen more quickly and get on the road to recovery.”

Studies also reveal prolonged emergency department wait times and length of a visit reduces quality care and increases adverse events for patients with serious illnesses. “So, the goal with introducing this new model is to improve patient care as well as our patients’ experience,” Trompeter stresses.

The virtual emergency care area is located within the hospital emergency department and includes a mobile cart equipped with two-way audio and video capabilities, making it easy to have a conversation with the remote medical provider. The mobile units have high-resolution cameras to observe symptoms or injuries more closely.

A nurse or medical staff member will assist with completing the patient assessment using the advanced digital tools on the mobile units that allow the virtual doctor to hear a patient’s breath and cardiac sounds or look more closely into the patient’s eyes and ears, just as they would do if they were physically in the room.

“We will work together to take care of patients with the same high standard of care given by our in-person physicians,” says Benjamin Kemp, MD, the lead physician for virtual emergency care.

If at any time the care team thinks someone needs to be seen in person by a doctor, they can be immediately transferred to the traditional ED.

“If a patient requires care that is too complex for virtual interaction, we will easily and seamlessly work with the in-person team to get the great care patients deserve,” Dr. Kemp emphasizes.

OSF is using several innovative approaches to reduce ED wait times and improve the overall experience, including using virtual behavioral health clinicians to make sure people with mental health issues are seen within the target goal of one hour. Additionally, research is underway to see if predictive modeling using artificial intelligence can help match staffing with surge times.

B-roll of Virtual ED