OSF Innovation

10/12/2026

What happens when health care teams practice for an emergency before it happens?

At Jump Simulation, realistic cardiac event simulations help care teams practice critical skills, strengthen communication and identify opportunities to improve – all before facing a real emergency.

Now, Jump's simulation experts are sharing what they've learned with health care educators and simulation centers through a practical guide to running a simulated cardiac event.

Explore the best practices:

As more hospitals and newly developed simulation centers look to develop their own code simulations, we'd like to share some of our best practices that we have learned over the years.

10/07/2026

What if a 3D model could help doctors better understand a kidney tumor before treatment?

OSF HealthCare and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are collaborating on a project to make kidney cancer treatment planning more precise.

Researchers are developing technology that uses CT scans to create detailed 3D models of the kidney and tumor. The technology could help doctors objectively assess tumor complexity and make more informed decisions about surgery and treatment.

It’s a great example of how academic collaboration can turn innovative research into tools that have the potential to improve patient care.

10/05/2026

What if your medications could be chosen with your unique biology in mind?

That’s the promise of pharmacogenomics – using information about a person’s genes to help determine which medications and doses may work best for them.

But bringing personalized medicine into everyday care takes more than technology. It takes the right workflows to get that information into the hands of providers when they need it.

The HealthCare Performance Improvement team is helping make that possible as we explore how pharmacogenomics can become part of personalized patient care.

Hear from Ryan Loudermilk, Director of Performance Improvement, about the work behind personalized medicine: https://bit.ly/4zSZqZX

09/29/2026

: On the latest episode of , we explore how the OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute is transforming cancer care through innovation, research and expanded access to treatment.

09/28/2026

🌟 Mission Partner Monday 🌟
This Monday, we are recognizing Gianna Vitale, an automation engineer at OSF Innovation, for her thoughtful and dedicated work. Gianna has been with OSF Innovation for three years and in that short amount of time, she has made a strong impact.

She says her favorite part about her job is her team. Gianna notes that she is lucky to work with people who are willing to share knowledge, boost growth and support one another. She enjoys her team because they work hard while also having fun and genuinely have the drive to help each other succeed.

To Gianna, serving with the greatest care and love means supporting Mission Partners who care for patients every day. In her role, she builds solutions that help Mission Partners save time and reduce manual work. Her goal is to make work easier, whether it's automating medication refill processes so nurses can spend more time with patients or streamlining prior authorization checks so revenue cycle teams can focus on helping patients navigate financial assistance. By helping the people who help others, she plays a small part in supporting the care our patients receive.

Gianna has a biomedical engineering degree from the University of Iowa. A fun fact about her is that she was introduced to OSF Innovation in 2014 through the first STEM outreach program for local Catholic schools, and she stayed involved through camps and school activities for years after. Along the way, the biomedical engineers she met inspired her to pursue a degree in biomedical engineering. Gianna says now, more than a decade later, she's lucky to call OSF Innovation her workplace!

09/27/2026

Some of the best ideas in health care come directly from frontline teams.

Nikki Graham, DNP, RN created the Nursing Innovation Hub to help connect frontline insights with scalable systemwide solutions. Her work is helping improve workflows, strengthen engagement and redefine how nursing innovation can drive change across a large health system.

We’re proud to recognize her as a 2026 OSF Innovator of the Year finalist.

09/23/2026

The OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute opened in Peoria in 2024 with a mission to transform cancer care through innovation, research and expanded access to treatment. Less than three years later, the institute is helping shape the future of oncology across Illinois and beyond.

Join us as we explore the growth and impact of the OSF Cancer Institute. We’ll discuss the expansion of medical oncology services, an increase in access to clinical trials, advances in research and the introduction of new programs focused on survivorship and theranostics. We'll also touch on what lies ahead as cancer care continues to evolve and how OSF is working to bring world-class care to Central Illinois.

We chat with Robert McWilliams, MD, deputy director of the OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute, and Ryan Luginbuhl, vice president of the Oncology Service Line for OSF HealthCare, about the institute's accomplishments and their vision for the next decade of cancer care.

Listen now: https://bit.ly/4cWTSE7

Join us as we explore the growth and impact of the OSF Cancer Institute.

09/18/2026

This Healthcare Simulation Week, we’re sharing our 2026 SimSpotlight Recognition recipients.

Our Simulation Facilitator SimSpotlight recipients are Iulia Ghiorghias and Umair Iqbal, MD, MPH!

Simulation facilitators help create meaningful simulation-based learning experiences through learner engagement, collaboration, innovation and support of simulation-based education.

⭐ Iulia Ghiorghias is a clinical education scholar and was recognized for her collaboration, flexibility and proactive approach to simulation. Her colleagues describe her as someone who brings teams together, communicates openly and consistently looks for solutions when challenges arise.

⭐Umair Iqbal, MD, MPH is an assistant professor, clinical pediatrics with the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria and was recognized for the energy, purpose and genuine commitment he brings to learners. Through his leadership with the Pre-Medicine Immersion Program and his work with medical students, Dr. Iqbal makes complex concepts approachable while encouraging learners to ask questions, build confidence and imagine what may be possible in their futures.

Please join us in congratulating Iulia and Dr. Iqbal and thanking them for creating learning experiences that educate, encourage and inspire!

09/17/2026

This Healthcare Simulation Week, we’re sharing our 2026 SimSpotlight Recognition recipients.

Our Behind-the-Scenes SimSpotlight recipients are Michelle Adams and Rhonda Urban!

Some of the most important work that makes our programs, events and simulation experiences successful happens long before learners enter the room. Organization, preparation, communication, problem solving and willingness to step in wherever needed help make meaningful learning possible.

⭐ Michelle, standardized participant specialist, was recognized for her exceptional attention to detail, communication, creativity and support of others. From identifying details that make simulation scripts stronger and more realistic to anticipating the needs of learners and standardized participants, Michelle continually looks for ways to strengthen the experience.

⭐ Rhonda, event liaison, was recognized for her dependability, accountability, organization and ability to remain calm when the unexpected happens. Her work often begins well before an educational experience, but it directly affects whether learners, faculty and Mission Partners have what they need to be successful.

Help us thank Michelle and Rhonda for the countless ways they work behind the scenes to make exceptional learning experiences possible!

09/17/2026

This Healthcare Simulation Week, we’re sharing our 2026 SimSpotlight Recognition recipients.

Our Simulation Operations & Anatomical Lab SimSpotlight recipients are Shannon Egli and Jeff Sponholz!

These Mission Partners help bring hands-on learning experiences to life – from creating and supporting realistic learning environments to sharing expertise, solving problems and collaborating with faculty and learners.

⭐ Shannon, an anatomical lab coordinator, was recognized for his unique ability to make science and anatomy understandable, engaging and fun. His colleagues highlighted his enthusiasm for teaching and his talent for explaining complex concepts in ways learners of all ages can understand and remember.

⭐ Jeff, simulation operations specialist, was recognized for his technical expertise, responsiveness, reliability and commitment to making simulation experiences successful. His colleagues describe him as someone who is always willing to step in, troubleshoot a challenge, share his knowledge and find a solution.

Please join us in congratulating Shannon and Jeff and thank them for the expertise, creativity and dedication they bring to hands-on learning and simulation-based education!

We’ll be sharing more of this year’s winners throughout the week.