One OSF: Building a Unified Health System for the Future of Care

Over the past decade, OSF HealthCare has undergone a bold and deliberate transformation to evolve from a collection of hospitals and ambulatory sites into a unified, high-performing health system. In an era marked by rapid industry change, escalating costs, staff shortages, and technology transformation, along with the need for consistent, high-quality care models across diverse sites, OSF recognized that its operating model would not be sustainable for its future in healthcare. Without a consistent operating model, members of the same organization would operate in leadership silos, have inconsistent strategies, and struggle to achieve operating efficiency, all of which could create internal competition. With a renewed vision of One OSF, the organization embarked on a journey to systemness by prioritizing integration, cultural alignment, and innovation. Leadership restructured core functions, such as analytics, human resources, IT, legal, marketing, and communications, while establishing centralized roles and enterprise-wide analytics to drive performance. Through the creation of the Integration Management Office, OSF brought structure and consistency to growth efforts, ensuring that new acquisitions shared the same values and standards without losing their local relevance. Systemness proved especially vital during the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling OSF to dynamically reallocate resources and staff across its care sites. Today, with a focus on delivery system redesign, virtual care models, and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven tools, OSF is building a sustainable, scalable healthcare model tailored to the unique needs of the communities it serves, including those in rural settings. This article explores the OSF HealthCare journey to systemness, examining how a clear vision, aligned leadership, and strategic innovation enabled a seamless care experience, while driving efficiency, resilience, and long-term viability across a growing network.