OSF HealthCare targets employers with on-site offerings through its mobile, digital services

 

By MELISSA CROCKETT MESKE
Managing Editor, Illinois Business Journal
[email protected]

OSF Saint Anthony’s Health Center is broadening its digital and mobile health footprint across the Metro East, positioning its OSF OnCall Connect program as a turnkey wellness solution for regional employers seeking on-site preventive care.

In a recent discussion at the Alton-based hospital, OSF OnCall Digital Health Navigator Supervisor Holly Woulfe and OSF Saint Anthony’s Communications Lead Randy Schorfheide outlined how the system is rolling out what is referred to as a “virtual hospital without walls.”

“Working through our business development team, our van is able to offer a variety of mobile employer services,” Woulfe explained. “Employers fill out an intake form, choosing what services they want us to come and offer to their employees. In addition to the health and wellness screenings, we can also offer on-site vaccinations through our mobile employer services, such as flu shots.”

The organization recently completed an employer-hosted mobile event at 1st Mid-America Credit Union in Bethalto. Employees from multiple branches visited the OSF OnCall Connect mobile services van to access a range of health screenings and wellness resources.

 

 

Available screenings include glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure and oxygen-level checks, as well as others. The screenings are free for anyone 18 or older, while other services are billed as they would be in a traditional office visit. The mobile unit does not collect payment on site, and individuals without a primary care provider are connected to OSF HealthCare’s network.

For the Metro East, the mobile employer services area currently spans a one-hour radius around Saint Anthony’s Health Center’s Alton base.

Equipped with diagnostic tools and connectivity capabilities, the OSF OnCall Connect van supports both virtual and hybrid care models. Digital health navigators can take vitals and connect patients with providers through an online portal for diagnosis or follow-up. Routine and urgent virtual visits are supported, and the system’s clinical remote monitoring program can track chronic conditions—such as diabetes, COPD, heart failure, and asthma—around the clock.

“This virtual hospital without walls platform provides 24-7 access with offerings for partners and patients across the entire care continuum,” Schorfheide noted.

Beyond building its employer partnerships, OSF OnCall Connect has increased its community presence as well, through such on-site visits as those recently held at the Hillcrest and Marion Heights senior apartment complexes in Alton. “We are going to where the need is instead of waiting for it to come to us,” Woulfe said. “We stive to become a truly embedded part of the community.”

OSF continues evaluating other mobile and digital services, including potential expansions into neighborhood-based psychological care, though discussions remain ongoing. Meanwhile, the mobile employer services program is refining its model with each new request.

OnCall digital health navigators are also available to staff informational tables at worksites. The organization emphasizes that the outreach is educational, not sales-driven—a point highlighted in program materials and confirmed by Woulfe. Employees can ask questions, learn about future free screening events, and connect with OSF’s digital tools during these visits.

If any employer or other group-based location is interested in learning more, you can visit online at osfoncall.org/onthego or call Woulfe at (309) 886-4200.

Photos courtesy OSF Healthcare.