This year, we are recognizing innovators in three categories: Clinical Innovator, Non-Clinical Innovator and Research Innovator. The finalists for the 2026 OSF Innovator of the Year award are all Mission Partners who have:
- Initiated and advanced meaningful change that has positively impacted health care outcomes, patient care, operational efficiency, research or experience.
- Brought forward new ideas that are novel, creative, unique or groundbreaking that align with current health care trends and are sustainable over time.
Gone above and beyond current duties and exhibited excellent leadership through collaboration that resulted in a meaningful transformation.
Meet our Finalists
Clinical Innovators
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Michael Endris, MD
Pediatrician
OSF Medical Group
Dr. Endris introduced Go Check Kids hearing tests at his clinic, giving children immediate access to a reliable, evidence‑based screening during their visit. This alleviated a significant backlog in audiology referrals in the Bloomington market by allowing clinicians to rule out concerns in real time and reserve external referrals only for patients who truly need them.
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John Farrell, MD
Clinical Director, Quality and Safety
OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center
Dr. Farrell led efforts to introduce the Beacon Light Far‑UV for piloting at OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center. He advanced the translation of emerging technology into clinical practice to improve patient and caregiver safety through strong cross‑disciplinary collaboration.
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Brad Hayes, RN
Clinical Resource Team
OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center
Brad worked with OSF Innovation Studio to create ZoDe, an adhesive bracket designed to keep chest tube drain systems from tipping over and making them easily movable. His efforts to develop and trial the device have made a meaningful impact on patient safety and created efficiency for care teams.
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Tiffany Magallanes
Vice President, Operations and Special Projects
OSF HealthCare Saint Elizabeth Medical Center
Tiffany transformed how clinical imaging services are delivered through innovations such as remote MRI scanning and redesigned breast imaging workflows. Her leadership introduced scalable, technology-enabled solutions that expand patient access, improve efficiency and support high-quality care.
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Non-Clinical Innovators
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Nichole Esterdahl, MSN, RN
Director, On Demand Operations
OSF OnCall
Nichole implemented an in-clinic virtual visit model at OSF OnCall Urgent Care as a response to increased patient volumes and long wait times. Her cross-collaborative leadership and willingness to adapt created a scalable care model that has improved patient access and experience.
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Nikki Graham, DNP, RN
Vice President, Nursing Practice Quality and Education
OSF HealthCare
Nikki created a scalable approach to nursing innovation through the Nursing Innovation Hub. This effort has bridged the gap between frontline insights and system-level solutions by improving workflows, reducing inefficiencies and strengthening nurse engagement. She is redefining national standards for how nursing innovation can impact a large health system.
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Sherri Greenwood
Vice President, Surgical and Procedural Services
OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center
Sherri led the launch of MyVisitGuide, an initiative that reduced no‑shows and cancellations for colonoscopy appointments and improved the patient experience. She also initiated the codevelopment partnership behind GownCard, demonstrating an ability to identify Ministrywide needs and advance practical, forward‑looking solutions through collaboration.
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Research Innovators
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Matthew Bramlet, MD
Pediatric Cardiologist and Director, Advanced Imaging and Modeling Lab
OSF HealthCare
Dr. Bramlet’s advanced imaging work has significantly improved how clinicians visualize complex anatomy and how efficiently imaging insights reach the point of care. His efforts have not only transformed surgical planning but are also designed for broad scalability across departments and systems, positioning the Ministry for future growth in advanced clinical imaging.
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Colleen Klein, PhD, APRN
Education and Research Scientist
OSF HealthCare
Colleen’s research is advancing digital health models for Medicaid populations through innovative, implementation‑focused research that demonstrates measurable real‑world impact. Her work shows how digital tools operate effectively within complex care environments, improving access, engagement and equity, enabling scalable system‑level adoption.
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Past Winners
2025
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Eric Martin, DO
Chief of Vascular Surgery, OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center
Learn more
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2024
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Katie Willerton, OT
Occupational Therapist, OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center
Learn more
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2023
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John Wipfler, MD
Attending Physician, Emergency Department, OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center
Learn more
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