09/09/2025
The Clinical Intelligence and Data Lab, in collaboration with John Jung-Woon Yoo, Ph.D., professor at Bradley University, and graduate student Ayman Mohamedelkhair, recently participated in a GEMBA walkthrough of the operating rooms at OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center. Guided by Jill Nora, DNP, RN, coordinator of surgery business operations and block scheduling, the team observed surgical scheduling practices firsthand to gather insights that will shape a new research initiative.
The project’s objective is to develop a data-driven, patient-centered surgical scheduling system that ensures patients receive timely access to the right care setting while making the most of limited resources such as operating rooms, surgical staff and recovery beds. By integrating optimization algorithms with real-time hospital data, the system will reduce surgical lead times, alleviate scheduling bottlenecks and improve overall efficiency. Ultimately, this effort is designed to enhance patient outcomes and create a scalable framework that can be applied across the OSF HealthCare Ministry.
This work is supported by the Innovation for Health (IFH) program, a strategic partnership between OSF HealthCare and Bradley University, designed to synergize OSF’s clinical and operational expertise with the nationally recognized engineering education and research at Bradley’s Caterpillar College of Engineering & Technology.
