The Connected Communities Initiative (CCI) program is a partnership between OSF HealthCare and Illinois State University aimed at developing solutions to health challenges in central communities. We are looking for new tools, techniques, and processes that remove barriers to care, enhance health and wellness education, and leverage technology to improve training and community outreach. 

The program is open to all ISU faculty and clinicians of OSF HealthCare. Proposals must identify at least two co-investigators: one faculty member from ISU and one clinician at OSF HealthCare. Selected projects will receive one year of funding up to $75,000 with the option to re-apply for additional funding after the project is successfully completed.

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As part of this arrangement, multidisciplinary teams made up of clinicians as well as ISU faculty and researchers will develop solutions in the following focus areas:

• Clinical and patient education
• Health care engineering
• Data science
• Cybersecurity

Additional focus areas specific to the Spring 2025 cycle:

• Enhancing the patient experience to improve care satisfaction
• Boosting workforce engagement to foster staff retention and satisfaction
• Addressing quality and safety concerns to refine clinical care and operational protocols.

For a list of required fields within the application, click here.