While national projections indicate a 9% increase for inpatient days (i.e. length of stay) for the next 10 years, along with a long-term trend of a 5% decline in inpatient admission volumes for hospitals, OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center and OSF Medical Group continue to see patient volumes increase in outpatient services and office visits respectively - and not just from 2024 to 2025, but also since 2022.
“The year-over-year increases in our outpatient services are a clear indication that what we’re experiencing at OSF Saint Anthony’s is consistent with the rest of the health care industry around the country,” says Lisa Schepers, DNP, MBA, RN, NE-BC, interim president, OSF Saint Anthony’s. “National inpatient hospital utilization is projected to slightly rise over the next decade, driven by an aging population, with inpatient days expected to grow. However, in the long-term, industry research continues to show per capita admissions declining as care shifts to outpatient settings. We’ve planned for this very scenario and are meeting the health care needs of our patients here in the Riverbend region.”
Greatest among the outpatient services volume increases that OSF saint Anthony’s has realized is in outpatient surgeries. For example:
- In 2025, outpatient surgery procedures rose 9% from 2024
- Even greater is the 24.56% volume growth since 2022
“These increases encompass more than just appendectomies, gall bladder procedures, colonoscopies and other general surgery encounters,” says Schepers. “Our increased surgery volumes also include urology, podiatry, interventional pain management, ENT (ear, nose & throat), and orthopedics.”
Not far off from the growth pace for outpatient surgeries is the expanded utilization of outpatient services. Overall, 2025 brought increased volumes equaling 6.08%. Respective individual outpatient service growth ranged between 2%-7% for:
- Imaging (X-ray, CT/MRI/PET, mammography, ultrasound)
- OSF Rehabilitation (physical, speech and occupational therapies)
- Psychological Services
- Laboratory
The most significant growth in 2025 for OSF Saint Anthony’s outpatient services was in the hospital’s Wound Care Center of Excellence where patient volume increased by 79% - nearly double from 2024.
It is estimated that chronic wounds affect 6.7 million people in the U.S. and that number is rising, fueled by an aging population and increasing rates of conditions such as diabetes, obesity and the late effects of radiation therapy. If left untreated chronic wounds can lead to diminished quality of life and possibly amputation of the affected limb.
Likely candidates for treatment at the Wound Care Center of Excellence at OSF Saint Anthony’s are those suffering from (but not limited to):
- Arterial ulcers
- Burns
- Diabetic ulcers
- Neuropathic ulcers
- Pressure ulcers
- Radiation wounds
- Surgical wounds
- Traumatic wounds
- Vasculitis
- Venous ulcers
- Other chronic, non-healing wounds
A primary source for the growth in 2025 can be traced back to OSF Medical Group offices in Alton (primary and specialty care) and Godfrey (pediatrics, primary care, and OSF PromptCare in Godfrey).
Total provider office visits increased by 12.35% from 2022-2025, which amounts to an average 4.116% year-over-year increase annually during that time.
“Just in 2025, we added six (6) new providers to our medical staff roster,” says Isha McConkey, D.O., managing medical director, OSF Medical Group in Alton. “We’re constantly evaluating the health care landscape, and just by looking at the numbers going back to 2022, our growth shows that we’re meeting the needs of residents in and around the Riverbend region.”
Providers that OSF Medical Group (Alton and Godfrey) welcomed in 2025 include:
- Marissa St. Peters, APRN, PNP-BC, OSF Medical Group – Pediatrics (Godfrey)
- Jill Heitzig, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, OSF Medical Group – Primary Care (Godfrey)
- Major Erin R. Swan, M.D., OSF Medical Group – Orthopedics (Alton)
- Stacy Marriott, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, OSF Medical Group – Primary Care (Alton)
- Meredith Walter, MSN, ANP-BC, OSF Medical Group – Cardiology (Alton)
- Ayham Alkarmi, M.D., OSF Medical Group – Otolaryngology (Alton)
“Because we’re projecting more growth for 2026, we’re poised to bring more primary and specialty care providers to the Riverbend region this year.”
Learn more about OSF Saint Anthony’s – and OSF HealthCare – by visiting www.osfsaintanthonys.org.