OSF HealthCare
The Centene Foundation partners with community-based organizations to remove barriers to health and empower communities to create lasting change. Its partnership with Meridian of Illinois supports OSF HealthCare’s mobile maternity care program in Central Illinois.
At a Glance
OSF OnCall Connect - Launched July 2025
Pregnancy and postpartum program (mobile maternity care unit)
INVESTMENT
MULTIYEAR COMMITMENT
FOCUS
Maternal health, prenatal/postpartum access, health equity
REGION
Central Illinois, 12 counties
PARTNERS
- Centene Foundation
- Meridian of Illinois
- OSF HealthCare
About OSF HealthCare
OSF HealthCare is an integrated health system founded by The Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis and headquartered in Peoria, Illinois. It operates 17 hospitals across Illinois and includes a workforce of more than 26,000 Mission Partners across more than 160 locations.
As part of OSF HealthCare, OSF OnCall delivers digital health and convenient care services anytime and anywhere. OSF OnCall connects individuals to care through smartphone apps, text based check ins, and video visits with live support. Services include urgent care, digital, at home care, remote monitoring, hospital at home programs, and other innovative care models designed to expand access. The OSF OnCall Connect pregnancy and postpartum program is available to women with Medicaid who are pregnant or in the first month of the postpartum period.
The Centene Foundation Partnership
Centene Foundation, in partnership with Meridian of Illinois, committed a multi-year grant of $1.5 million to support OSF HealthCare and OSF OnCall. Covering the period from 2024 through 2027, the grant supports the expansion of OSF’s OnCall Connect pregnancy and postpartum program through a new mobile maternity care unit serving the city of Peoria and other Central Illinois communities in Bureau, Henry, Knox, LaSalle, Marshall, Stark, Peoria, Putnam, and Woodford counties.
This partnership enables OSF OnCall to build on its existing digital maternity care program by pairing virtual support with in person care delivered directly to communities with limited access. Through this mobile extension of OSF OnCall Connect, eligible women can receive timely pregnancy and postpartum care closer to home, reducing travel challenges while remaining connected to coordinated care teams.
Why OSF HealthCare’s Work Matters
Access to prenatal and postpartum care remains a challenge for many women, particularly those living in maternal health deserts. In Illinois, 34.3% of counties are considered maternity healthcare deserts, according to the March of Dimes, with those living in some counties needing to travel between 47 and 59 miles to a birthing hospital.
By bringing care directly into communities, OSF’s mobile maternity care unit supporting the OSF OnCall Connect pregnancy and postpartum program helps reduce those travel barriers and makes it easier for women to receive care closer to home.
The unit delivers pregnancy and postpartum services to women who might otherwise struggle to access care, supporting healthier outcomes during and after pregnancy and advancing health equity across Central Illinois.
" Thirty-four percent of the counties in Illinois are designated as maternal health deserts which means that pregnant women sometimes have to drive 40, 50 or even 60 miles to the closest birthing hospital. And that's not just a problem for when it comes time to deliver a baby. It's a barrier to accessing critical prenatal care that's necessary to ensure healthy positive birth outcomes. "
Cristal Gary, Plan President and CEO, Meridian of Illinois
Services Provided Through the OSF OnCall Connect Mobile Maternity Unit
Since July 2025, the mobile clinic has been providing all recommended prenatal and postpartum services, including:
Sonograms
Lab Work
Vaccinations
Blood pressure monitoring and reporting
These services support healthier pregnancies and postpartum outcomes by making routine and preventive care more accessible.
Community Impact
The OSF OnCall Connect pregnancy and postpartum program, supported by a mobile maternity care unit, strengthens access to maternity care for women who may otherwise face significant barriers to prenatal and postpartum services. By combining digital care with a mobile, community-based model, OSF OnCall Connect and the Centene Foundation are helping close gaps in care and support healthier outcomes for mothers and families across Central Illinois.
