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How OSF HealthCare Became a Digital-First Marketing Organisation with DMI's Expertise

"I was impressed by the comprehensive courses offered by DMI. The specialisation was particularly beneficial as we aimed to upskill our employees in areas that aligned with their interests and our strategic goals."

Susan MilfordSenior Vice President of Marketing and Communications

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OSF HealthCare Case Study

OSF HealthCare, a leading integrated healthcare organisation in Illinois and Michigan, initiated a digital marketing evolution in 2022 to bolster their marketing capabilities and remain competitive in the rapidly changing digital landscape. With a clear goal of becoming a digital-first organisation, OSF recognized the importance of upskilling their marketing team to successfully navigate this new environment.

The Challenge

In the past few years, healthcare companies have been ramping up their digital-marketing capabilities to provide an optimal end-to-end consumer experience. A dedicated team of nearly 75 marketing professionals manages the strategy and execution of marketing plans and campaigns for OSF Healthcare.



In charge of this team is Senior Vice President of Marketing & Communications, Susan Milford who faced the challenge of upskilling a diverse marketing team to navigate the complexities of the digital age. With team members spanning a wide range of experience levels, the mission was clear: To ensure that every member, regardless of their starting point, was fully equipped to excel in this new digital-first world. This required the integration of the latest resources and appropriate learning tools to foster ongoing development and adaptation to new digital trends.



"Consumers in healthcare, just like any industry, get their information about products and services online. Health related queries top google search charts. Therefore healthcare marketing professionals need to have the skills to provide strong digital marketing expertise.”


Partnering with DMI was crucial in guiding our transition from traditional to digital marketing, especially as recruitment for these roles became increasingly challenging post-pandemic” said Susan Milford.

Why DMI?

When OSF HealthCare embarked on their digital marketing evolution journey, they needed a partner with the expertise and resources to upskill their marketing team effectively. DMI was the perfect fit to help OSF navigate this critical transition.


"I was impressed by the comprehensive courses offered by DMI. The specialisation was particularly beneficial as we aimed to upskill our employees in areas that aligned with their interests and our strategic goals."


"Additionally, having access to the DMI Professional Membership Platform and conducting a group skills assessment was a key selling point. It allowed us to evaluate our current capabilities, identify gaps and plan for team wide improvement” concludes Milford.

The Solution

To address these challenges, OSF partnered with DMI in 2022, gradually expanding the scope and depth of their training program each year to meet the evolving needs of their marketing team. A wide range of roles and departments, including Marketing Strategy, PR & Communications, Graphic Design, and the Web & Digital Team, took advantage of DMI's solutions.


Year 1 (2022): OSF onboarded with a cohort of 50 participants, providing each team member access to one pro-level course and four short courses. In the first year itself, 30 people got certified. Furthermore, the skills assessment conducted by DMI revealed valuable insights into the team's strengths and areas for improvement. With 77% of participants passing the skills assessment and 28% scoring 55 or above (industry average), OSF gained a clear understanding of where additional support and training were needed. This data-driven approach allowed OSF to make informed decisions about their training strategy, ensuring that their team was well-prepared to succeed in the digital marketing landscape.


Year 2 (2023): Building on the success of the initial year, OSF renewed their partnership with DMI, once again enrolling 50 participants. This was also the time they developed a new team ‘Digital Marketing Strategy’ and utilised DMI’s short courses that enable skill specific bite-size learning to transition their writers from traditional to digital marketing.


Year 3 (2024): The training program was expanded to include access to 18 short courses alongside the four pro-level courses, offering the team even more flexibility and options. The DMI Track Short Courses feature over 18 offerings in areas such as Data & Analytics, Search Engine Optimization, Digital Strategy, and more—ideal for those aiming to make digital a central focus of their business.

The Results

Following the launch in 2022, OSF saw an improvement in various areas in their business’s marketing performance as noted below:

  • Blog Traffic: 28% increase in Non-COVID blog page views, surpassing their annual target of a 20% increase

  • Paid Search Tactics: The click-through rate (CTR) for paid search ads increased from 6.53% in July 2021 to 10.98% in July 2024.

  • SEO Improvements: 38% average position increase for oncology-related keywords.

  • Organic Traffic: 24% increase in traffic to the online provider directory.

Here are what OSF HealthCare’s marketing and communications team members who pursued the course have said:


Curt Squires, MarCom Account Manager at OSF says “When I obtained the DMI Pro Certification, it allowed me to think beyond individual tactics and instead see a campaign where the tactics complement each other for a complete campaign. The course was well structured and allowed me to progress the content while juggling a full workload. After finishing the course, I put the skills I learned into action immediately with great success, specifically using the SEO, PPC and social media modules. Now two years later, I have been promoted in part because of those skills and continue to use them to this day in my new role where I now can use every module of the course. I consider the DMI Pro Certificate a value-add to my career and highly recommend it to anyone considering it”.

“DMI’s robust curriculum taught me to think like a marketer and a consumer. Learning where our business objectives meet the content we create helped me to really keep the consumer’s unique journey at the centre of what I write. Along with that, I feel that DMI gave me a thorough introduction to keyword research and gave me the reason behind the importance of using keywords well. Moreover, DMI was especially useful for bolstering my understanding of topics that I don’t necessarily use in my day-to-day duties, such as analytics and paid ads. Understanding the benefits and basics of these helped me to have a fuller picture of what our goals as a marketing team are when we use analytics and paid ads and how my role contributes to those goals” remarked Katie Faley, Content Writer at OSF HealthCare Marketing and Communications.


Elesa Anthony, Digital Marketing Social Media Specialist, OSF HealthCare Marketing and Communications mentioned “The DMI training helped me better understand each social media platform, but especially Meta Business Suite. Social media platforms work differently and are ever-changing so it's crucial to stay on top of the updates. I've found that after completing the course, I'm able to care for our organisation's needs more efficiently and effectively.”


According to Erin Powers, Digital Marketing Strategist, “I am thoroughly satisfied with the depth and clarity of the information presented in the DMI SEO Course. These are a few things that stood out to me:

  • Quizzes at the end of each module were particularly beneficial for real-time assessment of understanding.

  • The structured approach of the course and the way it was broken into manageable sections made complex SEO concepts easier to digest.


Overall, the DMI SEO Course has equipped me with a robust foundation in SEO, and the tools provided have ensured that this knowledge is both retained and effectively applied in my work.”


“As an experienced healthcare professional, I felt it was incredibly important to stay informed, relevant and knowledgeable about the digital marketing industry and learn how to effectively strategize, analyse and set meaningful targets. This course includes a manageable pace for busy professionals and the supplemental notes are such excellent study guides. The exam is challenging, which is testimony to the depth and expertise a digital marketing strategist needs to develop and realize effective strategies” said Andrea Bonk, Marketing Strategy and Research Manager.


Stacy Campbell, Marketing and Communications Coordinator remarked "I cannot overstate the breadth and depth of information in the DMI Pro training course. I started with very little information about the world of digital marketing and came away with what I think is a solid understanding of the field. Throughout the training, I was impressed with the level of talent from around the world sharing their knowledge.”


Following the launch, OSF HealthCare was able to successfully upskill their employees to thrive in a digital world while also improving business performance, employee satisfaction and engagement.

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