Afroz Hafeez, MD, MBA, Manager of Telemedicine at RUSH University System for Health

Summary

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Becker’s Healthcare Podcast — Episode Summary

Guest: Dr. Afroz Hafeez, MD, MBA, Manager of Telemedicine, Rush University System for Health
Host: Grace Lynn Keller
Date: January 5, 2026
Location: Live at the 13th Annual CEO and CFO Roundtable

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on innovative telemedicine strategies at Rush University System for Health, particularly in expanding access, improving health equity, and leveraging hybrid and virtual care models. Dr. Afroz Hafeez discusses growth strategies, impactful projects, and advice for healthcare executives navigating a changing digital health ecosystem.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dr. Hafeez’s Background and Mission at Rush

• Rush University is a three-hospital system serving the west side of Chicago, an area marked by significant socioeconomic disparities and a notable life expectancy gap.
• Core Mission: Tackling health equity using telemedicine and digital health to bridge the access divide.

  "Health Equity is a big core of our mission and we're looking at a variety of avenues inclusive of telemedicine and other digital health opportunities to close that gap." —Dr. Hafeez (01:02)

2. Growth Strategy for Virtual Care (01:34)

• Rush has expanded telehealth services beyond urgent care to include primary and specialty virtual visits.
• State-line Expansion: Now serving Indiana (in person in Munster and virtually across regions).
• Launching Rush Connect Plus: a subscription-based service to increase reach and utilization.
• Focus on:
  • Hybrid virtual care models
  • ED (Emergency Department) virtual care track
  • Collaboration with community-based organizations for staff-model services

"We've expanded from urgent care to virtual primary and specialty as well, closing those access gaps that we previously had." —Dr. Hafeez (01:36)
"We're also doing a subscription based service with Rush Connect plus as an additional opportunity to grow across several regions through our partners." —Dr. Hafeez (02:21)

3. Most Exciting Initiative: Hybrid Virtual Care with Community Partners (02:57)

• Early data show strong outcomes partnering with community-based organizations (CBOs):
  • 63% of surveyed patients said the hybrid care prevented an ED visit.
  • 33% of patients were referred back into the Rush system.
• Plans to scale the model across Chicagoland and potentially nationwide to:
  • Enhance access for vulnerable populations
  • Reduce ED throughput burden

"Our findings include that 63% reported back in an after survey that this prevented them from going to the ED. And this also increased our referrals back into the system with 33%." —Dr. Hafeez (03:10)
"This might be a great model for across the country as well, to really align with community partners, increase access, as well as ease the throughput burdens that we face often, not especially in our ED." —Dr. Hafeez (03:23)

4. Advice for Healthcare Executives (03:48)

• Prioritize utilizing internal resources before seeking external partners:
  • This approach drives cost-efficiency and performance improvement.
  • Gaps discovered in this process can then be supplemented by vendor partnerships.

"I would encourage exploring ground up with the assets and resources we currently have. It'll offer cost efficiency, performance improvement." —Dr. Hafeez (03:49)
"Building ground up is still a possibility, especially with our virtual offerings and with several health systems already in tune with that, I think it's a significant opportunity." —Dr. Hafeez (03:59)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Equity-Driven Telehealth:
  "Health Equity is a big core of our mission and we're looking at a variety of avenues inclusive of telemedicine and other digital health opportunities to close that gap." (01:02)

• On Virtual Care Expansion:
  "We've expanded from urgent care to virtual primary and specialty as well, closing those access gaps that we previously had." (01:36)

• On Hybrid Care Impact:
  "63% reported back in an after survey that this prevented them from going to the ED. And this also increased our referrals back into the system with 33%." (03:10)

• On Building from Within:
  "Exploring ground up with the assets and resources we currently have...will offer cost efficiency, performance improvement." (03:49)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:52] Introduction: Guest background and Rush’s mission
• [01:34] Telemedicine growth and expansion strategy
• [02:57] Hybrid virtual care with community organizations
• [03:48] Executive advice for future-proofing organizations

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Takeaway

Dr. Afroz Hafeez offers a clear vision for advancing digital health as a tool for health equity, emphasizing the strategic expansion of telehealth services, the power of community partnerships in hybrid care models, and the importance of internal innovation for sustainable growth. This episode provides actionable insights for healthcare leaders seeking to navigate and lead in the evolving virtual care landscape.

Transcript

[A]

This is where healthcare leadership comes together. Becker's 16th annual meeting brings more than 3,500 hospital and health system executives and nearly 800 speakers to Chicago April 13th through the 16th. This year's event includes keynote conversations with Dallas Cowboys legend Troy Aikman and former President George W. Bush. For the agenda and event details, visit Beckershospitalreview.com and click on the Events tab in the upper right. Looking forward to hosting you in Chicago.

[B]

This is Grace Lynn Keller with the Becker's Healthcare Podcast and we are recording live at the 13th annual CEO and CFO Roundtable. I'm currently joined by Efros Hafiz who is the manager of Telemedicine at Rush University System for Health. Thanks so much for being here. I'm gonna have you start off by introducing yourself and telling us a little bit more about your background.

[C]

Thank you Grace for having me and thank you to Becker for putting on a wonderful conference. My name is Dr. Afrasafiz. I lead Telemedicine at Rush University System. It's a three hospital large system with several ambulatory sites. Our main hospital is located on the west side here, Chicago, a significant area with socioeconomic factors as well as a large life expectancy gap compared to downtown. Health Equity is a big core of our mission and we're looking at a variety of avenues inclusive of telemedicine and other digital health opportunities to close that gap.

[B]

Wonderful. Well, let's start our conversation talking about strategy. I'd love to know what your growth strategy is over the next year or so.

[C]

Absolutely. We're looking at quite a few opportunities within our virtual care scope. We've expanded from urgent care to virtual primary and specialty as well, closing those access gaps that we previously had. We're improving outcomes with a large focus of patient experience as our centerpiece. Inclusive of this. Just to get a little bit more granular, we have expanded across state lines. We're also in Indiana. We have had an in person presence in Munster specifically, but our virtual offerings have explored further opportunities so we're looking forward to growing our volume and having our utilization grow in that marketplace as well. We're also doing a subscription based service with Rush Connect plus as an additional opportunity to grow across several regions through our partners. And lastly, we're looking at an interesting scope of hybrid virtual care. In addition, we're looking at an ED virtual care track, telemedicine prods, and getting aligned with our community partners, especially our community based organizations, to see if there could be a staff model service of increasing access within those areas of opportunity.

[B]

Absolutely. And tell us what the most exciting or impactful initiative or project you're currently working on right now is.

[C]

So within the scope of hybrid virtual care, our preliminary data has shown aligning with the cbo, a trusted entity in the community, certainly improves access points for that patient population. And our findings include that 63% reported back in an after survey that this prevented them from going to the ed. And this also increased our referrals back into the system with 33%. So certainly an opportunity to scale. And we're looking to further explore that to a variety of settings across the Chicagoland area. And this might be a great model for across the country as well, to really align with community partners, increase access, as well as ease the throughput burdens that we face often, not especially in our ed.

[B]

And what do you think is the most important thing healthcare executives should be doing right now to make sure their organizations are successful in the future?

[C]

I would encourage exploring ground up with the assets and resources we currently have. It'll offer cost efficiency, performance improvement. And the gaps that you'll find in that investigation is when we should seek out partners through our vendors and other scopes that could help kind of mediate that a little bit further. So certainly building ground up is still a possibility, especially with our virtual offerings and with several health systems already in tune with that, I think it's a significant opportunity.

[B]

Wonderful. Well, Dr. Hafiz, thanks so much for joining me today on the Becker Is Healthcare Podcast and sharing these insights. And again, we are recording live at the 13th annual CEO and CFO Roundtable.

[C]

Thank you, Chris.