OSF HealthCare once again was named among the state of Illinois’ top employers by Forbes, the eighth consecutive year the company has reached this distinction.
The company operates OSF St. Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, as well as many OSF affilliated medical services in the Rockford and Freeport areas.
Among other Illinois companies on the list, Google was ranked as the state’s top employer, with two Chicago offices. AutoZone, with 254 stores across the state, came in second, while Southwest Airlines, flying out of Chicago’s Midway Airport, came in third. Microsoft came in fourth, while Costco came in fifth.
OSF ranked 37th among top employers statewide in Forbes’ annual Best Employers by State list, an improvement of more than 30 spots from its 2025 ranking of 67th, according to the company. OSF also said that its health care ministry was ranked in the top 10 statewide among health care and social services companies by Forbes.
Michelle Conger, CEO of OSF HealthCare, said in a statement that the company’s continued recognition was a testament to the dedication of its 27,000 employees.
“This recognition affirms the dedication of our Mission Partners, who live out our Mission every day across the Ministry, bringing the greatest care and love to our patients,” Conger said. “It also reinforces our commitment to being an employer of choice, attracting and retaining the best talent so we can continue meeting the needs of the communities we are called to serve.”
Forbes’ list, conducted with the assistance of Statista, a top market research firm, utilizes an independent survey of over 245,000 employees working at companies of 500 people or more from all industries across the United States. Those responding to the survey evaluated companies on a 1-10 scale on criteria such as wages and benefits, management style, the reputation of the company, flexibility and career advancement.
In sum, they were asked how likely they were to recommend their company to others, also being asked about their prior employers and other organizations they knew within their industry or through friends and family working there.
The data provided is then incorporated into a scoring system that contains survey data over the past three years, weighing more recent responses heavily. Depending on the size of the state, states could have as few as three employers or as many as 101.
OSF has over 150 facilities, most notably 16 hospitals, across Illinois and Michigan, including OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria. The company’s corporate offices are also located in Peoria.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: OSF HealthCare named among Illinois’ top businesses by Forbes
Reporting by Zach Roth, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Zach Roth, Peoria Journal Star | USA TODAY Network
