By Molly Franzonello
For Dr. Annevay Conlee, becoming a physician was never simply about practicing medicine – it was about caring for people in the fullest sense of the word. As a board-certified Family Medicine Physician with Obstetrics and Vice President of the Women’s Service Line at OSF HealthCare, she has dedicated her career to serving women and families in rural Illinois, often accompanying them through some of life’s most meaningful and vulnerable moments. Her work reflects a deep commitment to listening to women, investigating the root causes of their concerns, and ensuring they are equipped to make educated decisions about their health.
This April, Dr. Conlee will share her perspective as a speaker at the FACTS About Fertility 2026 Annual Conference, where she will present on “Informed Decision-Making in Women’s Healthcare.” Her session will explore how clinicians can better partner with women by providing education, respect, and a comprehensive understanding of their reproductive health. Medical professionals and students interested in learning more can register here.
A Calling Rooted in Family Medicine
Dr. Conlee’s path to medicine was shaped by a desire to care for entire families, especially in communities where access to care is limited. From the beginning, she envisioned a career grounded in continuity and relationships.
“I wanted to be able to care for patients through their life and the entire family,” she said.
After earning her medical degree from the University of Illinois in 2009 and completing her residency in Family Medicine with advanced surgical obstetrics training in 2012, she began practicing in Galesburg, Illinois. Her training prepared her to care for patients across the lifespan, but it also revealed important gaps – particularly in women’s health.
“During medical school, there was minimal education and focus on women’s health care outside of prescribing contraceptives and limited discussion on investigating the root causes and treatment,” she explained.
This realization stayed with her and would later shape her clinical focus.
Listening to Women and Looking Deeper
As Dr. Conlee entered practice, she found herself caring for many women who were searching not just for treatment, but for understanding. They wanted to feel better, to know what was happening in their bodies, and to explore options that addressed the underlying causes of their symptoms.
“When starting practice, I continued to see women seeking answers to feel better,” she said. “I also saw a continued lack of awareness of other options for women to receive care.”
Her role as a Family Medicine Physician allowed her to develop long-term relationships that provided insight into women’s health over time. She cared for women during adolescence, pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and beyond, while also caring for their children and partners. This continuity gave her a unique perspective on how reproductive health fits into the broader picture of a woman’s life.
“I care for women at all ages. I care for their children and families. This gives me a perspective and a longitudinal look at how things are going,” she said. “It has been important to listen to women and care for the whole person.”
Through this work, she came to see fertility as an important indicator of health rather than a problem to be suppressed.
“That fertility is a disease, and that infertility is a disease, is a common misconception,” she said. “Infertility is a symptom and a sign of disease, not the disease itself, and we need to investigate why.”
Caring for Patients and the Next Generation
Some of the most meaningful moments in Dr. Conlee’s career have come from walking alongside patients through infertility, pregnancy, and parenthood.
She recalled caring for a woman who had struggled with infertility for seven years before coming to her practice. By addressing underlying health factors and providing progesterone support, the patient conceived.
“She was able to achieve pregnancy in three months,” Dr. Conlee said. “I continue to care for her and now her child. It is a beautiful gift to continue to care for them and see her child grow up.”
Experiences like this reflect the continuity that defines family medicine. Today, Dr. Conlee’s patient population ranges from newborns to patients older than 100, meaning she cares for multiple generations within the same families.
“I love the journey of life and seeing families grow in health and wellness, while also helping them through the challenges that come their way,” she said.
Leading Change in Women’s Health
In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Conlee serves as Vice President of the Women’s Service Line at OSF HealthCare, where she leads efforts to expand access to comprehensive women’s health services. Her leadership focuses on ensuring clinicians are equipped to offer women the full range of evidence-based options and support informed, shared decision-making. She does this “by creating strategy to ensure our primary care teams are competent in offering women all their options and counseling on risk and benefits,” she explained.
“Dr. Conlee’s leadership focuses on ensuring clinicians are equipped to offer women the full range of evidence-based options and support informed, shared decision-making.”
She has also worked to develop collaborative care models that bring together Family Medicine Physicians with Obstetrics, OB/GYNs, and Midwives to better serve rural communities. At the system level, she emphasizes that meaningful change requires both education and structural support.
“Creating a standardized approach is one part,” she said. “The other part is easing the way to use it with system tools, processes, and education. This can be a challenge and takes time.”
A Vision for the Future
Looking ahead, Dr. Conlee hopes to help shift the conversation around fertility and pregnancy toward a more positive and health-centered perspective.
“I hope to see a transition from viewing fertility and pregnancy as a bad thing to it as a sign of health,” she said. “This would lead to decreased complications in pregnancy due to entering pregnancy healthier.”
Her upcoming presentation at the FACTS conference reflects this vision. By helping clinicians better understand how to support informed decision-making, she hopes to equip them to empower women with knowledge and ensure they receive care that respects their dignity and health.
“By helping clinicians better understand how to support informed decision-making, she hopes to equip them to empower women with knowledge… (to) receive care that respects their dignity and health.”
Ultimately, her work continues to be guided by the relationships she builds with patients and families.
“I love the journey of life,” she said, “and seeing families grow in health and wellness.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Molly Franzonello, DNP, MHA,is a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) and Blog Editor at FACTS. Her clinical and editorial work focuses on fertility awareness, restorative reproductive medicine, and women’s health. Through these roles, she is committed to advancing patient-centered, evidence-based care, exploring systems and models that support this work, and expanding education on women’s fertility and health.
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