Anitha Saravanan, assistant professor in the School of Nursing at Northern Illinois University, has been selected as a 2026–2027 Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) Fellow. The IIN Fellowship is a competitive, statewide program that brings together faculty leaders from across Illinois to develop innovative, community-engaged solutions to pressing societal challenges.
“I am honored to be selected for the IIN Fellowship and to represent Northern Illinois University in this important statewide initiative,” said Saravanan. “This work is an opportunity to bridge the gap between digital infrastructure and real-world health impact by ensuring that communities, especially older adults have the skills, support, and systems needed to benefit from digital health innovations.”
As part of the fellowship, Saravanan will lead the development of the “Broadband for Better Health (B4BH) Playbook,” an equity-focused framework designed to improve digital access, digital health literacy, and telehealth readiness among underserved populations.
The B4BH Playbook will include organizational readiness tools, workforce guidance for nurses and community partners, and scalable implementation models to support health systems, community organizations and policymakers across Illinois.
The project builds on her ongoing community-based work with older adults and focuses on translating broadband infrastructure into meaningful health outcomes through practical implementation strategies.
In addition, Saravanan will collaborate with interdisciplinary leaders across the IIN network, including partners from universities, community organizations and industry to advance scalable and sustainable solutions that promote health equity across Illinois.
Learn more about nursing at NIU.
