Illinois is known as the "Land of Lincoln" in honor of President Abraham Lincoln, who lived in the state for most of his life. The state is named for the Illiniwek, a group of Algonquin tribes from the region. Illinois is bordered on the west by the Mississippi River and on the southeast and south by the Wabash and Ohio Rivers. It is in the Great Lakes region of the United States and has shoreline on Lake Michigan. Illinois covers 55,584 square miles, with a 2010 estimated population of 12,830,632 people – 1,679,801 living in rural Illinois (USDA-ERS). Springfield, the capital, is located in the central region of the state. The state’s largest cities are Chicago, Aurora and Rockford. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 71.5% of the state’s population is white, 14.5% is African-American/Black, 4.6% is Asian, 0.3% is American Indian, and 15.8% is of Hispanic/Latino origin (2010).
There are 189 hospitals in Illinois. (Kaiser, 2009). The state has 51 hospitals identified by the Flex Monitoring Team as Critical Access Hospitals (March 2011). There are 221 Rural Health Clinics in Illinois (Kaiser, 2011), and 36 Federally Qualified Health Centers provide services at 521 sites in the state (Kaiser, 2010). Most Illinoisans have some form of health insurance coverage, although 15.0% of the state's residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2009-2010).
According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for Illinoisans in 2009 was $41,856, although rural per-capita income lagged at $32,432. 2010 estimates indicate a poverty rate of 14.5% exists in rural Illinois, compared to a 13.7% level in urban areas of the State. 2010 ACS data reports that 14.0% of the rural population has not completed high school, compared to 13.8% of urban populations. The unemployment rate in rural Illinois is at 10.3% while in urban Illinois it is at 10.2% (USDA-ERS, 2010).
For a national comparison, please see an overview of the United States.
Data Sources
U.S. Census Bureau: State & County QuickFacts; USDA Economic Research Service: State Fact Sheets; Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts; Flex Monitoring Team: Critical Access Hospital List
Organizations
Corporation for Supportive Housing: Illinois (CSH)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Helps Illinois communities create permanent housing with services to prevent and end homelessness. Provides technical assistance, capacity building grants and pre-development and acquisition loans to non-profits in Illinois to develop permanent supportive housing.
HUD Community Development Block Grants: Illinois (CDBG)
Federal government
Contact information for the State CDBG program. Provides funding for community development projects.
IFF (IFF)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Provides loans to nonprofits in IL, IN, IA, MO, and WI, which serve low-income or special-needs populations. Loans can be used for facility or equipment projects such as community health centers, including construction, acquisition, rehabilitation, purchase of equipment or furnishings, and facility improvements to leased or owned space.
Illinois Area Health Education Centers Network Program (AHEC)
State/regional organization
Provides educational pipeline programs that will address the development and retention of the state’s health workforce using the resources of the partnership with the intent to improve health care for the underserved through health professions education, health careers development, and community and public health promotion activities.
Illinois Association of Community Action Agencies (IACAA)
State/regional organization
Works to improve health, education and economic standards of Illinois' low income population. Provides programs for housing, weatherization, and RCAP.
Illinois Center for Rural Health
State government
Works to improve access to primary health care in rural and underserved areas of Illinois. The Center for Rural Health is also the Primary Care Office for Illinois and is responsible for designation of provider shortage areas. A division of the Department of Public Health.
Illinois Child Support Services
State government
Provides services to custodial and non-custodial parents by establishing paternity. Establishes, enforces, and modifies child support obligations to strengthen families emotionally and financially.
Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network (ICAHN)
State/regional organization
Comprised of 51 member hospitals including rural and Critical Access Hospitals, that share resources, education, operational efficiencies, and improvement of health care services.
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS)
State government
Provides child welfare services in Illinois, including child protection, foster care, adoption, and daycare licensing.
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (IL DCEO)
State government
The state's lead economic development agency. Works to enhance Illinois' economic competitiveness by providing technical and financial assistance to businesses, local governments, workers, and families.
Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES)
State government
Provides information on Illinois workforce services, including job placement and referrals, unemployment insurance, employment and training programs, and career and labor market information.
Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS)
State government
Works to improve the lives of Illinois' families through health care coverage, child support enforcement, and energy assistance.
Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS)
State government
Provides community health and prevention programs; programs for persons with developmental disabilities, mental illness, or substance abuse problems; employment, training, and independent living programs for persons with disabilities; and financial support, employment and training programs, and child care, and other family services for low-income families.
Illinois Department of Human Services: Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (DASA)
State government
Provides prevention, intervention, and treatment services related to alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs to citizens of Illinois.
Illinois Department of Human Services: Division of Developmental Disability (DDD)
State government
Provides outcome-based, person and community-centered services and supports for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families in Illinois.
Illinois Department of Human Services: Division of Mental Health (DMH)
State government
Provides community supports and develops skills for persons with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbance.
Illinois Department of Human Services: Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS)
State government
Works in partnership with people with disabilities and their families. Assists in providing community participation through employment, education, and independent living opportunities.
Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH)
State government
Works to protect Illinois' residents through the prevention and control of disease and injury.
Illinois Department of Public Health: Center for Minority Health Services
State government
Provides information and technical assistance regarding the health care needs of minority populations. Develops, maintains, and enhances health care services in minority communities.
Illinois Farm Bureau
State/regional organization
Works to improve the economic well-being and quality of farm life for those in agriculture. Sponsors the Rural Nurse Practitioner Scholarship Program and the Rural Illinois Medical Student Assistance Program.
Illinois Foundation for Quality Health Care (IFMC-IL)
State/regional organization
This is the site for IFMC-IL, the Medicare-contracted, Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) for the state of Illinois. QIOs collaborate with Medicare consumers and each state's health care community to foster an environment in which every person receives the right care every time. Through quality improvement efforts and education, IFQHC works closely with thousands of health care professionals and more than 1.7 million Medicare beneficiaries throughout Illinois.
Illinois Head Start Association (IHSA)
State/regional organization
Represents and provides services for all members of the Head Start community including directors, staff, parents, and friends. Provides a comprehensive child development program for children and their families.
Illinois Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (IL-HITREC)
State/regional organization
One of two State Health Information Technology Regional Extension Centers (REC) serving Illinois. Helps health care providers become meaningful users of electronic health records by providing information and technical assistance.
Illinois Hospital Association (IHA)
State/regional organization
Works to strengthen and unite hospitals, and make high-quality, affordable health care available to all living in Illinois. Includes the Small & Rural Hospitals Constituency Section which represents 87 hospitals throughout Illinois.
Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA)
State government
Finances the creation and the preservation of affordable housing throughout Illinois to increase the supply of decent and safe places for people of low or moderate means to live.
Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs (IIRA)
State/regional organization
Works to improve the quality of life in rural areas. Develops public-private partnerships with local agencies on community development projects in rural areas. Located at Western Illinois University.
Illinois Primary Health Care Association (IPHCA)
State/regional organization
Represents Illinois' Community Health Centers (CHCs). Works to increase access to high-quality, cost-effective primary health care services in urban and rural populations throughout the state.
Illinois Public Health Association (IPHA)
State/regional organization
Devoted to improving the health of Illinois residents. Offers educational conferences, workshops, and seminars, as well as networking and leadership opportunities.
Illinois Public Health Institute (IPHI)
State/regional organization
Promotes prevention through public education, develops and advocates for improved public health and prevention policies, and assembles and disseminates data and information on public health and prevention.
Illinois Rural Community Assistance Program (IL RCAP)
State/regional organization
Helps rural communities in Illinois to improve community infrastructure including water supplies, adequate wastewater treatment, natural resource protection, solid waste management, environmental health, and other rural development issues.
Illinois Rural Health Association (IRHA)
State/regional organization
Works to improve access to health care for rural Illinois residents through education programs, legislative advocacy, public awareness, and networking. Focuses on rural EMS, rural access to mental health services, serving the uninsured, rural access to oral health services, and medical liability on rural areas.
Illinois State Board of Education: Special Education Services
State government
Partners with school districts to provide programs and services for students with specialized educational needs.
Illinois State Dental Society (ISDS)
State/regional organization
Represents organized dentistry, and ensures that high quality dental care is provided to the public. Includes over 7600 dentists, dental hygienists, dental lab technicians, and dental students. Includes "Find a Dentist" tool.
National Center for Rural Health Professions (NCRHP)
National organization
Provides rural interdisciplinary preceptorships and a rural training program for primary care physicians. Conducts research on healthcare workforce issues and is a Center for Excellence in Rural Health. Located at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Rockford.
National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Greater Midwest Region (NN/LM-GMR)
State/regional organization
Works to improve access to health information for health professionals, librarians and members of the public in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD)
State/regional organization
One of four regional rural development centers in the nation. Works with extension professionals, researchers, and partners to enhance rural development outcomes. Serves a 12 state area in the North Central region which includes ND, SD, NE, KS, MN, IA, MO, WI, IL, IN, MI, and OH.
Rural Partners
Nonprofit/Foundation
Coordinates private/public leadership for community and economic development throughout rural Illinois. Maintains collaborative relationships with local, state, and federal agencies. Convenes annual spring and fall conferences providing access to innovative rural
development strategies and networking opportunities.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Illinois (HUD)
Federal government
Works to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing. The HUD state office provides information about HUD housing programs and local contacts for the state.
United Way 2-1-1 of Missouri
State/regional organization
Assists people in locating help with basic human needs, physical and mental health resources, work initiatives, support for seniors and children, and volunteering. Connects people with community resources and volunteer opportunities. Available 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week. Available throughout the state of Missouri and to Illinois residents of St. Clair, Clinton, Randolph, Monroe, Madison, Jersey, Greene, Calhoun, or Macoupin counties.
USDA Rural Development Illinois State Office
Federal government
Committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America. The Rural Development State Office provides information about Rural Development programs and applications for financial assistance.
Tools
AgrAbility Unlimited: Illinois
Web site
Provides comprehensive assistance to Illinois individuals and their families engaged in farming or a farm related activity and who have been affected by a disability. A joint program of the University of Illinois Extension and Central Illinois Easter Seals.
ERS State Fact Sheet: Illinois
Web site
Lists statistics on population, educational attainment, employment, income, farm characteristics, and farm financial indicators for the state.
Illinois Health Centers Data
Web site
Provides access to information on Federally Qualified Health Centers for the state. Includes a map of FQHC locations, as well as information on the populations served by health centers, services provided, staff, patient visits, costs of care, and use of electronic health information.
Illinois KIDS COUNT Data Center (KCDC)
Web site
Provides data on child well-being for the state. Includes profiles for many Illinois locations; rankings, maps, or trend graphs by topic; and raw data. Includes over 100 measures of child well-being, community-level data.
Illinois QuickFacts
Web site
Provides demographic and economic statistics for the state, with links to county-level data.
Illinois State Health Facts
Database
Provides state-level data on demographics, health, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation. Includes individual state profiles and 50-state comparisons.
IllinoisAtlas.com
Web site
Creates and makes available online computer generated maps on various social, economic, educational, and demographic topics. All maps are focused on Illinois and its counties.
National Healthcare Quality Report State Snapshot: Illinois
Web site
Health care quality report for the state, based on the National Healthcare Quality Report.
NN/LM Greater Midwest Region: Illinois Resources
Web site
Overview of the state, with links to state agencies, health associations, and other resources for Illinois.
Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Centers (PERLC)
Web site
Comprised of 14 accredited schools of public health that serve in a national capacity to meet preparedness and response training and education needs of the U. S. public health workforce. Funded schools are located in AL, AZ, FL, IA, IL, MA, MD, MN, NY, OK, NC, TX, and WA.
Rural Economic Technical Assistance Center (RETAC)
Web site
Supports economic development across rural Illinois. Encourages decision-making among communities and businesses alike. Provides technical support, applied research, policy evaluation, and training across the state. IIRA is a clearinghouse for information on rural issues, coordinates rural research, and works with state agencies on issues of importance to rural communities.
Veterans Care Program
Web site
Provides comprehensive, affordable healthcare to Illinois' veterans that do not otherwise qualify for VA health care benefits.
See also: Resources for All States: Tools Funding
2012 Midwest Garden Grant
Grants to schools and community organizations with child-centered garden programs.
Community Development Assistance Program (CDAP)
Low and very low income homeowners in Illinois can get financial help under the Community Development Assistance Program (CDAP) to bring their homes into compliance with local codes and housing standards.
Country Doctor Program
A program offering low-interests student loans and recommendations to get into University of Illinois College of Medicine
Country Nurse Practitioner Program
The Rural Nurse Practitioner Scholarship Program (RNPSP) supports nurses who want to become nurse practitioners and serve in rural communities in Illinois.
Energy Conservation and Home Repair Program
Grants to provide repair and weatherization services for very low-income homeowners. Assistance made available under this program includes repair or replacement of doors and windows, roofs, and heating system elements.
Humana Foundation Community Grants
The Humana Foundation supports charitable activities that promote healthy lives and communities.
IFF
IFF is a nonprofit community development lender providing affordable, flexible and accessible loans to nonprofits serving low-income or special-needs populations.
Illinois Emergency Medical Services Assistance Fund
The grant provides programs, services, and equipment for Emergency Medical Services.
Illinois Home Modification Program
Assistance is available to income-eligible elderly persons and persons with disabilities to modify or repair their homes to improve mobility.
Jewel-Osco In Your Community
Funding to nonprofit and school programs for hunger relief, health, and nutrition.
Rural Illinois Medical Student Assistant Program (RIMSAP)
Students receive low-interest-rate loans. This program is designed to provide doctors to rural communities in Illinois. Students must be willing to specialize in family practice or another primary health care field.
Rural Medical Education Program (RMED)
Seeks to recruit, admit, and prepare medical students from the state of Illinois, who will, upon completion of residency training, locate and practice in rural Illinois as primary care physicians.
Single-Family Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation (SFOOR) Program
Loans to help low-income homeowners afford the expenses of costly repairs to older homes with weathered roofs, worn siding, outdated plumbing and heating systems, drafty windows, or outmoded electrical wiring.
Small Rental Properties Program (SRPP)
Owners of small, affordable rental properties can receive help to rehabilitate their properties or convert existing commercial property to residential rental use.
State 30 J-1 Visa Waiver Program
The J-1 Visa Program is for foreign medical graduates who wish to pursue graduate medical training in the United States.
William T. Kemper Foundation Grants
Provides grants for education, health and human services, civic improvements, and the arts
Inactive Funding
Inactive Funding Opportunities -
Lists additional funding programs for this state that are not currently accepting applications. Programs that are inactive may be offered again in the future.
Documents, Reports and Other Publications
2011 Report on Illinois Poverty: An Analysis of Rural Poverty
Author(s): Jennifer Clary, Ellyn Drathring, Amy Rynell, Kristin Scally, Amy Terpstra
Sponsoring organization: Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights
Overview of the status of the rural poor in Illinois. Includes statistics on population, employment, income, and housing by county.
Date: 2011
Around the Country: Illinois Programs Offer Diabetic and Overweight Patients a Fresh Start
Author(s): Candi Helseth
Sponsoring organization: Rural Assistance Center
Highlights patients at Kirby Medical Group in Monticello, Illinois, who are losing weight and lowering their need for insulin.
Journal citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 08 / 2011
Demographic and Economic Profile: Illinois
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Discusses demographic and economic data including population, race, education, age, poverty, health care services, and employment. Includes maps and graphics.
Date: 01 / 2009
Economic Impact of the Critical Access Hospital Program on Illinois Communities
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network
Analyzes the economic impact of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in Illinois on their communities. Includes information about profitability, employment, and capital expenditures.
Date: 06 / 2006
Housing in the Lower Mississippi Delta
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Discusses the housing needs of the Lower Mississippi Delta that will require multi-level approaches to address the social, political, and economic infrastructure of the region.
Date: 10 / 2010
Illinois Health Center Fact Sheet
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Provides a description of what health centers are, and the most recent state-level data available for health center patients, services provided, staff, patient visits, and costs of care.
Date: 12 / 2010
Illinois New Physician Workforce Study: Final Report
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Hospital Association
Examines and documents the issues that affect new physicians’ choices regarding practice decisions. Discusses current physician workforce issues in Illinois, rural communities, and J-1 visa waiver programs in rural areas.
Date: 11 / 2010
Illinois Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS): 2008 Surveillance Report
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Department of Public Health
The Illinois Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) is an ongoing population-based survey of women who have delivered a live born infant in Illinois. The information collected by the PRAMS project is used by health professionals,
administrators, policy makers and researchers to develop and modify programs and policies to improve the health of women and children in Illinois.
Date: 2008
Illinois Quick Health Facts 2010
Author(s): Leigh Purvis
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
Presents data on Illinois including demographics, health expenditures and financing, health status, utilization and quality of services, Medicare and Medicaid, and access to care.
Date: 07 / 2010
Past Silos and Smokestacks: Transforming the Rural Economy in the Midwest
Author(s): Mark Drabenstott
Sponsoring organization: Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Discusses a development strategy that includes regional cooperation, innovation, and a leveraging of all strengths for the rural Midwest to transform its economy.
Date: 2010
Population Trends in Rural Downstate Illinois
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
Examines trends impacting the Illinois economy, including employment and economic activity in rural areas, wages and regulations, loss of manufacturing in rural communities, and losses in retail employment and construction.
Journal citation: Rural Research Report Volume 22 Issue 4
Date: 2011
Rural Hospitalist Study: The Advent of Hospitalists in Illinois Critical Access Hospitals: 2009
Author(s): William Spitler
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network
Explores successful critical access hospital (CAH) rural hospitalist models and identifies common threads for success. Provides steps for Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) to better position their hospitals if they begin a hospitalist program.
Date: 05 / 2009
Shaping the Debate: Illinois Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services in Crisis
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Hospital Association
Discusses the state's deteriorating behavioral health system and the challenges hospitals face. Discusses the psychiatrist shortage in rural areas, problems rural hospitals are having, and the need to improve care in rural emergency departments.
Date: 05 / 2011
Small Business Profile: Illinois
Sponsoring organization: Small Business Administration
Profile of the state's economy, covering the number of firms, industry composition, small business income, banking, women and minority business ownership, and employment.
Date: 02 / 2011
Testing Case Management in a Rural Context: An Impact Analysis of the Illinois Future Steps Program
Author(s): Alicia Meckstroth, Ann Person, Quinn Moore, Andrew Burwick, Andrew McGuirk, Michael Ponza, Shawn Marsh, Tim Novak, Zhanyun Zhao, Justin Wheeler
Sponsoring organization: Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
Presents 30-month impact analysis findings for the Illinois Future Steps program, an employment-focused case management program in rural, southern Illinois. By teaming the welfare agency with a regional community college, Future Steps aimed to connect people with services and employment.
Date: 09 / 2008
See also: Resources for All States: Documents Success Stories
Merging Medical Education and Community
The crux of this project was to support community-defined health projects across the State and to involve 21 medical students in the delivery of community-based primary health care services.
Osteoporosis and Breast Cancer Screening and Prevention Program
The Community Medical Center (CMC) of Western Illinois served as the lead agency in implementing an osteoporosis and breast cancer prevention and screening program for women living in Illinois’ Warren and Henderson Counties.
Expansion of Rural Dental Health Care Services in Macoupin and Montgomery Counties, Illinois
Grant funds allowed this coalition to step up development of the dental clinic's comprehensive oral health services by purchasing equipment, expanding their hours, developing the clinic as a satellite teaching site, providing assistance to families newly eligible for Medicaid and offering oral health education to children in primary grades at all local schools.
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