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 2011 estimated population of 12,869,257 people – 1,674,572 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, 78.0% of the state’s population is white, 14.8% is African-American/Black, 4.8% is Asian, 0.6% is American Indian, and 16.2% is of Hispanic/Latino origin (2011).
There are 189 hospitals in Illinois (Kaiser, 2010). The state has 51 hospitals identified by the Flex Monitoring Team as Critical Access Hospitals (March 2013). There are 221 Rural Health Clinics in Illinois (Kaiser, 2012), 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, 2011).
According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for Illinoisans in 2010 was $42,040, although rural per-capita income lagged at $33,196. Estimates from 2010 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 9.4% while in urban Illinois it is at 9.8% (USDA-ERS, 2011).
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.
Great Lakes Rural Community Assistance Program (RCAP)
State/regional organization
Assists rural low-income individuals and underserved populations in developing and maintaining community infrastructure to improve rural quality of life through a network of community action agencies.
Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights
State/regional organization
Helps people living in poverty or danger improve their lives and realize their human rights. Includes the Social Impact Research Center, which conducts research on issues such as poverty, housing, homelessness, employment, public benefits, health care, and education.
HUD Community Development Block Grants: Illinois (CDBG)
Federal government
Contact information for the State CDBG program. Provides funding for community development projects.
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 address the development and retention of the state’s health workforce using resources from its area partnerships. Works to improve health care for the underserved by providing access to 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. Oversees the Rural Community Assistance Program (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 (IFB)
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.
Southeastern Illinois Rural Health Workforce Development Network (SEIgrow)
State/regional organization
SEIgrow is a network of organizations working to develop and implement programs that address the rural health workforce needs of underserved residents of Illinois in certain counties.
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.
Upper Midwest Telehealth Resource Center
State/regional organization
One of the telehealth resource centers funded by the federal Office for the Advancement of Telehealth. Assists health care organizations, health care networks, and health care providers in the implementation of cost-effective telehealth programs to serve rural and medically underserved areas and populations. Includes Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio.
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.
VA Midwest Health Care Network (VISN 23)
Federal government
Also known as Veterans Integrated Service Network 23. Serves more than 400,000 enrolled Veterans residing in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and portions of Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Tools
AgrAbility Unlimited: Illinois
Website
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
Website
Lists statistics on population, educational attainment, employment, income, farm characteristics, and farm financial indicators for the state.
Illinois Health Centers Research & Data
Website
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)
Website
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
Website
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.
National Healthcare Quality Report State Snapshot: Illinois
Website
Health care quality report for the state, based on the National Healthcare Quality Report.
NN/LM Greater Midwest Region: Illinois Resources
Website
Overview of the state, with links to state agencies, health associations, and other resources for Illinois.
Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Centers (PERLC)
Website
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)
Website
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
Website
Provides comprehensive, affordable healthcare to Illinois' veterans that do not otherwise qualify for VA health care benefits.
See also: State-by-State Resources: Tools Funding
Aetna Foundation Regional Grants
Funds community wellness initiatives focusing on healthy food and activity that serve low-income, underserved, or minority populations.
Brothers And Sisters United Against HIV/AIDS (BASUAH) Communities of Color Initiative
Funding for HIV prevention, education, testing, and care programs targeting communities of color.
Delta Health Care Services Grant Program
Provides financial assistance for the development of health care services, health care cooperatives, health education programs, health care training programs, and public health-related facilities in the Delta Region.
Delta Regional Authority States Economic Development Assistance Program (SEDAP)
Grants to help Delta communities create jobs and improve infrastructure.
Dollar General Youth Literacy Grants
Funding to schools, public libraries, and nonprofit organizations to help students who are below grade level or experiencing difficulty reading.
Georgia-Pacific Foundation Grants
Grants for organizations projects that focus on education, the environment, community enhancement, affordable housing, arts and culture, and entrepreneurship.
Gladys Brooks Foundation Grants
Offers grants for libraries, educational institutions, hospitals, and clinics.
IFF Loan Fund
Offers loans to nonprofits serving low-income or special-needs populations for facilities, equipment, vehicles, construction of affordable housing, and food programs.
Illinois Emergency Medical Services Assistance Fund
The grant provides programs, services, and equipment for Emergency Medical Services.
Illinois Health Professions Training
Provides primary health care (MD/DO, APN, PA), dentistry, and behavioral health rotation opportunities in health centers located in medically underserved areas of Illinois.
Illinois Home Modification Program
Offers forgivable loans to low-income elderly persons and persons with disabilities to modify or repair their homes to improve mobility.
Illinois In-Person Counselor (IPC) Grant Program
Funding for organizations to assist Illinois residents in enrolling in new coverage options and affordability programs made available through the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Illinois Nursing Education Scholarship Program
Provides assistance to individuals pursuing a certificate in practical nursing, an associate degree in nursing, a hospital-based nursing diploma, a baccalaureate degree in nursing or a graduate degree in nursing.
Illinois Podiatric Scholarship Program
Scholarship program to increase the number of podiatric physicians practicing in underserved areas of Illinois.
Increasing Access to Health Care Services for Medically Underserved Minority Populations through Mobile Health Care
Funding to provide preventative health screenings in culturally and linguistically appropriate ways throughout the medically underserved areas of Illinois via mobile health units.
Jewel-Osco In Your Community
Funding to nonprofit and school programs for hunger relief, health, and nutrition.
National Network of Libraries of Medicine Greater Midwest Region Funding
Provides funding for National Network of Libraries members located in the greater Midwest region to assist them in conducting outreach and technology projects.
Rural Health IT Workforce Loan Fund
Loans for health care providers in underserved communities to successfully adopt and utilize a Health IT system.
Rural Illinois Medical Student Assistant Program (RIMSAP)
Provides loans to University of Illinois Medical School students wishing to specialize in family practice or another primary health care field, who agree to practice in an approved rural community in Illinois.
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
Offers deferred, forgivable loans to assist low-income homeowners in Illinois with home repairs.
Wells Fargo Corporate Giving Programs
Funding for nonprofit organizations in the areas of community development, education, human services, arts and culture, civic responsibility, and environmental consciousness.
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
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 Volume 2011 Issue Summer
Date: 08 / 2011
Celebrating Ten Years of the Rural Monitor: Despite Challenges, Rural Housing Organizations Meet Big Needs in Small Towns
Author(s): Candi Helseth
Sponsoring organization: Rural Assistance Center
Provides an update on Kansas and Illinois housing organizations previously featured in the Rural Monitor. These programs address housing needs for special populations including veterans, the elderly, and the homeless.
Journal citation: Rural Monitor Volume 2013 Issue Winter
Date: 02 / 2013
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
Housing in the Mississippi Delta
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Provides statistics and describes the housing needs of the Mississippi Delta region that will require multi-level approaches to address the social, political, and economic infrastructure of the region.
Date: 10 / 2011
Illinois Critical Access Hospitals: Collaborating for Effective Rural Health Care
Author(s): Melissa Henriksen, Norman Walzer, Andy Blanke
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network
Describes the experiences of several Midwest critical access hospitals (CAHs) participating in collaborative health care models. Also discussed is the future of such collaborations and the impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Date: 01 / 2013
Illinois Critical Access Hospitals: Enhancing Quality of Care in Rural Illinois
Author(s): Melissa Henriksen, Norman Walzer
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network
Assessed the ability of Illinois’ critical access hospitals to meet the quality of care
standards that will be required by the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed into law in 2010.
Date: 04 / 2012
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's 33%: Report on Illinois Poverty
Author(s): Ethan Brown, Kimberly Drew, Nadeen Israel, Lucy Mullany, Samantha Tuttle
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: 01 / 2013
Need for Human Services in Illinois
Author(s): Ellyn Drathring, Amy Terpstra
Sponsoring organization: Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights
Identifies seven human services categories, including their needs and trends. Includes community-based mental health, disability, employment, housing and homeless, senior, substance use disorder, and youth. Mentions the lack of supportive and accessible housing in rural areas in Illinois.
Date: 2011
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
Profiles on Illinois Critical Access Hospitals
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Hospital Association
Presents profiles on four CAHs in Illinois, including Ferrell Hospital in Eldorado, Kewanee Hospital in Kewanee, Memorial Hospital in Carthage, and Midwest Medical Center in Galena.
Date: 04 / 2012
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
Rural Midwest: How Is It Faring?
Author(s): Norman Walzer, Brian L. Harger
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
Compares Illinois and contiguous states with metro and rural counties across the U.S. Compares Illinois specifically with the surrounding states in terms of population and employment. Discusses assets or opportunities for future development in rural Illinois.
Journal citation: Rural Research Report Volume 23 Issue 1
Date: 2012
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: 2 / 2013
USDA Rural Development 2012 Progress Report
Sponsoring organization: USDA Rural Development
Reports on investments made by USDA Rural Development intended to have a lasting, sustainable impact on rural American by supporting economic growth, broadband implementation, housing programs, and public utility projects. Features programs implemented in Minnesota, Georgia, Montana, Oregon, Tennessee, Louisiana, Illinois, Arizona, North Carolina, North Dakota, Colorado, Florida, and Wisconsin. Reports total funds granted to each of the 50 states from 2009 - 2012.
See also: State-by-State Resources: Documents Journals
IPHCA Health Source
Published monthly. Contains articles on health care issues including legislative and policy issues, clinician services, and other information of interest to the health care industry. Highlights the accomplishments of individual community health centers.
Success Stories
Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center Connects Hospital, Clinics Through EMRs
The Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center in East Central Illinois has implemented an ambulatory electronic medical record software application that provides shared access to computerized patient health information across hospital services, home health organizations, hospice, and physician practices.
Midwest Medical Center- Galena, Illinois
Midwest Medical Center was the first Critical Access Replacement Hospital to open its doors in the State of Illinois. They overcame a tremendous amount of challenges to improve and save health care in this small rural and tourist community.
Three Hospitals Secure Section 242 Financing
Three facilities located in South Dakota, Idaho, and Illinois used federal mortgage insurance to obtain affordable financings for replacement facilities.
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