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 2008 estimated population of 12,901,563 people – 1,666,637 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, 79.2% of the state’s population is white, 15.0% is African-American/Black, 4.3% is Asian, 0.3% is American Indian, and 14.9% is of Hispanic/Latino origin (2007).
There are 185 hospitals in Illinois, 64 of which are located in rural areas (North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center, Dec. 2008). The state has 51 hospitals currently identified by the Flex Monitoring Team as Critical Access Hospitals (April, 2009). There are 216 Rural Health Clinics in Illinois (CMS, 2009), and 36 Federally Qualified Health Centers provide services at 402 sites in the state (Kaiser, 2007). Most Illinoisans have some form of health insurance coverage, although 13.7% of the state's residents lack any health insurance (Kaiser, 2006-2007).
According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for all Illinoisans in 2007 was $41,012, although rural per-capita income lagged at $29,062. 2007 estimates indicate a poverty rate of 13.9% exists in rural Illinois, compared to a 11.6% level in urban areas of the State. 2000 data reports 20.0% of the rural population has not completed high school, while only 18.3% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma. The unemployment rate in rural Illinois is at 7.1% while in urban Illinois it is at 6.4% (USDA-ERS, 2008).
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
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts
Flex Monitoring Team: Critical Access Hospital List
Organizations
Corporation for Supportive Housing: Illinois (CSH-Illinois)
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
IFF is a nonprofit community development lender providing affordable, flexible and accessible loans to nonprofits serving low-income or special-needs populations. IFF loans can be used for most any facility or equipment project, including construction, acquisition, rehabilitation, purchase of equipment or furnishings, and facility improvements to leased or owned space. Because IFF only assists nonprofits, its loans are designed for the way nonprofits operate.
Illinois Center for Rural Health
State government
Provides consultation and technical assistance to community-based organizations and health care providers, identifies health care issues, discusses potential solutions, and develops and implement plans of action. 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 Enforcement
State government
Committed to the use of all available enforcement tools to collect unpaid child support.
Illinois Community Action Association (ICAA)
State/regional organization
Network for Illinois' not-for-profit corporations and units of government which strive to raise the health, education and economic standards of Illinois' low income population.
Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network (ICAHN)
State/regional organization
A member organization of small, rural hospitals with Critical Access Hospital certification that seeks to strengthen each member through collaboration, committees, education programs, special projects and the connectivity provided by its IT network.
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS)
State government
Provides child welfare services in Illinois, including child protection, foster care, adoption, 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
State government
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
State government
Dedicated to improving the lives of Illinois' families through health care coverage, child support enforcement and energy assistance.
Illinois Department of Human Services
State government
Helps Illinois families achieve self-sufficiency, independence and health. 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
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
State government
Provides a full array of quality, 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
Helps maximize community supports and develop 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 to assist them in making informed choices to achieve full community participation through employment, education, and independent living opportunities.
Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH)
State government
Responsible for protecting the 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; and to develop, maintain and enhance health care services in minority communities.
Illinois Foundation for Quality Health Care (IFQHC)
State/regional organization
This is the site for IMFC-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
State/regional organization
Represents and provides services for all members of the Head Start community: directors, staff, parents, and friends. Head Start provides a comprehensive child development program for children and their families.
Illinois Hospital Association (IHA)
State/regional organization
Works to strengthen and unite hospitals and make high-quality, affordable health care available to all Illinoisans. Represents approximately 200 hospitals and health systems and the patients and communities they serve.
Illinois Housing Development Authority (IDHA)
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 by developing 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) and works to increase access to high-quality, cost-effective primary health care services in urban and rural populations throughout the state.
Illinois Public Health Institute (IPHI)
State/regional organization
Works through partnerships to promote prevention and improve public health systems that maximize health and quality of life for the people of Illinois.
Illinois Rural Community Assistance Program (IL RCAP)
State/regional organization
Helps rural communities in Illinois to improve community infrastructure.
Illinois Rural Health Association (IRHA)
State/regional organization
The IRHA is a membership organization that works to improve access to health care for rural Illinois residents through education programs, legislative advocacy, public awareness and networking.
Illinois State Board of Education: Special Education Services
State government
The Illinois State Board of Education 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 the highest quality dental care is provided to the public.
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.
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.
University of Illinois Rural Medical Education Program (RMED)
Academic/Research
Training program for medical students who plan to practice in a rural area. Part of the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford.
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.
Areas of Illinois Having State Physician and/or Federal Health Professional Shortage Areas
Web site
County list of Illinois' state physician and federal health professional shortage areas (HPSAs).
Delta Resource Project
Web site
Provides information about funding opportunities and a wide variety of other resources to grantees that are part of ORHP's Delta States Rural Development Network program as well as others interested in rural healthcare and well-being in the Mississippi Delta Region.
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 QuickFacts
Web site
Basic demographic and economic statistics for the state, with links to county-level data.
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 Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile
Web site
Highlights compile 2000 data on levels of employment, projected growth and key environmental factors that affect demand for health care. Details for medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, mental health and aides.
Illinois KIDS COUNT Data Center (KCDC)
Web site
Provides data on child well-being for the state.
Illinois State 30 J-1 Visa Waiver Program: January 2009
Web site
Overview of the Illinois Department of Public Health's application process for the Waiver of Two-Year Home-Country Physical Presence Requirement, International Medical Graduates, Exchange Visitor Program.
Illinois State Health Facts
Database
The latest state-level data on demographics, health, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation. 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.
MedlinePlus Go Local
Web site
Offers information about health services in local geographic areas, including hospitals, physicians, nursing homes, support groups, health screening providers and many others.
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.
State Profiles- Illinois: Health Information Technology (HIT)
Web site
Profiles the state’s health information technology (HIT) issues. Contains sections on demographics, HIT legislation, telemedicine, Health Information Exchanges (HIE) & Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIO), grant funded HIT projects, and HIT survey information.
Veterans Care Program
Web site
Designed to provide comprehensive, affordable healthcare to Illinois' veterans that do not otherwise qualify for VA health care benefits.
See also: Resources for All States: Tools Funding
IFF
IFF is a nonprofit community development lender providing affordable, flexible and accessible loans to nonprofits serving low-income or special-needs populations.
William T. Kemper Foundation Grants
Provides grants for health, human services, the arts, and the environment.
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
2004 Report on Illinois Poverty: An Analysis of Rural Poverty
Author(s): Illinois Poverty Summit
Overview of the status of the rural poor in Illinois. Includes statistics on population, employment, income, and housing by county.
Date: 01 / 2009
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
Emergency Medical Services in Rural Illinois
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Rural Health Association
Reports on ten community forums conducted in Illinois (between January and September 2004) which were designed to document concerns about Emergency Medical Services (EMS) availability in rural areas of the state and also to come up with possible solutions. Recommendations are provided for each of five key issues.
Date: 02 / 2005
Illinois Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS): 2005 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: 2005
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: 2008
State Profiles - Illinois: Reforming the Health Care System
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
Detailed profile of the state's health care system. Covers demographics, expenditures and financing, health status, utilization and quality of services, health care providers, Medicare, Medicaid, health insurance coverage, and key trends.
Date: 12 / 2005
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.
Illinois 24/7 Suicide Prevention-Crisis Network
The Regional Behavioral Health Network has established a 24-hour toll-free crisis line and mobile crisis program to improve access to care, service quality and staff moral.
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.
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