410 ILCS 65/ Illinois Rural/Downstate Health Act.

(410 ILCS 65/1) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 8051)

Sec. 1. This Act may be cited as the Illinois Rural/Downstate Health Act.

(Source: P.A. 86-965; 86-1187.)

(410 ILCS 65/2) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 8052)

Sec. 2. The General Assembly finds that citizens in the rural, downstate and designated shortage areas of this State are increasingly faced with problems in accessing necessary health care. The closure of small rural hospitals, the inability of these areas to attract new physicians, the elimination of existing physician services because of increasing practice costs, including the cost of providing malpractice insurance, and the lack of systems of emergency medical care contribute to the access problems experienced by these residents. While Illinois is not unique in experiencing these problems, the need to maintain or enhance the economies of these areas of the State requires that new and innovative strategies be identified and implemented to respond to the health care needs of residents of these areas. It is therefore the intent of this General Assembly to create a program to respond to this problem.

For purposes of this Act, "designated shortage areas" means medically underserved areas or health manpower shortage area as defined by the United States Department of Health and Human Services or as otherwise designated by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

(Source: P.A. 91-357, eff. 7-29-99.)

(410 ILCS 65/3) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 8053)

Sec. 3. The Illinois Department of Public Health shall establish a downstate health care program as a component of primary care development. The Department shall create a Center for Rural Health to coordinate programs and activities within the agency relating to access to health care in rural areas and designated shortage areas. The Center may work with universities, private foundations, health care providers or other interested organizations, private foundations, health care providers or other interested organizations on innovative strategies to respond to the health care needs of residents of these areas.

The Center shall cooperate with Southern Illinois University programs and services that respond to the health care needs of residents of downstate areas, including but not limited to the development of primary care centers, the development of obstetrical care centers through affiliation with hospitals and clinics, and the conduct of health research and evaluation.

The Center shall cooperate with University of Illinois programs and services that respond to the health care needs of residents of downstate areas, including but not limited to: developing innovative educational strategies designed to graduate primary care physicians, especially family physicians, for all Illinois, particularly the rural underserved areas; developing primary care centers with comprehensive care, including emergency and obstetric care through affiliation with hospitals and clinics; and conducting health research and evaluation.

(Source: P.A. 86-965; 86-1187; 87-1162.)

(410 ILCS 65/3.1) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 8053.1)

Sec. 3.1. Southern Illinois University shall expand its focus on rural health care as a component of health professions education programs on its several campuses, including, but not limited to, its programs in medicine, nursing, dentistry, and technical careers, and through research and technical assistance programs. The University shall further encourage the regional outreach mission of its School of Medicine through the establishment of a dedicated administrative entity within the School with responsibility for rural health care planning and programming. The University may work with communities, state agencies, other colleges and universities, private foundations, health care providers, and other interested organizations on innovative strategies to respond to the health care needs of residents of rural areas.

The University shall have the authority:

(a) To establish such clinical centers as may be necessary to carry out the intent of this Act according to the following priorities:

(1) Preference for programs which are designed to facilitate the education of health professions students.

(2) Preference for programs established in locations which exhibit potential for locating physicians in health manpower shortage areas.

(3) Preference for programs which are located away from communities in which medical school and residency programs are located.

(4) Preference for programs which are geographically distributed throughout downstate Illinois.

(b) To receive and disburse funds in accordance with the purpose stated in Section 2 of this Act.

(c) To enter into contracts or agreements with any agency or department of the State of Illinois or the United States to carry out the provisions of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 86-1187.)

(410 ILCS 65/3.2) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 8053.2)

Sec. 3.2. The University of Illinois shall expand its focus on enrolling, training, and graduating primary care physicians, particularly family physicians. Both the undergraduate programs and the postgraduate Family Practice Residency Program may increase their service and training commitments in order to provide health care to additional sites in rural underserved areas. The College of Medicine shall by means of recruitment and by means of special undergraduate tracks and satellite residency programs, graduate family physicians to serve in rural underserved areas. The University shall further attempt to meet the needs of the residents of rural Illinois by establishing administrative entities to coordinate service, education and research in primary care and may work with communities, State agencies, other colleges and universities, private foundations, health care providers and other interested organizations on innovative strategies to respond to the challenges of producing more primary care physicians, particularly family physicians, for the rural underserved areas.

The University shall have the authority:

(1) to establish such clinical and educational centers as may be necessary to carry out the intent of this Act according to the following priorities:

(A) preference for programs which are designed to enroll, educate and facilitate the graduation of primary care physicians particularly family physicians for rural underserved Illinois.

(B) preference for the establishment of education and service programs both for graduate and undergraduate students in health manpower shortage areas in Illinois according to the needs of the residents.

(C) preference for programs established in locations which exhibit potential for locating physicians in health manpower shortage areas.

(D) preference for programs which require comprehensive primary care services, including emergency and obstetric care, which can most appropriately be serviced by family physicians.

(E) preference for programs which require the health care team in the meeting of residents' medical needs.

(F) preference for programs which involved networking with other agencies, organizations and institutions which have similar objectives.

(G) preference for programs which are geographically situated in manpower underserved areas.

(2) to receive and disburse funds in accordance with the purpose stated in Section 2 of this Act.

(3) to enter into contracts or agreements with any agency or department of the State of Illinois or the United States to carry out the provisions of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 87-1162.)

(410 ILCS 65/4) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 8054)

Sec. 4. The Center shall have the authority:

(a) To assist rural communities and communities in designated shortage areas by providing technical assistance to community leaders in defining their specific health care needs and identifying strategies to address those needs.

(b) To link rural communities and communities in designated shortage areas with other units in the Department or other State agencies which can assist in the solution of a health care access problem.

(c) To maintain and disseminate information on innovative health care strategies, either directly or indirectly.

(d) To administer State or federal grant programs relating to rural health or medically underserved areas established by State or federal law for which funding has been made available.

(e) To promote the development of primary care services in rural areas and designated shortage areas. Subject to available appropriations, the Department may annually award grants of up to $300,000 each to enable the health services in those areas to offer multi-service comprehensive ambulatory care, thereby improving access to primary care services. Grants may cover operational and facility construction and renovation expenses, including but not limited to the cost of personnel, medical supplies and equipment, patient transportation, and health provider recruitment. The Department shall prescribe by rule standards and procedures for the provision of local matching funds in relation to each grant application. Grants provided under this paragraph (e) shall be in addition to support and assistance provided under subsection (a) of Section 2310-200 of the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law (20 ILCS 2310/2310-200). Eligible applicants shall include, but not be limited to, community-based organizations, hospitals, local health departments, and Community Health Centers as defined in Section 4.1 of this Act.

(f) To annually provide grants from available appropriations to hospitals located in medically underserved areas or health manpower shortage areas as defined by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, whose governing boards include significant representation of consumers of hospital services residing in the area served by the hospital, and which agree not to discriminate in any way against any consumer of hospital services based upon the consumer's source of payment for those services. Grants that may be awarded under this paragraph (f) shall be limited to $500,000 and shall not exceed 50% of the total project need indicated in each application. Expenses covered by the grants may include but are not limited to facility renovation, equipment acquisition and maintenance, recruitment of health personnel, diversification of services, and joint venture arrangements.

(g) To establish a recruitment center which shall actively recruit physicians and other health care practitioners to participate in the program, maintain contacts with participating practitioners, actively promote health care professional practice in designated shortage areas, assist in matching the skills of participating medical students with the needs of community health centers in designated shortage areas, and assist participating medical students in locating in designated shortage areas.

(h) To assist communities in designated shortage areas find alternative services or temporary health care providers when existing health care providers are called into active duty with the armed forces of the United States.

(i) To develop, in cooperation with the Illinois Finance Authority, financing programs whose goals and purposes shall be to provide moneys to carry out the purpose of this Act, including, but not limited to, revenue bond programs, revolving loan programs, equipment leasing programs, and working cash programs. The Department may transfer to the Illinois Finance Authority, into an account outside of the State treasury, moneys in special funds of the Department for the purposes of establishing those programs. The disposition of any moneys so transferred shall be determined by an interagency agreement.

(Source: P.A. 92-16, eff. 6-28-01; 93-205, eff. 1-1-04.)

(410 ILCS 65/4.1) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 8054.1)

Sec. 4.1. The Center may make grants under a Community Health Center Program ("Program") to assist existing community health centers and to encourage the development of new community health centers in designated shortage areas. Grants may be made for purposes including, but not limited to, assistance in the recruitment and retention of medical professionals, purchase of new equipment, operational expenses, facility construction and renovation, and outreach programs for medically underserved populations. The Program shall avoid duplicating resources in areas where primary health care services are already available. For purposes of this Section, "community health center" includes: (1) migrant health centers or community health centers or health care for the homeless programs supported under Section 329, 330, or 340 of the federal Public Health Service Act, respectively; and (2) Federally Qualified Health Centers as designated by the federal Health Care Financing Administration or Illinois Department of Public Health. For purpose of this Section, "designated shortage area" means a medically underserved area or health manpower shortage area as defined by the United States Department of Health and Human Services or as otherwise designated by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

(Source: P.A. 86-1187.)

(410 ILCS 65/5) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 8055)

Sec. 5. The Department shall establish a downstate health demonstration grant program, funded from appropriations available for such purpose, to initiate innovative proposals to respond to access problems in medically underserved rural areas and in designated shortage areas. The Department shall designate those rural areas that qualify as medically underserved for this purpose.

(Source: P.A. 86-965; 86-1187.)

(410 ILCS 65/5.5)

Sec. 5.5. Rural/Downstate Health Access Fund.

(a) The Rural/Downstate Health Access Fund is created as a special fund in the State treasury. Moneys from fees and gifts, grants, or donations made to the Center for Rural Health shall be deposited into the Fund. Subject to appropriation and except as provided in subsection (b) of this Section, moneys in the Fund shall be used in the following manner for rural health programs or for programs for the medically underserved authorized under this Act: 60.2% shall be distributed to the Department of Public Health, 26.3% shall be distributed to the Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University, and 13.5% shall be distributed to the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

(b) The Center for Rural Health at the Department of Public Health may require that a J-1 Visa Waiver Program application fee be collected from international medical graduates for the purpose of administering the Program. J-1 Visa Waiver Program application fees shall be deposited into the Rural/Downstate Health Access Fund, shall be dedicated to the administration of the J-1 Visa Waiver Program in Illinois, and may not be subject to the distribution formula referenced in subsection (a) of this Section.

(c) The Center for Rural Health shall administer the Fund.

(d) The Department shall adopt rules necessary to implement the provisions of this Section.

(Source: P.A. 98-1006, eff. 1-1-15.)