ICAHN honors IDPH’s 1815 Grant Team for extraordinary service

Illinois Department of Public Health’s 1815 Grant Team received the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network’s highest award for leadership and ongoing service commitment to rural communities during ICAHN’s 2021 Annual Conference, held November 18^th at the I-Hotel and Conference Center, Champaign.

“When asked who should receive this year’s Special Partner Award, the 1815 Grant Team was the obvious choice,” said Liz Swanson, ICAHN Professional Education Services Assistant Director. “Their commitment to rural health is impressive. We have been fortunate to work with such dedicated professionals over the past four years.”

Part of the mission of the 1815 Grant Team is to call attention and address public health challenges such as diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. These challenges have not gone unnoticed, and as a result, the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network (ICAHN) has been a grant recipient of funding awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to the Illinois Department of Public Health. This funding was made available in 2018 for the grant project, “Improving the Health of Americans Through Prevention and Management of Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Stroke (1815).”

During this four-year grant period, ICAHN has worked with member hospitals in the southern part of the state to provide education on diabetes and heart disease, develop a community health worker structure, engage pharmacists in providing medication management, and establish disease registries that can better track and monitor patients with heart disease.

“This year starts the final year of the grant cycle, and with it an opportunity to recognize the IDPH 1815 Grant Team for its commitment to improving the health and well-being of those living in rural parts of our state,” said Swanson. “They are doing wonderful work on behalf of all Illinois’ rural populations and beyond.”

Those interested in learning more about 1815 grant projects are asked to contact Kathy Fauble or Liz Swanson, Project Leads, at [email protected] or [email protected].

Cara Barnett (right), Cardiovascular Program Manager and 1815 Grant Team Leader, accepts ICAHN’s “Special Partner Award” during ceremonies held recently at the I-Hotel and Conference Center, Champaign. She is shown with Alisa Coleman, ICAHN Board President and Ferrell Hospital CEO.