ICAHN Hospitals Receive Illinois’ Healthcare Transformation Capital Investment Grants

CHICAGO - Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS), and the Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB) recently announced the selection of 13 organizations to receive funding through the unprecedented Healthcare Transformation Capital Investment Grant Program. The grants, which total $200 million, will fund capital projects addressing health-related social needs and reduce disparities in healthcare in historically underserved communities.

Three ICAHN member organizations will benefit:

• Clay County Hospital: $12.1 million to construct a Clay County Health Department building on the campus of the Clay County Medical Complex which will be an expansion of the hospital to enhance educational and prevention services, and renovation of the hospital, including Medical Surgical Department, Nutritional Services Department, and Surgery Department. Location: Flora, IL
• Crawford Hospital District:$6.7 million to construct a new two-story addition for office and treatment spaces, nurses’ stations with privacy screens, and patient registration bring these much-needed specialty care services and the capacity to treat a large volume of patients. Location: Robinson, IL
• Southern Illinois Hospital Services, in support of Integrated HUB HTC:$9.9 million to increase capacity for mental health treatment, including new acute mental illness beds and updates to the current psychiatric unit to address the critical mental health need in the broader southern sixteen county region. Location: Southern Illinois Counties

Our neighbor in Princeton, Illinois, where ICAHN headquarters is located, received a grant, as well:

• Arukah Institute of Healing, Inc NFP:$3.6 million to fund construction and renovations to develop shared space with the Bureau County Health Department FQHC for a “no wrong door” integrated health and rural health workforce training center and to purchase a building enabling a new Child and Family Center that will house specialized child family crisis workforce, child psychiatry, primary care, counseling, and other integrated services to best meet needs of low income families. Location: Princeton, IL

“As my administration continues on our mission to expand healthcare access throughout Illinois, we’re focused on investing in historically underserved areas,” said Governor JB Pritzker in a news release. “This Capital Improvement Grant Program will improve hospitals and care centers with much needed improvements, making it easier for healthcare professionals to serve their communities.”

Healthcare Transformation Capital Improvement grants will build on HFS’ equity-driven Healthcare Transformation Collaboratives (HTC) program, which was established in 2021. The goals of the HTC program are to expand access to care and improve health equity, especially in underserved communities, by leveraging shared resources among collaborative partners to create locally-driven solutions.

These awards also support the State’s safety net hospitals, which are critical to providing essential medical care to our most underserved communities. ​
​Safety nets are hospitals and medical centers that provide healthcare to patients regardless of insurance status or their ability to pay. Of the awardees, 6 of the 13 are safety net health entities, representing 48% of the total funding.

“This funding will have a meaningful impact on improving health equity and access to care across the state,” said HFS Director Elizabeth M. Whitehorn. “We are excited to be able to support capital projects and look forward to seeing progress toward improving health outcomes for Medicaid customers.”

“These grants represent a significant investment in the future of healthcare across Illinois, particularly in underserved communities,” said CDB Executive Director TJ Edwards. “CDB is proud to partner with HFS to ensure these projects not only improve healthcare access, but also build stronger, more resilient healthcare infrastructure that will serve generations of Illinoisans.”

This program is a unique, first-of-its-kind collaboration between HFS and CDB, under which the agencies worked together to establish the Hospital and Healthcare Transformation Capital Investment Grant Program as outlined in Section 30-15 in Public Act 101-10. As required by law, HFS and CDB developed competitive solicitation that prioritizes healthcare transformation in underserved communities with the greatest utilization of Medicaid services.

Successful applicants must enter into a grant agreement with CDB outlining the roles and responsibilities of the parties. The maximum contract period for the grants is five years, and all projects must be operational at the end of the grant term.

Read the official news release.