Pritzker Administration & IDPH Announce Health Equity Zone Pilot Project Grants for McDonough and Winnebago Counties

Pritzker Administration & IDPH Announce Health Equity Zone Pilot Project Grants for McDonough and Winnebago Counties

Program Stems from Heathy Illinois 2028 State Health Improvement Plan

CHICAGO - Following a competitive grant process, the Administration of Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced they are awarding two Health Equity Zone (HEZ) grants to fund programs designed to reverse historic health disparities in McDonough and Winnebago counties.

In McDonough County in Western Illinois, the Henderson County Rural Health Center was awarded $113,873 for a collaboration with Western Illinois University, the McDonough County Public Health Department, the Western Illinois Regional Council, and other nonprofits and faith-based organizations to create a health equity zone that will work to address health outcomes related to obesity, sexually transmitted infections, and mental health.

The Winnebago County Health Department has been awarded $118,000 to expand its Community of Concern (COC) workgroup to address health disparities around mental and behavioral health impacting a vulnerable community area in Rockford. The COC in partnership with other community groups will work to improve mental health through prevention and early intervention including improving access to self-care, decreasing stigma associated with mental health conditions, and building community resilience.

"IDPH continues to prioritize new and innovative ways to invest in our communities," said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. "At its core, public health is about communities, and we are excited to see the innovative approaches McDonough and Winnebago Counties are taking to address historic health disparities. Our Healthy Illinois 2028 State Health Improvement Plan is focused on working to grow more local cross-sector solutions to address our public health challenges. IDPH looks forward to applying the lessons learned in this pilot program to future initiatives all across Illinois."

The HEZ program is funded by the General Assembly and is an outgrowth of the department's Healthy Illinois 2028 State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) and State Health Assessment (SHA), which include addressing racism as a public health crisis as a key priority. The effort is led by IDPH in partnership with the University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health.

"IDPH is proud to support these innovative, locally led Health Equity Zone pilot projects," said IDPH Assistant Director Dr. Janice Phillips. "Through the HEZ program, we are supporting our local partners in McDonough and Winnebago counties, the people who know their communities best and have the knowledge and creativity to devise meaningful interventions that can have a measurable impact on the health disparities they face."

"Henderson County Rural Health Center is so excited for the opportunity to impact the lives of McDonough County residents," said Jennifer Lehman, grant manager for the Eagle View Community Health System. "Through a collaborative effort, we can bring about great changes!"

Dr. Sandra Martell, Public Health Administrator for the Winnebago County Health Department, said: "We are excited for the opportunity to address mental and behavioral health through a public health lens and improve health equity in our community."

The Healthy Illinois 2028 plan was released at the beginning of 2024 and serves as a blueprint for building a more responsive public health infrastructure aimed at improving equitable access to care and health outcomes for all Illinois's residents. The State Health Assessment identified five major priorities to be addressed over the next five years, including racism as a public health crisis, chronic disease, COVID-19 and emerging diseases, maternal and infant health, and mental health and substance use disorder. The plan was developed with the input and participation of dozens of public health and health experts and advocates from the public and private sector across the state.