SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WREX) � Illinois state officials have announced millions in federal dollars going to improving the state's public health infrastructure and other critical needs.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health announced Thursday that the state has been awarded $86 million in federal funding for the state's public health workforce and infrastructure.
In the announcement, state officials called the funding a "first-of-its-kind," saying it will assist the IDPH and local health departments promote and protect health and address disparities in communities throughout Illinois.
Gov. Pritzker says the funding will empower the state's existing health care workforce and allow many to continue pursuing careers in the health care industry.
"At no point in our state’s history has it been more clear how essential the work of public health professionals is to our collective well-being," Gov. Pritzker said. "This investment in our state will result in more robust supports and better health outcomes for countless people across the state - particularly those on the margins who are most at-risk and in need of public health interventions."
The funding comes from the American Rescue Plan Act, and will go towards the state's efforts in recruiting, retaining, and training the public health workforce, including frontline workers. The funds will be dispersed over five years.
The IDPH says the grant is intended to address urgent and ongoing public health needs in economically or socially marginalized communities. The funding will also go to providing various training opportunities for the public health workforce to continue improving their skills.
IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra says the funding will also help bring in more workers into critical positions while retaining existing employees through efforts to reduce employee burnout.
"The last two-plus years have underscored the critical, life-saving importance of our frontline public health workforce," Dr. Vohra says. "We are very grateful to the CDC and the Biden Administration for this major infusion of federal funding that will strengthen efforts already underway at IDPH and with our local public health partners to prioritize health equity and create a more modern, resilient, and efficient public health department."
In addition to the $86 million going to the IDPH and local health departments, the CDC also announced $28 million going to the Chicago Department of Public Health.
