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Rural Health Information Hub
Rural Health Information Hub

Illinois Models and Innovations

These stories feature model programs and successful rural projects that can serve as a source of ideas. Some of the projects or programs may no longer be active. Read about the criteria and evidence-base for programs included.

Evidence-Based Examples

Updated/reviewed August 2020

  • Need: Osteoarthritis is a chronic condition which often causes multiple related disabilities in older adults.
  • Intervention: An 8-week physical activity, behavior change, and falls prevention program geared to older adults with osteoarthritis.
  • Results: Participants gained confidence with increased exercise, lessened stiffness, improved joint pain and improved lower extremity strength and mobility.

Effective Examples

Updated/reviewed November 2024

  • Need: Legal barriers often prevent low-income people in Southern Illinois from obtaining positive health outcomes despite receiving medical care.
  • Intervention: The Medical Legal Partnership of Southern Illinois (MLPSI) was formed to create a system where medical providers can refer patients in need of legal assistance to local attorneys.
  • Results: Over 5,700 patients have utilized MLPSI since its founding in 2002. The program has relieved over $8.1 million in medical debt for both hospitals and patients.

Added October 2023

  • Need: To recruit and train medical students who are committed to choosing rural practice.
  • Intervention: An add-on curriculum that includes seminars, field trips, and clinical rotations in rural and underserved areas.
  • Results: 436 students have graduated from the RMED program between 1997 and 2023, with 65% of program graduates practicing in towns of less than 50,000 people.

Other Project Examples

Updated/reviewed April 2025

  • Need: Multiple organizations in rural east central Illinois needed a more efficient, centralized system for referring patients experiencing a behavioral health crisis to appropriate treatment services.
  • Intervention: The Regional Behavioral Health Network was established with a 24-hour toll-free crisis line, providing immediate access to trained crisis clinicians.
  • Results: Improved access to high quality behavioral healthcare for patients in rural east central Illinois.
funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy

Updated/reviewed October 2024

  • Need: To reduce risk of obesity and chronic disease in rural northwest Illinois.
  • Intervention: Win With Wellness (WWW) collaborated with community organizations and worksites to improve physical activity and eating behaviors and reduce weight among adults using a multi-component approach.
  • Results: From 2015 to 2018, the two participating counties initiated 28 Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) groups with 367 participants. In the second round of funding, WWW recruited 183 participants for 9 TOPS groups and 8 community Heart-to-Heart sites.

Updated/reviewed August 2024

  • Need: To enhance emergency preparedness in rural areas by providing access to training, exercises, and crucial information.
  • Intervention: SPARC, a coalition of 197 organizations in southern Illinois, focuses on emergency preparedness.
  • Results: SPARC has facilitated numerous training sessions, exercises, and community events, enhancing regional preparedness and resilience.
funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy funded by the Health Resources Services Administration

Updated/reviewed June 2024

  • Need: To address the developmental, behavioral, and social/emotional needs of rural children ages 0-22 in northwest Illinois.
  • Intervention: Local partners teamed up to create a centralized service facility for children and families facing developmental, behavioral, and social/emotional issues. Florissa provides evaluations, diagnosis, and treatment to local children using a multidisciplinary, evidence-based approach.
  • Results: In 2023, Florissa provided a direct clinical service to over 337 children, in addition to many trainings and supportive programs. It also is co-located with the KSB Hospital pediatric department, a certified pediatric patient-centered medical home (PCMH).
funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy

Added December 2023

  • Need: To address high rates of substance use in Princeton, Illinois and the surrounding area.
  • Intervention: The Arukah Institute, a local nonprofit organization providing mental health services, adapted a statewide model to provide support and a safe space for people in need of substance use resources.
  • Results: The Living Room program had 1,485 visits in its first year, with 100% of clients served by recovery support specialists.

Updated/reviewed November 2023

  • Need: To improve people's health in a rural 16-county region in Illinois.
  • Intervention: A coalition of local health departments and healthcare facilities coordinates regional efforts, which are implemented locally by health community coalitions.
  • Results: HSIDN has created toolkits, developed resource guides, and provided wellness trainings, among other initiatives.
funded by the Health Resources Services Administration

Added June 2023

  • Need: To improve maternal and birth outcomes in rural and underserved areas by increasing the number of family medicine physicians in these areas who have high-quality, evidence-based obstetrical care skills.
  • Intervention: The STRETCH-OB program trains a select number of family medicine residents at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford each year to provide high-quality maternity care, including surgical obstetrical care.
  • Results: The first two STRETCH-OB residents graduated in June 2023.
Last Reviewed: 7/30/2024