Prairie State Wire

The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services has announced the groundbreaking of the Integrated Hub (iHub) in Eldorado, a facility aimed at addressing health needs in southern Illinois. This project is part of the Healthcare Transformation Collaboratives, which brings together healthcare providers to integrate behavioral health, substance abuse treatment, and physical health services across five counties.

The iHub initiative is led by the Egyptian Health Department and includes partners such as Southern Illinois Healthcare, Ferrell Hospital, Harrisburg Medical Center, Christopher Rural Health Clinic, Illinois Health Practice Alliance, and Gallatin County Wellness Center. The service area covers Gallatin, Hamilton, Saline, Wayne, and White counties.

"The iHub project aims to fill some critical gaps in the health care landscape in the southern Illinois region," stated Theresa Eagleson, Director of Healthcare and Family Services. "Accessing comprehensive and specialty services like behavioral health services can prove challenging."

HFS Medicaid Administrator Kelly Cunningham emphasized that "iHub is going to make a huge difference in southern Illinois by putting in place integrated care coordination."

Once operational, iHub will house wellness coaches and community health workers to address gaps in care and connect individuals with necessary services. Angie Hampton from Egyptian Health Department expressed gratitude for state support: "We are excited and grateful to the State of Illinois and Senator Fowler to have this project fully funded."

The collaborative also plans to focus on social determinants of health through increased care coordination between primary care and behavioral health providers.

This initiative is part of HFS's broader efforts under its Healthcare Transformation Collaboratives program launched in 2021. The program seeks to close healthcare service gaps across Illinois with an annual budget of up to $150 million supported by federal funds.