DECATUR – State Senator Doris Turner joined the Illinois Capital Development Board and the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services in announcing $200 million in funding to transform health care delivery and improve health outcomes in the state.

“Having the ability to provide adequate behavioral health services in the Decatur community and beyond is a huge step in the right direction,” said Turner (D-Springfield). “Heritage Behavioral Health Center improves the mental and physical well-being of those they serve and now they will be able to help more people.”

The Healthcare Transformation Capital Improvement grants will build on HFS’ equity-driven Healthcare Transformation Collaboratives 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.

Heritage Behavioral Health Center Inc., in the district Turner represents, is set to receive $43.8 million for a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic that will provide vital, comprehensive and integrated behavioral-primary healthcare services to people living in Macon, DeWitt and Piatt Counties.

This program is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between HFS and CDB. Both agencies collaborated to establish the Hospital and Healthcare Transformation Capital Investment Grant Program.  HFS and CDB incorporated laws that prioritize healthcare transformation in underserved communities with the greatest utilization of Medicaid services. Additionally, organizations were selected based on a merit-based review.

Find the full list of grant recipients here.