SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Continuing his effort to help residents across Illinois gain access to quality healthcare, state Rep. Mike Smiddy, D-Hillsdale, passed legislation out of the Illinois House yesterday creating a task force designed to address healthcare shortages in rural areas of the state.
"Everyone in Illinois deserves access to proper medical care, and the healthcare shortages in rural areas across Illinois are alarming and preventable," Smiddy said. "We need to look at every option for utilizing the healthcare resources of every community to ensure no one in Illinois is unable to take care of their health."
Smiddy introduced House Joint Resolution 77 to create the Mobile Integrated Healthcare Task Force. The task force would examine ways Illinois can make changes to the healthcare delivery system to cover underserved areas of the state while decreasing costs. The bipartisan group would be made up of members from all four legislative caucuses and representatives from the Department of Public Health.
"With the recent advances in modern medicine, there is no reason people in any region of our state should go without access to the very best care, and this resolution will help address this issue," Smiddy said. "I appreciate the bipartisan support this resolution received in the House, and I'll continue to explore every way we can improve access to quality care in Illinois."
House Joint Resolution 77 passed the Illinois House unanimously yesterday and now awaits action in the Senate.
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