SJ0053 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SJ0053 LRB095 12133 MJR 36187 r

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The percentage of Illinoisans without healthcare coverage has been rising for the last 15 years, growing from 9.7% in 1987 to 14.1% in 2002, and rural residents have been facing increasing barriers to health care including provider shortage, transportation, and lack of medical insurance; and

WHEREAS, More than 28% of the U.S. population, over 65 million people, live in rural areas, yet only 9% of physicians practice in rural areas and Illinois is no exception; and

WHEREAS, The shortage of rural health professionals in Illinois is on the rise and is expected to increase sharply in the next 10 years due to the retirement of an aging rural health professions workforce and the absence of adequate numbers of rural-specific students in health professions trainings programs to replace them, and this may increase the disparity in access to basic medical services unless corrective action is taken; and

WHEREAS, 80 Illinois counties are medical shortage areas, and if trends continue without intervention, 485 additional physicians will be required by 2010 and there will be a related demand for the allied health professionals necessary to provide comprehensive health services; and

WHEREAS, Health manpower shortages will be magnified as the aging rural population increases the demand for health care services; and

WHEREAS, Illinois is facing a 2010 nursing shortage of 4,265 nurses, of which nearly half will be required in rural communities to replace retirees and increased system demands for health care; and

WHEREAS, The average population-per dentist ratio places rural residents at nearly a 2 to 1 disadvantage for accessing dental care and in 82 of 88 rural counties there is no pediatric dentist participating in the Medicaid program and one-fifth of actively practicing rural dentists graduated from Illinois dental schools that no longer exist; and

WHEREAS, The number of retail pharmacies in Illinois has increased, particularly in urban areas, but its has become increasingly difficult to recruit pharmacists for rural hospital work due to staffing shortages and maldistribution; and

WHEREAS, Illinois' rural residents face disparities in access to specialty medical services, tele-health, medical transportation, community health care access for basic services and mental health; and

WHEREAS, The late U.S. Senator Paul Simon was a special advocate for the citizens of Illinois and in that interest hosted a rural health care summit under the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute that generated a set of recommendations entitled "Charting a Health Care Agenda", which resulted in the creation by the 94th General Assembly of the 8-member Joint Task Force on Rural Health and Medically Underserved Areas that focused on the reduction of health care disparities in various shortage areas of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, The Joint Task Force on Rural Health and Medically Underserved Areas studied the health care disparities of the citizens of Illinois and proposed priority recommendations in its December 2006 report to the Governor and General Assembly to preserve capacity, improve access, and correct workforce shortages; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that the recommendations of the Joint Task Force on Rural Health and Medically Underserved Areas be supported and implemented without delay; and be it further

RESOLVED, That each house in the General Assembly create a permanent standing committee charged with monitoring and advocating for the health needs of rural and medically underserved citizens of the State; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the General Assembly should consider allocating additional funds to implement the priority recommendations of the task force as a positive investment in the health care infrastructure of Illinois because they address long-standing critical deficits that need immediate attention; and be it further

RESOLVED, That immediate implementation of the Task Force priority recommendations would truly honor the legacy of the late Senator Paul Simon in terms of his advocacy and concerns regarding the reduction of health disparities across the State, and that it would be a fitting memorial for the 95th General Assembly to develop and implement in Senator Paul Simon's honor the Task Force recommendations with the appropriations necessary to accomplish the same.