The Center shall have the authority:
(a) To assist rural communities and communities in designated shortage areas by providing technical assistance to community leaders in defining their specific health care needs and identifying strategies to address those needs. (b) To link rural communities and communities in designated shortage areas with other units in the Department or other State agencies which can assist in the solution of a health care access problem. (c) To maintain and disseminate information on innovative health care strategies, either directly or indirectly. (d) To administer State or federal grant programs relating to rural health or medically underserved areas established by State or federal law for which funding has been made available. (e) To promote the development of primary care services in rural areas and designated shortage areas. Subject to available appropriations, the Department may annually award grants of up to $300,000 each to enable the health services in those areas to offer multi-service comprehensive ambulatory care, thereby improving access to primary care services. Grants may cover operational and facility construction and renovation expenses, including but not limited to the cost of personnel, medical supplies and equipment, patient transportation, and health provider recruitment. The Department shall prescribe by rule standards and procedures for the provision of local matching funds in relation to each grant application. Grants provided under this paragraph (e) shall be in addition to support and assistance provided under subsection (a) of Section 2310-200 of the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law (20 ILCS 2310/2310-200). Eligible applicants shall include, but not be limited to, community-based organizations, hospitals, local health departments, and Community Health Centers as defined in Section 4.1 of this Act. (f) To annually provide grants from available appropriations to hospitals located in medically underserved areas or health manpower shortage areas as defined by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, whose governing boards include significant representation of consumers of hospital services residing in the area served by the hospital, and which agree not to discriminate in any way against any consumer of hospital services based upon the consumer's source of payment for those services. Grants that may be awarded under this paragraph (f) shall be limited to $500,000 and shall not exceed 50% of the total project need indicated in each application. Expenses covered by the grants may include but are not limited to facility renovation, equipment acquisition and maintenance, recruitment of health personnel, diversification of services, and joint venture arrangements. (g) To establish a recruitment center which shall actively recruit physicians and other health care practitioners to participate in the program, maintain contacts with participating practitioners, actively promote health care professional practice in designated shortage areas, assist in matching the skills of participating medical students with the needs of community health centers in designated shortage areas, and assist participating medical students in locating in designated shortage areas. (h) To assist communities in designated shortage areas find alternative services or temporary health care providers when existing health care providers are called into active duty with the armed forces of the United States. (i) To develop, in cooperation with the Illinois Finance Authority, financing programs whose goals and purposes shall be to provide moneys to carry out the purpose of this Act, including, but not limited to, revenue bond programs, revolving loan programs, equipment leasing programs, and working cash programs. The Department may transfer to the Illinois Finance Authority, into an account outside of the State treasury, moneys in special funds of the Department for the purposes of establishing those programs. The disposition of any moneys so transferred shall be determined by an interagency agreement.Amended by P.A. 093-0205, § 890-27, eff. 1/1/2004.P.A. 87-633; 88-535; 91-239, eff. 1-1-00; 92-16, eff. 6-28-01.