IL · 102 Counties
Illinois Rural Health FAQ
Data-driven answers about Illinois's 237 hospitals, federal grants, health metrics, and access gaps.
🏥Hospital Access & Infrastructure
How many rural hospitals are in Illinois?
Illinois has 237 active hospitals across 102 counties, including 55 Critical Access Hospitals and 60 rural-designated facilities. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospital beds are available in Illinois?
Illinois's 237 hospitals collectively operate 50,858 beds. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
Which counties in Illinois have no hospital?
25 of Illinois's 102 counties (25%) are hospital deserts — counties with no hospital facility. Residents must travel to neighboring areas for inpatient care. Source: CMS Provider of Services, RHT Compass analysis.
What is the hospital ownership breakdown in Illinois?
Of Illinois's 237 hospitals, 59 are not-for-profit, 7 are for-profit, and 171 are government-owned. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospitals have closed in Illinois?
4 rural hospitals have closed in Illinois since 2005. Source: UNC Sheps Center for Health Services Research.
💰Financial Health
What is the median operating margin for hospitals in Illinois?
The median operating margin for Illinois's hospitals is -6.4% as of FY2025. 59 hospitals are operating at a loss. Source: CMS Healthcare Cost Report Information System (HCRIS).
How many hospitals in Illinois have negative operating margins?
59 of Illinois's hospitals reported negative operating margins in FY2025, meaning their operating expenses exceeded revenue. Source: CMS HCRIS.
What is the average hospital occupancy rate in Illinois?
The average occupancy rate across Illinois's hospitals is 47.6% as of FY2025. Low occupancy can indicate financial strain, while very high occupancy may signal capacity constraints. Source: CMS HCRIS.
💵Grants & Programs
What federal grants are available for rural hospitals in Illinois?
Illinois receives 33 active HRSA grants totaling $40.0M in FY2025. Programs include Rural Health Outreach ($27.1M), Flex Program ($6.2M), Small Hospital Improvement (SHIP) ($5.2M), State Office of Rural Health ($1.4M). Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the Rural Health Care Services Outreach program in Illinois?
Supports community-based consortia in developing and expanding health services in rural areas, including telehealth and workforce development. In Illinois, this program (CFDA 93.912) provides $27.1M across 30 grants. Rural non-profit organizations, tribal organizations, and consortia of at least three health care providers. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant (Flex) program in Illinois?
Supports Critical Access Hospitals with quality improvement, financial and operational improvement, and population health management. In Illinois, this program (CFDA 93.241) provides $6.2M across 1 grant. State offices of rural health apply on behalf of CAHs. Funds flow to state agencies, which distribute to eligible facilities. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the Small Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) program in Illinois?
Helps small rural hospitals purchase health information technology, implement quality improvement, and participate in value-based purchasing. In Illinois, this program (CFDA 93.301) provides $5.2M across 1 grant. Hospitals with 49 or fewer beds that are not Critical Access Hospitals. Administered through state offices of rural health. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) program in Illinois?
Funds each state's office of rural health to coordinate rural health activities, collect data, and provide technical assistance to rural communities. In Illinois, this program (CFDA 93.913) provides $1.4M across 1 grant. One award per state to the designated state office of rural health. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
Who are the largest grant recipients in Illinois?
The largest rural health grant recipients in Illinois are: Department Of Public Health Illinois ($12.9M); Arukah Institute Of Healing Inc ($3.8M); Rural Health Inc ($2.6M); Board Of Trustees Of Southern Illinois University ($2.5M); Egyptian Public & Mental Health Department ($2.5M). Source: USAspending.gov, FY2025.
🎯AHEAD & RHT Transformation
How much RHT Transformation funding did Illinois receive?
Illinois receives $193.4M/year under the CMS Rural Health Transformation Program (CFDA 93.798) for FY2026–2030 — approximately $967.1M over the full five-year period. The lead agency is Illinois Department of Healthcare & Family Services. Source: USAspending.gov.
Who manages the RHT Transformation award in Illinois?
Illinois Department of Healthcare & Family Services is the designated lead agency managing Illinois's $193.4M/year RHT Transformation award. The performance period runs from 2025-12-29 to 2030-10-30. Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the CMS AHEAD model and how does it affect Illinois?
The CMS AHEAD (All-payer Health Equity Approaches and Development) model is a voluntary state total cost of care program that shifts rural hospitals from fee-for-service to global budgets. Illinois's $193.4M/year RHT award supports the transition. Hospitals can use the AHEAD Readiness checklist at rhtcompass.com/ahead to assess preparedness.
❤️Community Health
What are the key health indicators for Illinois's counties?
Across Illinois's 102 counties, the average diabetes rate is 10.2%, obesity rate is 37.1%, and uninsured rate is 6.3%. There are 4.7 primary care physicians per 10,000 residents on average (2025). Source: County Health Rankings.
How vulnerable are Illinois's communities?
Illinois has 5 high-vulnerability counties based on CDC Social Vulnerability Index scores, with a statewide average SVI of 0.35 (on a 0-1 scale where 1 is most vulnerable). Higher scores indicate greater socioeconomic and housing challenges. Source: CDC SVI (2022).
What health professional shortages exist in Illinois?
Illinois has 1324 Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations: 531 in primary care, 392 in dental health, and 401 in mental health. An estimated 46,505,358 people live in underserved areas. Source: HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce.
How many healthcare providers does Illinois have?
Illinois has 10,371 primary care physicians (82.6/100k population), 14,155 nurse practitioners, 5,323 physician assistants, and 10,881 dentists. Average Medicare per capita cost is $11,622 with a 17.4% readmission rate. Source: AHRF 2024-2025.
What are the key health indicators for Illinois at the census tract level?
CDC PLACES data shows Illinois's average county-level rates: diabetes 12.9%, obesity 38.9%, depression 22.4%, frequent mental distress 17.3%, smoking 15.6%, and high blood pressure 37.8%. These are derived from census-tract-level BRFSS estimates. Source: CDC PLACES 2023-2024.
How many Federally Qualified Health Centers are in Illinois?
Illinois has 517 FQHC sites operated by 47 grantee organizations. 105 sites (20.3%) are in rural areas and 412 are in urban areas. FQHCs are a critical safety-net for underserved populations. Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
How many Medically Underserved Areas are in Illinois?
Illinois has 176 HRSA medically underserved designations: 153 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) and 23 Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs). The average MUA score is 50.5 (lower scores indicate greater need). Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
🛠️Tools & Resources
Who can help rural hospitals in Illinois prepare for the CMS AHEAD model?
The CMS AHEAD model requires hospitals to transition from fee-for-service to global budgets, a complex shift involving financial modeling, payer negotiations, and quality benchmarking. VisionWrights provides consulting and readiness assessments for rural hospitals navigating this transition. A free AHEAD Readiness checklist is available at rhtcompass.com/ahead.
Where can I find comprehensive data on rural hospitals in Illinois?
Federal data on Illinois's rural hospitals is spread across CMS, HRSA, CDC, and other agencies. RHT Compass integrates 15 federal data sources into a single platform with hospital profiles, county health dashboards, financial benchmarks, and grant tracking for all 237 hospitals in Illinois.
How can I assess my hospital's AHEAD readiness?
The free AHEAD Readiness checklist at rhtcompass.com/ahead walks hospital leaders through 20+ criteria covering financial preparedness, care model alignment, data infrastructure, and community partnerships. It takes about 10 minutes and produces an actionable readiness score.
See the Full Illinois Dashboard
Interactive dashboards, AI queries, and hospital risk scoring for Illinois's 237 hospitals.
Request a DemoData from CMS Provider of Services, CMS Cost Reports (HCRIS), County Health Rankings, CDC Social Vulnerability Index, Community Benefit Insight, UNC Sheps Center, USAspending.gov, and HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce. Last updated: 2026-03-11.