© 2024 WSIU Public Broadcasting
WSIU Public Broadcasting
Member-Supported Public Media from Southern Illinois University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Healthcare Providers Advocate For More Investment In Health

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how critical healthcare investment is.

While Governor JB Pritzker emphasized healthcare in his State of the State speech and proposed budget, some healthcare providers want more investment in health.

Amber Kirchoff, Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs for the Illinois Primary Healthcare Association, said the organization was glad the proposed budget doesn’t include cuts to healthcare and human services.

There are still areas for improvement, she says, in addressing healthcare workforce shortages, and releasing previously approved capital funds to community health centers.

Kirchoff said the group would also like flexibility around telehealth preserved even when the COVID-19 pandemic ends.

“It’s just been so convenient, both for providers and for patients, and something that IPHA has advocated for for a really long time, so COVID really gave us a chance to do a test drive of some of those flexibilities we’ve been asking for and now that we’ve had a chance to do that they’ve proved indispensable,” she said.

The organization also wants increased investment in human services to address health disparities.

As a WSIU donor, you don’t simply watch or listen to public media programs, you are a partner. By making a gift, you help WSIU produce, purchase, and broadcast programs you care about and enjoy – every day of the year.