Governor Pritzker, Senator Durbin Join Healthcare Leaders to Highlight Importance of Federal Funding for Health
Senator Durbin at Illinois Medical District in Chicago
Local healthcare leaders from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) and Rush University joined U.S. Senator Dick Durbin at the Illinois Medical District on February 17, 2025 to discuss the importance of continued funding for medical research. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world.
The value of the NIH, and of the research conducted through its grant programs, is nearly impossible to overstate given that the discoveries made through groundbreaking research have enhanced and saved lives. At UIC, NIH funding is critical to support medical research including 400 clinical trials currently underway focused on prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease.
For fiscal year 2024, researchers in Illinois received over $1.2 billion in NIH funding, supporting 15,553 jobs and generating $96 million in new economic activity, with the University of Illinois System along with other top institutions such as Northwestern University and the University of Chicago, being major recipients. Cuts in research being discussed would cost the University of Illinois System about $67 million annually.
Governor J.B. Pritzker at UI Health Mile Square Center
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, joined by fellow elected officials and leadership from UIC and UI Health, came to Mile Square Health Center on February 28th to bring attention to cuts being considered to Medicaid. Among the Governor’s highest priorities since he first took office have been eliminating the Medicaid backlog, passing the Healthcare Protection Act, expanding Medicaid access and coverage, erasing hundreds of millions of dollars in medical debt, and investing in safety-net and rural health systems.
The governor expressed real concern for any reduction in resources that support the Medicaid program. Pritzker noted that:
- One in four Illinois residents — more than 3.4 million people — are covered by Medicaid.
- Medicaid provides health care for nearly half of our state’s children.
- Medicaid is the largest insurer for people who live in nursing homes and for people with developmental disabilities.
- Medicaid is critical for the healthcare needs of rural communities in Illinois.
Governor Pritzker also noted that there is also a broader economic issue. Illinois hospitals and health systems support 445,000 full-time jobs and anchor many rural communities.
UI Health is the state’s largest state-owned healthcare provider, with over 500,000 patient visits at the hospital and clinics each year, and totaling more than 1.4 million patient visits across all care locations. In its capacity as the state’s primary public health system, UI Health serves a large number of Medicaid patients, with over 70% of the children treated residing in medically underserved areas and receiving Medicaid benefits.
Both Governor Pritzker and Senator Durbin are keenly aware of the critical role UIC and UI Health have in medical research and healthcare delivery for the people in Chicago and throughout Illinois. Through our public hospital and clinics, and through the education and research conducted by faculty, the university’s academic health sciences system has had a tremendous impact advancing the wellbeing of the people we serve.