Hunter demands equal opportunity to accessible health care

CHICAGO – Diving further into racial disparities in the health care system, State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) held a hearing Monday to analyze the differences in access to health care, and is demanding that every Illinoisan have equal opportunities to quality and affordable health care.

“The time it takes to reach the hospital can determine whether someone lives or dies,” Hunter said. “Safety net hospitals are the only option some Black and Brown people have, yet they are extremely underfunded and continue to be closed down. This is a trend that must not continue, or many of our neighbors will end up at a grave inconvenience, or worse, dead.”

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Manar meets with children’s advocacy group to address downstate child abuse issues

SPRINGFIELD – To discuss further steps to assist survivors of child abuse in the Springfield area and throughout downstate, State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) met with Sangamon County Children’s Advocacy Center employees and Children’s Advocacy Centers of Illinois advocates Thursday.

During last spring’s budget negotiations, Manar, who chairs the Senate Appropriations II Committee, fought to ensure that Children’s Advocacy Centers received the funding they need to continue providing crucial treatment services.

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Van Pelt, Hunter and Morrison to host Senate hearing on access to health care

CHICAGO – To discuss the disparities in access to health care across racial and socioeconomic lines, Senate Public Health Chair Patricia Van Pelt, Executive Chair Mattie Hunter and Health and Human Services Chair Julie Morrison will lead a joint Senate committee hearing tomorrow morning.

“Everyone deserves equal access to health care,” Van Pelt said. “Too often we see that Black and Brown people’s options for quality health care are few and far between. It’s just another way they feel their lives don’t matter in this country, and we need to fix that.”

“Your health care options depend greatly on where you live,” Hunter said. “Predominately Black and Brown neighborhoods often suffer from health and trauma deserts, especially in light of recent hospital closures. Everyone deserves health care that’s accessible and affordable.”

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Castro joins Pritzker to announce $30 million in funding for Immigrant Welcoming Centers during pandemic

Elgin — State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) joined Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Human Services to announce $30 million in state funding for Immigrant Welcoming Centers across Illinois to support members of immigrant communities facing challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The funding will allocate $18 million in funding will go to housing and utility assistance, $4.5 million will be used to support employment and job training services, and $4 million will be used to provide health care education. The remaining $2 million will go to a multilingual effort to reach Illinois residents eligible to receive support, and $1.5 million will be used for technical assistance.

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