Public Act 094-0634
 
HB2380 Enrolled LRB094 09891 DRJ 41241 b

    AN ACT in relation to public health.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Act.
 
    Section 5. Findings and purposes.
    (a) Findings. The legislature hereby finds the following:
        (1) Arthritis encompasses more than 100 diseases and
    conditions that affect joints, the surrounding tissues,
    and other connective tissues.
        (2) One of the most common family of diseases in the
    United States, arthritis or chronic joint symptoms affect
    nearly one of every 3 Americans.
        (3) Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the
    United States, limiting daily activities for more than
    7,000,000 citizens.
        (4) Although prevailing myths inaccurately portray
    arthritis as an old person's disease, arthritis is a
    multi-generational disease that has become one of the
    country's most pressing public health problems.
        (5) This disease has a significant impact on quality of
    life not only for the individual who experiences its
    painful symptoms and resulting disability, but also for
    family members and caregivers.
        (6) Compounding this picture are the enormous economic
    and social costs associated with treating arthritis and its
    complications, which are estimated at almost
    $86,000,000,000 annually.
        (7) Currently, the challenge exists to ensure delivery
    of effective, but often underutilized, interventions that
    are necessary in the prevention or reduction of
    arthritis-related pain and disability.
        (8) Although there exists a large quantity of public
    information and programs about arthritis, it remains
    inadequately disseminated and insufficient in addressing
    the needs of specific diverse populations and other
    underserved groups.
        (9) The Arthritis Foundation, the Centers for Disease
    Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Association of State
    and Territorial Health Officials have led the development
    of a public health strategy, the National Arthritis Action
    Plan, to respond to this challenge.
        (10) Educating the public and health care community
    throughout the State about this devastating disease is of
    paramount importance and is in every respect in the public
    interest and to the benefit of all residents of this State.
    (b) Purposes. The purposes of this Act are:
        (1) To create and foster a statewide program that
    promotes public awareness and increases knowledge about
    the causes of arthritis, the importance of early diagnosis
    and appropriate management, effective prevention
    strategies, and pain prevention and management.
        (2) To develop knowledge and enhance understanding of
    arthritis by disseminating educational materials and
    information on research results, services provided, and
    strategies for prevention and control to patients, health
    professionals, and the public.
        (3) To establish a solid scientific base of knowledge
    on the prevention of arthritis and related disability
    through surveillance, epidemiology, and prevention
    research.
        (4) To utilize educational and training resources and
    services developed by organizations with appropriate
    expertise and knowledge of arthritis and to use available
    technical assistance.
        (5) To evaluate the need for improving the quality and
    accessibility of existing community-based arthritis
    services.
        (6) To heighten awareness about the prevention,
    detection, and treatment of arthritis among State and local
    health and human services officials, health professionals
    and providers, and policy makers.
        (7) To implement and coordinate State and local
    programs and services to reduce the public health burden of
    arthritis.
        (8) To adequately fund these programs on a State level.
        (9) To provide lasting improvements in the delivery of
    health care for individuals with arthritis and their
    families, thus improving their quality of life while also
    containing health care costs.
 
    Section 10. Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure
Program.
    (a) The Department of Public Health shall establish,
promote, and maintain an Arthritis Prevention, Control, and
Cure Program to raise public awareness, educate consumers, and
educate and train health professionals, teachers, and human
services providers, and for other purposes. The program shall
include the following components:
        (1) Needs assessment. The Department of Public Health
    shall conduct a needs assessment to identify the following:
            (A) Epidemiological and other public health
        research being conducted within the State.
            (B) Available technical assistance and educational
        materials and programs nationwide and within the
        State.
            (C) The level of public and professional arthritis
        awareness.
            (D) The needs of people with arthritis and their
        families and caregivers.
            (E) Educational and support service needs of
        health care providers, including physicians, nurses,
        managed care organizations, and other health care
        providers.
            (F) The services available to a person with
        arthritis.
            (G) The existence of arthritis treatment,
        self-management, physical activity, and other
        education programs.
            (H) The existence of rehabilitation services.
        (2) Advisory Council on Arthritis. The Department of
    Public Health shall establish and coordinate an Advisory
    Council on Arthritis to provide non-governmental input
    regarding the Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure
    Program. Membership of the Council must include, but need
    not be limited to, persons with arthritis, public health
    educators, medical experts on arthritis, providers of
    arthritis health care, persons knowledgeable in health
    promotion and education, and representatives of national
    arthritis organizations and their local chapters.
        (3) Public awareness. The Department of Public Health
    shall use, but is not limited to, strategies consistent
    with the National Arthritis Action Plan and existing State
    planning efforts to raise public awareness and knowledge on
    the causes and nature of arthritis, personal risk factors,
    the value of prevention and early detection, ways to
    minimize preventable pain, and options for diagnosing and
    treating the disease.
        (4) Technical assistance. The Department of Public
    Health may replicate and use successful arthritis programs
    and enter into contracts with or purchase materials or
    services from entities with appropriate expertise for
    services and materials that are necessary to carry out the
    goals of the Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure
    Program. The Department may enter into agreements with one
    or more national organizations with expertise in arthritis
    to implement parts of the Arthritis Prevention, Control,
    and Cure Program.
    (b) In addition to the components described in subsection
(a), the Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Program shall
include a pilot program for the study of arthritis public
health innovation projects. Under the pilot program, the
Department of Public Health may give grants to academic
organizations or to public or community health organizations to
conduct the study or studies. The Department shall review all
grant applications, in collaboration with the Arthritis
Foundation and the Illinois Arthritis Partnership. Under the
pilot program, the Department of Public Health also may fund
community health projects for the following activities:
surveillance, awareness campaigns, public education,
professional education, screenings, and physical activity
programs. The Department of Public Health, in coordination with
selected grantees, shall evaluate the success of the community
health projects and their outcomes.
    (c) The Department of Public Health shall do all of the
following:
        (1) Provide sufficient staff to implement the
    Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Program.
        (2) Provide appropriate training for staff of the
    Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Program.
        (3) Identify the appropriate organizations to carry
    out the program.
        (4) Base the program on the most current scientific
    information and findings.
        (5) Work to increase and improve community-based
    services available to people with arthritis and their
    family members.
        (6) Work with governmental offices, national voluntary
    health organizations and their local chapters, community
    and business leaders, community organizations, and health
    care and human services providers to coordinate efforts and
    maximize State resources in the areas of prevention,
    education, detection, pain management, and treatment of
    arthritis.
        (7) Identify and, when appropriate, use evidence-based
    arthritis programs and obtain related materials and
    services from organizations with appropriate expertise and
    knowledge of arthritis.
 
    Section 15. Funding. The Department of Public Health may
accept grants, services, and property from the federal
government, foundations, organizations, medical schools, and
other entities that may be available for the purposes of
fulfilling the obligations of the Arthritis Prevention,
Control, and Cure Program.
 
    Section 20. Waivers. The Department of Public Health shall
seek all waivers of federal law and regulations that may be
necessary to maximize funds from the federal government to
implement the Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Program.
 
    Section 25. Implementation subject to appropriation.
Implementation of this Act is subject to appropriation.