95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
SB0545


 
Introduced 2/8/2007, by Sen. William Delgado
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 		













20 ILCS 2310/216 new










    Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the
Civil Administrative Code of Illinois.  Creates the Culturally Competent Healthcare Demonstration Program. Defines "culturally competent health care". Provides that the Program shall  establish models that reflect best practices in culturally competent health care and that expand the delivery of culturally competent health care in Illinois. Provides guidelines for the administration of the Program.  Effective immediately.
















LRB095 05218 CMK 29876 b

















FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
















 


 


A BILL FOR









 











SB0545

LRB095 05218 CMK 29876 b






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    AN ACT concerning State government.

 
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    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
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represented in the General Assembly:


 
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    Section 5. The Department of Public Health Powers and 
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Duties Law of the
Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is 
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amended  by adding Section 216 as follows:
 
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    (20 ILCS 2310/216  new)
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    Sec. 216. Culturally Competent Healthcare Demonstration 
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Program.
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    (a)  Research demonstrates that racial and ethnic 
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minorities generally receive health care that is of a lesser 
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quality than the majority population and have poorer health 
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outcomes on a number of measures.  The 2006 State Health 
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Improvement Plan calls for increased cultural competence in 
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Illinois health care settings, based on national standards that 
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indicate cultural competence is an important aspect of the 
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quality of health care delivered to racial, ethnic, religious, 
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and other minorities.  Based on the research and national 
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standards, the General Assembly finds that increasing cultural 
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competence among health care providers will improve the quality 
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of health care delivered to racial and ethnic minorities in 
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Illinois.
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    (b)  Subject to appropriation for this purpose, the 
 


 






SB0545
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Department shall establish the Culturally Competent Health 
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Care Demonstration Program.  For purposes of this Section, 
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"culturally competent health care" means the ability of health 
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care providers to understand and respond to the cultural and 
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linguistic needs brought by patients to the health care 
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encounter. The Program shall establish models that reflect best 
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practices in culturally competent health care and that expand 
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the delivery of culturally competent health care in Illinois.
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    (c) The Program shall consist of  (i) demonstration grants 
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awarded by the Department to public or private health care 
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entities geographically distributed around the State; (ii) an 
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ongoing collaborative learning project among the grantees; and 
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(iii) an evaluation of the effect of the demonstration grants 
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in improving the quality of health care for racial and ethnic 
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minorities.  The Department shall contract with a vendor with 
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experience in racial and ethnic health disparities and cultural 
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competency to conduct the evaluation and provide support for 
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the collaborative learning project.  The vendor shall be a 
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non-for-profit organization that represents a partnership of 
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public, private, and voluntary health organizations that 
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focuses on prevention, development of the public health system, 
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and reduction of racial and ethnic health disparities, and that 
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engages health disparities stakeholders in its efforts.
 

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    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
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becoming law.