Governor Quinn Announces $14.8 Million for the University of Illinois at Rockford

ROCKFORD – January 23, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn today visited the University of Illinois at Rockford to announce more than $14.8 million in capital funding for a major addition to the National Center for Rural Health Professions (NCRHP).

“Every resident of Illinois should have access to the best medical care, whether they live in Chicago, Marion, Rockford and anywhere in between,” said Governor Quinn. “This project will enable the National Center for Rural Health Professions to continue working to fulfill that mission while creating jobs that will support the local economy.”

The NCRHP is part of the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford. The funding will go toward constructing an approximately 60,000 square-foot addition to the Parkview Avenue instructional building. The project is expected to create 104 construction jobs.

The new addition will include a medical library, classrooms and laboratories. It will also contain space for the College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, School of Public Health and National Center for Rural Health Professions.

The NCRHP is focused on meeting the healthcare needs of Illinois residents living in rural areas by emphasizing community-based education and interdisciplinary training. The center collaborates with health professionals in the areas of dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health and social work. The NCRHP works with other organizations throughout the country to determine how best to serve rural residents.

The funding for the addition is part of Illinois Jobs Now!, a job generation and capital improvement program that will revive the state’s ailing economy by creating and retaining over 439,000 jobs over six years.