The NIAHEC supports and co-sponsors a number of community profile projects. These activities support the following program objective:

Develop practice opportunities and support for placement of health professionals in rural, underserved communities.

  • Community Profiles Project- three community profiles have been completed and are available: Centralia Area, Pike Co., and Hoopeston. The Hoopeston profile highlights health professions positions for a variety of disciplines. Centralia and Pike County emphasize primary care positions with an emphasis on family practice. These profiles are being updated and expanded to include multiple disciplines.

  • Health Professions Survey of Rural Hospitals- Forty rural hospitals in all the geographic regions of Illinois responded to a health professions position survey. Information collected describe the range of health care positions available in these hospitals that include job opportunities for graduates of associate degree, four year university and graduate school degree and residency programs. In addition to rural hospitals, rural county health departments and nursing homes were surveyed in those counties where participating hospitals are collaborating on this project. Partners with the Northern Illinois AHEC for this project include: the University of Illinois National Center for Rural Health Professions; the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford and the Rural Medical Education Program; the Midwest Center for Health Workforce Studies; the Illinois Institute of Rural Affairs; and the Illinois Department of Public Health Center for Rural Health.