Lizzy Whitehorn, director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS), discussed her priorities in her new role, including equitable health access and interagency collaboration.
“Health issues impact everyone. On a human level, poor health or a bad diagnosis is simply devastating no matter who you are. Yet there are long standing systems that make those issues fall disproportionately on underserved communities, communities of color, and low-income people. The opportunity we have at HFS is to change this. Not overnight, but through all the various initiatives underway and more to come.”
— Whitehorn
Many HFS initiatives involve cross-agency collaboration. Whitehorn highlighted the Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative, which six Illinois governmental agencies collaborated on to develop.
“Last year, the Pritzker administration published the transformation plan setting forth the vision and framework for broad improvements to the youth behavioral health system. The report contained 12 recommendations stemming out of robust analysis of service gaps and opportunities with concrete implementation steps. The report also celebrated early successes that we hoped to build upon.
“I’m proud to say that in the short amount of time since the report was released, we have already seen a lot of progress. For example, the six state agencies have worked together to expedite placement and services for youth in need of residential interventions, staffing over 300 cases, and resolving over three-quarters of them.”
— Whitehorn
Whitethorn also discussed the importance of access to healthcare coverage, which was challenged by the post-pandemic Medicaid unwinding. Illinois is nearing the end of its unwinding process, and HFS will return to the regular pre-pandemic renewal process following its conclusion.
“Our goal from the start has been to keep as many eligible Illinoisans enrolled as possible, and I’m proud to say that not only has Illinois led the Midwest in that effort, we have consistently been among the leading states nationally.”
— Whitehorn