CENTRAL ILLINOIS (WCIA) — Two Central Illinois hospital are one step closer to receiving federal funding, aimed at improve their facilities and the services they offer community members.

On Friday, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) announced that a bill has advanced in the Senate Appropriations Committee. It would see additional funding for several hospitals — including two in Central Illinois, along with money for agriculture projects, rural development, and the FDA in fiscal year 2026.

Durbin said the Agriculture, Rural Development, and FDA funding bill includes the following requests:

• $645,000 to the Iroquois Memorial Hospital and Resident Home
  • The money would be used to update the aged and outdated facilities, including the HVAC systems and flooring
• $110,000 to Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center in Mattoon
  • The money would go towards expanding rural telehealth efforts to include teledentistry with an emphasis on underserved children

“Congress is tasked with the critical responsibility to fund our government programs and agencies.  While Congress has fulfilled this responsibility by routinely passing continuing resolutions, I hope that we can have a true bipartisan effort to pass appropriations bills in a timely, thoughtful process,” Durbin said.

You can find a full list of funding requests here.