Latest Health News From The Illinois Newsroom Team
Champaign Head Start is fine for now under government shutdown, but moms worry about food
The Champaign County Regional Planning Commission’s Early Childhood Division Director is concerned about families who participate in the local Head Start program being able to eat.

Transgender people are looking for safer places to live. Some have found a home in central Illinois
Amid increasingly hostile laws and rhetoric targeting transgender people in the United States, many of them seek to move to places they feel safer. Aaron Slayton is one of many who have made a new home in central Illinois.

Pritzker signs bill allowing Illinois to issue state-specific vaccine guidelines
The new law will allow the state to publish guidelines that differ from the CDC.

U.S. Rep. Sorensen pushes for extension of Obamacare subsidies during visit to Normal
Sorensen dismissed an idea raised by the chair of the U.S. Senate Health Committee, Republican Bill Cassidy, to shift the money from the subsidies to health savings accounts for consumers.

Carle Arrow Ambulance is now Champaign’s sole emergency medical services provider
Arrow Ambulance is setting aside four trucks and staff to exclusively serve Champaign. Some paramedics are concerned the agency is not prepared for the task.

Infant botulism in 10 US states linked to formula being recalled
No deaths were reported. The formula is sold online and through major retailers. Infant botulism is caused by a bacterium that produces toxins in the large intestine.

Some SNAP-eligible Illinoisans could receive partial payments starting Friday
After a federal judge ruled the Trump administration needed to make partial payments, the Illinois Department of Human Services said some Illinoisans could see benefits as early as this weekend.

Where to find food assistance in Central Illinois as SNAP funding remains in jeopardy
Funding for federal food assistance is set to run out on Saturday, Nov. 1 due to the government shutdown. IPM News is compiling a list of resources and food pantries in East Central Illinois.

Health insurance costs are rising as financial assistance declines. Here’s how C-U could be affected
With open enrollment on the Affordable Care Act Marketplace starting on Nov. 1, local health advocates are warning that premiums for 2026 plans could more than double unless Congress extends subsidies that reduce those costs.

OSF HealthCare receives state approval to restructure services at Heart of Mary Medical Center
Specialty services will be relocated from OSF HealthCare’s hospital in Urbana to locations in Bloomington and Danville while mental health treatment options will expand at the facility.

Urbana will explore alternatives to mental health crisis intervention without police involvement
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to connect with a counselor. URBANA —

Central Illinois cyclists connect with the prairie, grab ice cream on moonlight bike ride
IPM’s Arjun Thakkar hopped on his bike to ride 22 miles with cyclists under the fool moon — and see how the experience helps them get in touch with the countryside.


