Illinois and Chicago received more than $31 million as part of a federal program to help local governments become prepared for bioterrorism, but officials said the money will also improve the overall quality of public health departments throughout the state.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson on Friday presented checks of more than $10.2 million for Chicago and $20.8 million for Illinois to health and safety officials in Cook County Hospital.
The money came from $1.1 billion appropriated by Congress for bioterrorism readiness. The city and state received initial grants totaling $8.5 million in January.
The new money is intended to improve the monitoring and investigation of infectious diseases, expand laboratory capacity, buy decontamination equipment, and enhance communications between hospitals and public health departments by linking them through a computer network, Thompson said.
Although the grant is aimed at bioterrorism preparedness, Chicago Health Commissioner Dr. John Wilhelm said that the communication enhancements would make it easier for public health officials to monitor all communicable diseases.
“With this funding we will be able to communicate with Chicago hospitals in a secure fashion and have the linkage of our system … with the state system,” Wilhelm said. “We’re building systems which are going to be able to be used everyday, as well as for bioterrorism responses.”
