A health care summit this week in Springfield provided a forum to discuss the health care needs of the rural and underserved populations in Illinois.

New ways of improving health care services to people in the rural and underserved areas of the state were explored at a health care summit sponsored by Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and Public Policy Institute, held Sunday and Monday. Representatives of various healthcare specialties came together to discuss issues for improving access and delivery of healthcare in the state. John Record, assistant dean of rural and alumni affairs of the school describes the event.

SOUND BITE: "So this was a summit that significantly and consciously tried to bring together voices that could speak to the issues from a rural perspective and an urban inner city perspective. That was one of the things that I thought came out loud and clear. . . We brought together legislators and other government leaders, who can work with us where there needs to be a government response . . ."

Some of the priority issues identified included access to healthcare; shortages of doctors, nurses and other specialists in the healthcare workforce; lack of insurance for many people in rural and underserved areas including inner cities; malpractice issues; and lack of transportation to medical facilities in rural areas. Record explains the next step for the group:

SOUND BITE: " . . . what we need to be able to do is to come up with some policy recommendations that are going to have some real and permanent and long lasting impact and bring some improvements for health care in rural and underserved areas. . ."

Record says the summit leaders will be putting together a report that will include recommendations for new policy directions for the state of Illinois. They also will continue to work with elected officials to get those policy recommendations implemented.