Developing home health care services in rural areas--a case study of decision points.

Although Illinois is considered an urban industrial state it has many rural areas with scant medical, social and public health services. The need to improve these services has been recognized as a priority by the Health Systems Agency and by citizens of those areas. One method of beginning to meet those needs is to extend Home Health Services from a nearby county where Medicare-certified services are already well developed. This article is to share the methodology used by Peoria City/County Health Department in developing a plan to meet the Home Health Care needs of Marshall and Putnam Counties. The presentation will be made in a case study format with identification of decision points within the process. The objective in identifying decision points is to assist home health agencies contemplating expansion into adjoining counties with the process of program development. The goal of the process is to provide Home Health Services to an underserved area.