Tiny Toulon, Illinois was a healthcare desert without a hospital or clinic in the entirety of its home in Stark County. 

That's when the Henry and Stark County Health Department, via community leaders and business owners, got involved. RaeAnn Tucker with the Henry and Stark County Health Department talks about how Health Departments are playing a role in alleviating so-called Healthcare Deserts across rural counties in Illinois.

The Henry and Stark County Health Department opened a new location in Toulon, Illinois in December, helping Stark County lose the designation as a Healthcare Desert and the model used to get funding for the location is being highlighted later this year by the Illinois Department of Public Health for Public Health Week in April 2024.