Alternative Health Care Delivery

Alternative health care delivery models that are exclusively dedicated to serving the childbirth-related needs of women and their newborns and has no more than 10 beds.  A birthing center is a designated site that is away from the mother's usual place of residence in which births are planned to occur following a normal, uncomplicated, and low-risk pregnancy.

Under Public Act 101-0445, effective January 1, 2020, the Medical Patient Rights Act was amended by requiring information about rights with regard to pregnancy and childbirth to be posted on this website.

In general, with regard to pregnancy and childbirth, every woman has the right to:

• receive health care before, during, and after pregnancy and childbirth
• receive care for her and her infant that is consistent with generally accepted medical standards
• choose a certified nurse midwife or physician as her maternity care professional
• choose her birth setting from the full range of birthing options available in her community
• leave her maternity care professional and select another if she becomes dissatisfied with her care
• receive information about the names of those health care professionals involved in her care
• privacy and confidentiality of records
• receive information concerning her condition and proposed treatment
• accept or refuse any treatment
• be informed if her caregivers wish to enroll her or her infant in a research study
• access her medical records
• receive information in a language in which she can communicate
• receive emotional and physical support during labor and birth
• freedom of movement during labor and to give birth in the position of her choice
• contact with her newborn
• receive information about breastfeeding
• decide collaboratively with caregivers when she and her baby will leave the birth site for home
• be treated with respect at all times before, during, and after pregnancy by her health care professionals
• examine and receive a reasonable explanation of her total bill for services

The exact language for the rights of women with regard to pregnancy and childbirth can be found under Medical Patient Rights of Women on the right side of the screen under LAWS & RULES.

A designated site that provides nursing care, clinical support services, and therapies for a period of one to 14 days for short-term respite care stays and one to 120 days to facilitate transitions to home or other appropriate settings for medically fragile children, technology dependent children, and children with special health care needs who are deemed clinically stable by a physician and are younger than 22 years of age.  This care is to be provided in a home-like environment that serves no more than 12 children at a time.

A designated site that provides rehabilitation or support, or both, for persons who have experienced severe brain injury, who are medically stable, and who no longer require acute rehabilitation care or intense medical or nursing services. 

A designated site which provides postsurgical recovery care for generally healthy patients undergoing surgical procedures that require overnight nursing care, pain control, or observation that would otherwise be provided in an inpatient setting.

The provision of inpatient services in a subacute care hospital model for patients who need a greater intensity or complexity of care than generally provided in a skilled nursing facility but who no longer require the stabilization or treatment provided in acute hospital care.  Subacute care includes physician supervision, registered nursing and physiological monitoring on a continual basis.

For information on filing a complaint or checking the status of a current complaint, please visit our complaint section

• File a Complaint
• IL Compiled Statutes
• Birthing Center Directory
• Health Facilities & Services Review Board
• Life Safety & Construction

• Birthing Center Initial Application
• Birthing Center Renewal Application
• Children's Community-Based Health Care Center Initial Application
• Children's Community-Based Health Care Center Renewal Application
• Community-Based Residential Rehabilitation Initial Application
• Community-Based Residential Rehabilitation Renewal Application
• Postsurgical Recovery Care Center Renewal Application
• Subacute Renewal Application
• Checklist for New Hire/Rehire Background Check

• Alternative Health Care Delivery Act (210 ILCS 3)
• Birthing Centers (IDPH Administrative Code)
• Children’s Community Based Health Care Centers (IDPH Administrative Code)
• Community Based Residential Rehabilitation Centers (IDPH Administrative Code)
• Postsurgical Recovery Care Centers - (IDPH Administrative Code)
• Subacute Care (IDPH Administrative Code)
• Medical Patient Rights of Women