WASHINGTON -- Two Illinois universities are receiving federal stimulus money to develop regional centers on health information technology.

Northern Illinois University and Northwestern University are getting about $7.5 million each. The schools plan to develop regional centers to help health professionals as they adopt digital medical records that can be shared securely. The Illinois Department of Health Care and Family Services is getting $18.8 million to develop a statewide Health Information Exchange.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin announced the awards Friday. The grant money comes from the economic stimulus passed by Congress last year and is part of a push to get health care providers to adopt electronic record-keeping.