Please see attached invitation for further details

On Feb. 29th The Cook County Board of Commissioners passed an ordinance to create independent governance for the Bureau of Health Services. The ordinance proposed:

The creation of a Cook County Board of Health Directors for a term of 3 years, this board shall upon approval by the board of commissioners assume responsibility for the oversight of the Cook County Bureau of Health Services. These positions are to be unpaid.

Thanks to everyone and especially Commissioner Larry Ssuffredin for all your hard work. A budget for Cook County was passed late Friday Night, February 29th, that will implement a new governance structure for CCBHS.

The Budget settlement negotiated calls for a sales tax increase of 1% and a newly created independent Governance Board for the Bureau of Health. Board Chairman Stroger had initially called for a 2% tax increase and indicated that he would shut down Cook County Government services unless his sales tax increase passed.

President Stroger has tentatively agreed to support an amended version of the "Emergency Trusteeship" ordinance. Furthermore, President Stroger has asked the Emergency Network to build support within the County Board.

To recall, the key provisions of the ordinance, as introduced, included:

· Establishing an independent Interim Board of Trustees of nine members, the majority of whom would be the designees of independent health policy and advocacy groups, the private hospital community and a labor representative.

Dear Friends,

Tuesday's "Vigil for Reform and Revenue" has been postponed. The Emergency Network apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause you and/or your organization. We sincerely thank you for being ready and willing to stand with us!

President Stroger and members of the Cook County Board seem to have begun real negotiations regarding reform and revenue; therefore, out of respect to their efforts, the Emergency Network to Save Cook County Health Services has decided to postpone the vigil.

Tthe Emergency Network will host a vigil from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb 26, outside President Stroger's Office, located at 118 N Clark Street, 5th Floor (Inside). The Emergency Network is asking organizations to sign-up for two hour shifts [Note: If you have members who are unable to participate during the time slot your organization has selected, please let them know that they are free to come at any point throughout the day] And, if you are an individual, please just let me know when you would like to show up:

Tuesday, February 26

9 (Prayer Service) - 11 a.m.

Published in the Chicago Tribune, 2/19/2008

By Deborah L. Shelton

About 350 doctors, patients and health-care workers rallied downtown at the Chicago Temple on Monday to press for increased funding for the Cook County Bureau of Health Services.

Chanting and waving placards, they urged county commissioners to restore funding from cuts imposed during last year's budget crunch.

Several physicians told rallygoers that patients face increasingly long waits for appointments and that working conditions for health professionals have worsened recently.

The Task Force on Hospital Governance that was scheduled to convene on February 6th at 9 a.m. to consider recommendations for "independent" governance was postponed until after the February 29th deadline for passage of 2008 County budget.  When pressed to explain Commisioner Goslin said that new governance options need not be considered along with the budget.

On January 21, 2008, Health and Medicine Policy Research Group held an advocacy training at the UIC School of Public Health on the current status of the Cook County Bureau of Health Services. The training focused on reading the County budget, new governance options, taxing options and developing advocacy skills.

Click here to review the materials distributed at this meeting.

Published in the Chicago Tribune, Editorials, 1/29/2008 

The Cook County hospital system is sick and the cure has been apparent for years: The system needs to be run by professionals, not politicians who've tolerated decades of patronage and jaw-dropping inefficiency.