Barring a sudden reduction in funding, none of Chicago’s 12 mental health clinics will close in 2010, the city’s new health department commissioner promised patients and advocates last night.
Dr. Bechara Choucair told a restless crowd of about 100 that he was reviewing staffing requirements of the city’s troubled mental health clinics, and hoped to improve services at the centers, some of which have no psychologists.
But, he admitted, “We have a deeply broken mental health system. Unless we all work together, we will always have a deeply broken mental health system.” Read more...
Helped by more than $215 million in federal funds, the Cook County Health and Hospitals System came in more than $42 million under budget in 2009, according to a report presented to the independent health board today.
The windfall brings into question claims that the county’s sales tax hike was necessary to preserve the county’s massive health care system, as County Board President Todd Stroger and others have argued.
While the health system received about $37 million less in patient fees than it anticipated, it took in more than $15 million in Medicaid fees and more than $215 million in federal disproportionate share funds, dispersed to safety net hospitals, such as the county’s. Read more...
Cook County is often criticized as being a lumbering, inefficient and out-of-date entity. But a new program championed by County Board President Todd Stroger aims to change the county’s reputation.
The program, known as OPTIMA, will streamline county government and improve the county’s profit margin by an estimated $300 million after three years.
Under the leadership of county chief financial officer Jaye Williams, the county will build on a commitment Stroger made three years ago to streamline government, further reduce the workforce and modernize the county. Read more...
After a week on the job, new Cook County Health and Hospitals System chief medical officer Dr. Terry Mason says he sees great potential in the county’s health care system.
The former Chicago Department of Public Health commissioner spent much of his first week visiting county medical facilities and surveying how health care is delivered to county patients.
“The Cook County Health and Hospitals System has an exceptional foundation to expand on going forward. I look forward to working with our CEO Bill Foley, the leadership team and the committed staff throughout our system to repair the cracks that have gone unrepaired up until this point and to restore the level of greatness that is the County health system,” Mason said in a statement issued by the health system. Read more...
