New Women and Children’s Unit at Stroger to Open by Year's End

CCHHS Board of Directors Meeting - February 26, 2016

Significant Decisions:
A new unit for women and children in remodeled space at Stroger is planned to be open by the end of the year that will consolidate pediatric and maternity inpatient and outpatient services. This is an urgent response to retain patients.The Peds ER has already merged with the Main ER. Physicians and other Stroger staff were present as public speakers to oppose this plan because of their concern that quality would suffer. Administration said that there would be no staffing cuts of physicians or support staff with pediatric expertise.
 
Two sole source contracts were approved:

• A contract for $1,312,049 with Community Counseling Center of Chicago to provide behavioral health services connected to the early release program with mental health support in the criminal justice system. The intent is to decrease prison population of non-violent inmates with cost-savings.
• A contract signed with Favorite Healthcare Staffing Inc. for $1,028,760 to provide temporary contract services of Operating Room nurses and technicians. The intent is to improve operating room utilization and efficiency and to enhance revenue by cost savings.

Significant Topics Discussed:
Director Collins reported that CountyCare (Medicaid managed care) is failing to capture the business of its members who continue to use other Hospitals & Clinics in the network resulting in a $10m shortfall from budgeted income in Dec. 2015.  Corrective action plans include:

1. Primary care physician outreach - encouraging them to refer patients to CCHHS, explaining that the perception of long waiting lines for services and appointments is no longer a fact
2. Addressing lack of patient parking by relocating employee parking to a remote lot & providing shuttle service
3. Lack of cleanliness has been addressed by contracting with a a new cleaning service 

Dr. Shannon, CEO presented an overview of the new Strategic Plan for CCHHS that   the Board will be developing over the next 5-6 months. Board meetings will be devoted to creating the Strategic Plan, and committee reports will be curtailed.
The 5 principal objectives of the Strategic Plan:

1. Improve healthcare equity
2. High quality,safe,reliable care
3. Demonstrate value, use benchmarking
4. Develop human capital
5. Leader in medical education and clinical investigation.

​Items to Watch For:

• Strategic Plan posted to CCHHS website
• More labor unrest due to “change” and market-place pressures CCHHS must adapt to

Observation: 
The CCHHS Board, are dedicated, represented by a diverse background of experiences and in Chair Hammock, CEO Shannon and Deputy-CEO Elwell have strong, focused and business-orientated leadership. Net operating margin loss of 199 million for 2015 is less of a loss than in 2014 by 9 million.  Challenges include labor unrest, 30% uninsured patients, and stiff competition from other Hospital Groups. CCHHS will continue to require subsidies from Cook County to survive and budgetary deficits at the State level will be aggravated in 2017 when 5% of the cost of new Medicaid patients will revert from federal to State payments.

Observer: Susan Kern              Meeting Length: 3 hours