New Gleaming Glass-Sheathed Fantus Clinic and Administration Building - On Budget and On Time

Cook County Health and Hospitals System Board Meeting
January 26, 2018                                           
Meeting Length:  2 ½ hours

What did the Board Discuss?

• Status of the new clinic/Administration building elucidated by contractor: June 25, 2018 projected substantial completion on budget ($112,640,000) with move in of equipment and furniture budgeted at $19,148,179. Sept/Oct. 2018, building open for business.
• Naming rights for new building—philanthropists welcome!
• CountyCare membership after Aetna and Family Health Network acquired was 425,000 in December but dropped by 40,000 to 385,000 by January 1, 2018.  Drop expected, primarily lost to Blue Cross Blue Shield but silver lining is that CCHHS saved on purchase price which was based on Jan. 1, 2018 membership.  
• Anticipated early financial projections for the massive increase in CountyCare, managed Medicaid members were not available due to complexities in merging the numbers from acquisition of 159,692 (Family Health Network) and 125,240 (Aetna).  Metrics delayed till Feb. Board
• New director of Managed Care, a transplant from Family Health Network, named​

What did the Board Decide?
Stroger Hospital downgraded from two to one-star rating computed by the Centers for Medicare/Medicaid Services from years 2016 to 2017.  Downgrade related to:

• Above average readmission rate 
• Below average: Experience of Care, Timeliness of Care in the ER and Effectiveness of Care 
• Interventions are planned by category of deficiency.  Cleanliness, cited as major negative in Experience of Care measure is being met by staffing, capital equipment and increased intensity of oversight and inspections of care areas

University of Illinois Hospital, another Medical District hospital also received one star


Items to Watch For in the Future

• CEO Shannon delivered a PowerPoint update of expected changes/progress in the County Hospital’s Strategic Plan 2017-2019
• Establish use of Relative Value Unit coding of all physician work to measure productivity
• Implement utilization management program, with goal of balanced budget with overtime reduced by 20%
• County Hospital’s uninsured numbers increased in 2017.  Changes in outdated payment formula of the Hospital Tax Assessment Program that most hospitals contribute millions of dollars to in order to generate higher federal matching Medicaid funds, is being revised effective July 2018.  Many safety net Hospitals who have been receiving far more dollars back from the program than they contribute may collapse when these funds dry up, resulting in uninsured flooding CCHHS.
• Collective bargaining contracts coming up in 2018 may stress the hospital’s budget

Observer - Susan Kern, MD