Cook County Health Board Hears Update from Department of Public Health

Cook County Health (CCH) Board Meeting
​January 31, 2020

Reports to the Board:
The Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) - is at the command center for Chicago's coronavirus case, along with the Illinois State Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control.  The CCDPH website has links for coronavirus and flu information. Cook County Health has been screening for coronavirus. CCDPH also presented their 2019 Quality Improvement Projects.  These projects result from Planning, Testing, Study, Implementation.  The goal of planning is to understand and analyze a problem,  potential solutions are pilot tested, afterward studied/evaluated, then the new process is implemented. 
The 2019 CCDPH Quality Projects are:  

• Investigation of Food-borne Disease and Outbreaks
• Promotion of Smoke-Free Multi-Unit Housing
• Improving Tuberculosis Direct Observation Therapy- cost effective way of a video picture of patient taking their medication
• Annual School Health Conference Check-Out Process
• Improving Access to Services in the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program 
• Environmental Health Services  Digitization: Forms
• Improving Perinatal Hepatitis B  Post Exposure Prophylaxis
• Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes Reporting System  Program face-to Face Contacts   

Human Resources - starting out 2020 with approximately 526 vacant positions with 308 positions in the hiring process.  They have a Position Control Committee that receives requests to hire.  These requests must meet patient safety and quality standards, regulatory requirements, need to generate revenue and reduce expenses.  If a position is approved by this committee, it goes for budget approval and then is posted on Taleo (the county's on line application site).  

CountyCare - as of 1/2/2020 has 318,000 members, 10.6% of members using CCH clinics.  Next Level Health, a Managed Care Organization (MCO) only available in Cook County, was recently purchased by Molina Healthcare.  Molina is increasing its presence in the county.  Over the past year, CountyCare membership has held steady with its 31.5% of total CC Medicaid members.  In 2019 there has been an overall drop in total Medicaid members, and CountyCare membership has followed this trend.  Auto-assignment of Medicaid enrollees into MCO health plans  happens when a member does not choose a health plan/primary physician within the specified time.  CountyCare  auto-assignment has been increased from 35% to 50% starting April 1, 2020 and is open-ended.  This increase is a result of CountyCare's innovations, quality and housing program. The 2020 projected enrollment is 326,000 members.

Quality and Patient Safety Committee - reports good results at the end of 2019 for decreased hospital acquired pressure injuries due to a focused nursing campaign.  The aim is to sustain this decreased number with continuing preventive measures.

Other Business:

• The CCH North Riverside Health Center, replacing the Cicero clinic, opened for patients January 27, 2020.  CCH is installing posters, distributing flyers at all facilities to raise awareness of the 2020 Census.
• The CC Board of Commissioners proposed changes to the 2008 Ordinance Establishing the Cook County Health and Hospitals System.  The original ordinance can be found HERE. The proposed changes are in the Ordinance Amendment. (Cook County Board Agenda Item 20-1118) Members of the CCH Board discussed the proposed changes and decided to meet with the CC Board of Commissioners and present the CCH board's point of view on the proposed changes.

Observed by Michele Niccolai                                              Meeting Length:  2 hours and 30 minutes