Cook County Health and Hospitals System Board Meeting - March 25, 2016
                       
Significant Topics Discussed:
Board Plans for Draft of Strategic Plan by Late May 
In the months ahead Cook County Health and Hospitals System (CCHHS) Board Members will:

• assess data
• identify initiatives
• determine resources
• establish goals
• and determine metrics for measuring success. 

The initial overview will be shared with the staff and community both online and in a series of town hall meetings to take place in late April or early May.  Board members are being asked to consider investments in ambulatory facilities, primary care, high tech equipment, clinical lines including partnerships, and, critically, the system’s ability to finance investments.

To further guide them in their strategic planning, the Board will receive presentations on:

• the Medicaid managed care environment
• nursing strategies
• current makeup of the medical staff
• upcoming changes in medical practice
• an overview of current staff makeup and possible changes
• graduate medical education now and going forward

Changes within the Cook County Health System to be considered by the board as they undertake the planning process will include the following. 
Since 2013

1. Inpatient days have decreased by 6%
2. Observation days (not admitted to hospital) have increased by 31%
3. Emergency Department use has declined by 12%
4. Trauma Center use has increased 20%
5. Total provider visits have declined by 7%, to about 42,000
6. Radiology use has increased by 36%
7. MRI use has increased by 27%
8. Surgeries have increased by 19%. 

In addition only about 900 babies were delivered at Stroger Hospital, compared with about 2,000 at Northwestern Hospital within the same time period.   And beginning on January 1, 2016, Medicaid payments to the CCHHS hospitals are based on patient diagnoses, determined by codes, rather than on per diem patient days.  The former fixed patient  “Encounter Rate”  fee is now, instead, dependent on the patient diagnosis.  The Board is being asked to consider these changes as they make recommendations for the system’s future.

Other Topics Discussed:

Stronger Hospital was granted a 3 year accreditation by the Joint Commission.
The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits nearly 21,000 health care organizations and programs in the U.S., requiring an on-site survey and quality evaluations in multiple categories every three years.

Current Metrics presented to the Board:

• COUNTYCARE enrollment is 16% lower than the predictions made last July
• 131 days required to hire new staff
• 25 days’ cash on hand
• 9 ½% overtime as a percentage of gross salaries.

CEO Dr. Jay Shannon  introduced a resolution honoring the recently-deceased Dr. Quentin Young, former Chair of Medicine at Cook County Hospital, Chair of Chicago Board of health, active civil rights worker, and strong advocate of social justice and universal access to healthcare.

Observer:  Linda Christianson                  Meeting Length: 2.5 hours

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