CCH Board Gets Update On Belmont Cragin Center Work With Asylum Seekers

Cook County Health (CCH) Board Of Directors Meeting
October 28, 2022 

Approximately 4,000 asylum seekers have arrived to date with the majority coming from Venezuela and the balance from other Central American countries.  They are residing at 23 locations across Cook County in 12 shelters and 11 hotels.  At the peak, there were 109 arriving per day but that is now trending down due to changes in policy at the border.  Most of the health screening is routine and outpatient with most common complaints a cough or headache. A telephone triage center staffed by nurses has been established for after hours.  A total of 183 Cook County Health staff have provided refugee health care to date.  The center is establishing medical homes for the refugees and tracking expenses.  A Resolution was introduced and approved to accept donations from individuals who have contacted CCH wishing to contribute a monetary amount in support of the services being rendered by Belmont Cragin to the migrant population.  
CEO Israel Rocha, announced a Cook County Health/U. S. Navy Training Partnership centered on the Resuscitative Surgical System (ERSS) which began in October. Navy personnel will train at Stroger Hospital with staff knowledgeable in ERSS.  When complete they will return to their assignments and possible deployment. 
Due to an outbreak of Ebola in the Sudan, County Health is closely monitoring the situation and clients.  Covid-related calls both inbound and outbound have declined as the numbers of Covid patients has decreased.  CountyCare is providing rewards to its patients who are getting their Covid shots and boosters.  
Provident Hospital is now providing hemodialysis services to serve the population in need of that service.  
Dr. Sam Robinson’s appointment to the Board which was deferred at the September meeting has since been approved.

Committee Reports
Human Resources:  Chief of Human Resources Valerie Amos provided metrics on recruiting indicating 647 positions filled year-to-date at an average of 65 per month.  The turnover rate is steady at 9.9%.  There have been month over month increases in new hires.  Resignations continue to outpace other types of separation i.e. retirements or discharges.  Multiple hiring fairs have been conducted and the on-line presence improved for internal and external use.  
Audit and Compliance Committee:  The schedule of meetings for 2023 was not firm yet.  The Committee’s focus is on CountyCare, Community Education and the metrics for CCH and CountyCare.  There were no action items.
Quality and Patient Safety Committee:  In an update on future directions for Stroger and Provident Hospitals the following initiatives are being pursued:  Building Stroger’s Neuro ICU to a Level 1 Neurosciences ICU; Establishing Stroger as a Thrombectomy Capable Stroke Center; and Provident as a Stroke ready or Primary Stroke Center.
Managed Care:  CountyCare continues at 32.7% of the Cook Market Share and has increased 7% over the past 12 months -– ahead of the Cook County increase of 4%.  Enrollment continues to exceed budget projections.  HEDIS rates remain stable.
Finance Committee:   On an accrual basis, interim financials show that CCH ended August with a $6.7M positive variance to budget.  On a cash basis, the County’s preliminary cash report on revenues and expenses shows a $204.4M positive variance primarily due to the timing difference of CountyCare PMPM payments impacting the revenue and claims payments impacting expenses.  Year to date revenues better than Budget due to catch up payments from the State and higher than budgeted CountyCare membership. Other Non-operating Revenue negative variance due to fluctuations in County property tax collection.    CountyCare membership remains over 400,000 which is greater than the 381,000 budgeted.
 Contracts in excess of $1M were submitted and approved as follows:

• Konica-Minolta Business Solutions – One Year Extension - $1,500,000 (Print, scan and copy service for 1 year – RFP to follow); 
• Housing Forward – Two Year renewal -Sole source $3,769,450 (ARPA funded), (Temporary recuperative housing for homeless); 
• Atos Healthcare Services - One Year Extension - $33,000,000 (Information Technology management services – increased  because of additional resources pre and post-pandemic -RFP to be issued in January); 
• McKesson - $4,029,363 (Information Technology management services – Pharmacy Point of Service, Lab and Stores management – Original sole source contract extension through 2027); 
• CDW Government, LLC  - additional Microsoft Defender 365 - $1,314,953 (security licenses, retroactive to 6/2022 through 5/2024); 
• ADT Commercial Government LLC - $1,767,915 (equipment and installation of new nurse call and paging system at Provident Hospital to replace obsolete and ineffective system); 
• Professional Clinical Laboratories LLC dba PCL Alverno -  one year extension $1,814,577 (histology services); 
• Executive Building Maintenance dba EBM Inc. – 6 month extension $2,394,426 (Environmental cleaning and terminal cleaning services for Stroger – RFP in development to consolidate environmental services); 
• ABM Healthcare Support Services, Inc. – 6 month extension $1,315,770 (environmental management service for Stroger and other CCH locations – RFP in development to consolidate environmental services)

Recognitions:  Thanks and kudos to retiring Commissioner David Munar; Team award for ambulance runs at Provident - 70 in the first week; Cardiology team awards by the American Heart Association. Pinnacle awards on healthcare marketing for the My Shot Covid campaign for the CountyCare team.

Observer:  Peg Moster