Cook County Health Board Approves $3.3B Budget For 2021 but...…

 Cook County Health Special Board Meeting - September 11, 2020

After one hour of testimony and four hours of discussion, the Cook County Health Board approved a budget of $3.3 billion for 2021.  The budget for 2020 was $2.8 billion.  However, along with the approved budget, it also voted 6-4 to add an amendment asking for an additional $23 million which equates to the "indirect" costs of CC Correctional and Public Health Departments.  Interim CEO Carey and Interim Chief Business Officer Gibson were asked to ASAP identify what services, staff, etc. would be restored if the $23 million was granted.

Hours were spent in discussion with a majority of board members stating that they wanted to have more early involvement in setting budget priorities.   The Board’s Vice-Chair made the following points:

• The budget process is too reactive and needs to be more proactive.
• The System needs to explain what services cannot be performed because of revenue shortfalls.
• The System needs to articulate who is its targeted population.

Interim CEO Carey noted that there were over 100 public speakers during the two budget hearings and the Sept. 11, 2020 special board meeting to approve the budget.  Two programs eliminated in the 2021 budget generated a significant amount of testimony:

• Health Care service at the Morton East High School.  Carey indicated the System believes it can find a replacement provider, but Directors want more feedback on who or what would be the replacement.
• Children's Advocacy Center.  In 2020, the budget was $500,000 for mental and physical health services.  The Center offers many other services that will continue, and Carey said the System is looking into alternatives.  Director Deer who is both a Director on the CCH Board and an elected Cook County Commissioner expressed concern, and used this as an example of why the Directors should be involved earlier in the discussions of what will continue, be cut, or added when developing the annual budget.

As the meeting closed, several members of the board restated the following points:

•  More revenue is needed to fulfill the System’s mission and mandates.
•  The System needs to develop a robust Regional Planning process which must include a strategic discussion on charity care.

For those wishing to have more information about the budget categories and amounts, the 2021 proposed budget can be found HERE.

Diane Edmundson - Observer