Cook County Board Mid-Year Budget Hearings Continue

Cook County Board Finance Committee Mid Year Budget Hearings​
July 20, 2021
Presentations - Office of the Cook County Treasurer and Cook County Health

Highlights of Presentations:

Treasurer

• The office is currently under budget with regard to expenses, but expects to come in at budget by year-end.
• The office has received $4.9 million over budgeted revenues thus far, mainly due to higher than expected people paying delinquent taxes
• Purchased two vans to re-purpose customer service employees to enable them to serve taxpayers in their communities rather than in the CC building.
• Also go to community events at churches, festivals, etc. to assist taxpayers with tax related issues.
• Treasurer touted the studies done by her staff and noted that she is hiring to establish a kind of "think tank" section in her office to conduct more studies, concentrating on the inequities within the tax system.
•  The office has a staff of 58 employees.  Continued concentration will be in technology hiring.

Cook County Health

• .  In total, Cook County Health (CCH) currently has $2.4 M more in revenues than expenses.
• .  There are 1,284 vacancies among the 6,802 budgeted positions.
• .  Most of the questions centered around Covid and the Delta variant, which will not be reported here.  There was emphasis on providing guidance to suburban school districts.  CEO Rocha said that for now they are waiting for the CDC to provide guidance.  If necessary, the CC Public Health Department will step in to do so.
• .  Commissioner Degnan asked about grant funding and the potential to increase it.  CEO Rocha responded that for a public hospital system we do a good job, but the goal is to have "extraordinary" results.  CCH will be making investments to develop an institute for grant funding.
• .  Commission Sean Morrison asked if CCH has established a dollar value for requested 2022 funds from the county.  Answer:  not yet, but should have by the August preliminary budget presentation.
• .  He also asked about efforts to improve the revenue cycle.  CEO Rocha stated that a new Chief Revenue Officer is now in place and noted that through the first quarter of 2021 revenue retrieval has increased to 30% and can be expected to move to the mid-30's by year end.  Interim Budget Director Gibson noted that the System is looking at non-direct patient care to improve.
• . In March 2021, a "patient homecoming" project was launched to promote the return of patients to the ambulatory care centers.  He stated he is very excited about the progress to date.
• . Daley asked about outreach to retired nurses.  CCH noted that a few came back for the mass vaccine sites and that the system is definitely open to more coming back to the system.

Observed by:  Diane Edmundson