IMPACT
CHANGE
EQUITY
Letter from the CEO
I am immensely proud to serve as the Chief Executive Officer of Cook County Health and fully understand my responsibility to maintain its nearly 200-year-old mission while adapting to the myriad changes in the healthcare industry – the latest being the COVID-19 global pandemic that illuminated inequities and placed new responsibilities on every healthcare system.
MISSION
Establish universal access to the world’s best care and health services for all Cook County residents, regardless of the ability to pay, so all may live their healthiest life.
VISION
To ensure health
as a human right.
VALUES
Innovation Compassion Accountability Respect Excellence & Education
Strategic Pillars
Patient Safety, Clinical Excellence & Quality
Ensure the highest quality service and best clinical outcomes by providing patients the right care, at the right time, and in the right place.- Initiatives Completed or Underway:
-
Established facility and department specific quality metrics.
-
Strengthen metrics in key areas like handwashing and sepsis prevention.
- Improve patient outcomes.
Health Equity, Community Health & Integration
Create just spaces where our patients’ and community’s comprehensive health needs are fully met and guide our development.-
- Initiatives Completed or Underway:
-
Established an Office of Equity and Inclusion.
-
Administered 1 million COVID-19 vaccines.
-
Conducted hyper-local campaign for COVID-19 vaccines.
-
Established Community Advisory Councils.
-
Workforce: Talent & Teams
Serve as the employer of choice by supporting and investing in our workforce, recruiting the best talent, and fostering robust teamwork.- Initiatives Completed or Underway:
-
Launched process improvement project on the hiring process.
-
Implemented hiring fairs.
-
Established system-wide CCH Trauma-Informed Task Force.
Fiscal Resilience
Ensure CCH finances enable the expansion of our mission.- Initiatives Completed or Underway:
-
Managed FY21 budget with positive results.
-
Established a revenue cycle turnaround plan.
-
Achieved over $14M savings from contract renegotiations.
Patient Experience
Develop systems of care and education that provide for an empowered patient experience.- Initiatives Completed or Underway:
-
Established a patient navigator program.
-
Launched patient family advisory council at Stroger Hospital.
-
Improved patient satisfaction scores.
-
Implementing a wayfinding initiative.
Optimization, Systemization & Performance Improvement
Optimize our systems to ensure they are accessible, reliable, appropriate, effective, standardized, and resilient.- Initiatives Completed or Underway:
-
Established a community COVID-19 vaccine information portal and one of the largest vaccine call centers in the State of Illinois.
-
Restructured the CountyCare managed care contracting template to follow industry best practices.
-
Created and successfully implemented a CountyCare financial performance improvement plan, inclusive of cash flow stress testing programs.
Growth, Innovation & Transformation
Lead the journey to effective care and better health outcomes through sound infrastructure and transformative access to care resources.- Initiatives Completed or Underway:
-
Opened new health centers in Arlington Heights, North Riverside, and Belmont Cragin.
-
Invested in imaging, dialysis, and other modernization at Provident Hospital.
-
Built out telehealth capabilities.
-
Initiated the process to conduct a facilities master plan.
-
Established new collaborations with other hospitals.
Community Town Hall Meetings
To receive employee input during the strategic planning process, Cook County Health (CCH) hosted two virtual Employee Town Hall meetings in advance of drafting of the Strategic Plan and conducted an employee survey to obtain valuable feedback. CCH emailed employees and advised them of the opportunity to participate in the town halls. In total, more than 450 individuals attended the employee Town Hall meetings.Employee Survey Summary
CCH received nearly 400 responses to the survey. Strengths that were noted included CCH’s commitment to the underserved, the quality of care/clinical expertise, and the ability to mobilize for new circumstances (e.g., mass vaccine sites). Weaknesses identified include patient experience, lack of flexibility in internal processes, staffing – retention recruitment, and role definition and accountability. Opportunities highlighted included leveraging federal dollars for investments, service line development for specialty services, and capital planning and investment in facilities/equipment. Threats that were noted included future pandemic surges, antiquated processes, and patient choice.
IMPACT 2023 Accomplishments
Improved CMS Star Rating and Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade.
Achieved national recognition for Cardiology/Stroke programs.
Improved patient outcomes for ulcers and falls.
Implemented maternal health navigator program.
Met or exceeded benchmarks for HEDIS and Pay for Performance.
Open new health facilities at Belmont Cragin, North Riverside, Blue Island and Harrison Square.
CountyCare received top quality ranking.
Three Year
Financial Forecast
Three Year
Financial Forecast
Board of Directors
Lyndon Taylor, Chair
Honorable Dr. Dennis Deer, LCPC, CCFC, Vice Chair
Robert Currie
Raul Garza
Ada Mary Gugenheim
Joseph M. Harrington
Karen E. Kim, MD, MS
Mike Koetting
David Ernesto Munar
Heather M. Prendergast, MD, MS, MPH
Robert G. Reiter, Jr.
Otis L. Story, Sr.
Israel Rocha, Jr., Chief Executive Officer
English 
Spanish 
Polish 
Arabic 
Chinese 
