The Cook County Health Board of Directors unanimously approved a three-year strategic plan to guide the health system’s activities and goals from 2017 through 2019. CCH began strategic planning processes earlier this year that included dozens of meetings, presentations and discussions with staff, community members and the CCH Board of Directors. The approved strategic plan, Impact 2020, is available here. 

“Never before has the health system developed such an in-depth analysis of its operations, the health care market and, most importantly, the needs of its patients and community, and never before has it been more crucial,” said Dr. Jay Shannon, CEO, CCH. “Impact 2020 will not only ensure that the health system is able to provide world-class care to patients over the next three years, but it also positions CCH to thrive for decades to come on behalf of the residents of Cook County.”

Impact 2020 presents an ambitious vision for the future of CCH, defining strategic opportunities and establishing a framework for the health system to succeed in a post-Affordable Care Act (ACA) environment.

“The Affordable Care Act has had a tremendous impact on our health system, driving us to become a more integrated, accessible and patient-centered health system,” said Dr. Shannon. “We must now compete for patients who are newly-insured under the ACA while still upholding our mission to serve those most in need, as one in three of our patients remain uninsured. We must achieve this modernization while simultaneously becoming more financially independent. A great deal of work lays ahead of us and this plan provides us with a foundation to move forward.”

Impact 2020 includes a broad set of tactics designed to improve and protect the health of the residents of Cook County, expand access to care and allow CCH to provide high quality care in an increasingly competitive environment. Key tactics include:

• Investing in modern facilities, renovating or replacing community health centers and building new Regional Outpatient Centers.
• Increasing patient satisfaction across the health system by recruiting more bilingual staff, expanding clinic hours and appointment availability, and decreasing wait times.
• Developing and expanding programs that address social determinants of health (food insecurity, adverse childhood events etc.).
• Continued expansion of behavioral health services.
• Creating specific approaches to ensure continuity of care for justice-involved populations.
• Growing CountyCare, CCH’ Medicaid managed care health plan, as well as patient volumes in primary care.
• Optimizing a health plan structure to serve uninsured residents.

CCH’ strategic plan will be presented to the Cook County Board of Commissioners on September 14^th for approval at the Board’s October 5^th meeting.