Cook County Health is proud to announce that the health system has earned The Joint Commission’s Health Care Equity Certification, a national recognition of the Cook County Health’s work to identify and close health care disparities.

 Cook County Health was founded nearly two centuries ago to ensure equal access to health care for all individuals, regardless of ability to pay, insurance or immigration status.

“During this pivotal time in health care, Cook County Health is setting the national standard for what it means to put patients first, regardless of background or circumstance,” said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. “The Joint Commission’s recognition of Cook County Health affirms that achieving health equity is not only possible- it’s essential.”

“For more than 185 years, Cook County Health has provided high-quality, equitable care with a focus on reducing pervasive and longstanding health disparities that result in too many being left behind,” said Dr. Erik Mikaitis, Cook County Health CEO. “Health equity is woven into the very fabric of our care model. I could not be more proud of our dedicated team, who meet every patient with dignity, compassion, and clinical excellence.”

The Joint Commission’s Health Care Equity Certification, also known as Healthy Outcomes for All, aims to decrease health care disparities, promote healthcare equity, and address leadership, collaboration, data collection, provision of care, and performance improvement. The voluntary certification program was launched in 2023, and recognizes hospitals across the country for excellence in providing equitable care for all patient groups.

To earn this certification, Stroger Hospital underwent a comprehensive onsite evaluation as The Joint Commission assessed more than 40 program-specific standards and reviewed a variety of data points, including:

• Quality and safety measures for priority clinical conditions, analyzed by sociodemographic characteristics.
• Comparison of the race, ethnicity, and languages spoken by staff and leaders to those of the community.
• Results from employee opinion surveys and culture of safety surveys, stratified by race, ethnicity, and language.
• Operationalization of a standardized approach to screening patients for social needs and using data to drive efforts to improve the health status and outcomes of their patient population.

“At Cook County Health, we believe health equity is not a goal, it’s a responsibility. It’s a mantle we carry proudly,” said Shannon Andrews, Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer, Cook County Health. “We are proving that a public health system can lead the nation in delivering fair, data-informed, and inclusive care. This work transforms lives, and it can uplift entire communities.”

“Health Care Equity Certification distinguishes those organizations that have made health care equity a strategic priority and those that collaborate with patients, families, caregivers and external organizations to help translate equitable health care into better health outcomes,” says Ken Grubbs, DNP, MBA, RN, executive vice president of Accreditation and Certification Operations and chief nursing officer, The Joint Commission. “We commend Cook County Health for using The Joint Commission’s certification process to promote that all its patient populations receive access to equitable care, treatment and services.”