CCHHS Board Meeting October 7, 2009
The Regular Board Meeting had a short agenda to allow time for another Strategic Planning meeting. The only committee report that engendered discussion was that of the Quality and Patient Safety because of confusion over exactly what policy was to be approved regarding employees receiving the H1N1 immunization. Because of the urgency of a decision on the matter it was rescheduled to a meeting the following week.
Several hours were spent reviewing the Strategic Plan. It will be presented again in its revised form at seven "town meetings" in October. The main challenges continue to be geographic access to services, the balance between primary care and specialty care, quality measures, obsolete facilities and low satisfaction among patients and staff.
The focus will be on assuring high quality care and improving the health of the residents of Cook County. Some suggestions include developing "hubs", partnerships, and realigning services and sites. There was a long discussion of closing some services and the impact of any such decision, e.g., the demand for OB deliveries has diminished at Provident and Stroger hospitals and Pediatrics has become a regional specialty. Rehab and long term care services at Oak Forest hospital warrant discussion. The existence of a large network of Federally Qualified Health Centers in the county could meet needs in the ambulatory care network. Other partnerships should also be explored. There is a need for discharge planning and follow up.
The planning process looks toward completion by mid November.
--Submitted by Observer Nancy Staunton
