CCHHS: Strategic Plan Still in Play

Cook County Health and Hospitals System February 26, 2010 Board Meeting

As part of its on-going education, the Board heard details of the Internet Referral Information System, or IRIS, that has been implemented in recent years. It tracks patient visits and referrals. Visits decreased in 2007 with budget constraints and are resuming growth at about 10% per year.

Delays in referrals within the CCHHS reflect a need for more specialty services. Even nationally, referrals are disorganized, but the use of electronic records expedites the process. In Cook, there is a no-show rate of 40%, which wastes resources. Some problems can be attributed to an unstable patient population, some of whom do not have phones to receive reminders of appointments. An automated phone system calls with reminders 10 and 2 days before appointments. The backlog for colonoscopy referrals is especially high.

CEO Foley reviewed the progress in meeting Leadership Team goals. The assessment of management restructuring will be completed by the end of March. Centralization of functions brings purchasing and contract compliance within the system with HR in process. Building and Trades will now be centralized within the Health and Hospital System, rather than being handled by other County administrative offices. Participation in Graduate Medical Education needs review. Attention was drawn to the many affiliations with other hospitals, some of historic origin, not all explainable. This is an area where guiding principles are needed. Currently, an affiliation with University of Chicago is being explored with a view to a mutually beneficial use of Provident Hospital, now underutilized. A proposal will be brought to the Board in March.

Work continues on the Strategic Plan with a deadline of May; different scenarios will be presented. Areas under scrutiny include the Community Needs Analysis which should clarify where to target services, looking at socio-economic and health profiles. Data is available now on where patients come from. CCHHS through the Ambulatory Care Network and the separate Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) provides primary care throughout the County, but there are pockets of need for out-patient primary and specialty care. Closure of inpatient services at Oak Forest and Provident Hospitals remain under discussion. The negotiations with U of C regarding Provident will affect any such decision. A Board Retreat to consider all the data is tentatively scheduled for the April 30^th meeting.

Minutes of the various Committees were approved. The Finance Committee reported an increase in Medicaid patients. The Group Purchasing Organization, or GPO, for pharmaceuticals satisfactorily dealt with the required minority member inclusion. A lease of Hinsdale property (the former TB Hospital) was also approved.

--Submitted by Nancy Staunton