Hi! I’ll be live tweeting the Finance Committee + Quality and Patient Safety Committee at
Cook County Health and Hospitals System for @CHIdocumenters at 9 am #chidocumenters ! Follow me here
08:46 AM Jul 22, 2021 CDT
As of 9:05 am the mtg is running late. The Prompt says it will begin shortly.
Meeting has started. Quorum has been reached.
They immediately start to receive and file CCH requests to accept grant award-related items.
There are two $3M grants for consideration that would go towards U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, Health Resources and Services Administration. These both include funds that would go towards maternal health
Another is $1.5M grant for HHS & HRSA that would go towards Advanced Nurse Education – Sexual Assault
Examiner Program.
A $1.48M grant for Illinois Department of Human Services for State Opioid Response to the Opioid
Crisis is proposed as well
Maternal health, sexual assault education, and the opioid crisis are some of the largest grant considerations.
Those 3 topics have been making headlines across Cook County in recent months.
In regards to maternal health, a recent report suggests “Black women in Chicago are six times more likely to die during childbirth”
https://abc7chicago.com/health-maternal-care-hospitals-doctors/10593486/
Recently, over 500 women have asked to join a sexual assault lawsuit against Cook County and Sheriff Tom Dart.
More on that below
Cook County’s opioid crisis continues, with opioid overdoses increasing by 40% last year.
https://news.wttw.com/2021/06/23/how-cook-county-addressing-opioid-epidemic-after-spike-overdoses
Supply chain contracts are being reviewed.
An interesting one includes a contract that helps CCHS “go green” is a $398,000 one with Docusign, an electronic agreement management system.
It reduces their need for paper, as CCHS hopes to decrease it’s carbon footprint.
This effort to “go green” is part of Cook County’s effort across all departments to do their part to reduce emissions and fight climate change.
In May, the City released its 2020 Annual Sustainability Report showing its goals and progress
https://www.cookcountyil.gov/news/cook-county-releases-2020-annual-sustainability-report
As a contract with Verity Solutions Inc, a pharmacy management service based in Washington, is reviewed, it’s noted that CCHS would like to work with more local companies.
They will look into whether a more local company can provide the same services. That is a $400,000 contract
It’s also mentioned that CCHS is looking into contracts for acupuncture for pain in order to reduce opioid prescriptions.
This seems to be a trend nationally as well, with Medicare last year opting to cover some acupuncture
CCHS budget is being reviewed. Overview:
- CCH is ending May $84M ahead of budget
- CountyCare capitation significantly higher than expected due to membership
- Pending reimbursements related to COVID related expenses