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Health and Hospitals System

With eye toward CountyCare, county hospitals head defends Affordable Care Act

The head of the Cook County Health and Hospitals System argued Friday that the media is “hyper-focused on the technical difficulties” of the Affordable Care Act and expressed concern that the coverage could discourage Cook County residents from ACA participation.

“The ACA is working and doing exactly what it’s supposed to do,” Dr. Ram Raju, executive director of CCHHS, said to the system’s board of directors at its monthly meeting Friday. “The technical issues will be resolved and the health care will be accessible to the people.”

CCHHS Finance Committee OKs CountyCare contract costs increases

The Cook County Health and Hospitals System Finance Committee on Friday approved a significant increase in two contracts related to the CountyCare federal waiver program. If approved by the full board next week, CCHHS would pay out an additional $26 million to two CountyCare contractors by Dec. 31, which is when the waiver expires.

Cook County proposes to sweeten drug contract with Catamaran

Civic Fed: County health budget lacks transparency

Raju wants to expand CountyCare by putting program on health care exchange

Dr. Ram Raju, chief executive officer of the Cook County Health and Hospitals System, hopes to enroll “around 50,000 to 60,000 people” who just missed the threshold for Medicaid eligibility into CountyCare, if the state approves the hospital system’s application to make CountyCare an HMO and places it on the state’s health insurance exchange.

State-county agreement would partially offset $75M CountyCare budget shortfall

A measure that received preliminary approval on Friday could help reduce Cook County government’s annual transfer to the state general revenue fund by $30 million this fiscal year due to the backlog in the state’s processing of applications for the CountyCare federal waiver program.

But the proposed intergovernmental agreement between the Cook County Board of Commissioners and the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services only partially offsets the estimated $75 million CountyCare budget shortfall.

CCHHS Board members want to know more about role of Illinois Medical District

The Cook County Health and Hospitals System Board on Friday deferred the vote on a resolution recognizing an intergovernmental agreement between the Cook County government and the Illinois Medical District Commission, citing a lack of clarity about what IMDC can do to help CCHHS.

Board member Wayne Learner requested a “simple, short briefing paper on the role of the Medical District.” He said he was looking for information such as, “Why is this important? Why couldn’t we operate the way that we have been operating?”

Hospital system bolstering dental care resources

With the implementation of the CountyCare program at the forefront of its undertakings in 2013, other Cook County Health and Hospitals System initiatives have seemingly been overshadowed. But as the system transitions itself from a safety net hospital to a primary care and preventative treatment provider, it has also made efforts to bolster its oral health resources a top priority.

Q+A with Dr. Ram Raju

After nearly two years as Cook County Health and Hospitals System’s chief executive officer, Dr. Ramanathan Raju believes he is on track to achieve his five-year vision to transform the nation’s third largest county-owned health system from an overwhelmed safety net provider largely focused on emergency care to a self-funded network with a primary care focus.

CCHHS Board rallies behind county hospitals budget

The Cook County Health and Hospitals System Board unanimously approved on Friday a $1.126 billion 2014 budget that increases spending while continuing to reduce what county taxpayers contribute to the hospital system.

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