October 25, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, contact Ibis Antongiorgi, Press Secretary to Cook County Board President Todd H. Stroger, at 312-603-0396 or by email at iantongiorgi@cookcountygov.com.

County Board President Appoints Bi-Partisan Task Force to Investigate Independent Governance Team for County Health Bureau

October 25, 2007, Chicago – Today, Cook County Board President Todd Stroger announced that he has appointed a bi-partisan task force to investigate the feasibility of the recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Committee on Health Services, presented to the Cook County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday, October 16, 2007.  Commissioner Gregg Goslin (R-14th) will serve as Chairman of the task force and Commissioner Joan Murphy (D-6th) will serve as co-chair.  The Board approved a resolution to establish the task force at a recent board meeting.

“I appreciate the efforts of the Blue Ribbon Committee for providing the Board with a fresh, well-informed perspective on the state of our health care system, especially on the issue of governance,” said President Stroger.  “The bottom line is that we must adhere to the report’s admonition that the decisions made by this Board be in the best interests of the Bureau of Health Services and not with an eye towards politics.”

The task force will analyze the reports of the Blue Ribbon Committee, then make recommendations to the President and Board of Commissioners as to the feasibility and desirability of an independent governance team operating the Cook County health system.  Health care experts from throughout the country will be consulted for their ideas and existing national models of public health care system governance will be investigated.  The task force has been asked to present their findings to the President and Board within 60 to 90 days.

Other task force members include Commissioner Jerry Butler (D-3rd), Commissioner Pete Silvestri (R-9th), Commissioner Earlean Collins (D-1st), Commissioner Robert Steele (D-2nd) and Commissioner and Finance Committee Chairman John P. Daley (D-11th). 

For more information, contact Ibis Antongiorgi, Press Secretary to Cook County Board President Todd H. Stroger, at 312-603-0396 or iantongiorgi@cookcountygov.com. 

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