HR0352 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Cook County Board created the Cook County Health & Hospitals System (CCHHS) Board of Directors in 2008, and the ordinance creating that board originally provided that the ordinance would be repealed in 2011; and

WHEREAS, The Cook County Board voted June 1, 2010 to eliminate the sunset clause in the ordinance that established the independent Cook County Health & Hospitals System Board of Directors, so that it is now a permanent oversight authority; and

WHEREAS, The CCHHS oversees healthcare operations and policy implementation for the health system of Cook County, establishes priorities for the health care delivery system, and is intended to operate so as to improve the efficiency and delivery of health care to the residents of Cook County; and

WHEREAS, The CCHHS Board of Directors issued the Vision 2015 Strategic Direction (July 2010) that includes a plan to discontinue inpatient, emergency, and rehabilitation services at the south suburban Oak Forest Hospital; and

WHEREAS, Many patients, caregivers, and community members have voiced opposition to the plan to discontinue Oak Forest Hospital; opponents claim that these cuts in service severely reduce the accessibility and affordability of health care for many uninsured Chicagoland residents, that this plan would send patients to other health facilities in the County that do not have the capacity to serve these additional patients, and that the plan poses a significant burden to many area residents who would have longer travel time and scheduling problems in their use of more distant and crowded facilities; and

WHEREAS, The CCHHS Board of Directors has already taken steps that will jeopardize the ability of Oak Forest Hospital to provide essential health services in the community without adequate preparation and assurance that area residents will be able to obtain accessible and affordable care; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board has recommended denial of the application to discontinue the current operation of Oak Forest Hospital, finding that (1) the proposed closure of Oak Forest Hospital will increase the number of intensive care and long-term care beds needed in the planning area; (2) while the hospitals in the planning area have stated they will accommodate the inpatient workload of Oak Forest Hospital, there has been no indication by hospitals in the planning area assuming the outpatient workload of Oak Forest Hospital and concerns still remain of a capacity crunch in the area upon the closure of Oak Forest Hospital; (3) while the County has provided a 5-year strategic plan for Oak Forest Hospital and has stated that an immediate care facility will replace the emergency department effective June 1, 2011 and outpatient specialty services will be provided on the campus, funding is only assured for the first year, FY 2011; (4) information and data to document the need to discontinue the facility has been provided by the County, however the proposed discontinuation will increase the number of ICU and long-term care beds in the planning areas and it is also unclear as to how the residents of the planning area will have access to care should the Regional Outpatient Center not be funded by the County; and (5) given the large number of safety net patients Oak Forest Hospital provides service for, it does appear that the proposed discontinuation will have an adverse impact on the access to care in the service area; and

WHEREAS, The recommendation of the CCHHS Board of Directors contravenes the critical health interests of the residents of the Chicagoland Area, and this means there is substantial reason to believe that it has not shown sufficient expertise and concern in carrying out its mission, especially in preserving essential health services in underserved areas of the City of Chicago; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recommend that the Cook County Board restore the repeal date of the county ordinance that created the CCHHS Board of Directors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Cook County Board secure funding for the continued operation of Oak Forest Hospital to the capacity that shall provide the essential health services for the community that depends on it for affordable, accessible medical care; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Attorney General review the status of Oak Forest hospital in terms of compliance with the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Act given the denial of the application to discontinue Oak Forest Hospital by the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be provided to the President and each member of the Cook County Board.