At a Cook County Board meeting Sept. 9, John Jay Shannon, MD, CEO of the system, shared a glimpse of the hospital’s plans. His comments were followed by those of several physicians, nurses and union representatives who oppose the decision.
“We believe that doing so would cause a public health catastrophe for the most vulnerable children in the community,” said Betty Boles, vice president of the Service Employees International Union Local 73. The union represents approximately 2,500 employees of the health system, including lab and operating room technicians, respiratory therapists and food service workers, according to the report.
Following a June memo from within Cook County Health and Hospitals System indicating the system was considering phasing out the Stroger inpatient pediatric unit, a group of opponents launched a website to prevent the move. The website encourages visitors to sign a petition and contact the president of the Cook County Board, Toni Preckwinkle.
Several people present at the board meeting who oppose the plan said combining adult and pediatric emergency services would likely reduce the number of referrals from physicians who send their patients to Stroger.
Dr. Shannon stressed during the meeting that Cook County Health and Hospitals System hasn’t closed or reduced the scope of inpatient services, adding that the system could be criticized “as being irresponsible” if it didn’t reevaluate how employees and space are used.
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