Elected officials can do good and can make government work for the people. We can do this by creating a new leadership for the county. We must develop a four-point plan for improving the County government. This plan will- Pledge to provide care and advocate for the most vulnerable
- Oppose corruption
- Be transparent
- Be a good steward of public resources
4 Point Plan for Improving the Cook County Health System:
- Recognize the critical role that the county health system plays in keeping residents healthy.
- Commit to providing needed primary, specialty and hospital services to individuals that would otherwise be unable to receive this care.
- Explore the greatest areas of need to better address the gaps in service provision.
- Explore the development of a regional system of care to reduce the burden on Cook County.
- Work to hold regional health care institutions accountable to the ideals of charity care.
- Elect/appoint an independent board to review health system budget, management and operations issues.
- Research public health systems across the nation to explore possibilities for revisioning our health system and applying their lessons learned to guide our changes.
- Survey industry standards in health administration to examine methods for improving administration in our system.
- Make administrative, financial and operations information more transparent to the public and other interested parties.
- Develop a process for evaluating funding and budget allocations that better incorporates the input of the public, employees and other interested parties.
- Commit to funding services at an amount that provides the greatest good to residents while balancing the demands of budget limitations.
- Recognize that prevention is the best investment in medical spending. Spending money upfront on preventing illness and harm to individuals saves more money in the long-term.
Criminal Justice & Violence Prevention
Over the past years, Cook County has faced shocking trends in violence in its neighborhoods. Our system is struggling to find a solution to assure that our communities are peaceful and that they are safe places for citizens to thrive. Our justice system is overwhelmed. I served as Director of a community agency recognized for its work in violence prevention and community building. As County Commissioner, I will partner with the business, philanthropy, law enforcement and community based organizations to identify alternatives to confinement for both our youth and adults.
The Cook County Juvenile Detention Center needs to become a center of excellence, providing our youth with the programs and care to enable them to reunite with their families and communities.
