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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
CONGRATULATING DR. RAM RAJU ON HIS SERVICE TO THE COOK COUNTY HEALTH AND HOSPITALS SYSTEM
WHEREAS, Dr. Ram Raju joined the Cook County Health & Hospitals System (CCHHS) as the Chief Executive Officer on October 2, 2011; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Raju was recruited to transform CCHHS into a patient-centered, financially stable organization in a post-Affordable Care Act (ACA) world; and
WHEREAS, in his first two years with CCHHS, Dr. Raju was instrumental in turning around the financial status of the system and placing it on a more sustainable path; and
WHEREAS, under Dr. Raju's leadership, CCHHS received a meaningful use designation for advancements in information technology, specifically electronic medical records; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Raju's business acumen led to significant improvements in supply chain and contract management and the staffing of a performance-improvement department, initiatives that will yield continued savings for taxpayers in the years to come; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Raju's commitment to the patient experience is reflected by the improved Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers (HCAPHs) scores and in the reduction of wait times in the Emergency Department to less than two hours; and
WHEREAS, the clinical improvements Dr. Raju implemented led to Joint Commission accreditation for Stroger and Provident Hospitals as well as the Ambulatory Clinic Network; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Raju's vision initiated the effort that would become CountyCare, an Illinois Medicaid program to provide health care coverage to low-income adults in Cook County in advance of the implementation of the ACA; and
WHEREAS, his recognition that patients are more likely to use care they can access near their home resulted in the development of a network of more than 130 primary care access points by partnering with FQHCs, safety-net and community hospitals, academic medical centers and private doctors; and
WHEREAS, between February, 2013 and today, more than 140,000 applications for CountyCare have been initiated, signifying both Dr. Raju's focus on ensuring access to coordinated primary and specialty care and the pent-up demand for health care in the community; and
WHEREAS, as a result of the success of CountyCare, more than 82,000 Cook County residents have coverage today who did not just a year ago; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Raju has set in motion efforts to turn CountyCare, a demonstration project that ends on June 30, 2014, into a Managed Care Community Network, an Illinois designation that would allow current CountyCare members a seamless transition from the demonstration project to a permanent plan with the ability to remain with their current network of providers; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Raju has assembled a talented team of health care professionals who remain focused on patient safety and quality of care, the patient experience, adequate staffing and technology to drive both patient care and strategic decisions; and
WHEREAS, in two and a half years, Dr. Raju has garnered extensive support from both the CCHHS Board of Directors and the Cook County Board of Commissioners and is a nationally recognized leader in the arena of health care reform and public health; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Raju will return to New York to be closer to his family, particularly his wife, mother and two children; and
WHEREAS, in New York, Dr. Raju will continue his commitment to public health by serving as the President & CEO of the New York Health & Hospitals Corporation; and
WHERAS, Dr. Raju's vision to ensure the future viability of the nation's third largest public health system, a system with a rich history and noble mission, has come to fruition; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Raju will be greatly missed by all who had the opportunity to work with him; and
WHEREAS, the residents of Cook County owe him a debt of gratitude for his efforts to improve and increase access to care.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that I, Toni Preckwinkle, along with all the Members of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, on behalf of all residents of Cook County, do hereby congratulate and thank Dr. Ram Raju for his many years of exemplary service and send best wishes for good health and happiness as he enters a new phase in his professional life.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this Resolution be tendered to Dr. Raju in recognition of his selfless commitment to the patients and employees of the Cook County Health & Hospitals System.end