Exasperation marks county meeting on hospital issues

CHICAGO | A contentious meeting of the Cook County Board's Health and Hospitals Committee climaxed when Commissioner Deborah Sims, D-5th District, followed several probing questions with a harangue that ended with her accusing Republicans of not caring about the poor.

"It's only the Democrats that care about people," said Sims during her questioning of Cook County Health and Hospitals System CFO Michael Ayres.

The hospital system faces several challenges including Medicaid collections, the reorganization of Oak Forest Hospital and a perception of the lack of good customer service. It recently reported a revenue shortfall has caused a $14 million short-term budget deficit.

Ayers began the meeting by blaming Medicaid for many of the system's financial hardships.

Sims saw the problems going beyond Medicaid and began asking questions about how the hospital system processes an uninsured patient. After a few questions, Sims said, "I'm tired of this song and dance."

Sims added, "We're talking about closing a hospital because we can't get it right."

An exasperated Sims continued, "We're going to be sitting here having the same conversation 10 years from now. When are we going to fix this system and make it the system it can be?"

Then, she set her sights on the newly formed governance board.

Sims proceeded to accuse Republicans of not caring about the poor.

She was finally cut off by committee Chairman Jerry Butler.

"Commissioner, you're spinning your wheels now," he said.

Sims also drew a rebuke from Republican Commissioner Tim Schneider who said, "that only the Democrats care about the needy and downtrodden is totally incorrect."

Sims walked her comments back later in the meeting, "I didn't mean to suggest Republicans don't care about the poor. I just think we have different ideas for making that happen."