COOK COUNTYANNUAL REPORT 2012
Toni Preckwinkle | PresidentCook County Board of Commissioners
$ Fiscal Responsibility Innovative Leadership Transparency & Accountability Improved Services
Table of Contents
Where Has Toni Been 2
A Letter from The President 3
Performance Management 4
Economic Development 6
Finance & Administration 8
Healthcare 10
Property & Taxation 12
Public Safety 14
Forest Preserve District 16
Where Has Toni Been 2
A Letter from The President 3
Performance Management 4
Economic Development 6
Finance & Administration 8
Healthcare 10
Property & Taxation 12
Public Safety 14
Forest Preserve District 16
Where Toni Has Been
A Letter from President Preckwinkle
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PerformanceManagement
$ Fiscal Responsibility Innovative Leadership Transparency & Accountability Improved Services
what we are doing
The Set Targets, Achieve Results (STAR) performance management program provides a forum for county agencies to work jointly to set priorities, identify opportunities, address problems, and measure performance transparently.
Since its establishment the STAR Performance Management program has increased visibility into the County’s operations and generated substantial returns through increased revenue, decreased costs and
improved services. STAR is a partnership of the Board of Commissioners, County Agencies, employees, and residents. All County o�ces and agencies report progress toward stated goals, and work together to improve performance. The e�orts of each o�ce within the County have been linked to countywide goals in the areas of public
safety, healthcare, property and taxation, and economic development. Through STAR, the County has
published 6 performance reports and collected monthly performance data from County agencies for the
past 20 months, creating a culture of transparency and accountability. Over 70 weekly performance management review sessions of County agencies have been held since March 2011. During internal reviews with senior County leadership and the quarterly reports, agencies demonstrate successes and highlight areas for improvement. In those sessions, County leadership has identi�ed and implemented over 300 action items.
In addition, performance data provides decision makers valuable information in deciding how best to direct tax dollars. Quality performance data is important to understanding how budget decisions will impact operations and is a critical component to performance based budgeting. In total, STAR lead to over $12 million in either increased revenue or decreased costs in 2012 alone.
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President’s leadership team reviews the Comptroller’s performance metrics at a weekly STAR session.
what’s next
The STAR program is deepening its engagement with agencies to support the use of performance data as a management tool. The e�ort will include facilitating internal goal-setting discussions within agencies at the group and team levels, as well as training and regular monitoring.
In addition to e�orts to build on and improve the use of performance data within departments, the performance management team seeks to improve on existing processes in place, including:
Improving public access and visibility into STAR performance data
Increasing collaboration with the Budget Department to identify cost savings and e�ciency improvements
Promoting a data-driven culture within Cook County focused on measurable goals and targets
Increasing internal visibility into overall County performance
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Economic Development
$ Fiscal Responsibility Innovative Leadership Transparency & Accountability Improved Services
what we are doing
Created a $5 million Unincorporated Cook
Infastructure Improvement Fund
(UNIIF) to incentivize municipalities to fund
Infastructure improvements.
Launched a $200 million Small Business
Financing Initiative bringing together a group of leading �nancial institutions to build
relationships with small, minority and women-owned
businesses doing business with Cook County
A group of more than distinguished business and civic leaders who will advise on how to promote long-term economic growth within the county.
Redesigned the capital planning process to focus on long term
planning; implement technology to manage
projects more e�ectively.
Produce daily content through blog posts,
photos, and e-newsletter highlighting Economic
Development across the County
Created the City-County Workforce Partnership, increasing the uniformity
and consistency in service delivery
Pursue additional resources to replace
declining federal grants.
Enhance and expand strategic outreach to suburban leadership and municipalities.
Enacted the
Vacant Building Ordinance
to eliminate blight in communities hit hardest by the foreclosure crisis.
Developing an electronic revenue
system that will allow residents to purchase permits and pay fees
online
Formed the Land Bank Advisory Council which is
advising on a responsi-ble, legal, & e�ective model for a County
Land Bank.
Reduced costs by consolidating leased
space into county owned facilities
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Created the Council of Economic Advisors
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Healthcarewhat’s next
what’s nextCompletion of two key capital projects:
Oak Forest Hospital Renovations &
Residential Treatment Unit
(RTU) at the Cook County Jail
Continue to provide a leading role in promoting a
collaborative and strategic approach to
regional growth
Increase participation in the newly-created HOME Consortium,
and pursue competitive grants
Develop recommendations for returning vacant and adandoned property
to productive use
Expand outreach to municipalities to
explain bene�ts of Vacant Building Ordinance and
encourage organization
Create a Cook County Land Bank,
to help return vacant, abandoned, and
forclosed properties to productive use
Implement the Building and Zoning's case
management system, which will allow
residents to track their permits online
Use the fund to make strategic investments
to improve infrustructure in
unincorporated Cook County
Develop plan for long-term
consolidation of county functions to reduce underused
space and save money
Continue to work with suburbs to develop regional economic development plan
Expand our capacity to inform residents on
projects, plans, public comments & a�ord-
able housing through new media
Continuing to streamline workforce
development e�orts to increase the uniformity
and consistency in service delivery
President Preckwinkle cuts the ribbon on an a�ordable housing project in Lynwood, Illinois. Along with her is Mayor Eugene Williams and Bishop Claude Porter of PLCCA (Proviso Leyden Council for Community Action), (left part of photo), along with others from the community who came out to celebrate this achievement.
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Finance & Administration
$ Fiscal Responsibility Innovative Leadership Transparency & Accountability Improved Services
what we are doing
Rolled back the 1% Stroger sales tax increase – saving
taxpayers over
$440 million
Solved for over
$1 Billion in budget gaps in under
2 years
Implementing a sustainable �nancial path
by closing the FY2013 budget gap with
99% structural solutions
Launched the Cook County Reorganization and Investment (CCROI)
program to invest in proven solutions that will lead to future savings or
increased revenue
Jointly saved
$39 millionto date through the
City-County Collaboration
Established a more e�ective, e�cient
budget process that includes preliminary
budgeting, a hearing, live video streaming of Board
proceedings, and on-time passage
Created and implemented an
employment plan that will move the
County toward compliance with the
court appointed hiring monitor
Launched an absence management program to reduce sick time and
inappropriate leave through training,
monitoring and better management
Streamlined the M/WBE certi�cation
process by implement-ing reciprocal certi�ca-
tion with the City of Chicago and online
�ling
Reduced the time to pay vendors who do
business with the County from 60 days
to 47 days
Implemented $10 million in sustainability grants to
programs such as installation of wind
turbines, energy e�cient windows, home
weatherization, and e�cient HVAC systems
Successfully migrated Cook County’s mainframe
computer to a more secure environment,
reducing the risks and costs associated with an unsupported computing
platform
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Healthcarewhat’s next
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle Presents the 2013 Executive Budget Recommendation
what’s next
Lowering the sales tax increases
economic activity, which raises business income and increases
residents spending power
Presenting balanced budget
recommendation to the Board of
Commissioners in advance of �scal year
end
Focusing on structural solutions to further reduce the
budget shortfall going forward
Continuing to implement
interactive budget tools to engage residents in the budget process
Achieving substantial
compliance with the federal consent
decree that governs county hiring
Investing in key initiatives that
promote innovation and
long term �nancial stability
Integrating collaboration into the
County’s operating mindset
Improved County productivity through
tighter personnel oversight that will
lower personnel costs and reliance on
overtime
Achieving prompt pay discounts by paying vendors within 30 days
through electronic payment methods
Becoming a leader in sustainability through implementation of the
Sustainability Advisory Council’s recommendations
Increasing engagement with
minority and women owned �rms to achieve
M/WBE goals
Implement a Wide Area Network (WAN)
refresh, which will replace aging infrastructure
throughout Cook County’s sophisticated
computer network
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Healthcare
$ million
$ Fiscal Responsibility Innovative Leadership Transparency & Accountability Improved Services
what we are doing
100More money collected
through improved revenue collection than
in FY 2011
34 DaysAmount of time reduced for outstanding claims in
Accounts Recievable from beginning of FY 2012
Implementation of the Medical Event Report
System (MERS) software product to collect ,
manage, analyze & report information on adverse
events
Improved patient satisfaction
survey scores
$1.2 millionCompleted capital
acquisition negotiation. $1.197 million has been identi�ed as savings on
already purchased and/or awarded capital
Implemented electronic data
software from Global Healthcare Exchange (GHX). It will go live in
January 2013
Clinical Transformation to the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH). Training at 5 pilot sites,
44 primary care physicians and 60
additional sta�
Developed a Labor Management
Council that includes CCHHS and Union
Leadership
Expedited hiring of
more than 200 sta� positions including
physicians
Prepared and submitted application for 1115
Waiver Demonstration Project CountyCare in
January 2012. The waiver was granted 10/12 allowing early enrollment of patients eligible for Medicaid under
the A�ordable Care Act
In 2012, wait times reduced by an hour at Stroger
Hospital Emergency Department
In 2012, patients who left the Stroger Hospital
Emergency Department without
being seen decreased to 7.9%
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Healthcarewhat’s next
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle & Dr. Ramanathan Raju, CEO of the Cook County Health and Hospitals Systemtour the re-development of the Oak Forest Health Center.
what’s next
Set a goal to resolve outstanding claims
within 100 days
FY 2013 supply chain management projected a
total supply savings of $25 million, $14 million of
that savings will be realized through GHX management system
Implement
CountyCare
A Multi-Disciplinary team meets weekly to address and improve
the Emergency Department throughout
Develop and implement an outreach and education plan on
the CountyCare program
FY 2013 physician billing projected to
bring in
$12 million
Enroll 115,000 members to the
CountyCare plan with the assistance of the
Community Outreach Campaign Services
provider.
Completion of the Oak Forest Health
Center Ground Floor Design/Build
Renovation Project
Developing general principles of engagement
between CCHHS and Union Leadership
Newly renovated Oak Forest Health
Center creates a new Diagnostic Imaging
Center that will include screening mammographies
Behavioral health and substance use
disorder services covered under the
1115 wavier
Transform to a patient centered home medical model
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Property & Taxation$ Fiscal Responsibility Innovative Leadership Transparency & Accountability Improved Services
what we are doing
Mailed out property tax bills on time for
the �rst time in 33 years
Implementing a case management system
that will allow for greater o�ce
e�ciency in The Board of Review
Provided 5 years of history from over 5 County agencies to
form a single Property Tax Portal without having to surf from
website to website to determining what is
owed and paid.
Implemented online property tax appeals
to provide greater access for taxpayers by The Board of Review.
Cross-trained sta� of the separate property tax agencies so they are able to answer common taxpayer
questions about the entire system.
Identi�ed resource-sharing opportunities by
o�ces in the property system
Through the STAR performance
management process, stakeholders convene on a quarterly basis to make sure tax bills are out on
time and discuss ways to improve the customer
experience
Established stakeholders meetings to foster cross
o�ce colaboration to promote e�ciency, transparency, and
improved customer service
Improved online �ling of appeals to allow
residents to pre-register before
opening a township
Allocated additional resources to ensure
speedy completion of tax appeals process
Posted foreclosure data on the Cook
County Open Data Portal
Institute o�ce space timelines to hold
employees accountable for
on-time performance
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Healthcarewhat’s next
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s Chief of Sta� GA Finch and Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas hold a late meeting.
what’s next
Stakeholders are meeting on a quarterly basis to make sure that tax bills go out on time
again this year
Once implemented the case management
system will allow for quicker processing of property tax appeals
O�ces will continue to deepen their collaboration by
looking at ways to cross-train sta�.
Improve the customer experience
online
The County is examining the
creation of a uni�ed customer call
center
The Board of Review will continue to encourage the
expanded use of online �lling.
Reviewing data earlier in the taxation process
Increased data sharing to better
coordinate inter-o�ce
communication
Continue working to automate property and tax information to improve accuracy
Developing a plan for cross-o�ce auditing
functions
Consolidate cross-o�ce taxation process Frequently Aasked Questions from across o�ces
into one list
Develop an inter-o�ce training
system to streamline tax preparation
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Healthcarewhat’s next
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s Chief of Sta� GA Finch and Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas hold a late meeting.
what’s next
Stakeholders are meeting on a quarterly basis to make sure that tax bills go out on time
again this year
Once implemented the case management
system will allow for quicker processing of property tax appeals
O�ces will continue to deepen their collaboration by
looking at ways to cross-train sta�.
Improve the customer experience
online
The County is examining the
creation of a uni�ed customer call
center
The Board of Review will continue to encourage the
expanded use of online �lling.
Reviewing data earlier in the taxation process
Increased data sharing to better
coordinate inter-o�ce
communication
Continue working to automate property and tax information to improve accuracy
Developing a plan for cross-o�ce auditing
functions
Consolidate cross-o�ce taxation process Frequently Aasked Questions from across o�ces
into one list
Develop an inter-o�ce training
system to streamline tax preparation
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Public Safety$ Fiscal Responsibility Innovative Leadership Transparency & Accountability Improved Services
what we are doing
Adopted new standards for grants
management including a policy and
procedures manual
Awarded
$400,000 in grant dollars for Anti-Violence and
Recidivism Reduction grants
Adoption & Child Custody Advocacy
(ACCA) has worked to ensure cases are
processed in a timely manner
Held community forums to build a
shared agenda
Launched the Community
Anti-violence and Restoration E�ort
(CARE) in collaboration with the
Mayor’s o�ce to reduce violence and stabilize
communities
Funded Safer Foundation support
for the Public Defender's e�orts to
reduce bonds
Helped communities measure the real impact
of detention
Supported collaborative e�orts
with all justice stakeholders to reduce the population of the Juvenile Temporary
Detention Center
Launched cross-sector Bond Court study and
began implementing recommendations
Co-chairing e�ort to provide state
identi�cation to court involved citizens.
Sought data to explain increasing length of
pretrial jail stays
Committed to $1 million matching grant to support Sheri�'s alternatives with serivces.
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Healthcarewhat’s next
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Chief Judge Timothy Evans joined the Honorable George N. Leighton and his family on Friday, June 29th for the renaming and dedication ceremony at the Cook County Criminal Court Building..
what’s next
Broadening the pool of applicants for
Anti-violence and Recidivism Reduction
grants.
Dedicate
$2 million in grants for non-pro�t
organizations for violence prevention,
intervention & reduction programs
Work to build collaborative e�orts to tackle the increasing cost of detention and
trial delay
Work to obtain technical assistance for
community based organizations to build community support
Explore street level diversion to reduce
costs
Continued project management of CARE
initiatives and support for community-based leadership teams
Continue tracking to determine impact of
diversion programs on reducing court
involvement
Targeted timeframes will be reviewed
quarterly and discussed with
management to determine how best to improve and enhance
production
Further reducing jail population through
expansion of alternatives to dentention
Continue to explore more cost e�ective housing services to
support alternatives to dentention for pre-trial
detainees
Creating an automated phone system in both English and Spanish to
manage and direct calls more e�ciently
Provide more community-based
alternatives to detention for adults
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Forest Preserve District
$ Fiscal Responsibility Innovative Leadership Transparency & Accountability Improved Services
what we are doing
Posted quarterly desk audit updates
on the website
$110 million received in new project
proceeds by re�nancing and issuing bonds. Saved $3 million
in the 2013 operating budget
Secured
$4.4 million in state and federal
funding for important habitat restoration,
education and outreach projects
Raised more than
$75,000 by supporting the
Forest Preserve Foundation and the 1st
Annual Conservation Cup
Implemented Performance Management
measures to critically evaluate District
�nances, programs and operations
Hosted �rst Science & Research Symposium to present the scienti�c
and academic work done by FPDCC and
partnership organizai-tons
Created the �rst Recreation &
Campground Master Plan. Upated the Land
Acquisition Master Plan
Expanded public participation through
focus groups, web-based surveys, webinars and
outreach events
Implemented performance
evaluation for all employees
requirements
Used new media tools to increase resident
awareness and engagement,
including a public photo contest run through Flickr and
Produced the monthly
e-newsletter
“The Forest Way”
Expanded youth opportunities
through internships, job training, and
programing
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Healthcarewhat’s next
Forest Preserve District of Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle joins General Superintendent Arnold Randall, Sand Ridge Nature Center Director Jim Carpenter, and volunteers at the ribbon-cutting for the Nature Center’s newly-renovated pioneer living cabins.
what’s nextWork with Forest Preserve
Foundation to expand capacity by supporting
e�orts in strategic planning, board development &
establishment of an Endowment Fund
Generate funding through a creation of
sponsorship and Giving/Tribute
programs
Update user fees for permits, special events, gol�ng & �eld rentals
Design a Habitat Restoration Master Plan
for approximately
55,000 acres
Create the Next Century Conservation
Plan with Openlands and Metropolis
Strategies
Develop and implement a strategic centennial
plan to increase public engagement and
reestablish our role as a leader and innovator in
conservation, environmental educaiton
& outdoor recreation
Establish a Land Steward Advisory
Committee & Centennial
Commission
Provide transparent budgeting with actual
and budgeted item reports
Achieve full compliance with the
Shakman decree
Launch a Green Team to evaluate
sustainability policies and implement best
practices
Enhance communication e�orts through web videos &
diversi�cation of programming at nature
centers
Introduce a streamlined permit
system
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