Cook County leaders gathered December 12th to celebrate the 20th anniversary of John H. Stroger Jr., Hospital. In 1994, the Cook County Board of Commissioners convened public hearings on a plan to build a new hospital, which would replace the 90-year-old Cook County Hospital. Construction on the new 464-bed, $551 million replacement facility was completed in 2002. On December 12th, 2002, 320 patients were moved from the old hospital to the new John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital. Current Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle recognized her predecessors who were critical in pushing for the new building. “At a time when many local governments were getting out of health care, Dick Phelan decided to buck the trend and build a new facility to replace the 90-year-old Cook County Hospital – and it wasn’t a particularly popular decision but the right one,” President Preckwinkle said. “A lifelong advocate of universal health care, John Stroger took up the mantle of a new hospital when he came in as Board President.” Today, Cook County Health cares for 600,000 people each year across two hospitals, an ambulatory care network, and CountyCare Medicaid Managed Care plan.
Photo Caption 1)
(Left to right) Josina Morita, 13th District Cook County Commissioner; Brandon Johnson, 1st District Cook County Commissioner; John Daley, 11th District Cook County Commissioner; Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County Board President; Israel Rocha, Cook County Health CEO; Dr. Lily Hussein, Cook County Health oncologist, Ernestine Daniels, administrative assistant in Cook County Health’s neurosurgery department and chaplain; Anthony Quezada, 8th District Cook County Commissioner; Bridget Degnen, 12th District Cook County Commissioner; Donna Miller, 6th District Cook County Commissioner.
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Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County Health CEO Israel Rocha; Todd Stroger, former Cook County Board President and son of former Cook County Board President and hospital namesake John H. Stroger, Jr.
Photo Credit: Cook County Health System
