Cook County Health • System News • May 2025

May 2025

Dear Cook County Health friends and partners,

Early Thursday morning, the U.S. House of Representatives passed its budget bill, which includes more than $700M in Medicaid cuts over the next decade. The bill is now going on to the US Senate. While there are still many unknowns, it is clear that the bill will have a negative impact on Cook County residents and the institutions who care for them.

Provisions in the budget bill threaten health coverage for low-income residents, including those on the margins of employment, and immigrants without citizenship status. The addition of work requirements to the federal Medicaid program would only serve to put up barriers to coverage and red tape. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and I recently authored an op-ed that was published in the Chicago Tribune, outlining the negative impacts of work requirements: you can read it here.

Cook County Health is doing extensive contingency planning for our hospitals and health centers as well as our public health department to prepare for the potential impact of these cuts. Our mission remains central to our efforts but we know, like so many of our partners, we are going to be asked to do more at precisely the same time when resources will be tighter.

While we are concerned about the fiscal ramifications for safety net health care providers, we are even more concerned for the health of our patients and our communities.

We also know that Medicaid cuts will result in people getting sicker. Instead of managing high blood pressure or diabetes, we’ll be caring for heart attacks and strokes in our emergency departments. Instead of screenings, we’ll be diagnosing advanced stage cancers that could have been prevented.

Despite everything, our mission is to provide care to all, regardless of ability to pay, and we will continue to uphold that mission as we have for nearly 200 years. As I continue to say, we will do as much as we can for as long as we can.

We thank you for your support during these times.

Sincerely,

Dr. Erik Mikaitis

CEO, Cook County Health

Dr. Kiran Joshi Named Chief Operating Officer at Cook County Department of Public Health

Dr. Kiran Joshi has been named Chief Operating Officer of the Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH). In this role, he will be the executive leader of the state-certified public health department serving approximately 2.3 million residents in suburban Cook County.

“Dr. Joshi provided steady guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has established himself as a public health champion for Cook County,” said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. “I am confident in his ability to advance our efforts in dismantling systemic barriers to health and supporting the wellbeing of communities across suburban Cook County.”

Dr. Joshi has served in the interim COO role since January. During his more than 10-year tenure at CCDPH, he has led a number of programmatic areas and initiatives, including founding the agency’s Community Behavioral Health and Community Immunization Units. From 2020 – 2022, he co-led CCDPH and Cook County’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Dr. Joshi has dedicated his career to public health. I am grateful for his leadership at this crucial time as we navigate emerging diseases, work to improve health outcomes, and ensure access to care for the residents of Cook County,” said Dr. Erik Mikaitis, CEO, Cook County Health.

In 2021, Dr. Joshi was awarded by the Institute of Medicine Chicago for leadership in public health during the pandemic. Dr. Joshi also serves as an attending physician with the Cook County Health Department of Family Medicine and cares for patients at the health system’s North Riverside Community Health Center.

“I am deeply honored and grateful to be selected to lead the Cook County Department of Public Health,” said Dr. Joshi. “This opportunity is both a privilege and a responsibility, and I am committed to working collaboratively to advance health equity, strengthen our communities, and ensure every resident has access to the care and support they need to thrive.”

Measles Update

Measles cases continue to increase across the country, with two cases reported in Cook County. Cook County Health has a list of resources available for sharing on its website that can be found her: https://cookcountyhealth.org/measles/.

The measles vaccine is safe and highly effective, and has been used for more than 50 years. Two doses are 97% effective at preventing measles. Everyone ages one year old and older can and should get vaccinated.

To learn more about the measles vaccine, visit the CDC’s website.

If you have not gotten your measles vaccine, please get vaccinated today. To get vaccinated at a Cook County Health location, call 312-864-1111 to make an appointment.

If you are concerned about potential exposure, call ExpressCare at 312-864-1111 to speak with someone or connect with a CCH provider virtually here.

Mental Health Awareness Month

Cook County Health offers an array of mental health and substance use treatment and support services to help you through those difficult times. We believe your mental health is an essential part of your physical health and overall well-being, and our focus is to support our patients in reaching their full potential. Information about behavioral health services at Cook County Health can be found here.

Our Behavioral Health services prioritize:

Access to Care: Getting the treatment and support you need, when you need it.
Patient & Family Focused: Individualized care that support your unique needs.
Equity in behavioral health care: CCH strives to offer you the highest quality care and treatment. Our behavioral health teams are committed to improving health outcomes for racial, ethnic and sexual, gender marginalized populations and other underserved communities across Cook County

Psychiatric services at Cook County Health are provided by Board-certified psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners and include evaluation, individual psychotherapy, group therapy, and medication and case management services as needed.

All Cook County Health community health centers offer outpatient mental health therapy, substance use disorder treatment, and case management services. Our Outpatient Behavioral Health team works collaboratively with your primary care medical team on comprehensive assessment and treatment planning, individual, family and group therapies as well as linkage to other care and supports within cook county health or other community providers as needed. Our psychiatrists and outpatient therapists work collaboratively with you to develop patient-centered treatment goals that are unique to each patient.

Cook County Health also offers substance use treatment and supports through our Medication Assisted Recovery (MAR) and Recovery Support programming. Rooted in a harm reduction approach, substance use treatment and support services are designed to support patients in achieving their individual recovery goals and provide whole person, person centered care to improve their physical, mental and social wellbeing.

To access behavioral health services at Cook County Health, call 312-864-0200 to make an appointment.

For walk-in substance use disorder treatment, learn more about the Cook County Health Bridge Clinic or call 312-864-4MAT.

Need help but you don’t know where to start? Call or text our partners at NAMI Chicago for support at 833-NAMI-CHI (833-626-4244).

All behavioral health services at Cook County Health are available to any County resident, regardless of the ability to pay.

Cook County Health Cuts Ribbon on New Health Center in Bronzeville Neighborhood

On April 22, 2025, Cook County Health held the ribbon cutting of its new community health center located at 467 E. 31^st Street, Chicago, in the city’s Bronzeville neighborhood. The facility serves as an extension of CCH’s historic Provident Hospital, and offers family medicine, behavioral health, and rehabilitation services, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy.

The 26,000 square foot facility, which preserves the building’s striking example of Chicago’s Modernist architecture, is projected to see 85,000 visits in its first year and will include 44 exam rooms and a gym space for therapy services. The family medicine and behavioral health practices are moving from their existing location within Provident Hospital’s Sengstacke Health Center into Bronzeville Health Center, which offers a larger, more modern space to better serve patients. The move also frees up more clinical space within Provident Hospital to allow for the expansion of hospital-based services, further enhancing access to care.

The Bronzeville Health Center joins CCH’s network of more than a dozen community health centers located across Chicago and suburban Cook County. You can see a video of the new health center by clicking here.

To make an appointment, call 312-864-0200.

Sophia Kolowski is the Grants Administration Manager for the Office of Behavioral Health at Cook County Health, a role she has held for the past two years. She is a graduate of DePaul University and prior to her current role, she served as a Community Mobilization Coordinator with the Cook County Department of Public Health, where she led outreach initiatives aimed at imparoving behavioral health access and equity. Her work is centered on ensuring that all communities, particularly those historically underserved, have access to the behavioral health resources and support they need. She is especially passionate about engaging directly with community members, meeting people where they are at, and building meaningful relationships. In her free time, Sophia enjoys running along Chicago’s lakefront.

NAMI Chicago

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Chicago is leading the way in building a more equitable, compassionate mental health system. Guided by the voices of those with lived experience, they provide free support, education, and advocacy to individuals and families across the county.

Their services include a confidential Helpline (833-NAMI-CHI), crisis intervention through the 988 Lifeline, care coordination for people with serious mental illness, education and training for communities, and free recovery support group.

If you or someone you know needs support, visit namichicago.org or call/text 833-NAMI-CHI (833-626-4244).

NAMI Chicago x Cook County Health Announcement:

In April, Cook County Health and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Chicago announced new efforts to expand access to mental health care across the county. At the center of this investment is the NAMI Chicago’s Helpline, which provides no-barrier emotional support and mental health resource referrals. As part of this effort, a new text and chat feature has been introduced, ensuring that individuals - particularly younger residents and those who prefer digital communication - can access immediate mental health support in a way that feels accessible and familiar.

The partnership also includes an expansion of community-based peer support groups in collaboration with trusted community organizations. These groups provide safe spaces for individuals on their recovery journey, offering guidance from facilitators with lived experience rather than a clinical lens.

To further increase access and awareness, the investment will support a countywide public awareness and engagement campaign aimed at reducing stigma and encouraging helpseeking behavior.

Learn more and watch the announcement or read the full press release.