County Could Have Health Board by Next Week

By Kevin Robinson in News on May 29, 2008 6:30PM

Todd Stroger's final four candidates to oversee the county's new independent health services board were endorsed by a majority of county commissioners yesterday. Among the approving commissioners was Forrest Claypool, who voted against Stroger's previous nominees, saying they were "lacking proven success and experience in managing or turning around large and complex organizations." The four nominees are Dr. David Ansell, chief medical officer at Rush University Medical Center; Sister Sheila Lyne, CEO of Mercy Hospital and Medical Center; Warren Batts, a former top executive at seven major corporations and onetime chairman of Children’s Memorial Hospital; and Dr. Luis Muñoz, president and director of occupational medicine at WorkCare Medical Management Inc. and a founding member of the Illinois Hispanic Physician Association.

If the county commissioners give their final approval next week, the 11-member board will have six months to pick a chief executive to oversee the county's nearly $900 million health care system. Earlier this month the county board approved only six of the Toddler's nine picks for the board, citing a lack of balance in the qualifications of the candidates. They also voted to expand the size of the board to 11, including Commissioner Jerry Butler.