Quinn to Appoint Quentin Young to State Healthcare Board

By Kevin Robinson in News on Apr 17, 2009 2:15PM

The Sun-Times is reporting that Governor Pat Quinn will appoint Quentin Young to head the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board Friday. The Chicago-based physician is best known for his advocacy of a single-payer healthcare system in the United States. He's also been an outspoken activist for social-justice in healthcare policy, serving as Chairman of Medicine at Cook County Hospital in Chicago from 1972 to 1981, and as President of of the American Public Health Association. He's currently National Coordinator and CEO for Physicians for a National Health Program.

The Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board has been plagued with scandal of late, headed by convicted felon Tony Rezko, who extorted kickbacks from companies that sought to do business with or win approvals for new healthcare facilities in the state. Young, who has been Quinn's personal physician for the last five years, acknowledged the difficulty in bringing integrity back to the tarnished board, but expressed optimism. "It's crucial because the public is entitled to an honest and well-run board," Young told the Sun-Times. "I'll do everything I can to make that happen." In a statement, Quinn spokeswoman Marlena Jentz said "the appointment of Dr. Quentin Young is yet another effort by Governor Quinn to restore integrity back to state government."