Lake County health official takes on new tasks

Irene Pierce’s leadership as executive director of the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center is expanding.

Pierce recently was named to two posts overseeing regional efforts to manage and improve public health care.

Pierce was named vice president of the Northern Illinois Public Health Consortium, which is comprised of public health departments in Chicago and Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, Will and Winnebago counties.

The organization exchanges information and aims to promote health, prevent disease and protect communities.

The consortium also works to raise public awareness, build constituencies and shape legislation and policies that affect public health in the region.

Pierce also was one of 13 health industry leaders chosen to be on the MetroChicago Health Information Exchange Advisory Council.

The council members chosen will help guide what is expected to be the largest unified metropolitan health information exchange system in the nation.

The system, expected to be implemented this year, will allow authorized health care providers to exchange patient information across a secure network. That will help health care providers make better decisions about patient care and improve patient outcomes.

While the new network is expected to provide comprehensive information about each patient, it should also avoid duplicating unnecessary tests, lab work and scans to ensure efficient, cost-effective care.

“With more than 700,000 residents in Lake County, the public health of our communities is of ongoing concern, and that means working collaboratively with other public health organizations as well as the private sector to provide thoughtful, efficient care,” Pierce said.