South Shore resident graduates from Leadership Development Program at Cook County Health & Hospitals System

Cynthia Coleman is one of seven graduates of the Cook County Health & Hospitals System's most recent Leadership Development Program cohort.

Coleman, of the South Shore neighborhood, began the program in March 2017, engaging in a curriculum that teaches strategies to improve patient experience, better manage teams, and identify opportunities to implement their new skills.

This cohort is the first to complete an extended curriculum of 24 weeks, giving them ample opportunity to practice the skills that will allow them to be change makers at Cook County Health & Hospitals System. She has worked for the system for 3 years, and makes a significant impact on her team every day.

Cook County Health & Hospitals System prides itself on being an environment that cultivates the next generation of health care leaders. The health system holds two Leadership Development Program sessions each year, with the purpose of developing leaders within the organization. The program consists of weekly training sessions and homework assignments, and culminates in a capstone project. As part of the program, Coleman worked on a project to enhance reporting of specialty care visits for the ambulatory services. This initiative works to streamline the billing process and produces augmented data on the type of services most frequently provided at each clinic. Coleman reflects that the program has taught her to integrate the Cook County Health & Hospitals System strategic plan into her position, while also assisting her in developing her management style.

During the latest cohort's graduation ceremony this winter, Cook County Health & Hospitals System CEO Dr. Jay Shannon spoke about the changing health care environment and the role that these leaders play in developing its future. He noted greater opportunities to develop what assets the Cook County Health & Hospitals System already has, and the success with which the system has already been able to do so. The Leadership Development Program is a perfect example of this, and the Cook County Health & Hospitals System has just minted a new class of leaders to keep forward momentum in these efforts.