Lies, indifference and at-risk women

This summer, Cook County, which faces an infant mortality crisis in its poor African-American communities, decided to eliminate a program that provided home visits by trained public health nurses to 21,500 at-risk pregnant women and infants.

Health experts agree such programs are the best, most cost-effective form of intervention. Why did the newly appointed board of directors of the Cook County Health and Hospital System vote to eliminate this program in early July?

Because the director of public health, Stephen Martin (President Todd Stroger's brother-in-law, as it happens) claimed that there had been cuts to federal funding in March and that these cuts put the program, and thus county, in fiscal jeopardy.

The board refused to further investigate or to hold public hearings on the matter and voted to eliminate the program based on Martin's claims.

Well, it turns out Martin misled the Board. The federal funds were never actually cut and Cook County continues to receive its Federal match.

As nurses, we are used to fighting to take care of Cook County's most at-risk residents despite this administration's efforts to dismantle the public safety net.

What has shocked us is that this new "independent" board, whose mission is to rebuild the Cook County Health System, bought Martin's misrepresentation so easily and eliminated a program for 21,500 at-risk women and infants.

What horrifies us is that this board, which we fought so hard for in the hope that independence might save county's public health care mission, has been completely unwilling to engage county nurses or the public.

At the end of the day, 21,500 at-risk women and infants will pay the cost of county's deception and of the board's indifference.

Frank Borgers

National Nurses Organizing Committee

Chicago