Kane board member wants closer look at health department downsizing

The leader of Kane County's Health Department has said for months that he'll do everything to make the transition of social service programs to the private sector as transparent as a window. On Tuesday, Kane County Board member Barb Wojnicki said she'd like to see a little glass cleaner on that window.

Paul Kuehnert, executive director of the health department, reported Tuesday the state is deep into contract negotiations with the private health care providers who will take over the county's family case management programs. Those programs provide about 6,000 mothers and babies with access to the Medicaid system. Kuehnert expects the contracts will be in place within a couple weeks. Concurrently, the county has had eight meetings with the AFSCME union representing many of the 62 people set to lose their health department jobs. The meetings will help determine the job descriptions of the remaining positions and whether existing personnel fit the new descriptions. AFSCME officials have said no employee currently qualified to work for the health department should suddenly become unqualified through new job descriptions. Kuehnert declined Tuesday to say if the number of people who will lose their jobs is actually higher than 62 because of the new job descriptions.

Kuehnert, however, did say he's exploring part-time employment opportunities to keep as many people with some form of a job as possible. Kuehnert also said there will be a public meeting with state lawmakers, the private health care providers, Department of Human Services officials and the county in a few weeks.

All of those are discussions Wojnicki told Kuehnert she'd like more detail on and involvement in. Wojnicki said she doesn't feel county board members are as "in tune" with the transition as they should be. She suggested the formation of a subcommittee to create more intense involvement by board members.

"I believe there are a lot of people who are still not aware that we are not offering these social services any more," Wojnicki said. "I just think it needs to be made a little more public."

Kuehnert said the time for more intense involvement will come when the state signs contracts with the private social service providers. Those contracts ensure the transition will actually occur.

As to the public nature of the change, Kuehnert said after the meeting he thinks the county's decision to drop family case management is well known. Only about six people per day have called the hotline the county set up to answer questions and concerns about the transition, Kuehnert said. He pointed to the low call volume as evidence that there is no mass confusion about the transition and public acceptance is setting in. The hotline (630-723-5414) went live nine days ago.