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PROGRESS IN OUTPATIENTCARE AT COUNTY HOSPITALOn December 1st., 1977, the Health and HospitalsGoverning Commission had its ground-breaking ceremony foran addition to Fantus Health Center, the outpatient facilityfor Cook County Hospital. This was a red letter day for theadministrative and professional staffs as well as for thethousands of sick and poor of Cook County. The year'swork has begun with a fresh outlook and encouragement forbetter days ahead and vast improvement in working spaceand facilities in the not too distant future.Acquisitionof funds for the addition was made possible by the untiringefforts of Dr. James G. Haughton, supported by the Healthand Hospitals Governing Commission, Charles A. Davis,Chairman.Success was achieved with the cooperation ofthe President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners The Honorable George Dunne and U.S. Senators, HonorableCharles Percy and Honorable Adlai Stevenson, in obtaininga federal grant of 4,848,000 from the United States Departmentof Commerce and Economic Development Administration.The Health and Hospitals Governing Commission tookcommand of Cook County Hospital and the outpatient FantusHealth Center approximately seven years ago with James G.Haughton, M.D., as its Executive Director. Lonnie C. Edwards, M.D.,became Director of the Fantus Health Center shortly afte r theCommission assumed the responsibility for the Institution.
-2-Since then, the Center has undertaken an ever increasingresponsibility to provide health services to the Community.The physician staffing provides over 5,200 manhours per week . Theseservices include Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynecology,Oncology (Cancer), Radiology and Radiation Therapy , Pediatrics,Psychiatry, Family Practice and extensive Employee Health Service.This physicians staffing is composed of Attending Physiciansboth full and part time, Residents , Fellows and Interns. Volunteerunsalaried physicians provide over ninety (90) manhours per week.The Centers present general staff, exclusive of theMedical staff, provides over 41 , 000 man-hours of service perweek.This staff includes Administrative , Nursing , Social Service ,Medical Records, Pharmacy, Radiology, Clinical Laboratory,Electrocardiogram facility , Dietetics and Transportation divisions.The Fantus outpatient health center services in excess of1 , 400 patients per day .The all important laboratory serviceshave been considerably inadequate for many years.The federalgrant and expansion program will greatly alleviate thisinadequacy and make a decided impact upon this Center ' s capacityto deliver health care in a more efficient, effective andhumanitarian manner .Since 1970, the annual patient visits have dramaticallyrisen and during 19 76 , the Center serviced an excess of80,000 patients more than it did in 1970.The demands uponthe Center have required the addition of twenty-six (26) mor especialty clinics - brining to a total of eig hty -nine(89).
-3-Although its physical expansion since 1970 has beenrelatively limited, the laboratory provided 65,000 morepatient visits and performed 800,000 more proceduresduring 1976 than it did in 1970.In order to do this,many patients have had to return for laboratory workand/or wait for long periods.Expansion of laboratoryfacilities will permit more efficient utilization ofmanpower and economize on the patients' time and energy.One of the most expensive and needful supportiveservices is the radiological service.This departmentserved 10,000 more patients and performed 15,000 moreprocedures in 1976 than it did in 1970.Pharmacy has had no increase in its physical spacealthough it filled 250 ,000 more prescriptions in 1976 thanit did in 1970.Medical records in the Fantus Outpatient Center hasbeen incorporated into the Unit Number System of thehospital, thus greatly improving a necessary service undera specially-trainedMedical Records Librarian .In order to meet the increased demands for patientcare and training of physicians, the Family PracticeDepartment will occupy considerable space in the new expansion.This department provides comprehensive andcontinuing care, under the direction of one responsiblephysician, with the support of other specialties whennecessary.Greater emphasis on Family Practice is thetrend in medical service for the future .
-4All of the above indicates that Fantus Health Centeris being called upon to provide health care to more andmore people.It is also being called upon to deal withproblems created by an increasing industrial society andchanging health care systems as well.The Fantus Outpatient Center has the responsibilityfor a Comprehensive Health Care facility able to renderquality ambulatory care for the various illness andconditions that plague the community it serves.The expansion of this Center's space and facilitiesby the ground-breaking ceremony will permit expension ofeight specific areas , namely:1.The Family Practice Department2.The Ambulatory Screening Clinic3.Hospital Pre-Admission4.General Clinical Space5.Medical Records6.Clinical Laboratory7.Radiology8.PharmacyOf these eight areas, five will expand the ancillaryor supportive services, which will include:Medical Records,Clinical Laboratory, Radiology, Pharmacy and Hospital PreAdmission; and three will provide expansion for patientcare areas, namely:The Family Practice Department ofPatient Care Facilities, the Ambulatory Screening Clinicand an area for GeneralPat entCare.
-5The Ambulatory Screening Clinic, for instance, willpermit the patients to be received directly into the outpatient department without having to go by way of theemergency room -- encountering unavoidable long waitsbefore referral to the center for ongoing care.It willalso have a decidedly helpful effect by permitting thestaff in the emergency area to commit its energies tocaring for the truly emergency patient.In order to continue fulfilling its mission andgrowth, Fantus Health Center needs the continuing supportof the political, the professional and the social segmentsof our society, including the patients themselves, inorder to adequately serve the sick and poor.
Psychiatry, Family Practice and extensive Employee Health Service. This physicians staffing is composed of Attending Physicians- . The Fantus outpatient health center services in excess of 1 , 400 patients per day. The all important laboratory services have been considerably inadequate for many years. The federal grant and expansion program will greatly alleviate this inadequacy and make a .
