The National Nurses Organizing Committee/California Nurses Association (NNOC/CNA), representing 1,800 nurses throughout the Cook County Bureau of Health Services system, are protesting an apparent plan to close far more public health clinics than County Commissioners agreed to, and are holding a Tuesday press conference to launch an advertising campaign to rally the public against threats to the County's public health system.

WHAT: Nurses, Patients Unveil Advertising Campaign, Warn of Latest Threat to Clinics
WHEN: Tuesday, April 3, 9 am
WHERE: In front of new billboard, corner of LaSalle & Huron

While the County Commissioners approved a plan to close 8 clinics, Health Services Chief Robert Simon admitted under questioning before the Board of Commissioners last week that only 13 of 28 clinics would remain open—meaning a total of 15 would be closed.

Unfortunately, no details are available even at this late date about the threats to the public health system because the County Budget Director, Donna Dunnings, has yet to make public the final details of the county budget—some three months into the fiscal year. After promising Commissioners to post final budget details by last Friday, instead she produced a summary draft with the following note: "These files are unaudited draft versions of the final budget documents and not official. We do not guarantee the accuracy of the content in these files at this time, although every effort was made to achieve it. The final version will be posted when they are completed and replace this posting."

Dunnings, like 13 other employees of the County, is a relative of Board President Todd Stroger, raising the question of whether patronage or nepotism jobs are being hidden in the budget. The budget already eviscerates the public health system to spare 400 patronage jobs while slashing hundreds of caregiver jobs and closing clinics throughout the County. This threatens the millions of Cook County residents depend on the healthcare system for primary care.

The city-wide billboard advertising program is the latest step in a campaign by Cook County's nurses to ensure that the public health budget is fully funded and advocate to for fair treatment of patients in the system. "These cuts are immoral. They will hurt our patients and our communities. People will be sicker and lives will be lost. It's our duty as nurses to continue this fight until funding for vital healthcare services is restored," said Batu Shakari, RN.

NNOC/CNA is the nation's largest union of direct-care RNs, with some 75,000 members in all 50 states. Learn more at www.NNOC.net.