Cook County Health, which is the biggest safety net health system for the most vulnerable low-income patients in the region, is facing a staffing crunch.
The health system currently has around 5,550 employees — and is looking to fill some 2,000 vacancies. That means just over one quarter of budgeted positions are empty. At the same time, the health system can’t keep up — it’s losing more workers to retirements, resignations and “discharges” than the system can add to the payroll, health system records show.
