How to Destroy Public Health

1. Build a big, new hospital.
2. Fire physicians and staff.
3. Make the remaining docs do more with less.
4. Take a survey to see why people are unhappy.

The survey was conducted last month; 178 of about 350 physicians at the hospital responded.

It documents doctors' widespread dissatisfaction with working conditions at Stroger and their concern that the hospital's mission of caring for the underserved has been severely compromised.

Almost one out of three physicians who responded said they had already found another job (6.9 percent) or were getting ready to do so (26.4 percent). An additional 31 percent said they were thinking about leaving, compared with 35.6 percent who said they planned to stay at the hospital.

5. Make anemic PR claims that miss the point:

County administrators have a different perspective. Rashid cited a number of accomplishments, including a doubling in the number of patient exam rooms at the busy Fantus Clinic across from Stroger, a decline in wait times for phone calls to Fantus, and the addition of several new pharmacies.

Officials will be launching a new effort to "inform doctors of all the changes we are implementing," Rashid said.

6. Watch the rest of the doctors leave.

Who loses?

The patients.

-Wes