Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Chicago Tribune - June 23, 2004
Hal Dardick, Tribune staff reporter
The approval of the two committees, whose members constitute a majority of the board, all but ensures that Board President John Stroger's nomination of Winship to become the new Bureau of Health Services chief will be approved when the board considers it July 13.
After abortion-rights groups questioned Winship's commitment to abortion services and said the county health system doesn't adequately serve poor women in that area, Commissioner Mike Quigley asked him his position on the issue.
Winship said he doesn't like abortion, but added, "I am strongly in favor of a woman's choice, that it is up to her what she does with that fetus, and that is the law of the land also."
Quigley also asked Winship whether he was committed to providing services, including HIV/AIDS treatment, to all regardless of sexual orientation.
"Our policy is to take care of everybody who shows up and needs care, and it must be done without discrimination," Winship said.
In opening remarks during the public hearing, at which no one from the public spoke, Winship said Cook County Hospital, now Stroger Hospital, in the 1940s, '50s and '60s "was really one of the most illustrious hospitals in the country and perhaps in the world."
Its reputation, like that of most public hospitals, began to fade as funding for care, research and teaching declined and affiliations with other hospitals weakened, he said.
Ruth Rothstein, the chief of the Bureau of Health Services for the last 14 years, made strides "toward re-establishing it as a very important public health care system," he said. "But in many other ways it has a long way to go."
"Excellent patient care is the No. 1 priority in my mind," he said. Adding that he wanted to "restore the luster and excellence of Cook County Hospital," he said, "I will work with any group to do that."
In May, Stroger nominated Winship, who was dean of the Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola University from 1990 to 1999. Winship, 70, is on leave from a job as a professor of medicine at the University of Missouri Health Care system while completing a fellowship at the Association of American Medical Colleges, in Washington.
040623
CT040610
Copyright © 2004 - Chicago Tribune. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Chicago Tribune, Permissions Desk, 435 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611 http://www.chicagotribune.com
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2004. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2004. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .