Appointments to Adequate Health Care Task Force Announced

Gov. Rod Blagojevich and the leaders of the Illinois House and Senate have announced most of their appointments to the task force charged with developing a health care access plan for all Illinoisans. The Health Care Justice Act, Public Act 93-0973, which passed in the 2004 session of the General Assembly, sets the policy goal for Illinois “to insure that all residents have access to quality health care at costs that are affordable.” The appointments to the task force are the first step toward achieving that goal.

The law directs Governor Blagojevich to appoint five members and directs the majority and minority leaders of each house of the General Assembly to appoint six. Between now and November 2005, the task force, formally called the Adequate Health Care Task Force, will hold hearings in each of Illinois’s 19 Congressional Districts to gather information from the public to assist it in drafting a health care access plan for all Illinois residents. The task force is charged with developing that plan by March 15, 2006, for consideration by the General Assembly. Under the law, the General Assembly is “strongly encouraged” to act on the task force’s recommendations or another plan by December 31, 2006.

Governor Blagojevich has announced three of his five appointments: Jim Duffett, Campaign for Better Health Care, Urbana; Jan Daker, United Congregations of Metro-East, Belleville; and Tim Carrigan, staff nurse at University of Illinois Medical Center, Chicago.

Senate Pres. Emil Jones has announced all six of his appointments: Sen. Donne Trotter, Chicago; Sen. Iris Martinez, Chicago; Margaret Davis, Health Care Consortium of Illinois, Chicago; Colleen Kennedy, St. Francis Blue Island Hospital, Blue Island; Dr. Quentin Young, Health and Medicine Research Group and Physicians for a National Health Program, Chicago; and Robyn Gabel, Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition, Chicago.

Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson also has announced all six of his appointments: Gregory S. Smith, Group Marketing Services Inc., Lincoln; Catherine Bresler, Morton Grove; James M. Moore, OSG Healthcare System, Peoria; Pamela D. Mitroff, Wheaton; Kenneth Smithmier, Decatur Memorial Hospital; and Wayne Lerner, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.

House Speaker Michael Madigan has announced three of his appointments: Dr. Arthur G. Jones, Lawndale Christian Health Center, Chicago; Dr. Anthony Barbato, River Forest; and Dr. Joseph Orthoefer, Rockford.

House Minority Leader Tom Cross has announced all six of his appointments: Ken Robbins, Illinois Hospital Association, Naperville; Joe Roberts, insurance representative/agent, Sandwich; Mike Murphy, Unicare, Springfield; Representative Elizabeth Coulson, Glenview; Andrew Melczer, Illinois State Medical Society, Chicago; and Dr. Craig Bakes, Illinois State Medical Society.

For more information, contact the Campaign for Better Health Care at 312.913.9449, or Margaret Stapleton at the Shriver Center, 312.368.3327.