Kristen Schorsch
Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago, IL, United States
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Past articles by Kristen:
Abortion bans in other states fuel rise in high-risk patients at Chicago hospitals: ‘Doctors told me the baby could die tomorrow’
Even in states that allow abortion if the life of the mother is in danger, doctors say fear of prosecution is leading many to send high-risk patients to Illinois. → Read More
Cook County’s good news and bad news: No new taxes or fees — but deficit now projected at $86 million
While the estimated budget hole is larger than the $18.2 million gap projected last year, it is one of the county’s smallest deficits in the last decade. Government leaders said that hiring hasn’t budged much in the past year. “We do need to staff up,” Cook County Board President Preckwinkle said. → Read More
Clouds looming: Cook County is bracing for a financial storm to hit efforts to provide health care to migrants
About nine months into operating the clinic for asylum seekers, Cook County Health is facing at least a $40 million drop in revenue this year. A number of financial woes are colliding. → Read More
Cook County employees might get 12 weeks of paid parental leave
Parents who work for Cook County government would get 100% pay for up to 12 weeks of leave. → Read More
Brandon Johnson gets advice at his final County Board meeting
With a nod to the mayor-elect’s “unfunny” jokes and love of snacks, Cook County Board members feted Johnson before his swearing in next month. → Read More
Lawmaker pushes to scrutinize state program for children in mental health crisis
A WBEZ investigation found the SASS program fails to ensure thousands of children get any follow-up help, let alone the type of intensive behavioral health support many need. → Read More
Medical debt is devastating Illinois families, a new report shows
Patients rack up big medical bills because they don’t know financial help is available. A proposed law would mandate that hospitals screen the uninsured for financial aid. → Read More
Illinois lifeline program for suicidal kids struggles amid a youth mental health crisis, staffing shortages
Despite quick assessments, the state is failing to ensure that thousands of children get any follow-up help, let alone the type of intensive behavioral health support many need. → Read More
Last Republican standing wins County Board race, but control of former GOP seat still undecided
Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison said he was saddened by Democratic dominance of the County Board and believed neither party should have complete control of it. → Read More
Last Republican standing ends night on his feet at Cook County Board
With 100% of precincts reporting, Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison was ahead with 52% of the vote to Democrat Daniel Calandriello’s 48%. → Read More
Sun-Times/WBEZ Poll: More than half of Illinois voters want abortion to stay legal — a little over a third do not
According to the poll, those who supported keeping abortion legal overwhelmingly voted for Democrat Joe Biden for president in 2020, tended to be women and skewed younger. → Read More
Preckwinkle offers budget with no new taxes, warns of health-care staffing ‘crisis’
Cook County Board President Preckwinkle is offering bold spending plans, armed with roughly $1 billion in federal COVID-19 relief money. But she needs workers to pull these plans off, and faces more than 4,000 vacancies. “We’re in the midst of a staffing crisis in health care,” she warned. → Read More
Lonely at the GOP? Only one Republican on County Board fighting to stay — and Democrats see that as one too many
There are just two Republicans on the 17-member Cook County Board: Sean Morrison and Peter Silvestri, who is not running for re-election. Morrison knows the board is vulnerable to losing a conservative voice, which he argues serves as a check on power. “I’m very worried,” he said. → Read More
3,000 acres will be added to forest preserve if Cook County voters OK tax hike, officials say
Property owners would be asked to pay about $1.50 more a month in taxes toward the preserves, which became a haven during the pandemic. → Read More
Cook County Health struggling to fill thousands of jobs
Wait times are “appalling,” one board member says with a quarter of the jobs at the safety net health system open and staff morale low. → Read More
Illinois collects data about who gets abortions but keeps race, ethnicity hidden
The data that could help illuminate disparities has never been public here. After a WBEZ inquiry, the state is evaluating whether that should change. → Read More
Surprise medical bills hit some uninsured hard
Even if a hospital gives a patient a break, they can owe independent doctors at the facility huge sums. → Read More
Loretto Hospital CEO George Miller is out of a job
Miller had overseen the hospital when it was accused of financial mismanagement and mishandling COVID-19 vaccines. → Read More
Illinois’ top doctor Ngozi Ezike is being wooed to lead a Chicago health system Sinai Chicago
Sinai Chicago on the West and Southwest sides is looking to hire Ezike. → Read More
Chicago Fire Department ambulances are once again taking patients to Insight Hospital after being turned away for a year
Those ambulance rides stopped about a year ago — in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic — during a dire nursing shortage in the ER of the Bronzeville hospital, formerly known as Mercy Hospital. → Read More