Career Center

The Chair of the Department of Correctional Health,

Medical Director of Cermak Health Services

Cook County Health (CCH) is seeking outstanding candidates for the position of Chair of the Department of Correctional Health, Medical Director of Cermak Health Services (CHS). The Department is founded on a long tradition of excellence in clinical care, patient safety, teaching, professional development, and community outreach. This department is also recognized as a clinical department under the medical staff bylaws of the John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County.

Under the supervision of the Chief Medical Officer of the Cook County Health (CCH), the Chair of the Department of Correctional Health provides administrative and clinical leadership for Correctional Health Services both at the Cook County Department of Corrections’ (CCDOC) Cook County Jail and Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC). The primary responsibility of the Chair is to provide oversight of primary, specialty, dental, and mental health care provided by clinical staff members of the department. The responsibilities of the Chair include the direction and administration of the professional, educational and research programs of the department. The Chair is responsible for physician recruitment and professional development, achieving departmental quality, financial, and patient satisfaction goals, developing new initiatives, effectively managing resource allocation within the department, and optimizing departmental operations. The Chair participates in contract negotiation with collective bargaining units representing clinicians at CHS and JTDC. The Chair also coordinates clinical services with correctional operations at CCDOC through ongoing communication with the Office of the Sherriff, the CCDOC Directorate and CCDOC Superintendents, as well as with attorneys regarding the medical condition of detainees and may testify in court as needed. Candidates should possess outstanding leadership skills and a demonstrated record of accomplishment in research, education, and patient care; a commitment to education and academic excellence; and interest in all aspects of training and patient care.

Candidates must be board certified Medical Doctor or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine in a specialty in an adult primary care discipline, have current medical licensure in the State of Illinois, be eligible to be a credentialed and privileged member of the Medical Staff and have at least five (5) years of progressive medical management experience in a large, complex, multi-campus health delivery system or organization that delivers services for adult primary and specialty care, public health care or correctional heath care. Candidates must possess a commitment to innovation in the field, to serving vulnerable populations, and the leadership skills necessary to work collaboratively in a complex organizational culture and reporting structure, including cross-functional coordinate with the correctional system.

CHS provides health care to the detainees at Cook County Department of Corrections facilities. As one of the largest single-site correctional health service in the country, CHS has led the way in developing innovative care to improve correctional health care, offering primary care, specialty care, dental and mental health services, a pharmacy, rehabilitative care and infirmary. The staff at CHS provide comprehensive medical and behavioral health care to their patients, including treating and preventing chronic and communicable diseases, such as HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, and treating substance use disorders through CHS’s Certified Opioid Treatment Program.

Interested Candidates should send a CV and cover letter to:

Search Committee Chair: Benjamin Mba, MD, MRCP (UK), CHCQM, FACP

Department of Medicine, CCH.

Email Address: mgmtrecruit@cookcountyhhs.org  

Telephone: (312) 864 -7231

Cook County Health is an equal opportunity employer.