System spokesmen suggested the billing staff shortage could exacerbate the system’s financial woes. Cook County is expected to fall $40-$50 million short for the fiscal year ending Nov. 30.
Cook County Commissioner Tim Schneider, a Republican from the northwest suburbs, said the shortage could be addressed through the President’s Office of Employment Training, a job training program in the south and west Chicago suburbs. Commissioner Bridget Gainer, a Democrat from Chicago’s North Side, expressed disbelief that the system could struggle to recruit viable candidates in the difficult economy.
Staffing problems are coupled with a recent consolidation of Cook County’s billing system, which delayed claims submissions in Jan. and Feb. 2011 as users adapted to the new system.
Read the Chicago Sun-Times report on Cook County billing positions.
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