Fagus, Master of the Black Hole

David Fagus is the COO of Cermak Health Services of Cook County. The US Dept. of Justice is not happy with Cook County or with Cermak Health. Why? Because it's an information black hole. As the chief operations officer of Cermak, David Fagus ought to know this. To the naive, he does not. To the non-naive, he certainly does. In Fagus's many years at Cermak, he's had ample opportunity to correct the problems. It would seem that he has been more interested in his duties as Chicago's 49th Ward Democrat Committeeman, however, a purely political position in which he can create an information black hole for Alderman Joe Moore. This has worked for Moore, so far. (For example, where did that missing ballot box go for several hours back in April, 2007 exactly?) Cermak's info black hole, however, now threatens to suck David Fagus into the abyss. Will it? (And could a black hole accept such a massive object?) David Fagus hopes Barack Obama becomes president and hopes a nationalized health care system becomes reality. Let us pray to God Almighty that Fagus's hopes do not come true. Excerpts from the July 11, 2008 DOJ letter to Cook County Board President Todd Stroger and Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart give interesting clues [emphasis added]. (Full document as a PDF or plain text.) "IAD also reported a backlog in resolving use of force cases and incidents involving inmate-on-inmate assaults because it is difficult to obtain medical releases from Cermak, CCJ's on-site health care provider, in a timely manner." "Obtaining medical IAD is under the Sheriff's Office while Cermak is part of the Cook County Bureau of Health. [Obtaining] records from Cermak can take anywhere from six to 12 months, which prevents IAD from bringing prompt closure to an investigation. This type of delay is totally unacceptable, and is devastating for any investigation." "Despite having Cermak physicians treat these serious dental emergencies, inmates continue to suffer needlessly because they do not receive appropriate follow-up care." "...staff involved in the inmate grievance process are frustrated that once a medical or mental health related grievance is referred to Cermak, a response is not forthcoming.... We reviewed numerous grievance files that alleged the need for medical services, some of an emergent nature that showed a referral to Cermak, but contained no actual response to the grievance." "Drain flies are small flies that are found in shower and toilet areas where they lay their eggs in gelatinous organic matter that builds up under the rim of toilets and in floor drains. These flies were noted in several of the divisions including the Cermak medical area where fly traps were being used to capture adult flies. Outbreaks of adult flies have been associated with bronchial asthma in susceptible individuals. Their presence is also a sign of inadequate housekeeping and sanitation." FULL DOCUMENT as a PDF or plain text. RELATED: Feds Give Fagus 49 Days to Turn Around Decades of Patronage-Fueled Mismanagement The Coming US Health Care Nightmare