Cook County, Illinois
The Cook County Health and Hospital System administers the county’s public health services. Three hospitals are part of this system: The John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital, formerly known as a Cook County Hospital, Provident Hospital of Cook County in Chicago, and Oak Forest Hospital of Cook County, in Oak Forest. The Cook County Health and Hospitals System also oversees a comprehensive system of healthcare throughout Chicago and suburban Cook County, including 16 community health network clinics, Cermak Health Services, the provider of healthcare to detainees at the Cook County Department of Corrections, and an outpatient infectious disease center, the Core Center.
Cook County hospitals, in partnership with the Cook County Health and Hospitals System, include: Bethany Hospital, Jackson Park Hospital, Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, Saint Anthony Hospital, Saint Elizabeth Hospital, Saint James Hospital, and Thorek Hospital.
Cook County, IL boasts a massive number of medical practitioners, specializing in a number of medical services. With so many healthcare choices for Cook County and Chicago residents, the variety can be confusing. Health Grades lists all of the hospitals in Illinois with ratings for specific procedures. To find a doctor practicing in a specific community in Cook County, UCompare Health Care lists Illinois doctors by their practice location. The United Cerebral Palsy of Illinois website provides a wealth of information on disabilities and prevention of certain disabilities. You can also refer to the Illinois Hospital Directory for contact and medical information.
Cook County, Illinois is in northeastern Illinois and shares the Lake Michigan shoreline with Lake County. Densely populated Cook county is home to over 40% of Illinois’ residents, the majority of whom live in Chicago, the county seat. According to 2009 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the county has 5,287,037 residents living in a 945.68-square-mile area.
Chicago, IL exerts a massive influence on the surrounding communities. The term “Chicagoland” is used to describe a region that includes the six northeast counties of the State of Illinois (Cook County, DuPage County, Kane County, Lake County, McHenry County, and Will County), and stretches from the states of Wisconsin to Indiana. Chicagoland is an economic powerhouse. The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce lists 160 company headquarters, 30 Fortune 500 company headquarters, 12 Fortune Global 500, and 10 Financial Times Global 500 companies.
Cook County boasts a wide assortment of cultural attractions, live entertainment, fine dining, professional sports teams, and shopping. Highlights include Chicago’s world-class museums: The Field Museum, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and The Adler Planetarium; the Lincoln Park Zoo; and renowned architecture throughout the county.
O’Hare International Airport and Midway International Airport serve Cook County, Illinois; Metra commuter trains serve several Chicago neighborhoods and hundreds of suburbs in Illinois. An extensive network of roadways traverse Cook County, IL, such as Interstates 55, 57, 80, 88, 90, 94, 190, 290, 294, and 355. Numerous U.S. and Illinois State Highways also serve the county.
