Cook County Health’s chief financial officer leaving

The chief financial officer of Cook County Health is out in the latest leadership shakeup for the health system.

Ekerete Akpan joined Cook County Health in 2015.

In November, the Board of Cook County Health voted to oust Dr. John Jay Shannon, the CEO of the county’s health arm.

In a memo sent to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Cook County Commissioners Friday, the health system’s interim CEO, Debra Carey, announced Akpan’s departure, which was first reported by Crain’s.

The decision comes as the system continues to grapple with the “unanticipated and continued growth in uncompensated care over the last few years” which has created a “financial challenge for [Cook County Health] as a provider of healthcare that is unsustainable,” according to that Friday memo.

“It is my hope that these initial steps will provide us all with a deeper understanding of the current financial situation as well as a plan that will include specific strategies moving forward,” Carey says in her memo.