Cook County Health may postpone surgeries, reschedule appointments as it prepares for possible nurses' strike

Cook County Health, which runs Stroger and Provident hospitals, is considering postponing elective surgeries, rescheduling appointments and sending ambulances to other hospitals depending on if, and how many, of its nurses go on strike Thursday. About 1,250 Cook County Health nurses are planning to walk off the job Thursday for a one-day strike. But that number could shrink to nearly 900, after the Illinois Labor Relations Board found Tuesday that 374 of those nurses should not be allowed to strike because their absence would pose a "clear and present danger to the health and safety of the public."