Former Administrator, Chair of Health Facilities and Services Review Board to advise CBL’s growing ranks of health care clients
Chicago (Dec. 14, 2021) — Culloton + Bauer Luce today announced Courtney Avery has joined the public affairs and crisis management firm as a Senior Consultant after nearly two decades of leadership with the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board (HFSRB). Avery managed the approval and oversight of $3 billion in health care infrastructure and capital improvement projects in Illinois in her role at the HFSRB. She will advise CBL’s wide range of health care clients, including hospital systems, long-term care operators and industry associations, and help them develop winning public affairs strategies.
Avery was appointed to the HFSRB in 2004 after four years as a legislative analyst for the Illinois Senate appropriations committee overseeing the Department of Health and Human Services budget portfolio. She became Chair of the board in 2009, and in 2010, she was appointed to serve as the Board’s Administrator, which made her responsible for the implementation of the Health Facilities Planning Act that established Illinois’ certificate of need (CON) program to develop comprehensive health care delivery systems that ensure quality facilities, services and medical equipment are available throughout Illinois. Under her leadership, the board also addressed issues of community need, accessibility and system financing.
“With two decades of experience in a leading role overseeing health care regulation in Illinois, it’s safe to say Courtney has seen it all. We’re excited for her to share those insights and firsthand experiences to inform how our clients navigate the state’s regulatory climate,” said Dennis Culloton, CEO & President of Culloton + Bauer Luce.
Avery is on the Board of Directors for the Institute of Medicine of Chicago, an interdisciplinary nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing systemic challenges in equitable access to quality care, and the Hektoen Institute of Medicine, a nonprofit health services and research organization that administers grant awards for community organizations, independent investigators, and institutions working to improve care, with a special focus on issues of domestic violence, substance abuse and mental health.
“Courtney is uniquely positioned to help our clients understand where the opportunities lie and where unforeseen threats may exist,” said Executive Vice President Natalie Bauer Luce. “I’m especially eager to work with her as we counsel our clients toward emerging from a pandemic operating environment and assessing how to maximize lessons learned over the last two years.”
Avery received her Bachelor of Arts in Health Services Administration from Sangamon State University and her Master’s of Public Health from the University of Illinois at Springfield. She is an active member of the Illinois Public Health Association and the American Public Health Association.
“I am excited to join the Culloton + Bauer Luce team,” said Avery. ”Having seen them operate from afar, I know they bring a strategic mindset to every project they take on, and I’m looking forward to contributing my own expertise and learning from the best.”