FOIA Request for 2021 FOIA Request Logs – Illinois Department of Public Health
| Submitted | Nov. 1, 2024 |
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Communications
From: Cathy Sun
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act., I hereby request the following records:
I am requesting a copy of the Illinois Department of Public Health’s FOIA request logs for the 2021 calendar year. Specifically, I seek records that include each request's file number, the date received, a brief description of the information sought, and the nature of the response (granted, denied, or partial release).
In order to help determine my status for fee assessment, please note that I am a journalism student at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, conducting this request as part of an academic project. Disclosure of the requested information is in the public interest as it aims to increase transparency about public information inquiries and government responsiveness. Therefore, I respectfully request a waiver of all fees associated with this request.
If there are any anticipated fees beyond what is covered by the waiver, please notify me prior to processing.
Thank you for considering this request. I look forward to your response within the time frame required by Illinois law.
The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.
In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 5 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Cathy Sun
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Illinois Freedom of Information Act. request, copied below, and originally submitted on Nov. 1, 2024. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Department of Public Health
Dear Cathy Sun,
This is in response to the Freedom of Information Act request that was received by the Department from Muckrock News on November 12, 2024. I have questions regarding your request and ask that you please contact my office directly via (312) 814-3577. Unfortunately, your request did not include a phone number or email where we can reach you.
Thank you and look forward to hearing back from you soon.
Sincerely,
Patricia C. Montalvo
Patricia C. Montalvo
Assistant General Counsel/FOIA Officer
Illinois Department of Public Health
122 South Michigan Ave., 7th Floor
Chicago, IL 60603
DPH.FOIA@Illinois.gov<mailto:DPH.FOIA@Illinois.gov>
State of Illinois - CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The information contained in this communication is confidential, may be attorney-client privileged or attorney work product, may constitute inside information or internal deliberative staff communication, and is intended only for the use of the addressee. Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately by return e-mail and destroy this communication and all copies thereof, including all attachments. Receipt by an unintended recipient does not waive attorney-client privilege, attorney work product privilege, or any other exemption from disclosure.
From: Department of Public Health
Hello Cathy Sun,
Please see the request we received from Muckrock on your behalf on 11/12/24, the response to the request we issued asking for you to contact our office, and the reminder letter received from Muckrock on 11/19/24. We have some questions about your request but do not have a phone number or email address to reach out to you. Therefore, we are asking Muckrock to relay this message to you.
Since we have not heard from you yet, we are extending the due date for your request. According to Section 3(e) of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 ILCS 140/, a public body may extend the time to respond to a FOIA request if the request cannot be complied with within the prescribed time limits without unduly burdening or interfering with the operations of the public body. Accordingly, the Department is extending the deadline by five (5) business days and will provide responsive documents on or before November 26, 2024, that is- as long as we hear from you before that date.
I look forward to speaking with you.
Sincerely,
Patricia Cruz Montalvo
Assistant General Counsel/FOIA Officer
Division of Legal Services
Illinois Department of Public Health
122 South Michigan Ave., 7th Floor
Chicago, IL 60603
DPH.FOIA@Illinois.gov
From: Cathy Sun
Dear Montalvo,
Thank you for reaching out regarding my FOIA request submitted through Muckrock on November 12, 2024. I apologize for not including my direct contact information earlier.
You can reach me via the following methods:
Email: lixuansun2026@u.northwestern.edu
Phone: 2063875571
I would be happy to clarify or address any questions you have about my request. Please feel free to contact me directly at your earliest convenience.
As a reminder, I am requesting a copy of the Illinois Department of Public Health’s FOIA request logs for the 2021 calendar year, including each request's file number, the date received, a brief description of the information sought, and the nature of the response (granted, denied, or partial release). If there is any specific clarification or adjustment required to fulfill this request, please let me know.
I appreciate your cooperation and look forward to hearing from you.
Best regards,
Cathy Sun
From: Department of Public Health
Dear Cathy Sun,
This is in response to your Freedom of Information Act request for the following: I am requesting a copy of the Illinois Department of Public Health's FOIA request log(s) for 2021 calendar year. Specifically, I seek records that include each request's file number, the date received, a brief description of the information sought, and the nature of the response (granted, denied, or partial release).
Records responsive to your request are attached. Please note that your request was partially denied pursuant to 5 ILCS 140/7(1)(b). The Freedom of Information Act states: (1) When a request is made to inspect or copy a public record that contains information that is exempt disclosure under this Section, but also contains information that is not exempt from disclosure, the public body may elect to redact the information that is exempt. The public body shall make the remaining information available for inspection and copying. Subject to this requirement, the following shall be exempt from inspection and copying: ... (b) Private information, unless disclosure is required by another provision of this Act, a State or federal law or a court order. Private information is defined as "unique identifiers, including a person's social security number, driver's license number, employee identification number, biometric identifiers, personal financial information, passwords or other access codes, medical records, home or personal telephone numbers, and personal email addresses." 5 ILCS 140/2(c-5). Private information also "includes home address and personal license plates, except as otherwise provided by law or when compiled without possibility of attribution to
any person." Id. Furthermore, signatures have been determined to be unique identifiers, thus "private information" by the Public Access Counselor opinion in 2010 PAC 9838. Accordingly, dates of birth, social security numbers, tax identification numbers, home addresses, cell phone numbers, personal phone numbers, and email addresses have been redacted from the attached records.
Please note that our FOIA logs do not include information regarding the Department's response. Please note that the existence of a request does not mean the Department has jurisdiction or possession of the records being requested. For example, requestors who asked for records pertaining to physicians were referred to the Illinois Department of Financial Professional Regulation, which is the agency that actually oversees the practice of medicine-that is, physicians.
You may request a review of this partial denial by contacting the Office of the Public Access Counselor at:
Leah Bartelt, Public Access Counselor
Office of the Illinois Attorney General
500 South 2nd Street
Springfield, IL 62701
public.access@ilag.gov<mailto:public.access@ilag.gov>
877-299-3642
You also have the right to file for injunctive or declaratory relief in the circuit court for Sangamon County or the county where you live (5 ILCS 140/11). If you choose to file a Request for Review with the PAC, you must do so within 60 calendar days of the date of this partial denial letter (5 ILCS 140/9.4(a)). Please note that you must include a copy of your original FOIA request and this partial denial letter when filing a Request for Review with the PAC.
If I can be of further assistance, you can contact me at DPH.FOIA@Illinois.gov<mailto:DPH.FOIA@Illinois.gov> or by telephone at (312) 814-3577.
Sincerely,
Patricia C. Montalvo
Patricia C. Montalvo
Assistant General Counsel/FOIA Officer
Illinois Department of Public Health
122 South Michigan Ave., 7th Floor
Chicago, IL 60603
DPH.FOIA@Illinois.gov<mailto:DPH.FOIA@Illinois.gov>
State of Illinois - CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The information contained in this communication is confidential, may be attorney-client privileged or attorney work product, may constitute inside information or internal deliberative staff communication, and is intended only for the use of the addressee. Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately by return e-mail and destroy this communication and all copies thereof, including all attachments. Receipt by an unintended recipient does not waive attorney-client privilege, attorney work product privilege, or any other exemption from disclosure.
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DPH 24-1581 FOIA Responsive Records