As the Illinois General Assembly heads into the final month of legislative session, lawmakers are poised to act on several key issues affecting the hospital community—including IHA’s legislation advancing protections for 340B pharmacy contracts and creation of a Healthcare Workforce Commission. The outcome of these discussions will depend on our ability to effectively engage with legislators, convey our key messages, and advocate with a strong, unified voice. There is still time for you to RSVP for IHA’s Hospital Advocacy Day in Springfield on Wednesday, April 30. Click here to RSVP by April 23 so IHA can arrange meetings with your legislators

 

Your engagement is essential to our shared success. Hospital Advocacy Day offers an invaluable opportunity to meet face-to-face with legislators and directly share the hospital community’s priorities. We look forward to seeing you in Springfield!

 

Staff contact: Nichole Magalis

 

Rush University Medical Center is accepting team applications for the fifth cohort of the Interprofessional OUD ECHO® Program for Illinois Healthcare Teams. This program is for teams that are interested in better understanding how to effectively work together to provide the highest quality of care to patients living with opioid use disorders (OUD). More details about the Interprofessional OUD ECHO® Program here. The fifth cohort of this five-month program will launch June 26. The application deadline for healthcare teams is May 31. If you have any questions email kamaria_l_patterson@rush.edu.

 

At least 10% of patient safety events are linked to poor communication among healthcare providers, patients and caregivers, according to a meta-analysis published April 14 in Annals of Internal Medicine. University of Leicester researchers reviewed 46 studies involving over 67,000 patients worldwide. Forty-two of the studies explored poor communication alongside other contributing factors. In those studies, poor communication contributed to 24% of safety incidents. The remaining four studies focused solely on communication errors, and those studies determined they directly caused 13.2% of incidents. Study authors said research is needed to develop effective interventions and to learn more about how poor communication leads to patient safety incidents.

 

IHA’s Midwest Alliance for Patient Safety (MAPS) is leading efforts to prevent medical error through resource sharing, education and data collection/analysis. As a certified Patient Safety Organization since 2010, MAPS provides disclosure privileges, confidentiality and protections for reported patient events. Click here to learn more about MAPS benefits.

 

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) has released an article emphasizing the escalating risk of cyberattacks on healthcare systems and the essential role surgeons play in strengthening cybersecurity defenses. These attacks, especially ransomware, have severely impacted hospital operations—delaying procedures, compromising patient care and threatening safety. Healthcare systems, often constrained by limited resources and aging infrastructure, remain prime targets for cybercriminals. Given their leadership roles and frequent interaction with digital tools, surgeons are in a unique position to champion cybersecurity—from identifying phishing schemes to partnering with IT teams. The article stresses that cybersecurity is now a core element of clinical responsibility and patient safety, not just an IT concern. To support improved resilience, the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services offers voluntary Cybersecurity Performance Goals tailored to the needs of the Healthcare and Public Health sector, outlining practical steps organizations can take to strengthen their defenses.