REGISTER: IHA Webinar on Common Survey Deficiencies Aug. 28
Most deficiencies fall under three sections of Conditions of Participation (CoPs) from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: infection prevention, patient rights and nursing services. Compliance expert Nancy Ruzicka will home in on specific citations and outline surveyor expectations applicable to the three CoP sections.
The webinar, from noon-1:30 p.m. CT, is designed for hospital and health system leaders and staff in administration: CEOs, COOs, CMOs and CNOs; compliance, accreditation and regulation; quality improvement; risk management; infection prevention; and clinical leadership.
Nurse continuing education credit is available. The webinar recording will be available to registrants for 30 days after the session. Registration fees are $195 for hospitals and $395 for health systems. Please note IHA’s new “Health System” registration option to accommodate systems enrolling multiple hospitals and offsite offices.
Register today.
No-Cost Opportunity to Streamline Bed Availability/Capacity Reporting
As Illinois hospitals are keenly aware, reporting daily bed availability, capacity, and other key data points is an ongoing state and federal mandate. While this effort is helpful in directing patient transfers and during periods of medical surge, it also demands time and attention from frontline staff, requiring manual data collection and entry that can lead to inaccuracies if not properly validated.
To help address this concern, the Illinois and Chicago Departments of Public Health have announced
a limited-time, no-cost opportunity to streamline the daily reporting process. BedSync is an easy-to-use, real-time solution within the existing EMResource platform that ensures compliance in state daily bed reporting and supports the National Healthcare Safety Network’s
Bed Connectivity initiative.
Enrollment in BedSync will:
- Establish and sustain the ongoing automated collection of bed availability and capacity data from hospitals statewide;
- Ensure participants use standardized healthcare definitions;
- Relieve administrative burden for manual data entry, ensuring timeliness and accuracy; and
- Enhance statewide situational awareness and overall preparedness, allowing us to remain response-ready.
This is a fully funded opportunity and there is no grant application required. Hospitals must simply complete a
brief enrollment form to opt in and begin implementation. Based on currently available funding, the BedSync project is slated to cover all maintenance and repair costs through July 14, 2028.
Click here to access an IDPH memo for additional information on this initiative, including an upcoming informational webinar and office hours to help answer questions and support implementation. We strongly encourage your team to attend the upcoming learning and Q&A sessions to discover more about how this solution can benefit your operations.
Additional questions can also be directed to the IHA Safety and Emergency Preparedness team at
IHAEP@team-iha.org.
Gov. Pritzker Signs Legislation Prohibiting AI Therapy in Illinois
Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation on Friday that protects patients by limiting the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in therapy and psychotherapy services. A
press statement from the Illinois Dept. of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) said the Wellness and Oversight for Psychological Resources Act prohibits anyone from using AI to provide mental health and therapeutic decision-making, while allowing the use of AI for administrative and supplementary support services for licensed behavioral health professionals. This is intended to protect patients from unregulated and unqualified AI products, while also protecting the jobs of Illinois’ thousands of qualified behavioral health providers. IDFPR noted the new law is also intended to protect vulnerable children amid the rising concerns over AI chatbot use in youth mental health services.
SAMHSA Releases Annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has
released the results of its annual survey, which provides a national snapshot based on self-reported responses from nearly 70,000 people. During the past year, 25.5% of people 12 and older said that they had used an illicit drug. Meanwhile, those who said they participated in binge drinking dropped slightly from 21.7% in 2021 to 20.1% in 2024. Along with use of both legal and illicit substance use, SAMHSA’s report tracks nine indicators of mental health, including anxiety, depression, mental illness, and suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts. Last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that, between 2000-2020, suicide rates almost doubled in rural areas.
