REGISTRATION OPEN: IHA’s Federal Advocacy Day, AHA Annual Membership Meeting
Please join hospital and health system colleagues from across the state as we make our voices heard on Capitol Hill during IHA’s annual Federal Advocacy Day. The event is planned in coordination with the American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Membership Meeting April 19-21 in Washington, D.C. at the Marriott Marquis Hotel.

IHA will host the following events for IHA members:

• Monday, April 20, 6 p.m. ET — Happy Hour and Private Dinner at Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab (750 15th Street NW)
• Tuesday, April 21, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET — Meetings on Capitol Hill

Please click here to complete the registration form for IHA’s events. Registration is only available online and there is no charge for IHA’s activities. 

Registration for the AHA annual meeting is separate and may be completed here. Early Bird Registration ends on Feb. 23.

Together, the AHA Annual Meeting and IHA Federal Advocacy Day activities provide a national forum for hospital and healthcare system leaders to join their colleagues from across the state and nation to engage in policy and political discussions on the future of healthcare, and to meet with members of the Illinois Congressional delegation to discuss key issues affecting your organizations. 

Staff contact: Jennifer Koehler 

AHA, FBI Release Resource on Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management
The American Hospital Association (AHA) yesterday released a series of behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM) resources developed in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Behavioral Analysis Unit-1.

The AHA said the report’s leadership guide provides practical, evidence-based and informed strategies to strengthen threat management protocols; guidance on involving local and national law enforcement in enacting BTAM efforts; and education for healthcare team members on successful BTAM. The guide includes case studies from hospitals and health systems focused on standing up and maintaining BTAM teams, establishing partnerships with law enforcement and other community partners, and educating the workforce on identifying targeted violence threats.

An associated resource compendium is intended for healthcare security professionals who want a deeper understanding of how hospitals and health systems are using BTAM to prevent targeted violence. It includes in-depth analysis and detail to support the leadership guide resources, with content from researchers, security professionals and FBI agents.

Joint Commission Announces: Revised Requirements Related to NFPA Codes, CMS CoPs 
Joint Commission has approved new and revised requirements for ambulatory care organizations, assisted living communities, behavioral healthcare and human services organizations, critical access hospitals, home care organizations, hospitals and nursing care centers. The Joint Commission said the revisions clarify elements of performance (EPs) based on National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) requirements and further convey alignment with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Conditions of Participation (CoPs). The new and revised EPs, effective March 1, 2026, are detailed in the chart found here.

Grant Opportunity: Hospital-Affiliated Community Mental, Behavioral Health Centers
The Illinois Dept. of Human Services Division of Behavioral Health & Recovery has announced a grant opportunity for eligible, hospital-affiliated Community Mental Health Centers or Behavioral Health Centers to operate crisis services that include mobile crisis response, crisis stabilization, and crisis intervention. Eligible applicants can apply for grants up to $2 million, with $54 million total available. The application deadline is March 5 at noon CT, with an anticipated award date of July 1.