Bipartisan Senate Bill Seeks to Break Up Vertical Integration

Citing as precedent federal prohibitions on anticompetitive practices involving the rail and banking industries, Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced the Break Up Big Medicine Act on Tuesday. 

Among other things, the legislation would:

• Prohibit a parent company from owning or operating a provider or management services organization and a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) or an insurer;

• Prohibit a parent company of a prescription drug or medical device wholesaler from owning or operating a provider or management services organization; and

• Create automatic penalties if a company fails to comply within one year of the bill’s enactment.

The legislation empowers the Federal Trade Commission, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Justice, and state attorneys general to enforce these provisions. It also creates a private right of action.

The full text of the legislation is here. 

Antimicrobial Stewardship Honor Roll – Webinar on March 19
IHA and the Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) are hosting a March 19 webinar on the Acute Care Antimicrobial Stewardship Honor Roll Program. The webinar, “Pathways to Recognition: IDPH’s Antimicrobial Stewardship Honor Roll,” will be held from noon-1 p.m. CT.

By attending, you’ll learn how your hospital can gain recognition for its stewardship efforts. Jamie Jacob, PharmD, BCIDP, IDPH’s Antimicrobial Stewardship Program Manager, will discuss the:

• Upcoming IDPH Acute Care Antimicrobial Stewardship Honor Roll Program.

   

• Benefits of hospital participation in the Honor Roll.

   

• Key steps and timeline for the upcoming application cycle.

Click here to register for this complimentary webinar open to all acute care hospitals. Please share the registration information with your colleagues who are responsible for the implementation of antimicrobial stewardship initiatives.  

Please direct questions to QualityPatientSafety@team-iha.org.

ICAHN Economic Summit: Advancing Rural Economic Growth and Community Transformation 
The Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network’s (ICAHN) annual Economic Summit on March 31 will explore how collaboration and locally driven efforts can create meaningful transformation for your community’s health and economic development.

Sessions will highlight real-world examples of how communities, healthcare leaders and partners can work together to create meaningful transformation. Attendees will: 

• Learn how rural hospital leaders can re-frame their role from healthcare providers to essential partners in their community’s economic transformation.

   

• Find inspiration for collaborative opportunities between healthcare networks and community organizations to build the next generation of leaders.

   

• Discover how building innovative partnerships with local businesses can create a strong, sustainable ecosystem that supports rural hospitals and promotes long-term community prosperity.

   

• Explore healthcare’s role as a catalyst for economic development and how healthcare organizations can spark regional growth and collaboration.

   

• Learn how leadership engagement at the community level is essential to addressing community needs and building sustainable solutions.

The summit will be held March 31 from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. CT in Springfield. Click here for registration and pricing, the event agenda, and room block information. 
 
To further strengthen networking and collaboration, ICAHN is hosting a pre-conference networking event on March 30. Click here for details. Early bird registration runs through Feb. 27—you are encouraged to register and secure your room block early.

Webinar: Caring for Justice-Involved Pregnant Patients with OUD
Pregnant individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) face heightened risks in any setting—and even greater challenges within the justice system. “Best Practices for Management of Justice-Involved Pregnant Individuals with OUD,” a March 4 webinar held from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. CT, will provide an overview of evidence-based approaches for caring for pregnant individuals with OUD in carceral settings. 

Expert presenters will examine epidemiologic trends, clinical guidance, and nationally endorsed standards of care, with an emphasis on methadone and buprenorphine as safe and effective treatments during pregnancy.

Participants will explore best practices for managing OUD during pregnancy, compare outcomes of medication-based treatment and abstinence-based approaches, and review the benefits of trauma-informed, gender-responsive care. The session will also address re-entry coordination and continuity of care to support maternal and infant health during transitions back into the community.

This webinar, hosted by the Illinois MAR Learning Collaborative, is intended for clinicians, care coordinators, and professionals working with justice-involved populations. Click here to register. For questions, contact ILMARinCountyCJ@healthmanagement.com.

Study Highlights Growing Threat of Invasive E. coli
A new study by federal and state health researchers indicates invasive Escherichia coli (E. coli) infections are a growing problem in the United States and becoming harder to treat. The study published recently in JAMA Network Open, found an estimated annual incidence rate of more than 74 extraintestinal invasive E. coli infections per 100,000 population, with urinary tract infections (UTIs) accounting for more than half of the associated infection types identified by blood culture. Incidence was more than seven times higher in patients age 60 and older than in younger patients and higher in women than men among younger age-groups. The study also found high rates of resistance to antibiotics typically used to treat invasive E. coli infections. E. coli infections are responsible for a significant number of UTIs, kidney infections, and bloodstream infections, and invasive E. coli is a significant cause of sepsis—the leading cause of death in hospitalized patients.