Gov. Pritzker Delivers 2026 State of the State and Budget Address
Today, Gov. JB Pritzker delivered his 2026 State of the State and Budget Address. Gov. Pritzker’s eighth budget emphasized fiscal responsibility, affordability for working families and investment in Illinois’ long-term fiscal health. Click here to access the Governor’s prepared remarks, as well as links to the proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 operating budget, capital budget and the FY 2027 Budget in Brief overview. IHA staff is currently reviewing the Governor’s proposed budget and will send a detailed memo to IHA members on the fiscal plan in the coming days. 

IHA State Legislative Reception Brings Hospital Leaders, Lawmakers Together
Hospital and health system leaders from across Illinois gathered in Springfield last night for the Illinois Health and Hospital Association’s (IHA) annual State Legislative Reception—a key opportunity to connect directly with state lawmakers and administration officials as the spring legislative session continues to take shape.

Approximately 90 hospital and health system leaders attended the event, along with over 75 state legislators and 20 administration/agency officials.

A.J. Wilhelmi, IHA President and CEO, welcomed guests and thanked legislators and administration officials for their partnership and engagement with Illinois hospitals. Wilhelmi emphasized that as hospitals navigate ongoing financial, workforce, and regulatory pressures, strong relationships with policymakers are more important than ever. He encouraged open dialogue and underscored IHA’s commitment to working collaboratively to advance policies that strengthen access to care in communities across the state.

Damond Boatwright, President and CEO of Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) and current Chair of IHA’s Board of Trustees, also addressed attendees and played a central role in welcoming legislators to the event. Boatwright highlighted the importance of building and maintaining constructive relationships with lawmakers early in the legislative process. He thanked elected officials for their engagement and stressed that events like IHA’s annual legislative reception provide a valuable forum for honest conversation about the challenges and opportunities facing Illinois hospitals. Boatwright also stressed the importance of IHA’s advocacy priorities: enacting IHA’s bill to protect the 340B drug discount program; educating legislators on the very challenging medical liability environment in Illinois; moving forward with the Health Care Workforce Task Force; and finalizing MCO prior authorization reforms.

IHA thanks members for their continued advocacy and leadership on behalf of Illinois hospitals. Active engagement with policymakers will be essential as proposals are considered that could shape hospital operations, workforce policies, and financial sustainability in the months ahead.

Illinois’ First Measles Case of 2026 Identified in Metro East Area
The Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) reported yesterday that this year’s first confirmed case of measles in the state in an adult residing in the Metro East area. The individual recently returned from travel out of state. IDPH said it is working with local, state and federal health officials to investigate all potential locations where others may have been exposed to the individual while that person was infectious. At this time, IDPH identified Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Collinsville as one community location where people attending church on Feb. 8 between 8 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. were potentially exposed to measles. 

While this is the first confirmed case of measles in Illinois this year, measles has been on the rise around the country, surging in 2025 to the highest level in decades. Illinois saw a total of 14 cases statewide in 2025.

Sophisticated Ransomware Activity Targeting Healthcare Providers
The American Hospital Association (AHA) recently issued an alert encouraging hospitals to notify their cybersecurity and IT teams that late Feb. 13 AHA received information that an attempted high-impact ransomware attack was committed against a large healthcare provider by a relatively new—but sophisticated—ransomware group. 

In light of this cybersecurity activity, AHA issued an advisory to help healthcare organizations strengthen their defenses and mitigate the risk of similar attacks. Hospitals and health systems are strongly encouraged to alert their cybersecurity and information technology teams. AHA recommended organizations carefully vet and enrich the indicators of compromise (IOCs) listed in the alert before taking defensive actions, such as blocking network traffic or applying other technical controls.