REMINDER: Join Hospital, Community Leaders March 1 to Advance 340B
Momentum to protect the 340B Drug Pricing Program continues to build—and your engagement remains critical.
On Feb. 1, nearly 1,000 patients, healthcare providers, community leaders and lawmakers from across Illinois came together to demonstrate strong support for 340B and for passage of HB 2371. That extraordinary turnout sent a powerful and visible message to Springfield: Illinois communities rely on 340B, and they expect it to be protected.
Now, as
HB 2371 awaits final action in the Illinois House after unanimous Senate approval, it is essential that lawmakers continue to see sustained, on-the-ground engagement from hospitals and the communities they serve.
To maintain that visibility and build on our momentum, a second 340B ACTION Day will take place on Sunday, March 1 at 3 p.m. at Chicago State University, 9501 S. King Dr., Chicago.
Click here to view the flyer.
While support for the legislation is growing, pharmaceutical manufacturers are continuing a coordinated and well-funded campaign to delay action and mischaracterize the program. Their efforts are persistent. Our response must be equally unified, visible and sustained.
Hospitals are strongly encouraged to mobilize staff, patients, community partners and local legislators to attend. A strong, diverse presence on March 1 will reinforce a clear and unmistakable message: Illinois hospitals and communities stand together in support of HB 2371.
Your continued leadership and advocacy are essential to getting this legislation across the finish line.
Click here to learn more about how Illinois hospitals and FQHCs are strengthening care in underserved communities through the 340B program.
WEBINAR: Tools to Reduce Risk, Strengthen Infection Prevention on March 5
Illinois hospitals now have access to two innovative analytics platforms—at no cost—through an IHA partnership with
Dexur. These tools unify data, streamline workflows, and help teams anticipate and prevent safety risks before they occur.
The platforms available to IHA members include:
- Infection Prevention Analytics, Benchmarks and Collaboration Platform – Click here for more information.
- Risk and Incident Management Platform – Click here for more information.
By harnessing the electronic health record, administrative claims and National Healthcare Safety Network data, these platforms provide:
- Comprehensive infection insights for central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI), catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), surgical site infection (SSI), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Clostridioides difficile (C. diff).
- Benchmarks across Illinois and national peers.
- Automated detection of underreported events such as falls and infections.
- Artificial intelligence driven forms and checklists that simplify incident reporting.
- Alignment with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Star Ratings and Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program requirements.
Click here to register for a one hour webinar, “Advancing Quality & Safety: A First Look at Dexur’s Infection Prevention and Risk Management Analytic Platforms,” at noon CT on March 5. Attendees can view the platforms in action and learn how your hospital can begin using these resources.
This complimentary webinar is open to all hospitals. Please share the registration information with colleagues leading infection prevention and risk management initiatives.
Heart Association Projects 60% of Women Will Have Cardiovascular Disease by 2050
Driven by rising rates in high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes, nearly six in 10 women in the U.S. will have some type of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the next 25 years, according to a new scientific statement published today in
Circulation, the flagship journal of the American Heart Association (AHA). In a
statement, AHA said the report’s findings point to significant increases among women for all types of cardiovascular disease, including heart disease, heart failure, atrial fibrillation and stroke. The report found that, given current trends, by 2050 more than 25% of women will have diabetes, compared to about 15% currently and more than 60% of women will have obesity, compared to about 44% currently.
In positive news, rates of high cholesterol are expected to decline among nearly all groups of women. Additionally, improvements are expected in some health behaviors that impact CVD, including healthier eating, more physical activity and less smoking.
ACOG Publishes New Endometriosis Clinical Guidance
The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG) recently
announced the release of new, updated clinical guidance on endometriosis, including for the first time comprehensive recommendations on diagnosis. Clinical Practice Guideline 11: “
Diagnosis of Endometriosis” is being published ahead of Endometriosis Awareness Month in March and in advance of additional guidance that ACOG is developing on the management of endometriosis. ACOG’s new guidance aims to improve evaluation and diagnostic care for adolescent and adult patients who may be suffering from endometriosis or endometriosis-like symptoms.
Illinois Respiratory Disease Surveillance Data
The Infectious Respiratory Disease Surveillance Dashboard from the Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) provides the latest data on hospital visits, seasonal trends, lab test positivity and demographic data. IDPH also tracks COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus information through the Illinois Wastewater Surveillance System dashboard.
Briefly Noted
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has identified a Class I recall of Olympus High Flow Insufflation Units due to a potential issue that could lead to overpressure events. As of Dec. 31, Olympus has reported two serious injuries and no deaths associated with this issue.
Leading the News
What 103 C-suite leaders fear most about the 2026 workforce
Becker’s Hospital Review
Becker’s asked C-suite executives from hospitals, health systems, academic medical centers and universities across the U.S. to share 2026’s most pressing workforce challenges and their solutions.
10 healthcare workforce challenges defining 2026
Becker’s Hospital Review
Healthcare’s workforce crisis is no longer a temporary disruption. It is becoming a defining structural test for the industry’s next era.
Five takeaways from President Trump’s State of the Union address
The Hill
President Trump delivered the first official State of the Union address of his second term on Tuesday.
UChicago hospital CEO steps down
Becker’s Hospital Review
Kenneth Rose, president and CEO of UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Bolingbrook (Ill.), has stepped down from his role, effective Feb. 20, he confirmed to Becker’s.
