Register: MAPS/IHA Workshop Covers Key Patient Safety Issues March 11
With patient safety essential to quality care, a March 11 virtual workshop from IHA’s Midwest Alliance for Patient Safety (MAPS) Patient Safety Organization will explore a human factors approach to root cause analysis (RCA) and hospital compliance with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ new Patient Safety Structural Measure (PSSM).

The workshop, from 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. CT, is open to all IHA members. It will benefit:

• Patient safety professionals

• Risk management staff

• Clinical leaders and staff

• Quality improvement specialists 

• Staff responsible for PSSM

• Hospital leaders

Expert presenters Lee Erickson, MD, and Sharon Hickman, MBA, both with the consultancy Adaptient, will discuss RCA through human factors analysis and systems design thinking. Their session, “Closing the RCA Implementation Gap: Using Human Factors and Systems Design to Get to Zero Harm,” will offer a scientific method-based approach to uncover and correct systemic issues that contribute to harm.  

See our program webpage to learn more about the sessions, speakers and registration fees. The workshop will be recorded and shared with registrants following the program. Nurse continuing education credits and credit through the American College of Healthcare Executives are available for those attending the live workshop. Register today. Contact mapshelp@team-iha.org with questions.

HRSA Extends Time to Submit Comments on New 340B Rebate Model
Yesterday, IHA urged hospitals to submit comments on the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) request for information (RFI) on the potential use of 340B rebates. Prompt action was requested due to the initial comment deadline of March 19, 2026.  However, HRSA has since announced it has extended the comment deadline to April 20, 2026. 

IHA and the American Hospital Association (AHA) are urging all hospitals that would be impacted by this proposed 340B rebate model to submit comments. AHA’s model letter includes information that 340B hospitals should consider when responding to the questions contained in the RFI. In yesterday’s announcement, HRSA indicated that it may expand the new 340B Rebate Model to include all drugs selected under the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program through 2027. In light of the potential expansion—with cost and burden estimates accounting for 25 drugs across 13 drug companies—AHA updated its model comment letter to reflect this change. Click here to access the letter. Comments are due to HRSA no later than April 20, 2026, and may be submitted here. 

Staff contact: Jennifer Koehler

CMS Announces Actions Targeting Healthcare Fraud 
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) yesterday released a request for information (RFI) on potential regulatory changes in a possible future proposed rule called Comprehensive Regulations to Uncover Suspicious Healthcare (CRUSH). CMS said it will accept comments on the CRUSH RFI for 30 days following publication in the Feb. 27 Federal Register. 

CMS also announced a six-month nationwide moratorium on Medicare enrollment for certain Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) suppliers. More information on the DMEPOS moratorium can be found here. Finally, CMS announced its intention to defer over $259 million in quarterly federal matching funding to the state of Minnesota’s Medicaid program “to prevent payment of questionable claims while further investigation is completed.”

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 issued an early alert for certain Abiomed Impella Purge Cassettes and Impella RP Pump Sets due to an increased risk of purge leaks. Abiomed has reported four serious injuries and no deaths associated with this issue.

Boehringer Ingelheim has initiated a voluntary recall of a single serial of IMRAB 3TF, 1 mL rabies vaccine after a limited number of vials in this serial were found to contain sterile water instead of vaccine. The company said that while very few affected vials have been identified to date, out of an abundance of caution, it decided to recall the impacted serial.

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