Register: March 19 Antimicrobial Stewardship Honor Roll Webinar
Join IHA and the Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) on March 19 at noon CT for a complimentary, one-hour webinar, “Pathways to Recognition: IDPH’s Antimicrobial Stewardship Honor Roll,” designed to aid hospitals in advancing antimicrobial stewardship.
Jamie Jacob, PharmD, BCIDP, IDPH Antimicrobial Stewardship Program Manager, will discuss:
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IDPH’s upcoming Acute Care Antimicrobial Stewardship Honor Roll Program.
Benefits of hospital participation in the Honor Roll.
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Key steps and timeline for the upcoming application cycle.
Click here to register. This session is open to all acute care hospitals at no cost. Please share the event with colleagues involved in your stewardship program to learn how this recognition program celebrates hospitals demonstrating leadership and excellence in antimicrobial stewardship.
Please direct questions to QualityPatientSafety@team-iha.org.
Register: IHA, IDPH ‘Crisis Standards of Care Plan’ Webinars in March
IHA in collaboration with the Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) recently announced the release of the updated Illinois Crisis Standards of Care (CSC) Plan, formerly known as the Catastrophic Incident Response Plan. This update reflects a comprehensive review and modernization of the framework, incorporating key lessons learned, operational challenges, and system-wide considerations identified during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To support understanding of the updated CSC Plan and its practical application, two educational sessions will be held following the public comment period:
- Click here to register for a March 3 session tailored for healthcare executives and senior leaders.
- Click here to register for a March 11 session tailored for clinicians and frontline providers.
Hospital and health system teams are encouraged to join these educational sessions, which are designed to move CSC from a policy document to an operational reality, clarifying how decisions are made, who makes them, and how systems align when demand exceeds available resources.
Staff contact: Keneatha Johnson
IDPH Health Advisory: RSV Update and Guidelines
The Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) issued a Feb. 26 Health Advisory to notify the healthcare community that respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity remains elevated in Illinois, indicating a potentially delayed end to the RSV season past March. Given ongoing elevated hospitalization and emergency department visit rates and low immunization uptake, IDPH said continued immunization efforts are warranted through March. The Health Advisory underscored:
Click here for detailed guidance on infant and adult immunization; testing and reporting; and infection control and prevention.
New Guidance on Exploitation of Cisco Systems by Cyber Actors
U.S. and international agencies recently released guidance outlining protections for Cisco Software-defined wide-area networking systems, which are being exploited by malicious cyber actors. According to the agencies, attackers are actively exploiting an authentication bypass vulnerability to target and compromise the Cisco SD-WAN systems of different organizations, gaining long-term access to their networks. The Feb. 25 guidance provides recommendations for users to help prevent system attacks. The American Hospital Association cybersecurity expert said this is a 10 out of 10 critical vulnerability—the highest possible severity score. It is recommended that all organizations, including healthcare-related entities, voluntarily adhere to the recommendations.
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) announced it is aware that Fresenius Kabi has issued a letter to affected customers recommending all Large Volume Pump Software be updated as soon as possible. The software contains anomalies that could delay or interrupt therapy. Currently, two serious injuries and no deaths are associated with this issue.
Leading the News
Expanding access and innovation at BJC Health with CFO Scott Hawig
Becker’s Hospital Review
In this episode, Scott Hawig, Executive Vice President and CFO of BJC Health, shares how the $12 billion, 14 hospital system is strengthening access across the Midwest following its rebrand and merger with St. Luke’s Health System. He discusses rising demand, aging populations, virtual care innovation, and the evolving CFO role as a strategic operator driving growth, research, and long term sustainability.
FDA flags safety risk with Boston Scientific stents
Becker’s Hospital Review
The FDA has classified Boston Scientific’s removal of certain Axios Stent and Electrocautery-Enhanced Delivery Systems as a Class I recall, the agency’s most serious designation.
When EMTALA collides with hospital anti-violence signs
Becker’s Hospital Review
Healthcare leaders are carefully weighing the wording of signs aimed at reducing workplace violence out of concern about violating the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act.
Northwestern Memorial, Rush, UChicago hospitals among best in the world, Newsweek says
Crain’s Chicago Business
Three Chicago hospitals made the list of the top 250 hospitals in the world in Newsweek’s eighth year of ranking hospitals on a worldwide basis. While the choice of hospital is seldom made between a local hospital and one half a world away, the rankings provide another way to compare hospital performance among a host of hospital rankings developed over the past couple of decades.
How a $12.1B health system selected a new brand
Becker’s Hospital Review
Two years after a merger that created a now $12.1 billion system, St. Louis-based BJC Health is rolling out fresh branding to solidify its market positioning and boost recruitment and retention, leaders told Becker’s.
