SASETA: Updated Crime Lab Toxicology Consent Form
The Illinois State Police (ISP) Crime Lab has updated the 2026 Crime Lab Toxicology Consent Form. This consent form is required when treating survivors of drug-facilitated sexual assault and collecting a toxicology specimen for testing at a forensic laboratory. The updated form can be found on the ISP website. For more information on recent changes to the Sexual Assault Survivors Emergency Treatment Act (SASETA), click here to view an IHA memo.
Staff contact: Cassie Yarbrough
FDA Relaxes Restrictions Over Wearables, AI Decision Making Tools
On Jan. 6, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated two guidance documents, General Wellness: Policy for Low Risk Devices and Clinical Decision Support Software, addressing digital health technologies such as wearables and artificial intelligence (AI) “chatbots.” These guidance documents supersede previously issued guidance documents of the same names issued in September 2019 and September 2022, respectively.
While states are permitted to enact more restrictive laws, state laws cannot allow what federal law prohibits or directly contradict federal law. Notably, effective Aug. 1, 2025, Illinois’ Wellness and Oversight of Psychological Resources Act (PA 104-0054) prohibits the use of AI to support therapy or psychotherapy services, with limited exceptions.
HHS OCR Emphasizes System Hardening to Protect Electronic Health Information
The U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is urging regulated entities to focus on the importance of “system hardening” as part of their cybersecurity practices. System hardening involves customizing electronic information systems to reduce their attack surface and limit weaknesses and vulnerabilities. This can include patching, removing or disabling unneeded software and services, and configuring security measures. For HIPAA-covered entities and business associates, these actions support the HIPAA Security Rule requirement to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of electronic protected health information. Click here for the January 2026 OCR Cybersecurity Newsletter for more information and guidance.
Gov. Pritzker Announces Launch of Prairie State Access Fund
On Wednesday, Gov. JB Pritzker joined members of the philanthropic community, reproductive health leaders, and state leaders to announce the creation of the Prairie State Access Fund, a new initiative in partnership with the Michael Reese Health Trust to sustain and strengthen the reproductive health ecosystem across Illinois to ensure continued access for both residents of Illinois and those from across the country seeking abortion care.
According to a news release, Illinois is one of the few states in the Midwest that offers widespread access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare, with the Guttmacher Institute recently updating the state’s ranking to “very protective” in terms of Illinois’ strong abortion policies and accessibility. Guttmacher’s data also shows Illinois providers delivered 23% of all abortions nationwide to patients traveling from other states in 2024.
The Prairie State Access Fund will connect donor support with organizations already protecting and expanding reproductive health access across Illinois and will help provide flexible funding so they can act fast, close urgent gaps, and deliver care with dignity the announcement said.
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
NBC News reports people who naturally stay up late, self-described night owls, are likelier to have poor heart health than people with more traditional sleep-wake schedules, according to a study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association. The findings were particularly strong among women, reportedly. Researchers assessed the health and behaviors of nearly 323,000 adults in the UK Biobank, a comprehensive research database that recruited people from 2006 to 2010. Participants, whose average age was 57, completed a questionnaire about their chronotypes, a way of categorizing people by the time of day when they're naturally most energetic and active.
Leading the News
Memorial Health names chief strategy officer
Becker’s Hospital Review
Sarah Matlin was appointed senior vice president and chief strategy officer at Memorial Health, based in Springfield, Ill. Ms. Matlin brings a wealth of experience to the role, according to a Jan. 26 health system news release.
Illinois vs. Trump: One lawsuit a week
Capitol News Illinois
Illinois has filed lawsuits early and often against the Trump administration since the president’s return to power last year. The state challenged Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship less than a day after he took office. Fifty more suits followed as of late January — roughly one per week.
Lurie Children’s planning new hospital in Downers Grove area
Chicago Tribune
Lurie Children’s Hospital is in the early stages of planning a new children’s hospital in the Downers Grove area, Lurie announced Wednesday. The new hospital would be the system’s first hospital with inpatient beds outside of its main facility in Streeterville. The plan follows years of closures of pediatric units at community hospitals across Illinois.
