Still Time to Register: Illinois Summit on Antimicrobial Stewardship
Registration is still open for the Illinois Summit on Antimicrobial Stewardship, where leading experts, clinicians, and researchers come together to advance the science and practice of antimicrobial stewardship. Whether you are a physician, pharmacist, nurse, infection preventionist, or public health professional, this event offers actionable strategies and real-world insights you can bring back to your institution. The Summit will cover:

• The evolving regulatory and national landscape;

• Evidence-based guidelines for building and evaluating stewardship programs;

• Lessons learned from successful initiatives across the field; and

• Practical tools and resources you can implement at your facility. 

The 2026 Antimicrobial Stewardship Summit will be held on July 16 at the Loews Chicago O’Hare Hotel in Rosemont, from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. CT. Click here to view the registration announcement for additional details. Click here to register.

AHA Alert: Subject Attempts Unauthorized Use of Hospital Computer

The American Hospital Association (AHA) issued a Cyber Advisory July 1, alerting the hospital community about circumstances where an individual attempted to access a hospital computer system while in possession of electronic devices that could infiltrate networks, identify vulnerabilities and clone credentials. AHA said that law enforcement and independent cyber forensics firms are investigating to determine whether any systems were compromised. While the subject’s motives are not known, evidence suggests they may have been attempting to introduce malware, steal data, disrupt the network or commit other malicious actions. AHA emphasized the incident demonstrates the important relationship between physical security and cybersecurity and underscored the import role every hospital employee plays as part of overall cybersecurity defense. AHA members can click here to read the AHA Cyber Advisory for more information and recommendations on how to limit exposure to in-person cyberattacks. 

HHS Terminates EUA Declarations for Drugs, Devices to Treat COVID-19
The U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) last week announced the termination of COVID-19 emergency use authorization (EUA) declarations for certain drugs, biological products and medical devices, saying the circumstances that justified these emergency authorizations no longer exist. The declaration for drugs and biological products will end June 29, 2027, while the declaration for medical devices will end Dec. 26, 2026. The COVID-19 EUA declarations were first issued in 2020 to enable rapid access to medical products during the pandemic.

States File Lawsuit Over Implementation of Medicaid Work Requirements
Last week, Illinois joined 24 other states and the District of Columbia as part of a lawsuit contesting the Trump Administration’s implementation of Medicaid work requirements advanced as part of H.R. 1. The lawsuit challenges provisions of a rule issued June 1 by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. 

A media statement issued by Attorney General Kwame Raoul said that while Congress created exemptions from Medicaid’s work requirements to ensure “medically frail” individuals with serious illnesses and disabilities do not lose coverage or face interruptions in care, the new rule changes the definition of “medically frail” to impose extra requirements. Under the new rule, even people diagnosed with serious medical conditions, such as cancer or quadriplegia, would be required to prove their condition makes them too sick to work. If they are unable to provide the appropriate paperwork or justify their case, they would no longer qualify for coverage. IHA will continue to monitor the lawsuit as it moves forward.