REGISTER: IHA Leadership Summit on Unity Amid Uncertainty Sept. 25-26
Today’s environment of rapid change and growing uncertainty requires new thinking, strategic planning and, importantly, unyielding unity as a hospital community. The 2025 IHA Leadership Summit—“Unity Amid Uncertainty”—will start answering some of the most pressing questions about how to move forward to strengthen your organization and Illinois healthcare.
Registration is now open for this IHA signature event, held Sept. 25-26 at the Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center. The Summit is designed for hospital and health system leaders, from C-Suite and board leaders to clinical and department leaders.
Over the day-and-a-half conference you’ll gain valuable insights and effective approaches to shape the future of Illinois healthcare, build trust among your staff, understand beneficial uses of artificial intelligence (AI) and adopt a strategic playbook for the future.
Impactful sessions will address these topics and more:
- “Rising Above the Uncertainties: New Thinking for Illinois Healthcare”—a panel discussion of hospital and health system leaders;
- “The Human Margin: Building Foundations of Trust”—focused on the healthcare workforce;
- “Where to Turn When the Political Climate Heats Up”—about the impact of political forces on financial viability;
- “AI Leadership Roundtable: What’s Working and What’s Not Working (Yet)”—on the promise and reality of AI in healthcare; and
- “Thriving Amid Uncertainty: Strategic Pathways for Healthcare in the Years Ahead”—on aligning short-term realities with long-term aspirations for opportunities to adapt and grow.
Mixed martial arts fighter Justin Wren will close the Summit with an uplifting session on building resilience, improving emotional well-being, and maintaining focus and purpose—just what’s needed in uncertain times.
Gather your leadership team and join us to build unity with your peers and your team. Registration discounts are available through Sept. 11. The discounted room rate at the Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center is available through Aug. 23. See our program webpage for more information. Register today.
Staff contact: David Strickland
CMS Adds Two New No Surprises Act IDR Entities
Two additional independent dispute resolution (IDR) entities have been certified by the departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury. This brings the total number to 15. If a provider or facility and a health plan cannot agree on the payment amount for an out-of-network service covered by No Surprises Act rules, these organizations can be selected to make a payment determination. Each certified IDR entity has been certified to operate in every state in which the federal IDR process applies.
Learning Series to Focus on Obstetric Readiness for Rural EMS, EDs
The Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health, with support from the Health Resources and Services Administration, will launch a five-part learning series beginning June 25 focused on enhancing obstetric readiness among emergency medical services (EMS) and emergency departments (EDs) in rural and under-resourced communities.
The series will offer practical strategies tailored to rural EMS and ED settings, including the use of telehealth and mobile care units to improve maternal health outcomes. The first session will highlight the unique challenges rural communities face in providing obstetric care and explore local resources available to support pregnant and postpartum patients.
For additional details, visit AIM’s Learning Series webpage and click on the “Obstetric Readiness Summer Sprint 2025” tab.
Resources Added to CDC’s Measles Toolkit
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) added new resources for healthcare providers to its Be Ready for Measles Toolkit. The new materials include a decision tree to help providers determine when to give measles, mumps and rubella vaccinations to adults; checklists for summer camps; and immunity records templates. The CDC said communication materials for the public are available in additional languages and as editable or printer-friendly versions upon request by emailing measlesresources@cdc.gov.
As of June 12, in 2025 there have been 1,197 confirmed cases of measles across 34 jurisdictions, including Illinois. This year’s figure is more than four times higher than the 2024 total of 285 cases. There have been 21 outbreaks this year, and 90% of confirmed cases (1,072 of 1,197) are outbreak-associated. The vaccination status of 95% of all cases is classified as “unvaccinated or unknown.”
Calls to Illinois’ Domestic Violence Hotline More Than Doubled in 2024
A new report from The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence shows that calls to the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline (877-863-6338) more than doubled since 2019. The hotline received 59,704 contacts in 2024, a 26% increase from 2023 and 140% increase from 2019. This included increases from Cook County and the City of Chicago 2023 to 2024, after years of stagnation in contact between 2019-2022.
The hotline received a record-breaking 18,940 requests for shelter across Illinois in 2024, a 5% increase since 2023 and 112% increase since 2019. In Chicago, there were no available beds or cribs in domestic violence shelters for 130 days in 2024. The shelter crisis was even more marked in the suburbs, where there were no available beds or cribs in domestic violence shelters for 173 days in 2024. The 2024 full report is available here.
