REGISTER: Webinar on Illinois’ Antimicrobial Stewardship Honor Roll  
The Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) Acute Care Antimicrobial Stewardship Honor Roll recognizes hospitals that demonstrate outstanding commitment to antimicrobial stewardship. IHA has partnered with IDPH to offer hospitals to participate in a one-hour webinar, “Pathways to Recognition: IDPH’s Antimicrobial Stewardship Honor Roll,” to learn more about this important program, and how it can support your efforts to prioritize and excel in implementation of antimicrobial stewardship efforts.

Join us Thursday, March 19, at noon for a free session featuring IDPH’s Antimicrobial Stewardship Program Manager, Jamie Jacob, PharmD. Dr. Jacob will: 

• Offer practical guidance on application requirements;

• Discuss how Honor Roll recognition supports hospital stewardship goals; and

• Answer questions about the upcoming application cycle.

All IHA-member hospitals are encouraged to click here to register for this complimentary webinar. Please share this registration information with your colleagues who are responsible for the implementation of antimicrobial stewardship initiatives.  

Please direct questions to QualityPatientSafety@team-iha.org.

Grant Opportunities: Substance Use Prevention and Recovery Services
The Illinois Dept. of Human Services Division of Behavioral Health & Recovery (DBHR) has announced the posting of the state Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 competitive and non-competitive grant opportunities. The grant postings can be found at DHS’ Substance Use Prevention & Recovery Grants FY 2027 website, as well as links to relevant pre-qualification and application requirements and resources. DBHR said it will post additional grant opportunities. It recommends checking the website on a regular basis for additional opportunities that may be available at a future date.

Questions can be directed to DHS.DBHR.GrantApp@Illinois.gov.

Showcase Community Impact: Apply for the Foster G. McGaw Prize
Applications are now open for the 2027 Foster G. McGaw Prize, which honors hospitals and health systems making outstanding contributions to community health and well-being.

The award highlights organizations that demonstrate leadership in improving community health through strong collaboration, accountability and innovative programs that address local needs. Previous recipients have shown how hospitals can serve as vital partners in advancing community health beyond their walls. The prize is named for Foster G. McGaw, founder of American Hospital Supply Corporation and a noted healthcare philanthropist whose work helped shape modern hospital supply standards and advance medical education and community health initiatives.

One winner and up to three finalists will be selected, with the award presented at the 2027 American Hospital Association (AHA) Leadership Summit in San Diego.

Applications are due by noon (CT) on May 5. Those interested in applying can learn more and submit an application here. For questions, contact fostermcgaw@aha.org.

FDA Launches New Adverse Event Look-up Tool
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday launched a new unified platform for analyzing adverse event reports. The FDA Adverse Event Monitoring System (AEMS) seeks to modernize and provide transparency into the safety of regulated products. The FDA said the previous adverse event report systems were “outdated and fragmented and made important data difficult to access.” In contrast, with the new system adverse event reports submitted to the FDA for drugs, biologics, vaccines, cosmetics and animal food can be displayed in a single streamlined dashboard. 

The FDA news release said that in the months ahead all remaining product centers will begin processing adverse event reports in AEMS. The agency will also migrate historical adverse event data to AEMS, decommission certain legacy systems, and roll out enhanced application program interfaces and data analytics tools. The FDA estimates that by the end of May 2026, AEMS will contain real-time adverse event reports for all FDA-regulated products.

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 Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has released a report that updates findings from last year on RESURGE malware used to gain covert access to Ivanti Connect Secure devices. The new analysis includes additional technical insights and improved detection resources. It explains how RESURGE malware is designed to persist silently on compromised systems and remain dormant until a remote actor connects. This enables the malware to evade routine scans and monitoring.

Leading the News

Who is running for Illinois governor in the 2026 primary election? Full list of candidates
NBC 5 Chicago
The 2026 Illinois Primary Election is less than a week away, with several big races on the ballot. One of those is the gubernatorial race, where voters will choose will the Democratic and Republican candidates will appear on their ballots in November. Though rumors are swirling that sitting Governor J.B. Pritzker has his eyes on a potential run for president in 2028, he’s still in the running for re-election. If he retains his seat, he’ll be the first Democratic governor to secure a third term in office in Illinois history.

New Illinois program helps first-time homebuyers with up to $15,000
WTVO TV 
Illinois has introduced a taxpayer-funded program that will give eligible first-time homeowners up to $15,000 as a down payment or closing cost assistance to purchase a new home. The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IDHA) launched IHDAccess Home on Wednesday, expanding access to the IDHA’s mortgage assistance program.

16 recent hospital, health system CEO moves
Becker’s Hospital Review
Hospital and health system CEOs across the U.S. have made several moves recently, including appointments at new organizations and departures. Some executives have remained with their organizations in expanded roles overseeing multiple facilities, as some systems eliminate individual hospital CEO positions in favor of regional leadership models. 

Downcoding transparency bill heads to IL Senate floor
WAND TV 
The Illinois Senate Insurance Committee unanimously approved a bill to prohibit insurance companies from using artificial intelligence to code a health service lower than what is actually provided to patients. This proposal states that doctors should make all decoding decisions, and insurance companies would be required to notify providers if a service is downcoded. It would also ban insurers from downcoding in a discriminatory manner against doctors who routinely treat patients with complex health conditions.