REGISTER: Leading Through Chaos Webinar on March 17
Change is a constant in healthcare, requiring leaders to communicate effectively and to inspire and guide their teams. A March 17 webinar, “Leading Through Chaos,” will give hospital and health system leaders the tools to navigate conflict and lead with steadiness and purpose. 

The noon-1 p.m. CT session is the final webinar in a series offered to IHA members through the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations. By attending, you’ll learn:

• Strategies that stabilize teams during uncertainty;
• How identity influences behavior, resilience and performance;
• Techniques to address issues and conflict with confidence; and
• How to build a culture where individuals feel supported, capable and empowered.

Erik Therwanger, an international speaker and bestselling author, will lead the session, drawing on his background as United States Marine, caregiver, and executive business leader. 

Webinar registration is $195 per hospital, which includes an unlimited number of connections within the same location. The session recording will be available to registrants for 60 days after March 17. Register today.

Staff contact: Bridget McCarte

Hospitals, Community Leaders Renew Push for HB 2371 at Second 340B ACTION Day
Nearly 500 patients, healthcare providers, community leaders and lawmakers from across Illinois gathered for a second 340B ACTION Day on March 1 at Chicago State University on the city’s South Side. This event followed the first 340B ACTION Day held Feb. 1 in North Lawndale. 

Both events celebrated the lifesaving impact of the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program, with advocates urging lawmakers to protect and strengthen this vital patient lifeline by passing 340B protection legislation (HB 2371), which is currently poised for action in the Illinois House. Hospital and community leaders stressed the critical role of the 340B program, which enables community health centers and hospitals to provide affordable medications and essential services to vulnerable patients within their communities. 

State Rep. Anna Moeller, lead House sponsor of HB 2371, and State Sen. Mattie Hunter were in attendance, detailing the bill’s provisions and encouraging support and passage of the bill during this spring’s legislative session. Speakers representing hospitals included Catina Latham, Senior Vice President and Chief of Community Health Transformation and Chief Equity Officer for UChicago Medicine, and Dr. Khurram Khan, Chief Medical Officer for Roseland Community Hospital. Also in attendance were Leslie Rogers, President and CEO, South Shore Hospital; Ben Gibson, Vice President of Government Affairs, UChicago Medicine; Marcia Jiminez, North Region Director, Government Affairs, Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital; and Mara Ruff, Vice President of Government Affairs, Sinai Chicago.

Click here to learn more about how Illinois hospitals and Federally Qualified Health Centers are caring for patients in underserved communities that benefit from the 340B program. 

IDPH Releases Carbon Monoxide Surveillance Report
The Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) has issued its first-ever carbon monoxide surveillance report, detailing all known unintentional carbon monoxide exposures in the state from 2019-2023.
 
According to a news release, data from the report will help state and local officials work on targeted public information and education efforts and other interventions to help Illinoisans avoid emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, and deaths resulting from carbon monoxide exposure.
 
Over the five years of the study, carbon monoxide exposures resulted in an average of 940 ED visits, 126 hospital admissions and nearly 57 deaths annually in Illinois. The report also found that while unintentional carbon monoxide exposures are most common during cold weather months from October to March, they can and do happen at any time of the year.
 

REGISTER: Risk and Infection Prevention Resources Webinar on March 5
There is still time to register for a March 5 IHA webinar that will take a closer look at two new analytics platforms now available to Illinois hospitals. IHA is partnering with Dexur, which is offering these complimentary tools to help hospitals unify data, streamline workflows, and help teams anticipate and prevent safety risks before they occur. 

Click here to register for the one hour webinar, “Advancing Quality & Safety: A First Look at Dexur’s Infection Prevention and Risk Management Analytic Platforms,” at noon CT. Attendees can view the platforms in action and learn how your hospital can begin using these resources.

The platforms available to IHA members include:

• Infection Prevention Analytics, Benchmarks and Collaboration Platform – Click here for more information.
• Risk and Incident Management Platform – Click here for more information.

By harnessing the electronic health record, administrative claims and National Healthcare Safety Network data, these platforms provide:

• Comprehensive infection insights for central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI), catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), surgical site infection (SSI), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Clostridioides difficile (C. diff).
• Benchmarks across Illinois and national peers.
• Automated detection of underreported events such as falls and infections.
• Artificial intelligence driven forms and checklists that simplify incident reporting.
• Alignment with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Star Ratings and Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program requirements.

This complimentary webinar is open to all hospitals. Please share the registration information with colleagues leading infection prevention and risk management initiatives.

Questions can be directed to QualityPatientSafety@team-iha.org.

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

A new study from the American Cancer Society found that colorectal cancer rates among younger adults continue to increase, even as rates for adults 65 and older continue to decline. The increase is being driven by a higher prevalence of rectal cancer, which now makes up 32% of all colorectal cancer diagnoses. This is an increase from 27% in the mid-2000s. The study projects 158,850 new cases of colorectal cancer in the U.S. in 2026, contributing to an estimated 55,230 deaths from the disease. The report projects nearly one-third of deaths will be those estimated to be younger than age 65.

Leading the News

Dr. Robert Cavagnol steps into new president’s role at Carle Health in Bloomington-Normal

WGLT

Last month, Carle Health named Dr. Robert Cavagnol the new president of its central region, which includes Bloomington-Normal. He replaced the retiring President Colleen Kannaday on Feb. 2. Kannaday was president of the service area for over 15 years. Although she was an amazing leader, Cavagnol said, he isn’t sure right now what substantial changes need to happen in the organization.

A nurse-led violence prevention program that cut incidents to zero

Becker’s Hospital Review

WakeMed Raleigh (N.C.) has gone 20 consecutive months — and counting — without a single workplace violence incident on its medical-surgical unit. It is all thanks to a program created by three nurse leaders.

How patients pick post-acute care: Survey

Becker’s Hospital Review

Most patients prefer to recover at home rather than in a facility, but when that’s not possible, several factors dictate which type of post-acute facility they pick, a recent U.S. News and World Report survey found.