IDPH Urges Hospitals to Give Perinatal Women Naloxone  
On May 23, the Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) issued a memo strongly recommending that all hospitals that provide care to pregnant or post-partum women distribute take-home opioid overdose reversal agents, such as naloxone kits (Narcan), with a low-threshold approach. According to the latest Illinois maternal morbidity and mortality report, the leading cause of death in Illinois was substance use disorder at 32%, more than double the second leading cause of death (cardiac/coronary conditions at 14%).

The memo encouraged hospitals to enroll in Illinois’ Drug Overdose Prevention Program (DOPP), a vital resource designed to help hospital emergency departments and inpatient units provide free take-home naloxone for distribution at discharge. IHA successfully advocated for reforms under P.A. 102-0598 that would broaden access to opioid use disorder treatment in hospitals. Since then, the state has worked diligently to streamline and simplify DOPP enrollment. To learn more about enrolling in the new and improved DOPP, register for IHA’s complimentary webinar this Thursday, May 29 at 11 a.m. CT, which will share practical strategies for hospitals to implement a successful take-home naloxone program.

REGISTER: Annual Healthcare Risk Management Meeting Is June 6
Learn about the impact of artificial intelligence on risk management and potential liability concerns with telehealth during the 37th annual meeting of the Illinois Society of Healthcare Risk Management (ISHRM).

The meeting will be on June 6 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Collinsville – St. Louis, from 8 a.m.-3:45 p.m. CT. Risk managers, attorneys, nurses and physicians will benefit from attending. Other topics covered will be:

• Risk mitigation techniques to address sexual assault and molestation claims;
• The collateral source rule and how clinical documentation can influence outcomes; and
• How to mitigate risk through documentation in the medical record.

A pre-meeting networking dinner will be held at 6 p.m. CT on June 5 at Zapata's Mexican Restaurant in Collinsville. The registration fee for ISHRM members is $125. IHA is an event sponsor. Register today.

Staff contact: Teresa Baumgartner

REMINDER: Medicaid IMPACT Revalidations Due May 31 
The Illinois Dept. of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) is currently conducting IMPACT Medicaid provider revalidations. Providers in the May cohort must complete IMPACT revalidations by this Saturday, May 31. IHA urges all providers to check their revalidation cycle due date, as well as servicing providers affiliated with their hospital, and submit necessary information to complete their revalidation. If you are in this revalidation cycle and do not submit your revalidation information by May 31 you will be disenrolled from the IMPACT system and cannot receive retroactive enrollment. Completing this information is necessary to continue receiving Medicaid reimbursement. Click here to access step-by-step instructions on the IMPACT Provider Revalidation website, as well as a frequently asked questions document and a townhall webinar recording. 
 
Staff contact: Elizabeth Nelson

FDA Communication: False Positive Lead Results With Certain Tubes
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning letter to Kabe Labortechnik GmbH after an FDA inspection revealed significant Quality System Regulation and Medical Device Reporting violations. This firm manufactures blood collection tubes, including the SAFE-T-FILL Capillary Blood Collection Systems distributed by ASP Global and referenced in the FDA’s Safety Communication, Risk of False Positive Lead Test Results with Certain Capillary Blood Collection Tubes Used with Magellan Diagnostics LeadCare Testing Systems, issued April 24. The FDA said that false test results may delay an accurate diagnosis and may lead to improper patient management and unnecessary follow-up tests (with additional risks), increased stress for patients and families, and disruptions in care. The Safety Communication provides a number of recommendations for healthcare providers, facilities and laboratory staff, as well as patients and caregivers.

SHSMD’s Summer Networking Social June 12
The Society for Health Care Strategy & Market Development (SHSMD) is hosting a Summer Network Social on June 12 from 6-8 p.m. CT. Join fellow healthcare strategy professionals for an exclusive, in-person networking social hosted by SHSMD at Voco Chicago Downtown. The event offers an opportunity to engage with professionals responsible for marketing, communications, and strategy across diverse hospitals and health systems, and to learn more about SHSMD. Click here for more information about the event and to register.