Wilhelmi Meets with Sen. Durbin, Chicago’s HEAL Hospital Leaders
Today, A.J. Wilhelmi, IHA President and CEO, joined U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin and CEOs from Chicago’s ten Health Engagement Action and Leadership (HEAL) hospitals at the Northwestern Medicine Immediate Care Facility in Bronzeville. During the meeting, Wilhelmi, Sen. Durbin and hospital leaders recognized the impact of HEAL since its inception eight years ago. Hospitals shared program success stories and discussed the measurable progress that has been made towards reducing gun violence and healing communities across Chicago.
Sen. Durbin, IHA and the HEAL hospitals also released the 2025 Chicago HEAL Report to Stakeholders—Strengthening Neighborhood Engagement to Reduce Gun Violence and Improve Health today. Since 2018, HEAL hospitals have achieved impressive results, including a 69% increase in hires from target zip codes; a 68% increase in number of partner organizations supported by HEAL hospitals; and a 45% increase in the number of hospitals with violence recovery programs.
“The Chicago HEAL Initiative shows the power of collaboration and the vital role hospitals play in strengthening communities beyond the care they provide,” said Wilhelmi. “Eight years later, our shared commitment has produced meaningful action and measurable impact, expanding economic opportunities, addressing health disparities and helping prevent violence. We commend Senator Durbin for his vision and leadership, and we remain focused on building on this progress to improve lives.”
Abstract Submission: 2027 Public Health and Healthcare Preparedness Summit
Save the date for the 2027 Illinois Public Health and Healthcare Preparedness Summit. This year's Summit, centered on the theme "Strengthening Connections: From Vision to Action,” will bring together experts from across public health, healthcare, emergency management, public safety, and community organizations to share best practices, innovative approaches, and lessons learned in building prepared and resilient communities. The Summit will take place June 15-17 in Champaign, Illinois.
The Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) announced that professionals, practitioners, researchers, and community members can now submit abstracts for presentations at the Summit. IDPH said the 2027 program will highlight emerging challenges, cross-sector collaboration, and evidence-based strategies that strengthen community preparedness, response and recovery. Submissions are encouraged that reflect professional and lived experience, applied research, or forward-looking perspectives related to preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation.
Abstracts must be received by 11:59 p.m. CT on Friday, Feb. 19, 2027. Click here for more information, including submission deadlines and guidelines, accepted presentation formats and additional Summit information.
Webinar: TeleICU Services to Monitor Critical Care Patients
Rural and critical access hospitals (CAHs) face severe structural disparities, including a critical shortage of board-certified intensivists and high-level medical equipment. This frequently forces the premature or risky transfer of unstable, critically ill patients to distant urban tertiary medical centers. However, leveraging advanced telecritical care systems—including real-time multiparameter telemetry, synchronized ventilator monitoring, and 24/7 high-definition audio-visual feeds—off-site intensivists can directly co-manage patients alongside local, on-site bedside nurses.
Click here to register for a Nov. 19 webinar hosted by the National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers, which will provide information on the important ways teleICU services can impact clinical outcomes, help hospitals optimize resources and support staff and reduce burnout. The program will also address major structural barriers keeping CAHs from adopting these programs, such as initial capital hardware costs, complex cross-state credentialing for virtual doctors, internet infrastructure gaps, and workflow integration hurdles.
HHS Pledges Support for PTSD Treatment, Serious Mental Illnesses
The U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) yesterday announced an up to $4.9 million investment to support the development of mental health treatments for both veterans and civilians. Funded through the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, HHS seeks to advance ibogaine as a potential treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other serious mental illnesses. HHS also announced that the National Institute of Mental Health released a funding opportunity of $20 million to support the development of a research network to study rapid-acting psychotropic interventional drugs, such as ketamine, esketamine, psilocybin and other emerging treatments for serious mental illnesses. The agency said award recipients will be announced in the summer of 2027.
Illinois Respiratory Disease Surveillance Data
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.
Leading the News
Pinckneyville Community Hospital earns award for excellence in emergency cardiac care
WPSD
The Pinckneyville Community Hospital has earned the ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Trophy, or Traveling STEMI Trophy, for excellence in cardiac care. The award recognizes the hospital's ability to provide rapid evaluation, treatment, and transport for patients experiencing severe and life threatening heart attacks. Southern Illinois Healthcare presents the award to the hospitals in their network.
OSF hospitals recognized for rapid heart attack treatment
WMBD
Three OSF HealthCare hospitals have earned national recognition for excellence in heart care. Dr. Darrel Gumm, vice president of OSF HealthCare Cardiovascular Institute, was a guest on WMBD This Morning to explain more about the services and the award.
New $10B pitch for Michael Reese site aims to solve Bears’ biggest objection
Crain’s Chicago Business
The developers behind the former Michael Reese Hospital site are taking another shot at landing the Bears, unveiling a $10 billion stadium-anchored megaproject proposal that would replace and expand housing next door to try to solve the team’s chief objection to the property.
HR 1 is changing how health systems buy AI
Becker’s Hospital Review
Health systems are heading into 2027 with less room for spending that doesn’t pay for itself. Medicaid work requirements under HR 1 take effect Jan. 1, 2027, in most states, and the Commonwealth Fund has estimated the requirements could cut operating margins by an average of up to 13.3% for hospitals in Medicaid expansion states. At Chicago-based Cook County Health, about half of patients have Medicaid coverage, and the system expects charity care costs for uninsured patients to rise $100 million between this year and next, said Alexandra Normington, chief communications and marketing officer.
How hospitals are fighting rising employee benefits costs
Crain’s Chicago Business
While benefits managers at hospitals and health systems face the same pressures as other industries, they’ve got some advantages from providing much of the health benefits employees need, according to a new survey from Aon.
