Celebrate Antimicrobial Stewardship Success – Join Us on Nov. 18
In recognition of U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week, observed from Nov. 18-24, IHA is proud to partner with the Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) to celebrate antimicrobial achievements across Illinois. 

On Tuesday, Nov. 18 at noon CT, join us for a one-hour webinar, “Champions of Change: Celebrating Stewardship Success.” During this webinar, IDPH’s Antimicrobial Stewardship Program leaders, Jamie Jacob, PharmD, BCIDP, and Shannon Calus, MPH, will:

• Share updates on IDPH’s Antimicrobial Stewardship initiatives;
• Recognize the 2025 Acute Care Antimicrobial Stewardship Honor Roll awardees;
• Highlight recipients of the Collaboration Distinction Award; and
• Showcase efforts supporting U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week. 

This webinar is open to all hospitals, and we encourage you to share the registration link with colleagues involved in antimicrobial stewardship programs. 

REGISTER: RUSH Perinatal OUD ECHO® Program
Rush University Medical Center is now accepting individual applications for the fourth cohort of the Perinatal OUD ECHO® Program for Illinois healthcare teams. This program is designed to train Illinois healthcare professionals, including physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurse midwives, social workers, peer recovery coaches, medical assistants, doulas, etc., in the assessment and treatment of opioid use disorders (OUDs) in their clinical settings for pregnant individuals. 

The training will provide clinical guidance and technical support around the clinical workflows, policies, and protocols to ensure compliance with clinical standards and evidence-based practice. The fourth cohort of this six-month program will launch on Dec. 3; the application deadline is Nov. 15. Click here to register. Click here for more detail on the program. Each participant will receive a certificate and approximately 12 hours of continuing education credits upon full completion.

Your Advocacy on 340B Can Make a Difference

Hospitals across Illinois are uniting to advance House Bill 2371 SA 2—the Patient Access to Pharmacy Protection Act—to safeguard the 340B program and protect patients’ access to affordable care. Big Pharma is flooding lawmakers with misinformation to defeat this bill. We need hospital voices to rise above the noise.

Lawmakers need to hear from the people who care for Illinois patients every day. Contact your legislators and ask them to support and call for a vote on HB 2371 SA 2.

ACTION REQUESTED: Please share IHA’s Advocacy Alert with your workforce and urge them to immediately contact their House Representative and State Senator through IHA’s voter voice system. Click here to access IHA’s digital messaging platform to send a pre-populated message directly to your House Representative and State Senator.

IDoA Offers Free Help to Make Medicare Open Enrollment Decisions
The Illinois Dept. on Aging (IDoA) is encouraging everyone with Medicare to check if their plan still meets their needs and budget during this year’s open enrollment period, which began yesterday, Oct. 15, and runs through Dec. 7. Individuals can get free help comparing health and drug plan options by contacting the state’s Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP). SHIP counselors are available in person and online throughout the year, but they are especially helpful during Open Enrollment from Oct. 15-Dec. 7, when people with Medicare can join or switch health and prescription drug plans for the coming year. For those who switch plans, coverage starts on Jan. 1, 2026.

SHIP counselors are cautioning beneficiaries to check their Medicare drug coverage, as there are fewer plans to choose from for 2026 and some premiums have doubled in cost. There are also four drug plans with $0 premiums. To get help understanding your Medicare options and how you can save money on costs, call or visit a SHIP site near you. You can also compare 2026 coverage options and shop for plans using Medicare’s Plan Finder or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE to talk with a customer support representative. TTY users should call 877-486-2048. The Medicare Support Hotline is available 24/7, except for some federal holidays.

Illinois Respiratory Disease Surveillance Data