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

Join us on Nov. 18 from noon-1 p.m. CT for a complimentary one-hour webinar, “Champions of Change: Celebrating Stewardship Success.” Click here to register. 

IDPH 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. We encourage you to share the registration link with colleagues involved in antimicrobial stewardship programs. 

For questions, please contact QualityPatientSafety@team-iha.org. 

IPC Shares Halloween Safety Tips
The Illinois Poison Center (IPC) is reminding the public to be alert to accidental poisonings that can occur during the Halloween season, including incidents involving dry ice, glow sticks, cosmetics, and occasionally candy. In 2024, IPC managed 4,062 exposures to cosmetics, 244 exposures to glow stick products and three exposures to dry ice. Most calls related to the exposure of cosmetics and glow sticks involved children ages 5 and under, and most exposures related to dry ice were experienced by adults. More Halloween safety tips can be found on the IPC website. 

A 2022 estimate from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission found there is an annual average of 3,200 Halloween-related injuries treated in hospital emergency departments. Of those injuries, 55% were related to pumpkin carving; 25% were due to falls putting up or taking down decorations, tripping on costumes or walking while trick-or-treating; and 20% of the injuries included lacerations, ingestions and other injuries associated with costumes, pumpkins or decorations, and allergic reactions or rashes. Among the injured, 54% were adults 18 years and over, 46% were under 18 years old, and about 10% of all injuries were to children 6 years old or younger.

IMPORTANT DEADLINE TOMORROW: Medicaid IMPACT Revalidations Due
The Illinois Dept. of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) is currently conducting IMPACT Medicaid provider revalidations. Providers in the October cohort must complete IMPACT revalidations by tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 31, in order to receive Medicaid reimbursement. IHA urges all providers to check their revalidation cycle due date—including physicians and physician groups affiliated with your hospitals—and to check for any incomplete revalidations. HFS has provided IHA with step-by-step instructions to check the status and due date of servicing providers that you can access here. The IMPACT Provider Revalidation website includes step-by-step instructions, a frequently asked questions document and a townhall webinar recording.

Gov. Signs Executive Order Directing $20 million for SNAP
Today, Gov. JB Pritzker signed an executive order (EO) directing $20 million in state funding from the Illinois Dept. of Human Services (DHS) and the BRIDGE Fund to support Illinois food banks beginning Nov. 1. The EO was issued in response to an announcement the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture will not fund November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits if the federal government shutdown is not resolved by Oct. 31. Over 1.8 million Illinois residents receive SNAP benefits. 
 
Yesterday, Gov. Pritzker signed another EO in response to what the document says is Illinois’ “agricultural trade crisis.” In addition to instructing the Illinois Dept. of Agriculture and the Illinois Dept. of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to collaborate to enhance domestic markets for agricultural commodities, the EO calls for continued state investment in mental health support for farm families. These resources include the 833-FARM-SOS (833-327-6767) helpline and no-cost counseling for farm families.