STILL TIME TO REGISTER: IHA-MAPS PSO Legal Webinar; REGISTER: Cybersecurity Vulnerability Assessment Course in Springfield; CDC Health Alert: Ebola Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; FBI Warns Salesforce Platforms Are Being Targeted by Cybercriminals
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Friday, September 20, 2025

Today's Top Stories

  • STILL TIME TO REGISTER: IHA-MAPS PSO Legal Webinar
  • REGISTER: Cybersecurity Vulnerability Assessment Course in Springfield
  • CDC Alert: Ebola Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • FBI Warns Salesforce Platforms Are Being Targeted by Cybercriminals
  • Illinois COVID-19 Data
  • Briefly Noted
  • Leading the News

STILL TIME TO REGISTER: IHA-MAPS PSO Legal Webinar
All IHA members and Illinois healthcare providers are invited to join IHA and its component Patient Safety Organization (PSO), Midwest Alliance for Patient Safety (MAPS) PSO, for a free Sept. 22 legal webinar, “PSO Case Law Updates, CANDOR and Expanding the PSES,” from 10:55 a.m.-12:30 p.m. CT. Michael R. Callahan, JD, Senior Consultant at that Hardenbergh Group, will offer the latest information on PSO case law and challenges to federal protections. The registration link can be found here.

 

This is an excellent opportunity for internal and external legal counsel, risk management teams, quality and patient safety professionals, and other healthcare staff. Attend to earn up to 1.5 hours of nurse continuing education credit for this program or 1.5 hours of general Continuing Legal Education.


IHA’s MAPS is leading efforts to prevent medical error through resource sharing, education, and data collection and analysis. As a certified PSO since 2010, MAPS provides disclosure privileges, confidentiality and protections for reported patient events. Click here to learn more about MAPS benefits.


Please direct questions to MAPSHelp@team-iha.org. 


REGISTER: Cybersecurity Vulnerability Assessment Course in Springfield
The Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) Office of Preparedness and Response, in partnership with the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, is offering a valuable opportunity to sharpen your cybersecurity expertise.


IT and cybersecurity professionals are invited to take part in the Cybersecurity Vulnerability Assessment course, held Nov. 5-6 at the IDPH Training Room, 1 Natural Resources Way, Springfield. This two-day training, from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. CT each day, is designed to equip participants with the technical and professional skills needed to conduct thorough vulnerability assessments within their organizations. Through a combination of lectures, discussions, and hands-on activities, attendees will learn how to identify and prioritize assets, evaluate risks, and document vulnerabilities.


The course is open to state, local, tribal, and territorial representatives, as well as public and private sector IT and cybersecurity practitioners—including analysts, technicians, engineers, and managers.


To register, click here. For questions, please contact Bunmi Adanri at Olubunmi.adanri@illinois.gov or 217-299-3648.

 

CDC Health Alert: Ebola Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Health Alert Network Health Advisory about a new outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. EVD is a severe illness and is often fatal.

 

Currently, no suspected, probable, or confirmed EVD cases related to this outbreak have been reported in the United States or outside of the DRC. The risk of spread to the U.S. is considered low at this time. As a precaution, this Health Advisory summarizes CDC recommendations for U.S. public health departments, clinical laboratories, and healthcare workers about potential EVD case identification, testing, and biosafety considerations in clinical laboratories.

 

On Sept. 8, the CDC issued a Travel Health Notice for people traveling to the DRC. CDC recommends that all travelers to the affected health zones in DRC avoid contact with ill people during travel and monitor themselves for symptoms of EVD while in the outbreak area and for 21 days after leaving.

 

FBI Warns Salesforce Platforms Are Being Targeted by Cybercriminals
The FBI recently issued a warning to Salesforce customers to alert them hackers have been targeting Salesforce platforms. Cybercriminal groups UNC6040 and UNC6395 have successfully used voice phishing and exploited compromised access tokens for an AI chatbot that can be integrated with Salesforce, as a way to gain access to the platforms to steal data. The FBI alert advises organizations to employ mitigations, such as training call center employees to recognizing phishing attempts; implementing phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication; and limiting user actions. 

 

Illinois COVID-19 Data

 

The Infectious Respiratory Disease Surveillance Dashboard from the Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) is updated every Friday. This report provides the latest data on hospital visits, seasonal trends, lab test positivity and demographic data. Click here to visit the IDPH COVID-19 webpage. IDPH reports the weekly number of people with COVID-19 admitted to hospitals from emergency departments, deaths and vaccinations, with COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus information also reported through the Illinois Wastewater Surveillance System dashboard.

 

Briefly Noted

 

Abbott has issued a letter to affected customers recommending updated instructions when removing the TactiFlex Ablation Catheter, Sensor Enabled from its packaging due to reports of tip detachment. A Food and Drug Administration Early Alert said that tip detachment is most often detectable prior to use, and, if a tip detaches prior to insertion into the patient, the physician should replace the catheter. As of Sept. 11, Abbott has not reported any serious injuries or deaths associated with this issue. 

 

Leading the News

 

Deaconess Illinois Crossroads Recognized by Becker’s Healthcare for Excellence in Nursing Communication

WMIX

Deaconess Illinois Crossroads has been recognized by Becker’s Healthcare as one of 17 Illinois hospitals, and one of 529 nationwide, for excellence in nursing communication based on HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) scores. This recognition underscores the hospital’s dedication to ensuring patients feel heard, respected, and cared for at every step of their healthcare journey.

 

SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital Opens Upgraded Cardiac Cath Lab

WMIX

SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital is proud to announce the completion and opening of its newly upgraded cardiac catheterization laboratory (cath lab), marking a major advancement in cardiovascular care for the region. As the only cath lab serving nine counties, this investment brings life-saving technology closer to home for thousands of residents.

 

OSF Saint Anthony’s achieves the highest designation for nursing

The Telegraph

OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center has received its first-ever Magnet Recognition for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Most importantly, this recognition comes "with distinction," making OSF Saint Anthony’s the 46th hospital in the United States to be recognized with this award.

 

Blessing Health System launches national search for its next CEO

KHQA

Blessing Health System is launching a national search for its next CEO. Tim Tranor, DNP, MBA, RN, executive vice president/chief operating officer/chief nursing officer, has been leading the health system since Brian Canfield stepped down from the position in mid-April.

 

Illinois to issue its own vaccine guidelines

WIFR

Illinois is among a growing list of states that are issuing their own vaccine guidelines that could supersede those of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 

Trump administration decertifies organ transplant program

UPI

The Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday that it will decertify an organ procurement organization following an investigation that found years of unsafe practices in a number of areas.

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