Rural Health Transformation Program Virtual Listening Session Sept. 10
The Illinois Dept. of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) is hosting a virtual listening session from 1-3 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Sept. 10 to gather ideas, insights, considerations, and project concepts that align with federal Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) goals. Under this new program, states can apply to use funds in a variety of ways, such as for promoting care interventions; paying for healthcare services; expanding the rural health workforce; and providing technical assistance with system transformation. The feedback received during this listening session will be considered for incorporation into the State of Illinois’ forthcoming RHTP application. Additional information about the meeting, how to register and submit public comment, and accessibility services can be found here. For more detail on the Rural Health Transformation Program, as well as a comment form through which you can provide feedback, click here. 

APPLY: Illinois Medical Respite Capacity Building Initiative RFA
The Illinois Public Health Institute (IPHI) has announced a new funding opportunity to expand medical respite services in Illinois. IPHI will award up to 10 new planning grants with awards of $50,000-$75,000 for organizations to plan and build capacity for new medical respite programs to serve people experiencing homelessness in their communities. Hospitals and health systems, as well as behavioral and mental health providers, are among those encouraged to apply. Click here for more information, including the program description and application materials. Applications are due Sept. 30 and awardees will be notified by Oct. 31. The funding cycle will run Nov. 1, 2025-June 30, 2026. Any questions and completed applications should be sent to Jordan.Enos@iphionline.org. 

Study: Doctors Often Disregard Wishes of Cancer Patients
Though patients with advanced cancer frequently want to be made comfortable in their final days or weeks of life, a new study indicates that doctors often do not listen to these wishes. Instead, research published the journal Cancer found that many patients receive treatment focused on extending their lives, rather than easing their pain and suffering. Cancer patients are twice as likely to say they are receiving unwanted life-extending care than patients with other critical illnesses. 

Of nearly 1,100 patients who participated in the study, approximately 21% had advanced cancer and the rest serious illnesses and had similar 24-month mortality rates, with the advanced cancer patients at 16% versus 13% for those with life-threatening illnesses. Approximately 49% of patients with advanced cancer said they would prefer comfort-focused care, similar to 48% of patients with other serious illnesses. However, 37% of patients with cancer who expressed a desire for comfort-focused care reported receiving life-extending care. In contrast, only 19% of patients with other diseases perceived they were receiving unwanted life-extending treatment, rather than being made comfortable. Study authors said their findings, “suggest a need for more timely and effective communication about goals of care and treatment intent in advanced cancer.”

ACIP to Review Vaccine Recommendations at Sept. Meeting
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has posted the agenda for the upcoming meeting of its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The meeting will be held Sept. 18-19 and will include dialogue and possible votes on recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines; hepatitis B vaccine; measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccine; and respiratory syncytial virus. The agenda will include updates on ACIP work groups. Forthcoming information can be found on the ACIP webpage. 

The Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) said in an open letter from Director Sameer Vohra, MD, Friday it plans to release its own vaccine guidance for the upcoming fall respiratory season, noting that guidance from ACIP and many other sources will be considered by IDPH once it is delivered.