TOMORROW: IHA Webinar on Common Survey Citations, Compliance Strategies; REMINDER: Rural Health Transformation Program Listening Session TOMORROW; Register: Webinar on Hospital and Behavioral Health Integration; Agencies Release Guidance to Reduce Risk, Save Money, Improve Cybersecurity
View in browser
IHA-logo
IHA Emails_Daily Briefing

Tuesday, September 9, 2025

Today's Top Stories

  • TOMORROW: IHA Webinar on Common Survey Citations, Compliance Strategies
  • REMINDER: Rural Health Transformation Program Listening Session
  • Register: Webinar on Hospital and Behavioral Health Integration
  • Agencies Release Guidance to Reduce Risk, Save Money, Improve 
  • Illinois COVID-19 Data
  • Briefly Noted
  • Leading the News

TOMORROW: IHA Webinar on Common Survey Citations, Compliance Strategies
Attend tomorrow’s IHA webinar, “Acute Hospital Survey Trends: Common Deficiencies and Insights,” for practical strategies to address and prevent common survey citations among Illinois acute care hospitals in recent years. Compliance expert Nancy Ruzicka will lead the noon-1:30 p.m. CT webinar focused on top findings in the infection prevention, patient rights and nursing services areas of Conditions of Participation (CoPs) from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
 
Ruzicka, a former surveyor, will identify what surveyors are seeking when assessing compliance in each CoP. By attending, you’ll gain practical insights to strengthen your organization’s compliance efforts, prioritize resources and enhance survey readiness organization-wide.
 
The Sept. 10 webinar is designed for hospital and health system CEOs, COOs, CMOs and CNOs, as well as clinical leaders and leaders in compliance, accreditation and regulation, quality improvement, risk management, and infection prevention.
 
Registration is $195 for hospitals and $395 for health systems. Please note IHA’s “Health System” registration option to accommodate systems enrolling multiple hospitals and offsite offices. Register today.
 
Staff contact: Bridget McCarte
 
REMINDER: Rural Health Transformation Program Listening Session 9/10
The Illinois Dept. of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) is hosting a virtual listening session from 1-3 p.m. CT TOMORROW, 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.
 
Register: Webinar on Hospital and Behavioral Health Integration
The Center of Excellence for Integrated Health Solutions and the American Hospital Association will host a one-hour webinar from 1-2 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Sept. 16, highlighting successful partnerships that integrate behavioral health services within the medical framework. 
 
The webinar will showcase how hospitals and health systems that collaborate with Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) and Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) can improve patient outcomes, reduce costs, and enhance staff satisfaction. Participants will hear from two behavioral health professionals who will share their experience and history of integrating psychiatric services into medical service lines.
 
This event is designed for hospital and health system administrators and behavioral health clinicians, CMHC and CCBHC staff, as well as healthcare leaders in community-based partnerships.
 
Click here to register. For questions, please contact Integration@TheNationalCouncil.org. 
 
Agencies Release Guidance to Reduce Risk, Save Money, Improve Cybersecurity 
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), National Security Agency (NSA), and international agencies recently released joint guidance outlining a “software bill of materials” (SBOM) for organizations to strengthen cybersecurity, reduce risk, and decrease costs. An SBOM is a list of all components contained in a software product.
 
According to a NSA news release, understanding the risks in a software’s supply chain, including the risks of the software components, is fundamental for a more secure software ecosystem, as a flaw discovered in a piece of software could make the entire piece of software—and the organization’s network—vulnerable to attack. The SBOM enables greater visibility across an organization’s supply chain and enterprise system by documenting information about software dependencies. The report also provides risk management practices for organizations to leverage the transparency associated with SBOMs and mitigate software supply chain vulnerabilities, along with examples of how they can be used to reduce risk. 
 
More cyber information and technical guidance can also be found on the NSA website by clicking here.
 

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

 

The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) is highlighting Digital Connectivity and Lifeline Awareness Week this September 7-13, 2025. ICC is urging Illinoisans to get connected with the Federal Communications Commission’s Lifeline program, which offers monthly discounts to help eligible residents access voice or broadband services. Under the federal Lifeline program, low-income customers who participate in certain public assistance programs, or qualify based on income can receive monthly discounts up to $9.25 a month for broadband or bundled phone and broadband services, up to $5.25 for voice-only service, or up to $34.25 for residents on qualifying Tribal lands.

 

Leading the News

 

‘The Advocate Way’: A new model for systemwide cancer care integration

Becker’s Hospital Review

The 2022 merger of Charlotte, N.C.-based Atrium Health and Advocate Aurora Health, then dually based in Downers Grove, Ill., and Milwaukee, created one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the country in Advocate Health. 

 

Instead of selling, some rural hospitals band together to survive

KFF

Independent rural hospitals are increasingly joining what are called clinically integrated networks, collaborative groups that allow them to avoid selling out to larger health systems while sharing resources to save money and improve patient care. Many are motivated by the chance to combine their patient rolls for value-based care contracts, a growing reimbursement model in which insurers pay providers based on the quality of care they provide and the health outcomes of their patients.

 

These are the 10 fastest-growing jobs over the next decade

The Hill

Hiring has slowed across much of the economy, but health care roles are expected to stay in high demand for years to come. New projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show health care and social assistance will drive nearly 40 percent of job growth over the next decade, adding almost 2 million workers to the sector.

IHA News
IHA Events

Questions or Comments?
Want to subscribe? Contact us at: iha@team-iha.org

Facebook
LinkedIn
X

www.team-iha.org

©2025 Illinois Health and Hospital Association

 PO Box 3015

Naperville, IL 60566

(630) 276-5400

 

Unsubscribe   Manage Preferences