IHA Daily Briefing: September 9

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 [email protected].

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.