IHA Daily Briefing: October 22

THIS WEEK: Compliance Webinars for CAHs Start Friday

IHA's fall compliance webinars continue this week with a focus on Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Conditions of Participation (CoPs), providing leaders and staff a deep dive into the CAH manual from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, along with insights into frequently cited CoPs among Illinois CAHs-from the physical environment and emergency preparedness to swing bed services.

IHA has restructured CAH compliance training to a 10-hour immersive experience over three webinars instead of the previously offered five two-hour webinars. The first session of "2026 Critical Access Hospital Conditions of Participation" is this Friday, Oct. 23, from 8 a.m.-12:15 p.m. CT. It will cover several topics: recent regulatory and interpretative guideline changes, observation status, governing board and organizational structure, and more.

The second session on Oct. 30, also from 8 a.m.-12:15 p.m. CT, will address nursing services, infection prevention and control, and medical records, among other topics. The third session on Nov. 6, from 8-10 a.m. CT, will highlight the newest CAH CoPs: Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAPI), discharge planning and patient rights. See our registration website for more information-and to register.

IHA is also offering a Nov. 10 webinar, "Preventing Frequently Cited Deficiencies in Illinois Hospitals," for all acute care facilities.

Staff contact: Bridget McCarte

Amendments Proposed for State Guardianship and Human Rights Rules

On Oct. 9, proposed amendments were filed in the Illinois Register on Public Information, Rulemaking and Organization (2 Ill. Adm. Code 1875 Et Seq., pages 15119 to 15124) and the Human Rights Authority (59 Ill. Adm. Code 310 Et Seq., pages 15125 to 15129) by the Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission. Both proposed amendments update regulations to conform to statutory changes contained in P.A. 104-0698. Hospitals may have interest in these rule changes based on communications with the state commission on patient-related matters.

Regarding Guardianship and Advocacy Commission meetings, the proposed language amends the number of members required for a quorum from six to a majority. The proposed language also adds that when the Human Rights Authority publicly releases a report following an investigation of an organization and/or individual that provides services to people with disabilities, any objection to the report would only be made public if it is specifically requested by a service provider. Organizations may include behavioral health treatment service providers, alongside several other provider groups. Currently, objections are automatically included in the public release of the report. Comments on both proposed amendments should be sent by Nov. 23 to Taneka Jennings at [email protected].

As a reminder, the Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission will become the Illinois Dept. of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship (IDAG) starting July 1, 2027 under P.A. 104-0465.

Staff contact: Lia Daniels

Critical Cyber Patches Recommended for Widely Used Website Programming Language

Two critical vulnerabilities have been discovered in Hypertext Preprocessor, known as PHP, which is a widely used programming language that powers many websites and web applications. Its creators announced the vulnerabilities yesterday, which reportedly impact a majority of the world's websites. The two issues can allow malicious cyber actors to remotely execute code in PHP, potentially compromising sensitive data and networks. The notice advises all PHP users to download updates immediately, as all PHP installations serving web requests are at risk. In addition to the security guidance issued by PHP, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and National Security Agency have also released recommended mitigations for organizations using PHP in their websites or web applications.

New Free Behavioral Health Workforce Trainings Through Project Echo

The Illinois Behavioral Health Workforce Center (BHWC) is supporting Illinois' behavioral health workforce through its Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) initiatives, which are free, ongoing training and professional development opportunities to ensure quality care and a strong system to meet Illinois' needs. The following ECHO program opportunities, developed following statewide workforce needs assessment surveys, are open for registration.

• Integrated Behavioral Health for Primary Care Providers ECHO, providing practical guidance on harm reduction, symptom recognition, screening tools and diagnosis differences. Click here for more information.
• Telehealth for Behavioral Health Providers ECHO, providing best practices for virtual care, stronger care plans and improved team collaboration. Click herefor more information.
• Building Community: Behavioral Health Practitioner Collaborative ECHO, providing statewide peer connection to reduce silos, share lived experiences and support complex classes. Click here for more information.
• Clinical Supervision ECHO, to strengthen supervision skills, identify ethical and legal issues, apply culturally responsible techniques, and reduce burnout. Click herefor more information.

Free continuing education credit will be awarded for each session attended.

Illinois Respiratory Disease Surveillance Data

The Infectious Respiratory Disease Surveillance Dashboard from the Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) provides the latest data on hospital visits, seasonal trends, lab test positivity and demographic data. IDPH also tracks COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus information through the Illinois Wastewater Surveillance System dashboard.

Briefly Noted

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a Class I recall -the most serious classification-for Sierra Nevada Cheese Company's Graziers Raw Milk Cheese due to potential E. coli contamination. The products were distributed to 13 states, including Illinois, and the FDA confirmed 13 people in nine states have gotten sick, including eight hospitalizations. Because the investigation has not been narrowed to a specific lot, date code, or production date, the company is recalling all the Raw Milk Cheese products.

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