IHA Daily Briefing: July 30

Illinois Community Access Resource and Referral System Virtual Listening Sessions
The Illinois Dept. of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) announced it is hosting two Wednesday, Aug. 5 listening sessions to gather input on system needs, workflows, interoperability, accessibility, and implementation considerations for the implementation of the Illinois Community Access Resource and Referral System (ICARRS).

ICARRS will be a state-sponsored closed-loop referral system that would bridge the gap and streamline collaboration between healthcare and social service providers and serve as the state's centralized directory for services and resources available under the Illinois Medicaid program (e.g., 1115 Healthcare Transformation Waiver, Maternal and Child Health, etc.) and statewide initiatives such as the Children's Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative.

The feedback received during these listening sessions will help HFS better understand stakeholder needs. Advance registration for the Aug. 5 listening session is required. Click here to register for a listening session.

REMINDER: IHA Webinar on Effective Communications Response During a Cybersecurity Crisis
In today's digital environment, cybersecurity incidents are not a matter of if, but when. Effective communication during a cyber event is crucial for managing an organization's reputation, maintaining stakeholder trust, and ensuring regulatory compliance. During IHA's complimentary webinar on Thursday, Aug. 6, "Effective Communications Response During a Cybersecurity Crisis," Jamie Singer and Rebecca Pitt of FTI Consulting will draw from their extensive experience guiding healthcare organizations through high-stakes data breaches and crises.

Click here to register for the webinar, which will identify key strategies for preparing communication plans before an incident, responding in real time, and rebuilding trust afterward. Attendees will learn:

• Practical, proactive approaches for engaging internal and external audiences.
• Best practices for navigating the complexities of public and media scrutiny during a cybersecurity incident.
• Actionable tools to help healthcare leaders and communicators strengthen their crisis response and reputation resilience.

The webinar is ideal for hospital staff responsible for cybersecurity, communications, and emergency preparedness within hospitals, including but not limited to public information officers, information technology leaders, emergency preparedness staff, clinical and department educators, quality improvement/risk management staff, hospital operations staff, and hospital administration.

Staff contact: Keneatha Johnson

Registration Now Open for 2026 Cook County Behavioral Health Summit
Join leaders, providers, advocates, and community partners from across Cook County for a day of collaboration, learning, and action at the 2026 Cook County Behavioral Health Summit: "Stronger Together, Driving Action to Impact." The event will take place Wednesday, Sept. 9 in Chicago from 8-4 p.m. CT.

The 2026 Summit will feature engaging discussions, real-world examples, and opportunities to connect with partners committed to advancing behavioral health across Cook County. Click here to learn more about the Summit. Space is limited, and registration is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Click here to register.

CDC Resource to Assist Healthcare Workers with Ebola Treatment Preparation
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a resource to help frontline healthcare workers prepare and train for treating patients with suspected Ebola disease. The Ebola Micro-Learn reinforces concepts, such as assessing travel history and exposure risks; recognizing signs and symptoms of Ebola; following the identify, isolate and inform approach; and protecting personnel, patients and communities through early recognition and infection prevention and control measures. The agency said that no cases have been confirmed in the U.S. from the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, and that a risk to the U.S. remains low.