IHA Daily Briefing: November 3

HRSA, CMS Increase Organ Procurement Organizations Oversight

New requirements from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) increase oversight and the likelihood of consolidation of organ procurement organizations (OPO), partners that hospitals work with for organ donation and transplant services.

Effective Oct. 1, 2026, HRSA requires OPOs to complete a new Ventilated Patient Form to document specific circumstances that may affect the donation process. This form is based on information hospitals and OPOs are already sharing, and no new hospital reporting requirements were created, although OPOs may reach out to hospitals to better understand internal protocols. OPO reporting requirements include data on eligible ventilated patients who were not referred to the OPO, untimely referrals, and instances when OPO staff were unable to approach a donor family.

Effective Jan. 2, 2027, CMS issued a final rule that tightens OPO oversight, lets high-performers expand their donation service areas, and permits faster decertification of unsafe OPOs. Under new guidance, tier 2 OPOs are more likely to face competition with high-performing tier 1 OPOs competing for multiple donation service areas. CMS also clarified the definition of "unsound medical practices," allowing CMS to immediately decertify non-compliant tier 3 OPOs. New transition requirements, including successor transition plans and incumbent OPO cooperation during the transition process, seek to keep donation services uninterrupted during donation service area transitions. CMS also implemented stronger quality and adverse event requirements to raise the safety and performance standards of OPOs that hospitals work with. More details are included in the CMS fact sheet.

Staff contact: Lia Daniels

IHA Webinar on Antimicrobial Stewardship Nov. 20

The core elements of a hospital antibiotic stewardship program span leadership commitment, accountability, pharmacy expertise, action, tracking, reporting and education, as identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Almost all Illinois hospitals have reported successful implementation of those seven elements, yet less than 10% have implemented the CDC's six antimicrobial stewardship core element priorities.

The Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) says there's an opportunity to further hospital antimicrobial stewardship efforts statewide by focusing on CDC priorities. IDPH staff will discuss those opportunities during a complimentary IHA webinar, "Stewardship in Action: Antibiotic Awareness Week and Honor Roll Recognition," on Nov. 20 from 10-11 a.m. CT.

Antimicrobial Stewardship Program Manager Jamie Jacob, PharmD, BCIDP, and Antimicrobial Stewardship Outreach Coordinator Shannon Calus, MPH, will lead the session, held during Antibiotic Awareness Week Nov. 18-24. They will discuss IDPH Antimicrobial Stewardship Initiatives and highlight U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week efforts.

Hospitals receiving the 2026 Antimicrobial Stewardship Collaboration Distinction award will be announced during the webinar, as will those that made the 2026 Acute Care Antimicrobial Stewardship Honor Roll.

There is no fee to attend. Registrants will receive the webinar recording. Register today.

Staff contact: Jenny Winkler

Cybersecurity Alert: Hackers Target Internet-connected Refrigeration, Environmental Control Systems

A cybersecurity advisory issued by the American Hospital Association (AHA) today highlighted recent media reports of hackers targeting internet-connected refrigeration control systems used in commercial settings across Europe, leading to disruptions in temperature controls resulting in product spoilage. Media coverage suggests U.S. authorities are investigating whether similar cyberattacks may have targeted similar systems at U.S. military bases. While the AHA said that it is not aware at this time of any confirmed incidents affecting U.S. hospitals or healthcare, because some hospitals and health systems may use similar technology, including refrigerating management platforms, building automation controls or environmental monitoring systems, healthcare organizations would be well served to take the precautionary step of reviewing their systems' security posture. More information on recommended actions, important considerations and background on these vulnerabilities can be found in the AHA alert.

RECALLS: Glucose Hospital Meter Systems, Platelet Factor 4 Radioimmunoassay Products

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has identified two new Class I recalls. Discontinued use of certain platelet factor 4 radioimmunoassay products by Instrumentation Laboratories is recommended following reports that customers have obtained an invalid calibration curve, which could impact clinical care. No injuries or deaths have been reported in connection with this issue. Additionally, updated use instructions have been issued for certain StatStrip Glucose Hospital Meters by Nova Biomedical due to a scanning issue that could lead to a glucose result being assigned to the wrong patient's medical record or quality control ID. Nova Biomedical reported one serious injury related to the issue as of Oct. 5. The FDA said no deaths have been associated with either issue.

ACOG Expands Recommendations for Management of Menopause Symptoms

The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG) has published new, expanded clinical guidance on the management of certain symptoms of menopause. ACOG said the new recommendations are the most comprehensive guidance on the management of menopause published by the organization to date, covering a variety of treatment options for vasomotor symptoms, such as hot flashes and night sweats, in addition to sleep and mood changes. ACOG said it is currently developing additional complementary clinical guidance on the management of the genitourinary syndrome of menopause that will be published in 2027.

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

Hospitals and clinicians can play an important role in preventing and reducing medical debt. Developed by AcademyHealth, with support from the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation, a new playbook offers practical approaches to help hospitals and clinicians better support patients as they navigate high costs of care.

Leading the News

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Election Day for the 2026 midterm election has arrived - and if you're in line at the polls before they close Tuesday, you have the right to vote.

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The top 63 hospitals across 4 patient experience metrics

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