Results
Illinois Health and Hospital Association
01/28/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/28/2026 15:29
IHA Daily Briefing: January 28
DEADLINE EXTENDED: IHA Legislative Reception Room Block Extended
If you have not yet registered to attend IHA's State Legislative Reception in Springfield on Tuesday, Feb. 17, we encourage you to do so soon-there is still time to join. To support participation, IHA has extended our room block at the President Abraham Lincoln Springfield DoubleTree through Tuesday, Feb. 3. We encourage those who have not yet registered or booked a room to do so as soon as possible.
Held the evening before the Governor's joint State of the State and Budget Address, the reception offers a valuable opportunity for hospital and health system leaders to connect directly with Illinois legislators and constitutional officers at a pivotal moment in the legislative calendar.
IHA's Legislative Reception will be held at Maldaner's at 222 S. 6th Street in Springfield on Tuesday, Feb. 17, from 5-8 p.m. CT. To RSVP, please click here.
The room block at the DoubleTree is for IHA members on Tuesday night. Members can reserve a room under the block by clicking here. You can also call for reservations at 217-544-8800 x1 and ask for the Illinois Health and Hospital Association block.
Staff contact: Stacey Dunlap
DEADLINE FEB. 5: Register for Upcoming OAG SASETA Trainings
The Office of the Illinois Attorney General (OAG) will offer adult/adolescent (AA) sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) didactic training Feb. 24-26 from 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. CT at Spoon River College Community Outreach Center in Macomb. This is the first of three AA SANE didactic training courses and two pediatric/adolescent (PA) SANE didactic training courses the OAG anticipates offering in 2026. Interested participants must complete an application and submit it along with their resume to [email protected] by Feb. 5.
The OAG also announced an upcoming Foundation Training webinar on Responding to Acute Sexual Assault Survivors (Foundation Training) on April 2, from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. CT. Attending Foundation Training fulfills the statutory requirements for emergency department clinical staff at both treatment and transfer facilities under the Sexual Assault Survivors Emergency Treatment Act (SASETA). To register for the April 2 Foundation Training webinar, click here.
Staff contact: Cassie Yarbrough
CMS Seeks Input on Strengthening Domestic Supply Chain for PPE, Essential Medicines
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) seeking public feedback on approaches to strengthen the American-made supply chain for personal protective equipment (PPE) and essential medicines. The ANPRM seeks comments on the potential creation of a new "Secure American Medical Supplies" designation for hospitals that procure a minimum percentage of American-made PPE and essential medicines. CMS is also soliciting input on a potential separate Medicare payment to hospitals that achieve the designation, and a structural measure for the hospital inpatient quality reporting program asking hospitals to attest to procuring minimum percentages of domestically made PPE and essential medicines. Additional information, including guidance on how to submit comments, can be found here. Comments will be accepted through March 30.
Antimicrobial Stewardship Educational Opportunities
The Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) is offering free antibiotic stewardship educational opportunities for healthcare professionals in long-term care settings, including one-on-one mentorship, regional workshops, and monthly webinars, with continuing education credit available. More information can be found here.
In addition, IDPH has also released the date for the annual Illinois Summit on Antimicrobial Stewardship, which will be held on July 16 in Rosemont. The Department is currently seeking speaker and topic suggestions. More information on the program is available here.
CMS Releases Drugs on Medicare Negotiation List
Fifteen drugs have been selected to participate in the newest round of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, according to a press release from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This the third cycle of program and the first to include drugs payable under Medicare Part B, which are traditionally administered in clinical settings, in addition to the traditional Part D prescription drugs. The negotiations will take place in 2026, and all new prices that are negotiated will take effect Jan. 1, 2028. The selected medications treat a range of conditions, including certain cancers, chronic immune-system disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depression and schizophrenia, psoriatic arthritis, Type 2 diabetes and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection.
CMS said that between November 2024 and October 2025, approximately 1.8 million people with Medicare Part D or Medicare Part B coverage used the 15 drugs selected for initial negotiation. These drugs accounted for approximately $27 billion in total prescription drug spending under Medicare Part B and Part D, representing about 6% of total Part B and Part D spending.
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 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) this week broke from recent federal vaccine guidance, publishing its own childhood immunization schedule for 2026 that recommends vaccinating against illnesses the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) dropped from its immunization schedule in early January. AAP on Monday said it, "no longer endorses the recommended childhood and adolescent immunization schedule from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention." AAP guidance continues to recommend that children be vaccinated against diseases the CDC now recommends parents consult with physicians about before vaccinating, including hepatitis A and B; meningococcal disease; rotavirus; the flu; and COVID-19.
Leading the News
How two fights over drug prices are taking shape in Springfield
Crain's Chicago Business
The cost of prescription drugs is certain to be a hot-button issue in the coming Illinois legislative session with two separate measures - one seeking to maintain steep discounts to hospitals, one seeking power to set lower drug prices - making for curious bedfellows in Springfield. In the wake of the Illinois Prescription Drug Affordability Act passed last year, debate will continue over providers' use 340B drug discounts, along with legislation calling for a state board that could adopt Medicare-negotiated drug prices as the next step toward reining in rising prices.
Illinois sees its worst flu season in recent years as vaccine skepticism grows
WGLT
Flu cases are increasing rapidly in Illinois as the state sees its worst flu season in more than 15 years. At least 100 people have died from the flu this season in Illinois, with 77 of those deaths occurring this month alone, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. Children and the elderly have been the most-affected age groups. So far, there have been three pediatric fatalities in Illinois this flu season, IDPH reports.
Nearly half of nurses are using AI on the job: Report
Becker's Hospital Review
Nearly half of U.S. nurses report using generative artificial intelligence on the job, reflecting growing comfort with the technology even as concerns persist around safeguards, training and overreliance, according to a Jan. 27 report from Wolters Kluwer Health.
People who naturally stay up late may have worse heart health than early risers
NBC News
The early bird may not only catch the proverbial worm but also have a healthier heart, new research suggests.
Illinois Health and Hospital Association published this content on January 28, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on January 28, 2026 at 21:29 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]