IHA Daily Briefing: September 3

IHA in the News: Illinois Hospitals Face Billions in Medicaid Losses Under H.R. 1
A Sept. 2 Capitol News Illinois article highlights the significant financial impact Illinois hospitals are expected to face as provisions of the federal budget reconciliation law, H.R. 1, begin taking effect. The Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA) team spoke with Capitol News Illinois recently about the impact of the impending changes to the Medicaid rules, including cuts to state-directed payments and reductions to healthcare provider taxes.

A recent study by KFF estimates Illinois hospitals could lose upwards of $4 billion in revenue due to these reductions. David Gross, IHA Senior Vice President of Government Relations, emphasized that Illinois will not have the resources to simply replace the lost federal funding saying, "The governor's people have consistently said that they don't have a printing press over in the Capitol, and that they're not going to be able to fill in this revenue. So, it's a concern that some of the estimates that have been undertaken in Washington assume that the state's going to pick up the costs of these cuts."

Gross joined Ben Winick, IHA Group Vice President of Healthcare Finance, in underscoring that while all hospitals will feel the effects of the policy changes, critical access hospitals and safety net facilities are the most vulnerable. Gross told Capitol News Illinois that Medicare and Medicaid make up 30-40% of all hospital revenue, but for safety net and critical access hospitals, they make up more than half.

"If you think about where Medicare patients show up, they show up in these rural hospitals, these critical access hospitals," Gross said. "And of course the Medicaid patients show up largely in part in our safety net hospitals. So those two groups of hospitals are really going to be challenged."

Workplace Violence: Illinois Hospital Leaders Share Prevention Strategies
Illinois hospital and health system leaders discussed multidisciplinary approaches to protecting staff from workplace violence-an ongoing issue most impacting nurses-during a leadership forum on workforce strategies last week hosted by IHA, Medical Solutions and Exigent Medical Education.

Scott Grandt, Regional Public Safety Director at Loyola Medicine, described the health system's strategy as emphasizing education, communication, support and incident tracking. Ongoing education includes in-service training for security officers and workplace violence training for staff. The health system also tracks incidents to identify trends and encourages staff to use the "buddy system" with nurses teaming up with other nurses or security officers to enhance safety.

"If someone experiences workplace violence, we reach out, offer support and encourage them to tell their story," he said. "If you were battered we want to file a complaint. We want to make sure legislators understand how much it's happening."

Partnership between the nursing team and security is key, said Christine Quinlan, MS, RN, Vice President of Nursing/CNO at Ascension Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital. Security officers round with the care team and security camera footage is reviewed regularly. In addition, there's a debrief after every intervention, looking at what could be done differently and what went well. Strong communication pathways with human resources leaders were also emphasized. Other strategies include holding monthly workplace violence meetings and teaching staff to look for early signs of escalation.

"We have staff saying that's just their pathology, the way they are," Quinlan said of being hit or pushed by behavioral health patients, "or that it's just part of the job. No, it isn't."

A major predictor of future violence is past violence, said Trish Fairbanks, MSN, RN, CENP, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Endeavor Health Edward Hospital. The health system devised a flagging system in the electronic health record to alert staff to patients who were aggressive in the past, which is updated every shift and shared with any unit the patient is transferred to as standard protocol.

"One of the first things we did years ago was to look at areas where violence was happening," she said, "We started training there to help staff understand why patients behave the way they do in a crisis" and teach staff to deescalate.

Fairbanks said it's essential to consistently communicate zero tolerance of workplace violence to patients and staff. IHA's Lia Daniels, MPH, Senior Director of Health Policy and Finance, moderated the discussion. In addition to asking panelists about workplace violence prevention and intervention programs, she emphasized the importance of supporting victims and collaborating with local law enforcement and the local State's Attorney if charges are pursued.

Staff contact: Lia Daniels

IDPH Health Advisory: Measles Outbreak in Douglas County
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) issued an updated Health Advisory yesterday confirming the outbreak of measles in Douglas County involving at least four residents. The Department said that these cases are unrelated to a previously announced case in Kane County in a resident who had traveled internationally. IDPH said it is working with local health departments to identify any additional case and exposure locations. Known exposure locations can be viewed on the IDPH Measles Exposure Locations website. IDPH has identified nine cases of measles among Illinois residents in 2026, though noted that there is increasing measles activity across the region, including in southern Iowa, southwest Wisconsin and western Kentucky. Background information, diagnostic, reporting and testing guidance, and transmission and infection control recommendations can be found in the Health Advisory.

Illinois HFS Launches New Medicaid Customer Guide
The Illinois Dept. of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) has launched a new Medicaid Customer Guide to assist Medicaid patients and community partners in finding information regarding the program. The guide includes information about Medicaid coverage, eligibility, benefits, applications, renewals, and other important resources. This resource may be helpful for providers in answering questions or connecting patients with more detailed information about their coverage and benefits. Click here to view the new guide.

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

AVID Medical has issued a letter to affected customers recommending certain convenience kit be corrected prior to continued use by removing components affected by the Huons Co., Ltd. recall. The epidural kits may contain sodium chloride ampules that have been recalled due to concerns of product quality and sterility assurance.

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