IHA Daily Briefing: April 28

IHA Report: Hospitals Contribute $135.5B to the State and Local Economies

Every year, Illinois hospitals and health systems generate $135.5 billion for the state's economy, create 521,000 direct and indirect jobs, and support working families through $55.6 billion in direct and indirect payroll. The new data comes from an IHA report on the role of hospitals and health systems in driving economic growth.

The report, "Communities Win When Local Hospitals Are Strong," showcases the significant contributions of Illinois hospitals and health systems to the state and local economy, including:

In addition, the report underscores the vital role of Illinois hospitals and health systems in enhancing community health and well-being, while serving as economic anchors in communities. IHA government relations and policy staff are conveying these powerful messages to elected officials. IHA encourages hospital and health system public relations leaders to customize our member news release and share it with your local news media. We ask CEOs and government relations leaders to discuss your organization's local economic impact report with your elected officials.

Individual hospital economic impact reports are available in IHA's C-Suite and can be found in the "General" tab. See our member toolkit for ideas on sharing your local report.

Staff contacts: Cassie Yarbrough, Valerie Culver

Illinois Launches Online Resources for New Medicaid, SNAP Requirements

New federal requirements under H.R. 1 may require some adults enrolled in Medicaid to report work, school or training activities. While many individuals will be exempt, it is critical that all individuals receive timely and accurate information-particularly those required to report qualifying activities.

In response, Illinois launched two new websites aimed at providing work, training and volunteer hours to those households. Job Ready IL collects training programs and employment opportunities, while Serve Illinois shares volunteer opportunities.

The Illinois Dept. of Healthcare and Family Services also launched a communication toolkit to help providers reach individuals enrolled in Medicaid and encourage them to update their contact information to prevent unnecessary loss of coverage. Click here to access the Department's toolkit webpage. The "Get Medicaid Facts" initiative includes a new public website and communications tools in numerous languages to help educate the public and support providers in preparing for these changes.

Federal updates to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) may result in Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs) losing SNAP benefits starting May 1. The Illinois Dept. of Human Services has posted a communications toolkit, which includes flyers, social media content and other resources to support outreach. Providers are encouraged to engage individuals impacted by these changes to check their ABAWDs status, exemptions, and work requirement compliance using the online screener. More information on how to meet requirements through work, volunteering or training programs at SNAPWorkRequirements.illinois.gov.

Webinar: Preparing for Statewide Adverse Health Care Events Reporting

Join IHA, the Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) and the Illinois Ambulatory Surgery Center Association for an informational webinar, "Preparing for Statewide Adverse Health Care Events Reporting." Click here for more information on the complimentary webinar taking place tomorrow, April 29 at 11 a.m. CT. Intended for hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers, the discussion will provide and overview of the Learning from Events to Nurture Safety (LENS) program; pilot participation details; implementation timeline details; and reporting requirements. There will also be time allocate for Q & A. Click here to register.

CDC Issues Warning About Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Backyard Poultry

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an April 23 notice that public health officials in several states are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella illnesses linked to contact with backyard poultry. There have been 34 cases reported in 13 states, including one reported case in Illinois. To date, 13 hospitalizations have been reported due to the outbreak, and no deaths have been reported at this time. Bacteria from samples from 34 people showed they might be resistant to fosfomycin, a drug used to treat Salmonella infections. Of those, eight other samples showed likely resistance to four other common antibiotics.

CDC noted that recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes three to four weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak. Additionally, the true number of sick people in this outbreak is also likely much higher than the number reported because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella.