IHA Daily Briefing: February 20

IHA's A.J. Wilhelmi Talks 'More than Medicine' on Recent Podcast
A.J. Wilhelmi, President & CEO of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association, joined Dr. Ngozi Ezike, President and CEO of Sinai Chicago, on the latest episode of the "More Than Medicine" podcast. Wilhelmi and Dr. Ezike discussed "Advocacy, Policy, and the Future of Healthcare in Illinois."

Together, they explored the critical role of safety-net health systems like Sinai Chicago, the growing challenges facing hospitals amid a shifting political landscape, and what it will take to protect and strengthen access to care for the most vulnerable. The conversation also looks ahead to upcoming elections, evolving federal policies, and the actions leaders, organizations, and communities can take to advance a more just and equitable healthcare system.

Click here to listen to a timely conversation on healthcare policy, advocacy and equity. You can also watch it on YouTube.

Register: Linking Pregnant Patients to Mental Health & SUD Care
The Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative, in partnership with the Illinois Dept. of Public Health, will host a webinar on March 4 to help care teams link pregnant and postpartum patients to vital perinatal mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) care. This session, from noon-1:30 p.m. CT, is designed for outpatient obstetric (OB) providers, hospital OB and emergency department teams, and community organizations serving pregnant and postpartum patients.

Participants will learn strategies and tools to screen for perinatal mental health conditions and SUDs, initiate treatment, and provide warm hand-offs to follow-up care. The webinar will also highlight statewide supports and innovative programs to help care teams improve coordination and access to behavioral health services.

Care teams across Illinois are encouraged to attend and share this opportunity with colleagues. Click here to register. For questions, contact [email protected].

HRSA Offering Specialized Assistance for Rural Hospitals in 2026
The Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) is providing hands-on support to rural hospitals and clinics across the country, connecting national experts in finance, clinical care, and operations directly to rural communities. In 2026, 28 rural facilities across 16 states and one U.S. territory will receive specialized technical assistance through one of six FORHP-funded programs.

Two recently selected cohorts will participate this year:

For more information on the Rural Healthcare Provider Transition Project, contact [email protected]. For more information on TTAP, contact [email protected].

CISA to Gather Input on Proposed Cyber Incident Reporting Requirements
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has announced a series of virtual town hall meetings to gather public input on rulemaking for the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act of 2022. The meetings will begin March 9, according to the Federal Register notice. The proposed rule, issued in March 2024, would require critical infrastructure organizations, including hospitals and health systems, to report a cyber incident to the federal government within 72 hours and ransom payments within 24 hours, among other requirements. Concerns were raised by the American Hospital Association (AHA) in their comments on the proposed rule, with AHA saying the requirements are redundant to those from other federal agencies and that they add unnecessary burden to hospitals working to ensure access to needed services during a cybersecurity incident response.

Illinois Respiratory Disease Surveillance Data