IHA Daily Briefing: September 23

IHA Exercise: Taking on AI-Enabled Cyberattacks

Cyber criminals zeroed in on healthcare and public health in 2025, making it the top-targeted critical infrastructure sector with 460 ransomware attacks and 182 data breaches, as reported by the FBI. With attacks perpetrated by artificial intelligence (AI) accelerating, hospital and health system leaders now face a more perilous adversary constantly searching for digital vulnerabilities.

The 2026 IHA Emergency Preparedness Exercise, "Broken Trust: AI Takes Control," will prepare multidisciplinary hospital teams for AI-enabled attacks by testing organizational cyber plans and response in real time. The Nov. 4 statewide exercise will be held virtually 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. CT.

IHA's Keneatha Johnson, MPH, Assistant Vice President, Safety and Emergency Preparedness, and Stephen Weiler, MS, MEP, CPP, CPD, Manager of Resiliency Services with Tarian, will lead the interactive training. By participating, your team will take on operational crises, make high-stakes decisions under pressure, and see how your response compares to peer organizations across Illinois.

Learn more about this year's exercise on our program webpage. Registration fees include unlimited staff participation at the registered facility, all Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program exercise materials, facilitation, and continuing education credits. Click here to register.

Staff contact: Keneatha Johnson

IDPH Issues Annual Respiratory Testing and Reporting Guidance

The Illinois Dept. of Public Health today issued updated guidance related to the submission of respiratory clinical laboratory specimens and reporting of respiratory cases and outbreaks. Click hereto view the guidance. Respiratory season begins on Sept. 27, 2026. Guidance on respiratory season vaccines and prevention was issued separately and can be found here.

RESOURCES: Tardive Dyskinesia Screening Guidelines

Recently, both the Illinois Dept. of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) and NAMI Illinois have released education related to tardive dyskinesia for healthcare providers and the public.

Aligning with requirements in Public Act 104-009, recommended screening guidelines for Tardive Dyskinesia were developed by HFS, in collaboration with the Illinois Dept. of Human Services, Illinois Dept. of Public Health and University of Illinois Chicago Medicaid Advisory Unit. The screening guidelines are intended for providers serving patients who have been prescribed antipsychotic medications. HFS's screening guidelines are based on current, nationally accepted, evidence-based recommendations for the assessment and treatment of Tardive Dyskinesia.

HFS has posted a presentation and Provider Notice that includes these screening guidelines within a training slide deck to ensure that the information is accessible to healthcare providers. Questions regarding guidelines may be directed to [email protected]. NAMI Illinois recently held a presentation on Tardive Dyskinesia, sharing background on the disorder, an educational toolkit and a caregiver guide.

Staff contact: Lia Daniels

Executive Order Signed to Establish Illinois Artificial Intelligence Cabinet

Gov. JB Pritzker yesterday signed Executive Order 2026-07, establishing the Illinois Artificial Intelligence (AI) Cabinet, a group of individuals from across industries and fields that will assess the various risks posed by AI to the safety of Illinoisans. As AI continues to rapidly advance, the Illinois AI Cabinet will advise state government on preparing for and responding to AI-related incidents, identifying safeguards for public assets and infrastructure, and evaluating additional steps Illinois can take to strengthen AI safety and accountability. The Governor will seek input from state agency leaders and announce members of the cabinet in the coming weeks. The AI cabinet will include a broad cross-sector of experts from academia, law, ethics, governance and more. ​Click herefor more information on the Illinois AI Cabinet's intended mission and focus.

Publication: Cross-Systems Strategies to Support Children with Complex Behavioral Health Conditions

Children with complex behavioral health conditions and their families face significant barriers to accessing the services and support necessary to meet their emotional, developmental, and behavioral needs. A new publication, Cross-System Strategies to Support Children with Complex Behavioral Health Conditions, provides information intended to strengthen systems of care for children with complex behavioral health conditions. Grounded in neuroscience and focused on practical systems change, providers will find the report valuable for deepening their understanding of children with complex needs and learning about service approaches and supports that have demonstrated effectiveness in meeting those needs.

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 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday released its Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a biennial survey of U.S. high school students. The survey centers on five focus areas, including teen mental health and suicide risk, digital behaviors, physical activity, sleep behaviors, and dietary habits. Key changes between 2023-2025 include an increase in the number of high school students drinking plain water at least three times a day, eating fruits and vegetables daily, and playing on a sports team. Fewer students reported poor mental health, persistent feelings of sadness or helplessness, or said they had seriously considered or attempted suicide.

There was a slight decline, nearly 2%, in drinking rates among Americans between 2022-2024-the first since heavy alcohol use increased sharply during the pandemic, according to a study published this week in the Annals of Internal Medicine. However, while alcohol use declined among Gen Z and millennials between 2022-2024, heavy drinking has increased among people ages 50 to 64 by more than one-third since 2018. The lead study author also emphasized alcohol use still remains above pre-pandemic levels.

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