IHA Daily Briefing: August 21

Illinois Poison Center Welcomes New Medical Directors
The Illinois Poison Center (IPC) has announced the appointment of two new medical directors, Dr. Neeraj Chhabra, MD, MSCR, FACMT and Dr. Bernard "Ben" Weigel, MD. Dr. Chhabra and Dr. Weigel, both medical toxicologists, bring extensive clinical expertise, leadership, and a shared commitment to advancing poison prevention and education across Illinois.

Dr. Chhabra is a board-certified emergency physician and medical toxicologist who serves as the Director of Medical Toxicology and Assistant Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Illinois Chicago and UI Health.

Dr. Weigel is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and an attending physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Dr. Weigel and Dr. Chhabra joined the Illinois Poison Center in July 2026, succeeding Dr. Michael Wahl following his retirement after nearly 30 years of distinguished service as IPC Medical Director. Throughout his tenure, Dr. Wahl has been a steadfast advocate for toxicology education, public health outreach, and clinical excellence. His leadership has shaped IPC's statewide impact and elevated its national reputation.

"For more than 70 years, the Illinois Poison Center has been a trusted resource for families, healthcare providers and communities across Illinois," said A.J. Wilhelmi, President and CEO, Illinois Health and Hospital Association. "As we celebrate Dr. Wahl's extraordinary legacy, we are excited to welcome Drs. Chhabra and Weigel, whose expertise and leadership will help ensure the IPC continues to deliver world-class clinical guidance, education and innovation for years to come."

To learn more about Drs. Chhabra and Weigel, click here. For more information about IPC, click here.

REMINDER: Upcoming PA SANE Didactic Training Webinar
The Office of the Illinois Attorney General (OAG) is offering a pediatric/adolescent (PA) SANE didactic training in September. The PA SANE didactic training is a 40-hour course designed to improve response to sexual assault patients in Illinois. This training is for registered nurses, advanced practice providers and physicians who will be providing medical forensic services to sexual assault survivors in the emergency department. All PA SANE applicants must have an established mentor who is either a Child Abuse Pediatrician, PA SAFE or SANE-P. Applicants who do not currently work in a direct patient care capacity in an emergency department must identify how they will complete the clinical training requirements and practice as a SANE or SAFE.

The OAG will offer the PA SANE didactic training on Sept. 22-25 from 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. CT at Sarah Bush Lincoln Hospital in Mattoon. Click here to complete the application by the Sept. 3 deadline. More information can be found here.

Advisory Warns of Active Cyber Threats to Programmable Logic Controllers
The National Security Agency joined other federal agencies to release a joint advisory warning of active cyber threats to Siemens S7 Series programmable logic controllers (PLCs), which are industrial computers used to monitor essential equipment. This threat could impact healthcare organizations, which use PLCs to operate climate controls, access controls and many other systems. The advisory warned threat actors use internet scanning services to find PLCs that are using outdated software or are poorly protected, and then utilize artificial intelligence-generated exploitation scripts disguised as legitimate monitoring tools to compromise the PLCs. Owners and operators of Siemens S7 Series and other PLCs are encouraged to proactively check their systems and adopt mitigation actions recommended in the advisory, including applying critical security patches as soon as possible.

2026 Illinois Vectorborne Disease Conference
The Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) is hosting the 2026 Illinois Vectorborne Disease Conference, which will focus on tracking threats, protecting lives and advancing public health. This free Sept. 9 event will bring together clinicians and professionals from local health departments, communicable disease programs, government agencies, academic institutions, and healthcare systems to address vectorborne disease threats in Illinois. The conference will focus on strengthening community outreach, enhancing public awareness, and building cross-sector partnerships to improve prevention and response efforts throughout Illinois.

The Illinois Vectorborne Disease Conference will take place on Sept. 9 in Champaign, Illinois. Registration for the in-person event will end on Tuesday, Aug. 25 at 5 p.m. CT. Virtual registration will remain open. Click here to register. Complimentary continuing education credit opportunities are available.

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

Medline has issued a letter to affected customers recommending certain Medline convenience be corrected prior to continued use by removing components affected by the B. Braun Medical, Inc. recall of Huons Co., Ltd. Bupivacaine HCL in Dextrose Injection. Using the compromised injectables could lead to serious injury or death. As of April 24, B. Braun has reported 35 serious injuries and no deaths associated with this issue. As of June 19, Medline has not reported any additional serious injuries or deaths associated with this issue.

Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Dept. of Revenue (IDOR) has announced disaster tax relief for individuals and businesses in 15 counties affected by widespread damage from torrential downpours, flash flooding, straight-line winds and several tornadoes. Click here for more information about the tax relief and related guidance. Illinois currently leads the nation with approximately 204 tornadoes this year as verified by the National Weather Service.

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