Monday, March 13, 2023
RSVP: IHA’s Hospital State Advocacy Day April 19
Register: Webinar on Flexible Staffing Models Is 3/14
Patient Safety Awareness Week March 12-18
CDC Recommends Hepatitis B Testing for All Adults
Illinois COVID-19 Data
Briefly Noted
RSVP: IHA’s Hospital State Advocacy Day April 19
Building relationships with your elected officials is instrumental to advancing legislation that supports hospitals and health systems as they transform healthcare delivery across the state. It is equally important that legislators are informed about policies and legislation that, if enacted, would be detrimental to their local hospital and the patients they care for.
As Illinois General Assembly’s spring legislative session continues, it is imperative IHA and hospital leaders are collectively reaching out to legislators to discuss the hospital community’s key messages and top advocacy priorities. As part of our ongoing advocacy efforts, IHA will hold a Hospital Advocacy Day in Springfield on Wednesday, April 19 where you can meet face-to-face with your legislators.
Please RSVP by April 3 by clicking here so IHA can arrange meetings with your legislators. For scheduling purposes, please indicate on the form which state legislators you would like to meet with and the order of your preference.
IHA will hold a briefing for hospitals leaders at 7:30 a.m. on April 19 at The Sangamo Club (227 E. Adams St., Springfield). A limited block of rooms has been held at the Statehouse Inn (101 E. Adams St., Springfield) for Tuesday, April 18.
Contact us with questions.
Register: Webinar on Flexible Staffing Models Is 3/14
IHA Strategic Partner Medical Solutions is hosting a webinar tomorrow, March 14, to assist hospitals in addressing staffing shortages while alleviating staff burnout. There is no cost to participate in “Embracing Innovation: Through a Complete Healthcare Talent Ecosystem," from 11-11:45 a.m.
The webinar will focus on adopting a flexible staffing model to attract underutilized segments of the workforce while streamlining operational processes and delivering quality care. Hospital and health system C-Suite leaders are encouraged to attend, especially CEOs, CFOs, CNOs and CHROs.
Matchwell CEO Rob Crowe, a 22-year veteran of recruiting and staffing, will lead the webinar. In July, Medical Solutions acquired Matchwell, which uses artificial intelligence to efficiently match licensed and certified staff. Click here to register for the webinar.
Patient Safety Awareness Week March 12-18
Every March, Patient Safety Awareness Week aims to shine a light on patient safety and encourage everyone to learn more about healthcare safety. IHA would like to thank our members for their dedication to improving safety within their organization. Preventing harm across healthcare settings is a public health priority and everyone plays a crucial role in advancing safe care in the community!
To support hospital members with their commitment to quality and safety efforts, IHA's Institute for Innovations in Care and Quality is advancing person-centered healthcare in Illinois through evidence-based initiatives that can measurably improve patient safety and strengthen quality healthcare. For questions about our programs and resources please contact IHA.
CDC Recommends Hepatitis B Testing for All Adults
An estimated 580,000 to 2.4 million people in the U.S. live with hepatitis B and two-thirds may not know they are infected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In response, last week the CDC recommended all adults 18 and older should be screened for hepatitis B (HBV) at least once in their lifetime.
Hepatitis B is linked to increased risk of cirrhosis, liver disease, liver failure and premature death. However, the infection can go untreated for years, because people with hepatitis B may not develop symptoms for decades. The CDC emphasized that “early diagnosis and treatment of chronic HBV infections reduces the risk for cirrhosis, liver cancer, and death,” stressing that, “universal screening of adults and appropriate testing of persons at increased risk for HBV infection will improve health outcomes, reduce the prevalence of HBV infection in the United States, and advance viral hepatitis elimination goals.”
Illinois COVID-19 Data
The Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) is following the lead of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with weekly reporting of new COVID-19 cases and deaths. IDPH reports weekly data on Wednesday of each week for the previous week ending Sunday. IDPH will continue daily reporting of ICU bed availability and hospital admission data.
Briefly Noted
An October study, “Listening to Black Californians: How the Health Care System Undermines Their Pursuit of Good Health,” funded by the California Health Care Foundation, found that many Black Californians said they adjusted their appearance or behavior for medical appointments as a way to reduce possible discrimination and bias during visits to hospitals, clinics and doctor’s offices. In fact, 32% of survey respondents said they paid special attention to how they dress, 35% altered their speech or behavior to put doctors “more at ease,” and 41% of Black patients said they signaled to healthcare providers that they are educated, knowledgeable and prepared to hold them accountable.
The U.S. healthcare sector added more than 44,000 jobs last month, with 19,400 jobs occurring in hospitals, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. employers added a total of 311,000 jobs in February, with notable growth demonstrated in the service sectors of leisure and hospitality and retail.