Thursday, March 16, 2023
Members Urged to Complete Survey, Responses Due 3/31
View Webinar Recording on Flexible Staffing Models
OAG Adult/Adolescent SANE Training: App Due 5/18
IPC Joins Effort to Raise Awareness About Poison Dangers
Illinois COVID-19 Data
Briefly Noted
Members Urged to Complete Survey, Responses Due 3/31
IHA is working with the Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cooperative agreement, “Improving the Lives of Illinoisans through Chronic Disease Prevention” (DP18-1815). Funding from this grant is used to provide education and resources to our members. As part of our grant, we are working with IDPH to encourage data collection on primary care and the outpatient setting for the CDC quality improvement assessment tool called the Health Systems Scorecard (HSSC).
Information collected by the HSSC will help your hospital/health system identify opportunities to strengthen evidence-based policies and systems to improve care for patients with chronic conditions. The survey will also be used to identify evidence-based strategies already used in your hospital/health system, and the extent to which you are delivering care in ways that improve health outcomes.
IHA members are asked to convene your quality improvement (QI) leaders/groups/committee to complete the survey by clicking here. Required modules for completion are outlined in the document 2023 HSSC Required Modules. Additional modules may be completed at each respondent’s discretion. A PDF version of the scorecard for your review and planning purposes can be accessed by clicking here. Click here for a video with an overview of the HSSC and instruction on its completion. Although the video references 2021, the survey instructions are the same for 2022.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Patrick Harper, IDPH CDC Assignee, at patrick.harper@illinois.gov. Please note: Responses will only be accessible by the IDPH Division of Chronic Disease and the grant-funded evaluation team at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Respondents may request their individual raw data from IDPH. All other data sharing will be in de-identified, aggregate form. IHA Critical Access Hospital members who are also Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network (ICAHN) members are asked to only complete the scorecard using the link that was sent from ICAHN.
View Webinar Recording on Flexible Staffing Models
Yesterday’s webinar from IHA Strategic Partner Medical Solutions showcased the value of flexible staffing models in addressing hospital staffing shortages and clinician burnout. A recording of the 30-minute presentation, “Embracing Innovation: Through a Complete Healthcare Talent Ecosystem,” is available here.
Matchwell CEO Rob Crowe, a 22-year veteran of recruiting and staffing, led the webinar. Last year Medical Solutions acquired Matchwell, which uses artificial intelligence to efficiently match licensed and certified staff. To learn more about Medical Solutions, contact Mike Daeges at 402-986-5153 or mike.daeges@medicalsolutions.com.
Contact us with questions.
OAG Adult/Adolescent SANE Training: App Due 5/18
The Office of the Illinois Attorney General (OAG) announced the first Adult/Adolescent Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) didactic training for 2023. This training will be held at Swedish Hospital – Part of NorthShore in Chicago, June 6-9, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Applications are due May 18, and more information can be found in this training invitation.
This training is for registered nurses, advanced practice providers and physicians. For more information regarding the Illinois SANE Program, the content of the training or nursing contact hours, please contact Jaclyn Rodriguez or Erin Tendick, SANE Coordinators with the OAG, at sane@ilga.gov.
IPC Joins Effort to Raise Awareness About Poison Dangers
Next week, the Illinois Poison Center (IPC), the nation’s oldest poison center, will participate in National Poison Prevention Week (NPPW) from March 19-25 to raise awareness about poison dangers and educate the public on ways to further protect their loved ones. March is also Illinois Poison Prevention Month.
In 2022, IPC handled more than 72,000 cases involving potentially harmful substances, ranging from minor to severe. IPC reports 39% of those cases involve children 5 years of age and younger.
According to an IPC news release, children are especially vulnerable to choking or accidental ingestions, but adults are also at risk. Poisoning—including drug overdoses and carbon monoxide—was the leading cause of injury-related death for adults 25-64 years old in Illinois. Poisoning accounted for more deaths in this age group than motor vehicle crashes and firearms combined, according to the state of Illinois’ 2018-2022 State Strategic Plan to Prevent Injury, Violence, and Suicide. Hospitalizations and emergency department visit rates due to poisoning are also highest among adults ages 25-64 compared to other age groups.
For more information about the Illinois Poison Center, click here. To access IPC resources, including educational tools and associated materials, click here. IPC’s toll-free, confidential expert helpline service can be reached at 1-800-222-1222.
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
Mortality rates for U.S. children and adolescents rose significantly in 2020 and 2021, according to a study published in JAMA. Study authors noted that “COVID-19 contributed little to this surge,” with the increase in fatalities attributed largely to firearms and drug overdoses. Firearm-related deaths accounted for nearly half (47.8%) of the increased mortality in 2020, and are the leading cause of death among those age 1 to 19 years.
Increasing exercise is “highly beneficial” to improve symptoms associated with depression and anxiety, found a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. In fact, physical activity may be as effective—or by some standards more effective—than drugs or psychotherapy. Study authors found that, “The largest benefits were seen in people with depression, HIV and kidney disease, in pregnant and postpartum women, and in healthy individuals,” and noted that, “Higher intensity physical activity was associated with greater improvements in symptoms.”