The IHS Total System Safety Strategy

The Indian Health Service’s mission is “to raise the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives to the highest level.”

The IHS Total System Safety Strategic Plan provides the road map to strengthening patient safety enterprise-wide, and identifies the aim, goals, and objectives of the agency patient safety program. The strategy was developed by a multi-disciplinary team of patient safety experts in consultation with the IHS chief medical officer, IHS National Combined Councils, and IHS area directors.

The aim of the strategy is to achieve total system safety across the IHS healthcare system using a patient and family centered framework to achieve zero incidents of preventable harm and improve outcomes.

The strategy includes three goals:

Goal 1: Leadership and governance at all levels will establish structures that commit to the achievement of total system safety and quality at the agency, area, and facility level.

Goal 2: Establish systems that expose and analyze patient and workforce safety risk proactively and in real time at the agency, area, and facility level.

Goal 3: Address risks and safety issues by transforming to a learning organization to promote high reliability, increasing overall quality by achieving zero preventable harm.

Additional objectives are included for each goal - [PDF - 136 KB].

Additional objectives are included for each goal.

The IHI Framework for Safe, Reliable and Effective Care Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  and the National Action Plan to Advance Patient Safety Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  are foundational documents that were utilized to develop the strategy. The aim, goals, and objectives of the TSSQ strategy are also in line with the Department of Health and Human Services Initiative, The National Healthcare System Action Alliance to Advance Patient Safety Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov .

Download this Fact Sheet - [PDF - 317 KB]

March, 2023