CMS Patient Safety Structural Measure (PSSM) Toolkit

Who it’s for:

This toolkit is designed for multidisciplinary leaders responsible for patient safety, governance, and compliance, including:

• Enterprise Risk Managers overseeing governance and regulatory readiness
• Patient Safety Leaders managing reporting systems and improvement efforts
• Quality & Performance Improvement Leaders aligning safety structures with outcomes
• Clinical Leaders & Service Line Directors  who are accountable for operational execution
• Executive Sponsors & Board Liaisonswho are responsible for leadership accountability and oversight
• Additional users may include compliance, accreditation, legal/risk counsel, analytics teams, and system-level leaders. 
   

What it can be used for:

Organizations can use this toolkit to:

• Translate CMS expectations into practical, organization-ready actions
• Prepare for PSSM attestation and scoring using CMS’s all or nothing methodology
• Strengthen governance structures, leadership accountability, and safety culture
• Evaluate and refine patient safety programs, competencies, and system-wide processes
• Guide strategic planning, safety metrics, workforce safety initiatives, and just culture implementation
• Support cross-functional alignment between risk, safety, quality, clinical leadership, and boards
• Build documentation and evidence structures that demonstrate compliance and safety maturity
   

What’s inside:

1. Purpose & Foundations of the PSSM
2. Practical Tools & The Five PSSM Domains: Including detailed guidance, attestations, examples, and peer comment clarification for each domain
3. Risk Considerations
4. Resource Hub
5. Role- and Setting-Based Variations: Small and rural hospitals, larger systems, and operational vs ERM perspectives