The Patient Imperative: A Blueprint for Success

The responsibility of the healthcare leader is to care for those who need us most, delivering exceptional care to every individual, every time. That obligation is the patient imperative: placing patients’ needs, values, safety and outcomes at the center of every decision, from the boardroom to the bedside. 

Zero harm is essential to it, but it is not the whole of it. The broader charge is ensuring every patient has a fair opportunity to be as healthy as possible, and that the workforce delivering that care is supported enough to sustain it. 

Developed by the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), the IHI Lucian Leape Institute, and a group of sitting and former health system CEOs, the blueprint is a practical guide for executive teams, not a theoretical framework.  

It is organized around five interdependent domains. Each includes strategies, tactics and discussion questions designed to be worked through with your board and leadership team. Every organization sits somewhere different on this journey; the blueprint helps you locate yourself honestly, identify the gaps and set priorities. 

How to Cite This Document:  
American College of Healthcare Executives and IHI Lucian Leape Institute. The Patient Imperative: A Blueprint for Success. Boston: American College of Healthcare Executives and Institute for Healthcare Improvement; 2026.