In 2005, the Patient Safety Improvement Act was passed by the Nebraska Legislature. This Act directed the five founding Associations (Nebraska Hospital Association, Nebraska Medical Association, Nebraska Academy of Physician Assistants, Nebraska Pharmacists Association and the Nebraska Nurses Association) to establish a private, nonprofit patient safety organization, independent of state agencies—the Nebraska Coalition for Patient Safety (NCPS).  The Nebraska Coalition for Patient Safety was formed in 2006. In 2009, NCPS became a federally listed patient safety organization.  The goal of both the state and federal legislation is to increase the likelihood that all people who seek health care in Nebraska and across the U.S.  are not harmed by the care that is intended to help them.

Improving patient safety requires teamwork and communication. Team members include patients and their families/caregivers, physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals responsible for the patient’s well-being while in a healthcare environment. NCPS promotes patient safety by working with healthcare providers and encouraging them to establish a written agreement with NCPS to enable them to report patient safety concerns and adverse events. It is through the aggregate analysis of reported events and near events (unsafe conditions) that NCPS is able to identify patterns and trends, and develop and distribute educational resources to its members, that can be used to mitigate risk and improve the safety of healthcare delivery.