Indian Health Service Team:
At the Indian Health Service we are committed to ensuring a culture of quality, leadership and accountability. We prioritize a workforce that is dedicated, caring, competent, and trustworthy. Protecting our patients is a key element of delivering quality care. I am proud of the work we do each and every day to serve our American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
Earlier this year, IHS released new professional standards and stronger requirements for IHS employees to report suspected sexual abuse and exploitation of children. As part of this new policy, Protecting Children from Sexual Abuse by Health Care Providers, I want to inform you about the availability of employee training on protecting children from sexual abuse in health care settings.
This training is mandatory for all IHS employees and must be completed by the end of Fiscal Year 2019. The training includes information on indicators of abuse and warning signs, organizational safeguards used to ensure patient safety, and the process for reporting suspected sexual abuse. It will also be required for new employee orientation. The training was developed under the review and guidance of IHS clinical subject matter experts and the IHS Office of the General Counsel.
You should have received an email today from HHSLMS@hhs.gov informing you to register for the web based training.
I want to remind you that anyone with knowledge or suspicion of child abuse has a responsibility to report this information to local law enforcement, the IHS Headquarters Division of Personnel Security and Ethics, or the HHS Office of the Inspector General. IHS health care practitioners, administrators and other personnel have a legal duty to report known or suspected abuse. When reporting something you see or suspect, you can be confident that leadership will take the allegations seriously and without reprisal.
At IHS, we believe in providing a safe and caring environment for our patients. Improving and sustaining the culture of care throughout the IHS is a top priority. We are moving forward in delivering quality care to achieve the IHS mission to raise the physical, mental, social and spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives to the highest level.
Thank you for all that you do for the benefit of our patients, each and every day!
Michael
RADM Michael D. Weahkee, MBA, MHSA
Principal Deputy Director, Indian Health Service
Assistant Surgeon General, USPHS