Loss is used in a broad sense to include financial loss, issues of work productivity, physical well-being, and positive attitudes (e.g., morale, freedom from fear, etc.). The overall goals of any loss prevention program are to avoid the causes of loss, lessen the negative effects created by unavoidable losses, and provide for inevitable losses at the lowest practical cost. This particular model also is designed to create a social environment that promotes good security and safety habits through education, motivation, and involvement. The general systems theory models which have been variously applied to health care loss prevention programs are explained in terms outlined by Buckley, including the mechanical model, the homeostatic model, and the process or complex-adaptive model. The latter looks at the whole institution as a human organization -- a sociocultural system -- while the other two models view the institution as being static. The principles of the complex-adaptive model and the specific goals of this loss prevention program can be put into operation through several specialized procedures, techniques, and programs. The paper outlines them in detail and discusses how the entire program fits into the scheme of the institutional system. The loss prevention program consists of three separate components -technological, human, and informational -- all interactive with each other to various degrees. The essential elements of these three components are delineated. Primary functions associated with the model are explained, and basic individual programs (badge systems, visitor control, etc.) vital to the model's success are outlined. Diagrams, 11 notes, and 17 references are provided.