Healthcare compliance leadership requires choosing between the “hard” of stagnation and the “hard” of growth. This post by John R. Nocero and Andrea L. Bordonaro explores how to move beyond basic regulatory tasks toward strategic Revenue Integrity and Operational Excellence. 

Regulatory compliance leadership isn’t for the faint of heart. Every day, leaders in our field face a fundamental choice that dictates the future of their organizations and their careers. It’s a choice between two distinct types of “hard.” 

One path leads to a plateau of administrative burden, while the other leads to a breakthrough in operational excellence. To move the needle on key compliance metrics, you must decide which challenges you’re willing to embrace. 

The Big Job of Regulatory Change Management 

Regulatory change rarely lives in one department. It touches:  

• Compliance  
• Revenue cycle  
• Legal 
• Clinical operations  
• IT 
• Quality 

Someone must translate regulatory language into operational tasks that those teams can execute. That translation step is where many organizations struggle. Well, guess what? You’re the translation step. 

Someone must translate regulatory language into operational tasks that those teams can execute. That translation step is where many organizations struggle. Well, guess what? You’re the translation step. 

Pick the Hard Work and Then Do It 

The compliance professional’s goal is to move metrics. Period. Whether it’s an outcome of no findings during a state inspection, ensuring everyone is signed off on education and training modules, or the weekly operational numbers posted for the entire organization to see, it’s your responsibility You know the work needs to happen. The challenge is getting the organization aligned around it. And that’s hard. 

Your organization’s leaders trust you to handle it, and they probably see you as capable of doing more. This visibility is an advantage, especially if you want to move up in the organization. But be aware, because corporate and everyone else is watching, looking for cracks in the armor or making you out as the target.  

Our advice? Choose your hard. Here’s how.  

Choose Your Hard: Two Options  

We all want an easier professional life. Less stress from daily meetings. More happiness from the validation of receiving praise from a job well done. Fewer complications from multiple people coming to your door every day to solve problems that aren’t yours.  

Here’s the truth nobody likes to admit: There’s no easy path. There’s only a choice between hard options. So, choose wisely.  

As we see it, you have two options: 

Option 1: Keep Doing What You’re Doing: The Administrative Burden of Stagnation 

This isn’t difficult. You’re basically choosing to do the same things you’ve been doing in the same manner. Keep leading the daily morning compliance meeting in the same style. Keep walking through the units waving and shimmying around but not really being authoritative or looking for issues. Talking to employees but not finding anything out, just basically wasting time. 

And please, avoid the hard conversations around people constantly interrupting you with their problems instead of doing what you get paid to do.  

This is hard, but not for the reason you think. This is hard because, well, we know you, you’re busy, but not productive. You are seen, but you aren’t really doing anything. You think you’re managing, but you’re really just walking around. 

You Get Credit for Moving the Needle, Not for Inertia 

You also think you should be promoted and moved up for doing what you’re supposed to do.  

Here’s the hard truth. You don’t get credit for the things you’re supposed to do. If you’re supposed to lead orientation, write policies, make presentations, all that is in your job description. It’s a basic function of your job. You’re not getting additional credit for that. You get credit for moving the needle, not stagnation.  

This version will feel easy in the moment. But over time, it becomes a cycle. Anxiety creeps in. Stress builds quietly. Communication gets messy. You start telling yourself little lies to stay comfortable. You get moments of happiness, but they don’t last because they’re built on escape, not stability. 

When a compliance department functions as a separate silo rather than a strategic partner, the friction is constant. You’re working hard, but you are not working toward a breakthrough. You are merely surviving the administrative weight of healthcare regulations. 

Option 2: Face Challenges Head-on: The Discipline of Operationalizing Compliance 

The alternative is the “hard” of growth. This involves the difficult work of Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) integration, fostering cross-functional alignment, and ensuring that compliance is viewed as a driver of healthcare quality and patient safety. 

It takes discipline to move beyond the checklist and into this strategy. It’s “hard” because it requires changing the culture of an organization, but it’s the only path that leads to: 

• Sustainable Revenue Integrity: Moving from reactive auditing to proactive prevention.
• Enhanced Patient Safety: Aligning regulatory requirements with frontline clinical care. 
• Professional Authority: Establishing compliance as a core pillar of the leadership team. 

Cut the noise. Reduce the dopamine overload. Sit with discomfort instead of running from it. Say the hard things. Build better habits. Run different meetings. If your boss is giving you a directive that you have to go and talk to the director of nursing and get his or her staff to carry out a particular order, don’t walk up to them and go “Hey, boss, wants you to do this” and tell them exactly the same order that was told to you. That’s not changing. That’s parroting.  

You need to do that a bit differently, such as “boss wants your team to do XYZ. Do you know how to do this? Does your team know how to do this? What are the gaps? What can I do for you right now?” 

The Hard Path Is Uncomfortable but Pays Off Over Time 

See the difference? It’s subtle, but effective. Basketball fans can think of it as the difference between telling your basketball team to run the triangle offense and perfecting the triple-post with all your front court repeatedly until it’s second nature, creating multiple scoring options based on defensive reactions. When you repeatedly do the hard thing, it pays off over the long term. 

This hard path is uncomfortable, and at first, it feels worse, not better. It’s hard to sit in the discomfort. But over time, something starts to change. Your brain slows down. Your emotions stabilize. You stop needing constant stimulation just to feel okay.  

And one day somewhere down the line, you realize: You’re not chasing happiness anymore or trying to be the part. You don’t need to wear a three-piece suit to the corporate board meeting. You can wear a Roman Reigns OTC crewneck. You don’t have to pretend to be the part. You are the part. And you are just experiencing it. 

Choosing the Tough Option Compounds the Benefits 

The tricky part about Option 2 is that it doesn’t feel like it’s working at first. That’s where most people quit. Option 2 is harder. But it compounds. It’s the difference between escaping your life and actually building one you don’t need to escape from.  

Be a long gamer because taking the “easy” path now often becomes the hardest life later. And the hard path now? That’s the one that sets you free. 

Andrea has taught first grade in Willoughby, Ohio for 27 years in the same classroom that she attended school as a child. She earned a Bachelor of Science in elementary education with a minor in language arts from John Carroll University and a Master’s Degree in the Art of Teaching and Education from Marygrove College. 

John builds and fixes quality departments, while currently thriving as the Administrator & Director of Quality, Risk Management and Compliance at River Vista, a behavioral hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

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The Q-Kids – John R Nocero and Andrea L Bordonaro – are experts at everything quality, regulatory, education training and compliance and love sharing their knowledge on YouCompli.

Follow them on LinkedIn – for more quality content or send them a message – they’d love to hear from you.

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The post The Compliance Leadership Paradox: Why You Must Choose Your Hard  first appeared on YouCompli.

You Can’t Manage What You Can’t See 

I get into the hospital about 5am every day. I go to intake and get the daily census sheet and report it out to the providers. I walk upstairs and I get my census sheets for all four units. I call in a fourth provider if needed. I review my e-mails.  

But at 7:30 am every day, I round. No exceptions. Weekday. Weekends. Holidays when I am supposed to be off. Doesn’t matter. I round. It has to be done, because I can’t manage what I can’t see.  

You Need to Manage Healthcare Risk 

So many times, compliance administrators and quality leaders sit in their office and manage through e-mail. Say they are too busy. Too many things to do. Yeah, too many meetings. But the truth is, you need to manage risk. 

Risk comes in many forms . Financial. Patient-related. But the biggest unforeseen risk to me is reputational. If you don’t have a reputation for offering the best patient care while keeping people safe and patients receiving benefits from treatment, you won’t be successful. You won’t make money. You won’t care for patients. You need to see it. Firsthand.  

You can’t manage what you can’t see. Here’s how I round.  

What We Look for During Compliance Rounding 

I walk onto the units through the front entrance and immediately talk to the charge nurse.  

• Do you have enough staff?  
• Is everyone listening to you?  
• How is your census?  
• Do you have any events to report?  
• What is the “temperature” of the unit?  

I then walk down the hall and look in everyone’s room. Are the doors locked? Any ligature risks? Any contraband – things like cups, extra linens, things that someone could harm themselves with? You can’t manage what you can’t see. I walk into each room and just look.  

• What is its condition?  
• Are there any screws loose?  
• What does the milieu look like? Is it calm?  
• Are patients interacting with each other?  
• Are they respectful?  

Then up to all the techs. Same questions, plus ones like these: 

• Have patients gotten showers?  
• Are you tired? Do you need to break?  
• What do observations look like? Are they up to date?  

I then walk through the nurse’s station to the sister units and do the same thing. Same questions. Then downstairs to the other two units. Same thing. Same questions.  

You can’t manage what you can’t see. It takes about 45 minutes total, and it’s the most important part of the day. We have cameras, and I could look at the cameras and do this. But so much would be missed. You need to get onto the units. Why? Because you can’t manage what you can’t see.  

Why In-Person Observation Is Valuable Compliance Practice 

There are three main reasons why I do rounding and in-person observation:  

1. Presence: I have to have a presence on the units. Staff need to see me and see me holding them accountable. They know I’m going to come by every day. Same time. They need to be ready. No questions. No excuses. Plus, it shows I care. I do care about every member of the staff. I want them to get used to seeing me on the floor. Pull me aside. Tell me things. That’s important.  
2. Safety: No one should feel unsafe here, so I’m always looking around for contraband or things that patients can use to harm themselves. Cups and linens as I said but there are things that sometimes make it up to the units. Like shoelaces for example. Now, you take it for granted. Loop, swoop, pull and tie your shoes. A self-harming patient can see that as something more. I look at the environment, too. A loose light or a loose screw can be thrown or even swallowed. You need to stay on top of it. If I see something, I tell my Plant Operations Director and put in a work order to have it fixed immediately.  
3. You can’t manage what you can’t see: This is the most important reason and the one I keep bolding. The only way to know what is going on is to be present. Management by walking around is a thing. When I changed a process a couple months ago, the staff was outraged. We can’t do this, that or the other. Then I walked the units. People on phones. Laughing. Looking calm. You ain’t stressed. That changed fast. Funny how that happened.  

Get Real-Time View of What’s Happening in Your Organization 

Only by being present can you get a real-time view of what’s done, what’s stuck and what is slipping through the cracks. Visibility is power. And I finished this round at 7:28. Two minutes to get upstairs, where they’re also expecting me.  

More Resources About Compliance and Risk 

Ready, Set, Go! Identifying Emerging Risks in Your Annual Compliance Workplan 

Before moving on from this year, it’s important to take time and get feedback from business partners to ensure an “outside-in” perspective is included in your 2026 plan. Compliance expert Jenny O’Brien, JD, MCHDS, CHC shares proven practices.  

The Why, What, Who, and When of Healthcare Risk Assessments   

Sharon Parsley, JD, MBA, CHC, CHRC discusses risk assessment from a “why, what who, and when” perspective. She also looks at ways that you, as an effective compliance officer, can lead this process with your colleagues. 

Andrea has taught first grade in Willoughby, Ohio for 27 years in the same classroom that she attended school as a child. She earned a Bachelor of Science in elementary education with a minor in language arts from John Carroll University and a Master’s Degree in the Art of Teaching and Education from Marygrove College. 

John builds and fixes quality departments, while currently thriving as the Administrator & Director of Quality, Risk Management and Compliance at River Vista, a behavioral hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

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The Q-Kids – John R Nocero and Andrea L Bordonaro – are experts at everything quality, regulatory, education training and compliance and love sharing their knowledge on YouCompli.

Follow them on LinkedIn – for more quality content or send them a message – they’d love to hear from you.

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Sign-up for our Weekly Newsletter

Schedule a quick overview

The post Risk Visibility Isn’t Optional in Healthcare Compliance  first appeared on YouCompli.

Healthcare compliance/accreditation professional Amy Laufmann, MBA, has held a variety of quality and compliance roles for over ten years in multiple settings. Currently the Client Success Manager at YouCompli, she works with healthcare organizations across the country every day, from single-state healthcare systems to systems spanning nationwide. She shares her experience not only having worked in the field, but also the knowledge and insight gained from supporting organizations using the YouCompli compliance software to manage regulatory compliance changes in their organizations. 

Let’s Talk Regulatory Change Management and Compliance Software

In this expert interview, Amy shares insight surrounding compliance management software (like YouCompli) and examples of what it takes for organizations to be successful.

Question: What are the advantages of using compliance software?

Amy Laufmann: Compliance software allows for automation number one, and then accountability.

As far as automation is concerned, the software offloads manual tasks from compliance teams. Essentially, automation skips the manual process of fighting through all the noise and duplications to find out what regulations apply and then delivers it directly to the department accountable for completing the work.

It brings you quickly and directly to the point of starting the compliance work that needs to be done in response to regulatory changes.

YouCompli helps compliance teams start at that point, as they are alerted to regulatory changes that impact their organization. They also get information on what needs to be done to share directly with the impacted departments.

Q: How Do You Know if You’re Catching All the Right Regs?

AL: I remember working at an organization where we had just hired a new Chief Compliance Officer, who was meeting with our team. He asked how our team ensures that we’re monitoring all applicable federal and state rules, and updated accreditation standards.

The team was silent, because despite our best efforts, the process of listserv notifications and the endless newsletters and different compliance organizations did leave concern that something could easily be missed. I’m not going to lie… despite my best efforts, the thought of “What did I miss?” really did surface occasionally.

It’s important to note that software automation eliminates the challenge of simply finding all the rules and regulations that organizations need to be aware of before even getting started doing the work.

Special Care Needed for State Regulatory Changes

Additionally, state regulatory changes are not always the easiest to monitor, track and implement. Often, hospital associations and government relations departments help get important bills on the radar of compliance teams.

However, government websites or other legislative tracking web applications are essentially online libraries. Their results often include bills both passed or not, supported or opposed, and it can be very cumbersome to translate that information into where bills are in the process, which are passed, failed, signed by the governor, etc.

If you know what you’re looking for, great. If you need to find out what should be on your radar, you can very easily miss something and have difficulty finding what you need, especially for those things that may be a bit more obscure, like healthcare transportation.

How Compliance Software Provides Closed-Loop Accountability

That brings me to the second advantage, accountability. Compliance software provides accountability for those folks responsible for implementing the regulatory change and clearly identifying what work has been done in order to comply.

Compliance software has tools built within it to manage that workflow. It can alert staff when they’re assigned work related to regulatory changes, as well as those who need to monitor that work when it’s been done.

Compliance is all about closing the loop and documenting what’s been done, and compliance software automates this process through workflow to ensure the loop gets closed.

Q: It sounds like compliance teams could use help. What features should organizations look for in a compliance management tool?

AL: Compliance management software must include all the regulators you care about. It has to include both federal and state rules and regulations and centralize that information to ensure it funnels into your organization from one source. If I’m going to invest in a compliance solution, it must eliminate the need for me to care about any other noise when it comes to monitoring regulatory changes.

In addition to one source of truth, the ability to have workflow is crucial, as compliance work is typically a very manual process of spreadsheets, tracking, notes and emails scattered across many different places in an organization.

Compliance software should include workflow that allows compliance teams to assign tasks, provide information, and track regulatory work. It should maintain that information within reach of not only compliance teams, but other stakeholders like managers and directors who may want oversight on work impacting their teams, as well as completion status.

Guidance About Compliance Reporting Tools

Lastly, compliance management tools should include the ability to report on the state of compliance work within an organization. What if you could see on-demand and in real time all regulatory work assigned, in progress and complete without having to pull information from multiple spreadsheets, departments, forms, etc.

Compliance software should allow your organization to identify the department, date ranges, status type, or even users and the associated regulatory work.

Reporting within compliance software can help you:

• Identify the state of assigned, in progress, overdue, and completed regulatory work.
• Spot bottlenecks where compliance work is not progressing.
• Are there users, departments, or types of regulations that are going unaddressed?
• Spot departments or individuals who address compliance work in a timely manner and keep their impacted areas in compliance with regulatory changes.
• Who deserves recognition and kudos for getting the work done?
• Facilitate communication and credibility for compliance teams as experts on the state of compliance within their organizations.

Recap: What to Look for in Compliance Management Software

In summary, compliance management software should provide:

• Single source of information to ensure your organization is reviewing all necessary regulatory changes, that is, all the regulatory information your organization needs to know.
• Workflow automation to assign, monitor and complete regulatory work.
• Centralized database to store all information and documentation to implement regulatory changes.
• On-demand reporting to observe all regulatory work, current state and departmental impact for both high-level teams like leadership, as well as detail-level reporting to monitor work assignments by department, user or effective dates.

Compliance Management Goal: Eliminate as Much Risk as Possible – And Software Helps

Healthcare organizations and the compliance teams within them won’t often come out and say it, but 100% compliance 100% of the time just isn’t possible. It is nearly impossible to be ahead of the regulatory change game all of the time and have everyone in an organization compliant with every rule and regulation on the books.

If that were the case, things like billing errors, overpayments, self-disclosures, ADRs and plans of correction would cease to exist.

The point is to eliminate as many potential areas of compliance risk as possible. Compliance software lends itself very well to getting the high value/high risk/high impact regulatory work addressed but still doesn’t let regulatory changes less likely to cause reputational damage or severe financial penalties fall off the radar. It ensures that when capacity and resources are available, those changes too are addressed.

Compliance software like YouCompli provides a valuable, comprehensive picture of the landscape in your organization.

Q: How fast can you go live with compliance software in an organization?

AL: This is a question I get asked all the time, and if I’m honest, I have a love-hate relationship with it. First, let me say if an organization were to purchase YouCompli, ultimately, I could have the software live and sending you notifications of all regulatory changes the same day your desired regulators, jurisdictions and users are identified.

The challenge here is not how quickly we can flip the switch and provide the software to you. It’s really identifying the organization’s goals in using the software in order to either support or improve upon them when we turn on the software.

Launching compliance software within healthcare organizations can be as simple or as complicated as they wish it to be. My job is to help organizations understand how the software works to support and improve their regulatory change management processes.

Four Requirements for Quick, Successful Regulatory Software Roll Out

A lot of the success or failure of this process has to do with a few common themes within a timeframe that’s realistic for the health system.

• Strong support from leadership and communication from senior leaders clearly outlining expectations and processes for utilizing compliance management software.
• Compliance teams have good manual processes in place and want to optimize their efficiency and eliminate time spent on manual work.
• Organizations have clear roles and expectations for responsibility in completing regulatory work in existing structures.
• Compliance is viewed as a part of operations but needs a framework of standard processes and automation to support their efforts.

Integrate with Existing Compliance Processes or Start from Scratch?

When You Have Processes

When organizations have a good foundation to manage work related to regulatory changes, compliance software can almost immediately support that process and make it much less time-intensive by automating all manual parts of the existing framework.

When You Need Processes

For organizations needing compliance software to support a new process or to build a framework for ensuring regulatory work is completed, the software is still quite simple to implement. We provide a framework outlining the process, steps involved and required information, so your organization has an outline for success from day one.

Q: What Do You Need to Roll Out Compliance Software?

AL: Implementation and roll out depend on an organization’s ability to provide the following information:

• Jurisdictions and Regulators: What federal regulators, MACs, and state jurisdictions apply to your organization? (YouCompli provides a list for your organization to select/include in your system.)
• Regulatory Assignments: What do you want the workflow process to look like?
  • Centralized Assignments: All regulatory changes are funneled through compliance teams for review before assigning task work to impacted departments.
  • Decentralized Assignments: All regulatory changes are funneled directly to identified department leaders who are responsible for managing and completing regulatory work specific to their department. (YouCompli provides a “regulatory rolodex” for you to identify department-level, automated assignments.)
• Software Administrator and General User Training Sessions:
  • YouCompli administer training typically consists of one 45- to 60-minute session for leaders who will use the software to manage and oversee regulatory work.
  • YouCompli general user training sessions include a 30-minute overview of how to use the software to complete any assigned regulatory work.

Q: What Should You Know about Software Training and Ease of Use?

AL: Ease of use and training are worth noting because ultimately everyone wants the software to be used.

Speaking of the YouCompli solution specifically, the software is easy-to-use and provides step-by-step instructions guiding users through the process of completing assigned work. It includes on-demand training videos directly linked to those steps, as well as responsive and proactive support not only during implementation, but throughout your time using the YouCompli software.

This support comes directly from our team of industry experts who provide credible, reliable and actionable information. The support crew includes people who’ve worked directly within healthcare compliance, as well as attorneys.

So, when I’m asked how quickly can we go live with YouCompli, the answer is as fast as you’d like. However, to set your organization up for success, I most often recommend identifying a timeline that aligns with ensuring your software is well-utilized and that you get the most value from configuring it.

Q: Do healthcare organizations need to be concerned about privacy and security with compliance tools?

AL: YouCompli specifically is a cloud-based software that enables organizations with web access to use standard username and password access. The software lets organizations easily assign and manage user roles and provides the ability to control what those different roles have access to in the solution.

We also set up Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) which allows the software to authenticate users on an organization’s network and bypass password entry entirely.

The compliance software is not HIPAA-compliant and should not be used to store protected health or confidential information. This is something you will always want to check for any software your organization evaluates.

Most importantly, you want to ensure that the security and privacy that a compliance tool does or does not provide is clearly communicated to all users.

Q: Any Additional Thoughts to Share?

AL: Healthcare compliance is complex. It touches every department within a healthcare system, but it is often an underdeveloped program. I think despite all of the advancements in technology, tools and applications, finding software that actually works for healthcare compliance teams is difficult, and the value of finding a great one is underrated for this particular field.

I currently work for YouCompli, and of course I’m going to be promoting that solution, but I think it’s important to note that I’m only a YouCompli Client Success Manager because first I was a YouCompli client.

My passion for improving access to technology and tools to support regulatory compliance teams and helping them get the most value and support when using software is why I’m here.

I’ve worked at health systems using YouCompli, and I’ve worked at health systems for quite some time without YouCompli. I’ve experienced first-hand the vastly significant difference it made for compliance teams and the organizations they serve, and I can’t imagine working directly in compliance without it ever again.

Q: Ready to Take the Next Step Towards Confident Compliance?

With so many capabilities and benefits, what’s holding you back from learning more about compliance management software and confident compliance? Here are other resources you might want to look at.

White Paper: Empowering Compliance Officers to Drive Better Health and Business Outcomes – How effective regulatory change management practices help healthcare organizations mitigate risk

White Paper: The Opportunity for Compliance to Create Value for Healthcare Organizations – Best practices for demonstrating how compliance makes an impact

White Paper: Doubling Your Impact: Demonstrating Compliance’s Value and Shaping Culture – Best practices for proving your value in five key areas.

Amy Laufmann is client success manager at YouCompli. She has 10+ years of experience in healthcare compliance and operations, and is passionate about helping healthcare organizations operate better and deliver better patient outcomes.  

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27 Ungated Resources for Compliance Leaders and Teams 

Compliance professionals sometimes feel undervalued in comparison to other functions in their organization. They think leaders and colleagues don’t really understand what they do.  

These resources will help. Packed with ideas, tips and recommendations, these pieces were written by professionals with many years of compliance experience. 

You can quickly skim for articles that relate to your needs and interests. Bookmark this page as a reference for future questions or projects.

Visit Now

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• One Compliance Pro’s Regulatory Change Management Process    by Amy Laufmann, MBA
• Five ways to show how healthcare Compliance delivers value by Jerry Shafran
• Revenue Cycle Management Compliance: Ensuring… by Maya Turner, CPMA, CPCO, CFPC, CPC, CPC-I, AAPC
• 12 key metrics for compliance officers looking to… by Kenneth Zeko, JD, CHC
• Three Strategies to Align Compliance with Revenue Cycle  by CJ Wolf, MD
• How the Three Lines Model Strengthens Healthcare Compliance by Kenneth Zeko, JD, CHC
• Mitigating Conflicts of Interest that Drive Profit… by Susan Thomas
• Transforming Compliance to a Department of Yes  by Lisa Herota, RHIA, CHC, CHPS, CCS Compliance & Privacy Officer
• New Regulation– Now What? Step-by-Step Guide to… by Amy Laufmann, MBA
• Navigating Compliance Responsibility: A Foundation… by Amy Laufmann, MBA

The post Expert Advice: Compliance Software Q&A with a Compliance Professional  first appeared on YouCompli.

On a daily basis, compliance officers are asked to find solutions to a variety of operational requirements. For example, consider a regulatory change requiring the organization to adjust an operational process in order to bill for a particular service. In this case, the solution must be compliant and operational-friendly, but who’s responsible for making that happen? 

While supporting operations in finding compliant solutions is part of our role, becoming the de facto fixer of what constitutes “operationally friendly” is beyond our scope. That piece must be owned by operations.  

The challenge then becomes how to get operational leaders to take ownership for resolving their own compliance challenges. 

Five Strategies to Help Operational Leaders Take Responsibility 

These five strategies will help your operational leaders take responsibility for their particular compliance issues, while preserving your role as a trusted advisor. 

#1 Use a “Coach” Mindset, Not a “Gotcha” One 

If you want your leaders to take more ownership of their own compliance challenges, then position yourself as a coach who helps them think through problems and find solutions—not as a person who catches mistakes. 

To pull this off, you need to be intentional about the types of questions you ask. More specifically, you want to ask curiosity-based questions, not judgmental ones. Here are some examples of guiding questions you can ask as you’re helping them find a solution:  

• What challenges are you facing right now? 
• Is there a part of this new regulatory change that feels uncertain to you? 
• What steps do you think you need to take to address this issue? 
• What’s one small step you could take today to move forward? 
• What options or solutions have you considered? 

Know When to Step In and When Not To 

Having a coach mindset also means knowing when to step in—and when not to. For example, your role is to escalate compliance risk when appropriate (e.g. a deadline looks like it’s going to get missed), but it’s not to do the operational work for them (e.g., following up with a subject matter expert for their input).  

If a leader doesn’t take action despite your support, then resist the urge to fix it yourself. Instead, document it and elevate appropriately within your organizational structure to bring about resolution. 

Having a coach mindset encourages operational leaders to own their compliance challenges because when leaders feel heard and supported, they’re more motivated and invested in their work to find a solution. Also, by supporting those closest to the work in addressing issues, it leads to more practical (and often) faster solutions. 

#2 Frame Risk as Operational Risk, Not a Compliance Burden 

In my experience, operational leaders are more likely to engage when compliance is framed in business terms and not compliance jargon. For example, instead of reading or citing regulations, explain the operational impact of the requirement to them. Talk about things like billing delays, lost revenue, patient safety, or reputational damage.  

Additional topics to consider when framing risk as operational risk include: 

• Patient care 
• Staffing 
• Operational costs 
• Budget variances 
• Workflow 

Framing risk as operational and not as a compliance burden helps promote ownership in solving compliance challenges for a couple of reasons. First, this approach speaks their language. When you frame risk in terms that operations understand, they’re more likely to grasp the urgency and relevance of the ask.  

Second, it makes the problem theirs—not yours. If the risk is shown to impact their budget, performance metrics, or reputation, they’re more likely to feel responsible for addressing it.  

Finally, presenting risk in this way increases engagement and accountability. When compliance risks are reframed as disruptions to their performance goals—employees naturally step into problem-solving mode and take accountability.   

 
#3 Stay Curious, Not Critical 

In my experience, the most effective way to approach communications with operational leaders when it comes to compliance is one rooted in a curious mindset, not a judgmental one.  

For example, let’s assume a leader did not follow through on something they said they would do. A judgmental way to respond would be: “You said you would do this, but clearly that meant nothing.” On the other hand, if you said, “Tell me what challenges you’re facing in moving this forward?” that comes across less adversarial, and more likely to produce a collaborative discussion.   

To help compare and contrast the two approaches, consider these additional examples: 

Taking a curiosity-based approach helps support leaders in solving their own compliance challenges because it builds psychological safety by inviting open dialogue and new perspectives. In my experience, operational leaders are more likely to think creatively when they don’t feel scrutinized.  

#4 Make It Easy for Leaders to Act 

Like compliance officers, operational leaders face constant pressure, decision fatigue, and competing priorities—all of which leads to cognitive overload. Relatedly, if the problem-solving process feels overly complex or burdensome, leaders are likely to disengage or defer responsibility.  

To that end, making compliance easier for your leaders doesn’t mean dumbing it down—it means removing friction. (YouCompli Software is designed for this.) 

When you need support, free up mental bandwidth demands by simplifying the work. Clearly communicating expectations or removing unnecessary steps frees up their mental bandwidth. In my experience, when leaders feel less overwhelmed, they are more likely to engage with issues and take initiative.  

So how can you make the work easier for them? Here are some examples that may help: 

• Explain compliance language in terms they can understand. 
• Take the initiative to set up and facilitate root cause analysis discussions. 
• Coordinate and facilitate stakeholder calls to discuss solutions. 
• If they’re feeling stuck, suggest a series of smaller goals to achieve the work. 
• Provide templates, decision trees, checklists, or other tools to make compliance easier. 
• Offer potential solutions (but as pointed out above, don’t take on the work involved.) 

Making the work easier for your operational leaders encourages them to solve their own compliance challenges because it makes the process more approachable and less threatening. That, in turn, increases their willingness to participate and take ownership. When leaders feel less overwhelmed, they are more likely to engage with issues and take initiative.  

#5 Recognize and Reward Ownership 

Finally, another way to foster operational ownership is to call out your leaders (publicly or privately)—in a good way of course—when they take the initiative to solve their own compliance issues.  

For example, let’s assume an audit was conducted in a clinical department related to medical necessity documentation. As part of a corrective action plan, monitoring is needed to ensure the documentation is in the patient’s medical record. If the department director proactively develops a tool for monitoring and vets it with you, then in response, you might say:  

“I really appreciate how you took ownership to proactively develop this tool. That kind of initiative supports us in maintaining a strong culture of compliance in the organization.” 

If leaders only get attention when their problems are escalated to you, they learn to seek approval through dependence. Recognizing effective problem-solving flips the script. It signals that ownership and resolution—not escalation—are what gets rewarded. 

Here are some ways you can recognize and reward your leaders:  

• An unexpected handwritten thank you note directly to the leader, or better yet, the leader’s supervisor  
• One-on-one verbal recognition 
• A note sent from the Chief Compliance Officer (if that’s not you) to the leader 
• Public recognition in a department or team meeting 
• Nomination for a leadership award 
• Feature in a compliance or organizational newsletter 

Recognizing and rewarding great work is helpful for motivating leaders to solve their own compliance challenges. It creates a positive feedback loop where those behaviors become self-reinforcing and then contagious to others on the team. 

Compliance work is complex, and compliance work requires human interaction. That is especially true when it comes to getting your operational leaders to find solutions to their own compliance challenges.  

By following the strategies outlined above, you empower operational leaders to manage their own compliance risks. Just keep in mind that it is a process that takes time, but in the long run, an empowering leadership style will improve buy-in to your program and create a more cohesive culture of compliance.

Download a free PDF Tip Sheet Version of this blog below.

Jay is a compliance professional and consultant in Colorado. He is a healthcare lawyer with significant industry knowledge of the U.S. healthcare market. Over the past 20 years, he has worked for large for-profit and non-profit health systems and small physician-owned entities. In tackling the countless regulatory and operational issues for these diverse organization types, he has developed a deep understanding of the business of healthcare and the regulations governing the industry. 

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27 Ungated Resources for Compliance Leaders and Teams 

Compliance professionals sometimes feel undervalued in comparison to other functions in their organization. They think leaders and colleagues don’t really understand what they do.  

These resources will help. Packed with ideas, tips and recommendations, these pieces were written by professionals with many years of compliance experience. 

You can quickly skim for articles that relate to your needs and interests. Bookmark this page as a reference for future questions or projects.

Visit Now

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• One Compliance Pro’s Regulatory Change Management Process    by Amy Laufmann, MBA
• Five ways to show how healthcare Compliance delivers value by Jerry Shafran
• Revenue Cycle Management Compliance: Ensuring… by Maya Turner, CPMA, CPCO, CFPC, CPC, CPC-I, AAPC
• 12 key metrics for compliance officers looking to… by Kenneth Zeko, JD, CHC
• Three Strategies to Align Compliance with Revenue Cycle  by CJ Wolf, MD
• How the Three Lines Model Strengthens Healthcare Compliance by Kenneth Zeko, JD, CHC
• Mitigating Conflicts of Interest that Drive Profit… by Susan Thomas
• Transforming Compliance to a Department of Yes  by Lisa Herota, RHIA, CHC, CHPS, CCS Compliance & Privacy Officer
• New Regulation– Now What? Step-by-Step Guide to… by Amy Laufmann, MBA
• Navigating Compliance Responsibility: A Foundation… by Amy Laufmann, MBA

The post 5 Strategies for Compliance Accountability Across the Organization  first appeared on YouCompli.

Aligning healthcare regulatory compliance with revenue cycle management is critical to mitigating risks and preserving business integrity. This blog explores three effective strategies to foster collaboration between compliance teams and revenue cycle management.  

Some of the most significant compliance risks faced by healthcare organizations today are found in the revenue cycle. The HHS OIG has stated, “One of the best ways to identify fraud and abuse risks is to follow the money.” 

For many healthcare organizations, this means having a good working relationship with the entity’s revenue cycle team.  

The revenue cycle is the process that starts with a patient’s initial appointment and ends with full payment for services. It encompasses all the administrative and clinical functions that contribute to collecting patient service revenue.  For healthcare organizations that provide services to patients, the revenue cycle is the organization’s financial lifeblood. 

3 Ways Compliance Can Stay Connected with RCM 

If compliance has a good working relationship with revenue cycle management, the two functions can enjoy a fruitful outcome.  

Compliance professionals should consider the following three ways to interact with the revenue cycle team. 

1. Regular Collaboration 

We know from OIG guidance documents that, to be effective, the compliance officer should maintain a degree of separation from the entity’s delivery of healthcare items, services, and related operations.  

Even though this means the compliance officer should not be responsible, either directly or indirectly, for the delivery of healthcare items and services or billing, coding, or claim submission, it does not mean the compliance officer should not be well-versed in these functions through regular communication and collaboration. 

Take Advantage of Compliance Committee Connections 

Regularly collaborating with the revenue cycle team will inform compliance professionals of the specific risks and potential compliance red flags the revenue cycle may be facing.  Many organizations ensure this collaboration by having revenue cycle leadership serve on the organization’s compliance committee.  

In fact, the OIG states the compliance committee “…should be comprised of the relevant leaders of both operational and supporting departments, which could include Billing and Coding, Clinical and Medical, Finance, Internal Audit, IT, HIM, Human Resources, Legal, Quality, Risk Management, Sales and Marketing, and other operational managers.”  Most of the departments suggested by the OIG play a role in the revenue cycle. 

In addition to revenue cycle personnel participating in the compliance committee, collaboration between compliance and revenue cycle can occur on a weekly basis through meetings and sharing of revenue cycle data such as denial rates, reports from electronic claims editors, communications from third party payors and any internal coding and billing monitoring the revenue cycle is performing. 

2. Proactive Claims Auditing  

The OIG tells healthcare providers that they “…should take proactive measures to ensure compliance with program rules, including regular reviews to keep billing and coding practices up to date as well as regular internal billing and coding audits.” 

In organizations that submit claims for services, a sizable number of resources should be dedicated to ensuring the claims they are submitting for reimbursement meet all program requirements.  

The revenue cycle team should have monitoring efforts in place for correct coding and billing.  Also, compliance departments should ensure that independent claims audits are also occurring regularly. 

Assisting Revenue with 60-Day Repayment Rule Requirements  

Even if an entity makes innocent billing mistakes, they have an obligation to repay the money to government third-party payers such as Medicare and Medicaid. The Affordable Care Act included a requirement that entities must report and repay overpayments by the later of: “(A) the date which is 60 days after the date on which the overpayment was identified; or (B) the date any corresponding cost report is due, if applicable.”  Sometimes this is referred to as the 60-day repayment rule. 

If a revenue cycle team’s internal monitoring identifies overpayments, it is critical for compliance departments to know the date of discovery, so the organization does not run afoul of the 60-day repayment rule. If the entity does not monitor the repayment requirements, they could be subject to liability under the Federal False Claims Act. 

3. Training and Education Geared to Job Roles 

Coding and billing rules are regularly updated and can change frequently, and it’s often difficult for busy clinicians to stay on top of the changing regulations. Compliance and revenue cycle teams should work together to ensure those involved in revenue cycle functions are educated on the most current rules. 

The OIG recommends targeting training depending on an individual’s role. Thus, those involved in revenue cycle operations need to provide training and education specific to the nuances of the revenue cycle. The training sessions should cover any compliance risks specific to the learners’ roles and responsibilities.  

Depending on the learners’ roles, these may include: 

• Billing 
• Coding 
• Documentation 
• Medical necessity 
• Beneficiary inducements 
• Gifts 
• Interactions with physicians  
• Other sources or recipients of referrals of federal healthcare program business 

Three Ways to Show You Follow the Money

If healthcare organizations are going to address their biggest compliance risks, they must include the revenue cycle. Compliance professionals can lead in addressing revenue cycle risks by: 

• Driving effective collaboration between compliance and revenue cycle teams 
• Verifying that proper auditing and monitoring of claims are occurring  
• Ensuring those involved in revenue cycle receive targeted training based on their specific role.  

Doing these three things helps show your compliance program is indeed “following the money” as suggested by enforcement agencies such as the OIG. 

About Solutions for Compliance Management and Operations 

Need help keeping track of everything going on in regulatory management? When multiple people and departments are involved, the last thing stretched compliance teams need is more manual work.  

YouCompli compliance solutions keep cross-functional engagement organized, verified and on schedule.  

• Identify and assign specific individuals responsible for completing regulatory requirements. 
• Track progress and on-time completion of all regulatory requirements. 
• Verify that regulatory requirements have been acted upon within the organization. 
• Gauge and quantify potential areas of risk related to incomplete regulatory requirement assignments. 

Detailed reports equip compliance teams with oversight information they need to effectively communicate, act on, monitor, and focus organizational compliance efforts. 

Combine YouCompli solutions with the three best practices in this blog to build productive connections with Revenue and other departments.  

More Resources About Revenue Cycle Management and Compliance 

If you’re interested in learning more about the Revenue angle of healthcare compliance, here are a few additional resources: 

White Paper: Exploring the Four Hot Spots Of the Healthcare Revenue Cycle 

Case Study: Getting It Right: Minimizing Self-identified Overpayments & Maximizing Accurate Billing 

Tips and Tactics: Revenue Cycle Management Compliance: Ensuring Financial Health in Healthcare 

CJ Wolf, MD, M.Ed. is a healthcare compliance professional with over 22 years of experience in healthcare economics, revenue cycle, coding, billing, and healthcare compliance. He has worked for Intermountain Healthcare, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, the University of Texas System, an international medical device company and a healthcare compliance software start up. Currently, Dr. Wolf teaches and provides private healthcare compliance and coding consulting services as well as training.   

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27 Ungated Resources for Compliance Leaders and Teams 

Compliance professionals sometimes feel undervalued in comparison to other functions in their organization. They think leaders and colleagues don’t really understand what they do.  

These resources will help. Packed with ideas, tips and recommendations, these pieces were written by professionals with many years of compliance experience. 

You can quickly skim for articles that relate to your needs and interests. Bookmark this page as a reference for future questions or projects.

Visit Now

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The post Three Strategies to Align Compliance with Revenue Cycle  first appeared on YouCompli.

Assertive Communication Skills for Compliance Officers | 8 Steps 

A career in healthcare compliance can be both exciting and overwhelming. You’re tasked with ensuring regulations are followed; risks are managed, and ethical standards are upheld—all while working with clinical and administrative leaders who may have vastly different priorities. 

When it comes to the compliance program, effective communication is essential for building strong relationships, resolving conflicts and gaining buy-in. One of the most valuable interpersonal tools to help you achieve these goals is assertive communication. It allows you to express your thoughts, needs and boundaries in a clear and respectful manner.  

But here’s the challenge—it’s easy to confuse being assertive with being aggressive.  

Understanding the difference between these styles can help you avoid unnecessary conflict and communicate more effectively when it comes to compliance-related needs.  

In this article, I cover: 

• Key differences between the two communication styles 
• How assertive communication benefits the compliance program 
• Strategies to help you master this skillset 

What Is Assertive Communication? 

Assertiveness is a positive form of communication that uses a balanced approach. You express your opinion about something that you want (which is placing value in yourself), while respecting the opinions of the other people involved (which is placing value in others). 

For example, let’s assume your audit plan includes a review of medical necessity documentation for your cardiac rehab program. Let’s further assume the program’s director insists her unit doesn’t need to complete the audit, nor does she have available staff to complete the work.  

Assertive communication might look like you saying:  

“I understand your team is extremely busy right now. However, cardiac rehab billing has been the subject of a number of government settlements lately, and we want to make sure our practices can withstand a government investigation or audit. What if we work together to find the least disruptive approach for your team to complete the work?” 

This response is assertive because it acknowledges the program director’s concerns while communicating a compliance need.  

An assertive approach has several benefits:  

• First, it shows respect for yourself, which can help build confidence and self-esteem as you are expressing your needs in a positive manner.  
• Second, it’s an effective way to resolve conflict because you place equal value on everyone’s opinions.  
• Finally, it strengthens the relationship because you demonstrate respect for others.  

What Is Aggressive Communication? 

Aggressiveness is a negative form of communication. When you communicate aggressively, you offset the above-noted balance by sending a message to others that your opinion has a higher value than their opinion. It tends to be forceful, disrespectful, and often disregards the needs or perspectives of others.  

Let’s circle back to the scenario involving the cardiac rehab audit for a moment. The following might look like aggressive communication when responding back to the program director:  

“This is completely unacceptable. If your team doesn’t care about complying with the regulations, I’ll escalate this to your supervisor and let them know you’re putting the organization at risk.” 

Yikes.  

Such a response is aggressive because it uses blame, sarcasm, threats and an authoritarian tone.  

An aggressive approach can create several risks for the compliance program.  

• While it may produce short-term results, it damages trust and long-term relationships, reducing your chances of buy-in.  
• Taking such an approach demonstrates an intent to shut down dialogue at a time when you need it most for your compliance program activities.  
• It creates an environment where operational leaders feel reluctant to seek your advice. This can result in little messes becoming big ones because leaders are not reaching out to you proactively.  

Key Differences between Aggressive and Assertive Communication 

Generally speaking, assertive communication focuses on standing up for yourself. Aggressive communication focuses on attacking others. To help distinguish the difference, consider the following comparison and ask yourself—which feels more respectful?  

3 Ways Assertive Communication Drives Compliance Success 

Healthcare compliance officers often deal with sensitive topics like billing errors, patient privacy breaches or improper medical record documentation, all of which, by their very nature, can be emotionally charged situations. This makes good communication more important than ever. 

Assertive communication helps when it comes to carrying out sensitive compliance work for three main reasons.  

1. It nurtures your professional relationships.  

Assertive individuals communicate openly (i.e., sharing the good and bad news), which leads to trust and mutual respect while preventing resentment and misunderstandings. Open communication also fosters collaboration, productivity and teamwork. These traits are important when it comes to things like finding a compliant solution to a business proposal or carrying out corrective action plans. 

2. It improves self-confidence and decision-making.  

When individuals advocate for their needs and opinions, they feel more empowered. This confidence leads to better decision-making and problem-solving skills. Assertive communicators are willing to ask questions, clarify expectations, and negotiate effectively. This benefits work such as investigations, internal consulting and auditing.  

3. It encourages respect and professionalism.  

Assertive communication promotes a culture of mutual respect. When you communicate in a way that sets clear expectations and provides constructive feedback, you create an environment where ideas are valued.  

When it comes to things like implementing a new operational process to meet a requirement, or handling a government payer refund, compliance officers must communicate expectations, provide guidance and handle conflicts professionally. These are characteristics of an assertive style that will improve your results. 

Jay is a compliance professional and consultant in Colorado. He is a healthcare lawyer with significant industry knowledge of the U.S. healthcare market. Over the past 20 years, he has worked for large for-profit and non-profit health systems and small physician-owned entities. In tackling the countless regulatory and operational issues for these diverse organization types, he has developed a deep understanding of the business of healthcare and the regulations governing the industry. 

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The post Aggressive vs Assertive Communication: What New Healthcare Compliance Officers Need to Know  first appeared on YouCompli.

Maintaining quality in compliance training is a constant challenge for healthcare organizations of all sizes. Any surge of regulatory changes necessitates prompt, effective training programs for staff, yet the process of developing and delivering quality learning can be daunting.  

Crafting tailored educational content takes significant time and effort, especially for regulatory topics, while coordinating group sessions can feel like herding cats. Simply populating a Learning Management System (LMS) with generic material often yields lackluster results and managing it all with spreadsheets and emails adds to the chaos.  

For example, one large California health system faced the daunting task of creating, delivering and completing training for pharmacy techs within a tight 10-day window following a new privacy waiver. And that’s just one of many examples happening weekly if not daily across all health systems. This scenario underscores the need for proactive compliance training that not only meets regulatory demands but also engages staff effectively.  

This article by learning and compliance experts explains how compliance teams can get on top of training programs and deliver quality results.  

Why Training Fails in Corporate Healthcare Settings and How to Fix It 

Training fails in corporate settings (including healthcare organizations) because people don’t know how to train. HR or Quality departments typically handle training, not actual teachers, according to Erika Stevens, MA, FACRP, director of clinical research experience and faculty lecturer for MS Clinical Research Management Track at Rutgers Health. She addressed this issue at the Association of Clinical Research Professionals 2024 Annual Conference.  

Stevens also made note of the need to incorporate engagement best practices into the training of clinical research professionals. “Clinical trials continue to be complex, even for those of us who have been involved in them for many years, and not just in terms of how do we involve the patients, but how do we prepare the professionals to engage them?” 

Exactly. Here’s how to raise the quality of regulatory compliance training in your healthcare organization. Read this article for insights, tips and training best practices. And BTW, one of the experts IS a teacher. 

Context Means Learning in Training Situations 

On a recent episode of the Art of Manliness podcast, Scott Young, author of Get Better at Anything: 12 Maxims for Mastery, shared three key factors for learning:  

• Seeing

• Doing

• Listening

A significant component of human learning lies in the ability to act on and interact with the surrounding environment. So, to a large extent, the ease of how we learn from others determines how quickly we can improve. 

To see and learn in the world of business, we need to group professionals together during orientation. Then keep them together through the duration of work, no matter their job titles, to practice team-building skills and to be accountable to the group as well as to themselves. 

Encourage Deliberate Practice in Compliance Training 

Secondly, mastery requires “doing” through deliberate practice, which refers to a special type of training that is purposeful and systematic.  

While regular practice might include mindless repetitions, deliberate practice requires focused attention and is conducted with the specific goal of improving performance.  

Progress requires constant adjustment based on not just the red stroke of a teacher’s pen but on the results of hands-on experience.  

Feedback Is Key Ingredient of Compliance Education 

Whatever a person’s role, they need to repeat tasks and hone skills time after time. Training becomes about taking any action and then making course corrections based on feedback.  

Why Feedback Is Needed 

• Helps people flex and grow into new skills, capabilities and roles 
• Creates more positive and productive relationships 
• Helps to reach goals and drive business value 

Speaking of feedback, let’s put this one on the managers. In our fast-paced clinical research world, being clear and brief is gold. No one has the time or the attention span (thanks, TikTok) for long-winded explanations. Keep it crisp. Use technology. 

Technology Teaches 

Tech solutions are being combined with basic education principles to transform compliance training workflow and tracking. To improve corporate training in any capacity, organizations should borrow from various education principles and utilize technology, such as: 

• Active Learning & Engagement: Encourage participation through interactive discussions, problem-solving exercises, and hands-on activities rather than passive lectures. 
• Storytelling for Retention: People remember stories better than raw data. Framing training within real-life scenarios and relatable experiences increases comprehension and recall. 
• Personalized & Adaptive Learning: Use blended learning models, microlearning and adaptive tech platforms to cater to individual learning speeds and styles. 
• Connection & Emotional Relevance: Foster an environment where employees see the “why” behind the training—how it benefits them personally and professionally. Make this clear. 
• Scenario-Based Learning: Instead of memorizing regulations, research staff can engage in simulated case studies where they troubleshoot real-world ethical dilemmas or protocol challenges. 
• Interactive Workshops: Hands-on practice with data collection tools, patient communication techniques, or other applications ensures skill mastery rather than theoretical understanding. 
• Mentorship & Continuous Learning: Pairing new employees with experienced mentors fosters on-the-job learning and reinforcement beyond initial training sessions. 

Up Your Compliance Training Game with Personalization 

Although employees may attend workshops, complete modules, or watch presentations, they may still fail to retain knowledge or apply it effectively. A common reason is lack of engagement. Traditional training methods (e.g., slide-heavy lectures or dense manuals) are passive, generic and uninspiring.  

Don’t use a “One-Size-Fits-All Approach” or ignore personalization. We need to apply core educational principles to compliance. Simple as that. 

Making all types of training engaging, interactive and personalized helps: 

• Boost retention 
• Enhance job performance 
• Foster a culture of continuous learning 

Applying education-based strategies can transform compliance training from a mundane task into a powerful tool for professional growth and organizational excellence.  

For ideas on how to up your compliance training game, reach out to the professionals at YouCompli. 

John R. Nocero, Ph.D., and Andrea L. Bordonaro, MAT, blog on LinkedIn as “The Q-Kids,” discussing everything related to clinical research education, inspiration, and professional connection. 

John is the Director of Quality at River Vista in Columbus, Ohio. He has worked in clinical research since 2003 and is inspired by the Irish professional wrestler Becky Lynch, whose personal and professional story centers on achievement, tenacity, grit, and overcoming adversity.  

Andrea has taught first grade in Willoughby, Ohio for 25 years. She earned a Bachelor of Science in elementary education from John Carroll University and a Master’s Degree in the Art of Teaching and Education from Marygrove College. 

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The post Best Practices for Better Training in Healthcare Compliance  first appeared on YouCompli.

Want Better Training Results? Tell Your Story. 

It’s really simple – people get hooked on stories, and the tales stick with us.  For example, once upon a time, there was a girl named Cinderella. Not only does that line open every fairy tale, but it also won’t leave your mind, no matter how old you get. That’s the same result you want for compliance communication and training, right? 

What’s more – the same tales can be told as moral lessons as we get older. In Cinderella, the Princess gets invited to the ball and ends up with her Prince Charming, so it’s the classic, recognizable tale of good trumps evil. Beauty and the Beast centers on a young lad cast under a spell that can only be broken by true love and when it is, the two live happily ever after. The connections with stories are timeless.

Own Your Story with Confidence 

People have always related to stories, and everyone has a story to tell. What’s yours? You just need to own it and believe it’s worth telling. In the business world, your story might be communication about an important regulatory update that affects multiple departments.  

Have the confidence to get in front of adult learners and teach them about this important change. If you’re real, if you own and tell your story, you too can connect to people and change cultures, even in healthcare compliance. 

Crafting The Compliance Narrative  

It’s one thing to be a knowledgeable teacher and convey information to students, but it’s a whole other skill to be creative and entertaining with the subject matter so it sticks with students in a fun, engaging way. A well-crafted narrative definitely has its place in education, and that includes compliance training.  

Achieving this level of success means first putting thought into what that story looks like. You need to determine exactly what it is you’re trying to teach. Is it a policy? A finding from a recent inspection? Best practices? Whatever it is, figure out the best way to connect this information with your audience. That could take different formats, depending on the situation. 

Simple and Straightforward 

For example, an inspector is on-site investigating a complaint received about your facility. They just want to know what happened from beginning to end. This means you need to find out and tell them the full truth, clearly articulating the story from beginning to end so you won’t prompt too many questions.  

Get Attention with Negative Consequences 

Here’s another example. You’re at a nursing meeting, and a new policy has rolled out. At this point it’s not about you. Present it in a way that shows you understand how the new policy impacts THEM. Explain why they should adhere to this policy and the consequences if they don’t. This situation is a perfect place for a story illustrating negative consequences.  

Craft your story based on audience, requirements and outcomes.  

Two Steps to Building an Effective Compliance Narrative 

Drawing on your own strengths, abilities and resources often leads to more resonant, relevant interactions with colleagues. We’ve found taking these two steps can enhance your ability as a communicator. 

1 – Share your experiences to create meaning.  

Draw from your personal life to show how problems can be solved. This not only clarifies concepts but also motivates learners to learn new skills and solutions, making the story more meaningful to them. When learners find meaning in the concepts you teach, they’re more likely to pay attention, stay on task and grasp what is being taught.  

2 – Embrace your authenticity to build trust.  

People smell fake. They know when speakers have agendas and are trying to sell something or are even flat-out lying. Speaking your authentic truth builds trust with your learners. Yes, it’s hard to put your innermost thoughts and opinions out in public, especially in an open forum. You open yourself up to possible criticism, and that’s hard to take. But what that does is help you grow a little tougher skin, and that’s very healthy.  

Practice Being a Compliance Communicator. Then Do It Again. 

If you’ve never done much group speaking before, communicating as an educator will be new and possibly intimidating. But you will find that being real speaks volumes. You’re not teaching to impress or cater to anyone. Practice telling your story warts and all. Then do it again and again and again. 

Stories connect people while transmitting knowledge. Make yours compelling, and you contribute significantly to your educational effectiveness.  

John R. Nocero, Ph.D., and Andrea L. Bordonaro, MAT, blog on LinkedIn as “The Q-Kids,” discussing everything related to clinical research education, inspiration, and professional connection. 

John is the Director of Quality at River Vista in Columbus, Ohio. He has worked in clinical research since 2003 and is inspired by the Irish professional wrestler Becky Lynch, whose personal and professional story centers on achievement, tenacity, grit, and overcoming adversity.  

Andrea has taught first grade in Willoughby, Ohio for 25 years. She earned a Bachelor of Science in elementary education from John Carroll University and a Master’s Degree in the Art of Teaching and Education from Marygrove College. 

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The post How Storytelling Improves Compliance Communication and Training  first appeared on YouCompli.

Compliance in healthcare isn’t just about meeting regulatory requirements – it’s about protecting patients, maintaining trust, and ensuring operational efficiency. Too often, compliance is treated like a separate function and oftentimes a bit disconnected from department heads, operations and leadership.  

In my experience, the most successful healthcare organizations take a very different approach: compliance is seen not as an obstacle, but as a partner in driving quality care and achieving business goals. The function is embedded into decision making, planning and daily operations at all levels. 

Integrating compliance into core business operations strengthens both the compliance program and the broader organization. Below we will identify practical ways to achieve that integration and review the many benefits of taking this approach. 

Gaining Leadership Alignment and Buy-In for Compliance  

Integration begins at the top. When leadership views compliance as a strategic priority – not just a checkbox for audits – it creates a culture where compliance is valued, understood and actively supported. 

Healthcare leaders set the tone by: 

• Including compliance officers/leaders in business planning and strategic discussions. 
• Allocating budgets for compliance initiatives and technologies. 
• Incorporating compliance-related KPIs into department and organizational scorecards. 

Compliance leaders, in turn, support the organization by: 

• Offering proactive guidance on regulatory risks and opportunities. 
• Identifying areas of noncompliance that could lead to penalties or reputational harm. 
• Streamlining interactions with external agencies by helping departments stay prepared and responsive. 

Leadership support encourages compliance to be viewed as a collaborative partner, not a gatekeeper or enforcer. With executive backing, compliance becomes increasingly more effective in helping teams achieve both operational and regulatory goals. 

Map Compliance Reviews into Operational Workflows 

Many organizations make the mistake of layering compliance reviews onto existing workflows as an afterthought. This often results in inefficiencies, confusion or missed steps.  

The better approach is to integrate compliance directly into operational processes by including it as part of how the work gets done. Compliance teams should collaborate with department managers to map out how compliance requirements intersect with day-to-day operations. Identify who is responsible for each compliance-related step, and document those responsibilities clearly. When compliance is built into job roles and routine activities, it becomes less burdensome, more efficient and more effective.  

Leverage Technology for Integration and Execution 

Technology plays a crucial role in streamlining compliance operations. The right tools can automate regulatory tracking, standardize documentation, assign accountability, and provide visibility to monitor progress. 

Start by reviewing your current technology and assess: 

• Are there opportunities to embed compliance tasks into systems staff already use (like EHRs, HRIS, LMS, etc.)? 
• Are alerts and reminders automated? 
• Do you have a centralized platform to manage and track regulatory changes? 

Tools like YouCompli are designed specifically to close the gap between regulatory updates and operational execution. By automating the distribution of new rules, assigning tasks to appropriate staff, and tracking completion, compliance becomes an operational process, not an isolated initiative. 

Utilize your existing tools to their fullest potential and explore additional solutions available to support gaps and increase your team’s ability to drive value. 

Communicate and Train Continuously for Proactive Compliance 

Ongoing training is critical, not just to meet regulatory requirements, and it can’t be just annual courses or a quarterly newsletter. Ongoing, direct engagement drives true integration of compliance into an organization. While required training has its place and is necessary, the real connection comes from consistent communication and face-to-face collaboration. 

Here’s what should be included in a collaborative training strategy: 

• Rounding Onsite: Compliance staff should be visible in every part of the organization. Walking the floors, attending team huddles, and participating in department meetings builds relationships and surfaces real-life challenges experienced by your staff. 
• Microlearning Moments: Short videos, quick reference guides and FAQ weekly emails are easy to digest and keep compliance top of mind. 
• Feedback Loops: Ask frontline teams where they’re experiencing friction or confusion with compliance activities. Their insights are invaluable for improving training and processes. 
• Transparency: Share compliance metrics, compliance wins/achievements and areas of specific focus for improvement. 

Regular interaction builds trust and encourages staff to view compliance as a source of support and clarity, not just a department responsible for shining a light on everything that’s going wrong. It positions the compliance team to be viewed as a responsive partner, not just a rule enforcer.  

How to Measure What Matters in Healthcare Compliance 

Let’s face it, you can’t manage what you don’t measure, but you also don’t want to measure everything and anything that can be quantified. Too often, compliance success is evaluated only in terms of audit scores or survey readiness. However, true integration requires broader, more operationally focused metrics. 

Consider including: 

• Time-to-completion or regulatory change tasks/work 
• Staff engagement with compliance training and communications  
• Compliance team onsite/rounding activities 
• Feedback from departments on compliance collaboration 
• Risk mitigation outcomes, such as reduction in repeat findings or survey citations 

Use dashboards and reports to monitor not just outcomes, but how embedded is compliance in your daily operations? Are staff clear on their roles? Are tasks being completed proactively? Is the organization staying ahead of regulatory changes? 

The Benefits of Integrating Compliance into Organizations 

When compliance is an integrated part of a healthcare organization, woven like a fabric within each level, every department wins by: 

• Improving patient outcomes and safety: Policies and procedures align with the latest standards, reducing the chance of preventable harm. 
• Reduced Risk Exposure: Noncompliance is identified and resolved early – before it becomes a liability. 
• Operational Efficiency: Fewer redundancies, less rework, and more clarity for staff. 
• Stronger Culture of Integrity: Compliance becomes everyone’s job, not just the compliance team. 
• Regulatory Readiness: Survey prep becomes an ongoing practice rather than a stressful scramble. 

Make Small Changes to Integrate Compliance into Your Organization  

Compliance is about following the rules, but also so much more. It’s about making the rules part of how care is delivered, how work is done, how business decisions are made, and ensuring the people in the organizations are supported.  

When compliance is fully integrated into everyday operations, it empowers staff, improves performance and protects patients. Just like making any lasting changes, you don’t need to do everything listed above all at once, and most likely you can’t, as these gains take time and effort.  

Start by making small changes. Begin with building key relationships, listening and gathering all the information you need to know to be successful in your integration goals and efforts. Most importantly, never lose track that compliance can become a seamless part of your organization’s operations and a key driver of success. 

Want to keep going and learn more about growing the value of healthcare compliance? Try the ideas and advice in this white paper: “DOUBLING YOUR IMPACT: DEMONSTRATING COMPLIANCE’S VALUE AND SHAPING CULTURE Best Practices for Proving It in Five Key Areas.”        

Amy Laufmann is client success manager at YouCompli. She has 10+ years of experience in healthcare compliance and operations, and is passionate about helping healthcare organizations operate better and deliver better patient outcomes.  

Qualified compliance professionals do the heavy lifting for you, simplifying regulatory change management  

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27 Ungated Resources for Compliance Leaders and Teams 

Compliance professionals sometimes feel undervalued in comparison to other functions in their organization. They think leaders and colleagues don’t really understand what they do.  

These resources will help. Packed with ideas, tips and recommendations, these pieces were written by professionals with many years of compliance experience. 

You can quickly skim for articles that relate to your needs and interests. Bookmark this page as a reference for future questions or projects.

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The post Beyond the Checklist: Integrate Compliance into Everyday Operations  first appeared on YouCompli.