Clinical -> healthcare compliance consulting
I went into nursing because I wanted to minister to others, providing holistic care to all people. My initial focus was charitable, faith-based healthcare in a FQHC. Once kids came along, I moved into pediatrics, first in an outpatient setting, then for 5 years on an inpatient adolescent med/surg unit at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Our family relocated from Cincinnati to Lexington, KY and I was again able to work in the faith-based charitable healthcare world, this time in a nursing leadership role in a free clinic. I managed all things clinical – protocols, education, documentation, procurement.
Through these connections, I became connected to the Chief Compliance Officer of an academic medical center (AMC). After our 4th child was born, I made an unexpected move to that AMC and became the Hospital Compliance Officer.
At that point, I found it odd that the compliance office was a perfect fit for me, as it seemed so far from why I became a nurse. But it required what I was seeing as the best parts of my business strengths: strategy, creativity, strong communication, an efficient approach to getting a lot done quickly, and collaborative provision of tailored solutions to address needs of our stakeholders. These strengths were all built on top of my clinical background and my ability to navigate the healthcare system well.
Our family relocated and I worked for the next decade plus in healthcare compliance consulting, providing proactive and reactive consulting services to compliance programs at health systems, hospitals, physician specialty groups, and organizations conducting clinical research.
I also found out how much I liked and was good at writing, speaking, and teaching, and became faculty for the Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA), including ongoing teaching for the Research Compliance Academies and the Compliance Essentials Workshops.
