What Is a Healthcare Compliance Officer and How to Become One
Table of Contents
What Does a Healthcare Compliance Officer Do?
A healthcare compliance officer looks at conformity to and eligibility for specific laws and regulations in a healthcare setting. Your responsibilities include examining policies and regulations, evaluating existing conditions and areas for improvement, and determining how to implement existing and updated programs. Your duties are to ensure patient safety and privacy remain top priorities, understand and apply changes to government agency guidelines, acts, and laws, and monitor the healthcare environment for any risks. You also manage employees and initiate training to ensure organization-wide compliance, conduct regular audits to identify areas which require improvement, and communicate regulations with departments and teams.
How Can I Become a Healthcare Compliance Officer?
To become a healthcare compliance officer, you need a bachelor’s degree or higher in a healthcare field. Employers’ minimum qualifications can vary, but on-the-job experience in a healthcare or compliance role is helpful. You need excellent investigative and analytical skills and exceptional decision-making abilities for this role. Earning an advanced degree or a law degree can help advance your career in healthcare compliance. Certifications may be a requirement for some roles. To earn this, you need to sit for an exam and renew all certifications every two years. This may involve completing continuing education in your field. You earn certification via the Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA).
