Exploring Career Paths in Healthcare Compliance Post-MLS

Paths and Opportunities Available

Even within a specific industry, such as healthcare, numerous compliance career opportunities and paths are available. Each day can vary based on many factors, such as:

• The size of a healthcare organization plays an important role in compliance and data protection responsibilities. Working in a hospital within a large healthcare system presents different challenges than working in a smaller clinic or private practice. This distinction affects how many patients are under care, what types of information must be protected, and how complex the systems are in which that information is stored.
• Team size is another important consideration. In smaller organizations, you may be the sole person responsible for compliance, while in larger organizations, you are more likely to work as part of a broader compliance team with shared responsibilities.
• The type of organization also matters. While healthcare compliance roles are often associated with hospitals and medical practices, many other organizations need healthcare compliance professionals, including government agencies and private companies. In today’s digital environment, health information is not limited to doctors’ offices and hospitals; it can also be collected and stored by health-tracking apps and transmitted through systems such as fax or email. As a result, the servers and platforms handling this information must be secure enough to prevent unauthorized access or interception.

Five common career options in healthcare compliance are:

1. Compliance Auditor

Compliance auditors are often at the forefront of an organization’s compliance efforts. They conduct internal audits of records, billing practices, and internal procedures, and they review and monitor overall compliance activities. In addition, auditors frequently interact with regulatory agencies, attorneys, external organizations, and executive leadership to help minimize risk and ensure the organization remains compliant.

2. Compliance Officer

Compliance officers lead compliance teams and guide their efforts in support of their organization. In settings such as hospitals or care facilities, they are responsible for ensuring operations meet applicable government standards by overseeing training, developing policies, and informing key decisions. They also implement compliance audits and conduct risk assessments to identify and address potential issues. With experience and increased responsibility, this role can advance to chief compliance officer.According to U.S. News, Compliance Officer ranks thirteenth among the best jobs, earning a 4.7 out of five based on factors such as salary, work-life balance, and future growth. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment for compliance officers to grow by 4.6 percent between 2022 and 2032. A healthcare compliance officer, specifically, oversees an organization’s adherence to healthcare laws and regulations, ensuring that policies, procedures, and practices protect patient information and meet all regulatory standards.

3. Patient Privacy and Protection Specialist

Healthcare compliance can be a specialized field within compliance more broadly, but patient privacy and protection is an even more focused area of expertise. Patient privacy and protection specialists concentrate on HIPAA, the primary regulation governing healthcare compliance. They support an organization’s compliance efforts by conducting system reviews, investigations, and compliance audits to ensure personal health information is properly protected. This includes safeguarding medical records, authorization forms, and financial and billing information. In addition to managing the use and storage of sensitive medical data, these specialists play a key role in advocating for patient privacy and overall well-being.

4. Quality Improvement and Compliance Manager

Quality improvement and compliance managers ensure that organizational work is carried out in full accordance with contractual, procedural, and regulatory requirements. Their responsibilities often include preparing for and managing investigations and audits, as well as developing training materials. They must demonstrate a strong commitment to quality assurance and may also help design and maintain systems that support accurate and consistent compliance documentation.

5. Regulatory Compliance Analyst

Regulatory compliance in healthcare ensures that organizations follow all federal, state, and local laws, protecting patient safety, privacy, and the integrity of medical and financial records. Regulatory compliance analysts need to be detail-oriented and skilled in auditing, critical thinking, problem-solving, and project management. They examine, evaluate, and investigate whether processes and practices conform to applicable laws, ensuring that all regulations governing healthcare compliance are followed. In addition to monitoring compliance, these analysts conduct inspections and perform other enforcement and analysis activities. They work not only within healthcare organizations but also in state and federal government agencies, such as the Department of Health and Human Services.

More Healthcare Compliance Jobs

While the healthcare compliance careers mentioned above are some of the more common options, that list is not exhaustive. As technology expands its reach and events like epidemics (or even pandemics) occur in our lifetime, keeping systems updated and information secure becomes a more extensive task. The Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA) conducted a salary survey that provided a much more extensive career list for those who want to go into healthcare compliance. These positions include:

• Hospital Revenue Compliance Auditor or Educator
• Associate Director of Professional Billing and Compliance
• Internal Controls Analyst
• Compliance Auditor
• Audit Manager
• Market Compliance Officer
• Compliance Audits and Investigation Director
• Audits, Monitoring, and Investigations Director
• Medicare Compliance Officer
• Compliance Billing Program Manager
• Billing Compliance Auditor, Director or Manager
• Nurse Auditor
• Compliance Coding Specialist
• Chief Compliance and Ethics Officer
• Patient Safety Program Manager
• Compliance Consultant, Director, Manager or Officer

The Health Care Compliance Association even has its own job board to provide a starting point for those looking for healthcare compliance careers.

Seattle University School of Law

If you’re looking for a career in healthcare compliance, look no further. Seattle University School of Law’s MLS degree in Compliance and Risk Management is the stepping stone you need to either begin or enhance your career. The MLS program provides curated healthcare compliance training and is also, conveniently, a fully online master’s program. This format allows our students to have some flexibility when it comes to fitting higher education into their lives. The program has both asynchronous and synchronous aspects, with recorded and live sessions.

Our students learn from a faculty composed of experienced legal educators and adjunct faculty drawn from Seattle’s leading businesses. These educators bring their practical experience into the classroom in such a way that our graduates leave with the ability to navigate the moral, regulatory, and economic frameworks within compliance.

Reach out to our admissions office today to get started on your healthcare compliance career today.