Bringing Real-World Healthcare Compliance into the Online Classroom
What does it look like to learn compliance from someone actively shaping policy inside one of the nation’s largest healthcare organizations?
For students pursuing a healthcare compliance master’s degree through Seattle University School of Law’s Online Master of Legal Studies (MLS) in Compliance & Risk Management, it means learning from professionals like David Figueroa.
David serves as the Executive Director, Enterprise Policy & Awareness for the Ethics and Compliance program at Kaiser Permanente, where he oversees enterprise, national, and regional policy services teams, learning and awareness initiatives, and the Ethics and Compliance Professional Development Program. His work focuses on empowering employees to understand their roles, speak up with confidence, and help build ethical, inclusive organizational cultures grounded in trust.
In Seattle University’s MLS compliance program, he brings that executive-level experience directly into the classroom.
From Litigator to Healthcare Compliance Leader
David’s path into compliance wasn’t linear, and that’s exactly what he encourages his students to embrace.
He began his career as a litigator in Southern California, handling both civil and criminal matters. As his family life evolved, he began exploring new professional opportunities. That openness, which he calls a “growth mindset,” led him to Kaiser Permanente more than a decade ago.
“I never imagined I would find a career in healthcare compliance,” he says. “It came from being open to new opportunities and saying yes to things I was curious about.”
That perspective resonates strongly with students enrolled in an online healthcare compliance degree who may be considering advancement, specialization, or a career pivot.
Teaching What Practice Actually Looks Like
David teaches two courses in our program, which fall within the Healthcare Compliance Track:
- Healthcare Compliance
- Healthcare Transactions Compliance
Learn more about our program courses here.
What sets David’s courses apart is their practical application.
“I use examples, examples, and more examples,” he explains. “When we talk about regulatory expectations, I pull up the regulator’s website. Students see the guidance documents professionals actually use. It’s not just theory, it’s what working people look at every day.”
Rather than focusing on memorization, his assignments emphasize:
- Issue spotting
- Real-world analysis
- Applying regulatory frameworks to actual scenarios
- Understanding how compliance functions inside organizations
Students aren’t asked to recite definitions. They’re asked to think like compliance professionals– a core differentiator of Seattle University’s MLS compliance program.
Exploring Emerging Issues Like Antitrust
One topic generating strong discussion in his courses is antitrust in healthcare.
As federal, state, and local regulations continue to evolve, healthcare organizations operate in increasingly complex regulatory environments. Antitrust enforcement and regulatory scrutiny have become more visible in both practice and media coverage.
By bringing current developments into classroom discussions, David ensures that students in this healthcare compliance master’s degree program understand not only foundational concepts but also how they apply in today’s regulatory climate.
The Benefits of an Online Healthcare Compliance Degree
David sees distinct advantages to teaching online.
Flexibility for working professionals
Students can move at a pace that fits their lives, whether that’s early mornings, evenings after kids are asleep, or weekends.
Every voice is heard
Through structured discussion boards, every student participates in every topic. In traditional classrooms, some voices dominate while others hesitate to speak. Online, thoughtful reflection and required participation create deeper engagement.
“You get to hear from everyone,” he says. “It helps me understand where students need more support or where we can go deeper.”
Live sessions serve as checkpoints, allowing students to synthesize topics and see how regulatory, operational, and strategic concepts connect across modules.
A Safe Space to Explore Career Paths in Compliance
One of the program’s greatest strengths, David believes, is that it allows students to sample different areas of compliance in a safe environment.
Compliance is broad. Students may discover interests in:
- Privacy & security
- Investigations
- Revenue management strategy
- Regulatory oversight
- Policy development
“You get to explore without risk,” David explains. “If you make a mistake, you learn. There’s no harm to an organization or your career.”
For professionals pursuing a healthcare compliance master’s degree, that kind of experiential learning can provide clarity before committing to a specific specialization.
A Philosophy That Guides His Work
Recently inspired by Atomic Habits by James Clear, David shares a principle that resonates with both students and working professionals:
“You don’t rise to the level of your goals – you fall to the level of your systems.”
For him, success isn’t about endless energy or burnout. It’s about building systems in school and in professional life that create sustainable progress.
“We have family lives. We have responsibilities. Life is lifing,” he says. “Systems are what support long-term success.”
It’s a mindset that aligns naturally with the discipline of compliance itself.
Why He Loves Teaching in the MLS Compliance Program
David describes teaching as both energizing and meaningful.
He values working with graduate students who are eager to advance or pivot their careers, as well as professionals who intentionally chose to pursue an advanced degree in compliance.
He also appreciates the opportunity to introduce compliance as a field that many people don’t realize exists.
“It’s still evolving,” he says. “There’s real opportunity here.”
For him, teaching is a way to share knowledge he wishes he had earlier in his career — and to help students discover paths they may never have considered.
Considering a Healthcare Compliance Master’s Degree?
If you’re exploring whether an online healthcare compliance degree aligns with your professional goals, learning from faculty who actively practice in the field makes a meaningful difference. In Seattle University School of Law’s MLS compliance program, students don’t just study regulatory theory; they learn from leaders shaping compliance strategy in real time.
