DT: I know we have been in the compliance field and part of HCCA for many years, and you are now retiring. What are some of your memories from when HCCA first started?
SD: I remember the excitement of working to build a new profession. As government regulations and guidance began to become bigger and broader, that group of the first compliance officers came together to start to decide what we wanted our profession to look like. We recognized that we had a wonderful chance to define what worked and then share it with others. We were excited as more and more people joined HCCA. I’m proud of how my career has mirrored the growth and complexity of the healthcare compliance profession.
DT: I understand you have been with Intermountain your entire compliance career, which is out of the norm. What kept you as the compliance officer in one place for all these years?
SD: Truly, it is the people and the mission of Intermountain Health. There is a dedication to supporting the community and each other that has brought me a lot of fulfillment and satisfaction throughout my career. I have created many cherished relationships with my colleagues as we have worked to provide quality, affordable healthcare to our patients. Those patients include myself and my loved ones, and being and staying close to family is also important to me.
DT: Tell me about your role(s) at Intermountain.
SD: My career started as a nurse, caring directly for patients. I worked to become a nurse practitioner, and as I progressed in my practice, I became more familiar with the complex and challenging rules around coding and billing. This led to me moving away from clinical practice and heading up a team focused on ensuring our revenue cycle processes were compliant. After finding success and aptitude with that, I was asked to be Intermountain’s inaugural compliance officer. My role started with a very small team and a relatively narrow focus—because the regulations used to be more narrowly focused—and both my team and the risks we cover have grown and evolved over time. I’m proud of my opportunity to help the organization move forward with integrity.
DT: Describe your first day on the job as the compliance officer.
SD: Much of my initial work was already part of my job. I had progressively taken on more compliance-related functions, so it was a natural transition from my previous responsibilities to being a full-time compliance officer. Initially, no one understood what a compliance officer was, so it took a while for people to understand that regulatory and external enforcement risks were not “suggestions,” but they really needed to do what I was telling them.
