Originally Posted on: Compliance Cosmos

Being a compliance professional can be a very lonely experience. Many compliance professionals are in smaller organizations where they are the only team members in the compliance department. Additionally, operations may misunderstand compliance or be siloed from effective working relationships with operations’ leaders and managers. And because compliance professionals can be proverbial “unicorns” in a locale—meaning there may be few to no other healthcare compliance professionals in a town or region—it can be hard to know where to find like-minded colleagues.

Thankfully, some early healthcare compliance professionals in the late 1990s sensed this potential for isolation and desire for community and banded together to form HCCA in 1996. From the pragmatic need at the time—how can we leverage each other to figure out this new thing called compliance?—to today at 19,000 members, HCCA provides a way for us compliance professionals to connect and develop together, ultimately leading to more effective compliance programs. If you are reading this column, you are likely part of this camaraderie that we healthcare compliance professionals have, but are we fully leveraging HCCA and other modes of professional connection to enhance our careers?

Developing a professional network takes time and intentionality, and the payoff is worth it, as it provides thought partners, friends, and potential future job connections, all of which can be especially beneficial for those who work as solo compliance professionals. So, where to start? Explore and utilize HCCA networking resources. From in-person events to virtual networking events to the social platform HCCA.net, HCCA offers many ways to meet and meaningfully connect with other healthcare compliance professionals. Become more active and intentional with social media platforms like LinkedIn. Search for and connect to others where there are commonalities. Post content and comment on other’s posts. Be willing to share your expertise and experience with others in your network; when you need it, they will hopefully do the same. Be intentional with those you do find a significant connection with. Stay connected via email, even try to have lunch when in the same city or at a conference.

Compliance professionals need each other perhaps even more than other disciplines need a professional network. Prioritize making these connections; hopefully, your career and professional effectiveness will grow as your network grows.

Copyright 2024 Compliance Today, a publication of the Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA)