When Clive Wilby joined Alabama Cancer Care as their compliance officer in 2021, he discovered what many healthcare organizations face: an outdated, inadequate compliance program that leaves organizations vulnerable to regulatory violations and hefty fines. With 350 employees across 19 locations and using Excel spreadsheets as their “risk assessment tool,” Alabama Cancer Care had issues in controlling their OSHA and HIPAA compliance programs.
Today, their compliance program stands at an impressive 96% completion rate, and their CEO sleeps soundly knowing their organization is protected. Here’s how The Guard by Compliancy Group transformed their healthcare compliance program from the ground up.
The Challenge: Starting From Scratch
Like many healthcare organizations, Alabama Cancer Care faced several critical compliance challenges:
- No controlled and verifiable compliance program:
- No dedicated compliance officer: The organization lacked the required compliance leadership
- Manual processes: Tasks were falling through the cracks with no systematic tracking
- Multi-location complexity: Managing compliance across 19 facilities with nearly 350 employees
- Resource constraints: Limited staff bandwidth for compliance activities
The Solution: The Guard’s Comprehensive Approach
Streamlined Risk Assessments
The Guard’s risk assessment capability became the foundation of Alabama Cancer Care’s transformation. The software provides:
- Plain-language guidance: Complex regulations translated into understandable terms
- Regulatory code references: Direct links to specific compliance requirements
- Task automation: Suggested action items for each control point
- Continuous monitoring: Automatic reminders for assessment refreshes
- Policies and procedures: A library of templated OSHA and HIPAA policies and procedures that can be used or adapted to include specific organizational nuances.
“What I like is not only does it detail in a language that you can read… they’ve translated regulatory gobbledegook into something you can use and understand,” Wilby notes.
Automated Training Management
With The Guard’s comprehensive training system, Alabama Cancer Care can now:
- Assign training automatically: All required courses are pre-assigned on day one
- Track progress in real-time: Monitor completion rates across all 19 locations
- Generate compliance reports: Easily identify employees who need follow-up
- Ensure role-specific training: Customize training paths based on job functions
- Training Certificates: Provides training certificates for regulatory agencies (e.g, ACHC accreditation)
“I know at any point in time who’s defaulting, and I generate a report and send it to HR saying ‘you really need to get on these people because they’re out of compliance,'” explains Wilby.
Comprehensive Compliance Dashboard
The software’s dashboard provides Alabama Cancer Care’s leadership with:
- Real-time compliance scores: Currently at 96% overall completion
- Priority identification: Clear visibility into high-risk areas
- Board-ready reporting: Professional reports for executive presentations
- Audit trail maintenance: Complete documentation of all compliance activities
The Results: Measurable Impact Across the Organization
Operational Efficiency
- One person manages compliance (with support from IT on Data Security) for 19 locations and 350 employees
- Automated task management eliminates manual tracking
- Strategic site visits guided by data-driven insights
- Streamlined reporting to leadership and regulatory bodies
Risk Mitigation
- 96% compliance score across all regulatory requirements
- Proactive issue identification before they become problems
- Complete audit trails for regulatory inspections
- Continuous monitoring prevents compliance gaps
Executive Confidence
The impact on leadership confidence has been transformative. As Wilby shares: “The CEO’s general comment to me is ‘Clive, I have no worries about compliance. You guys have got it under control. I can see it, you show it to me, I can sleep really well at night knowing that you guys have done the very best you can do to keep us safe.'”
The ROI of Compliance: More Than Just Cost Avoidance
When discussing return on investment, Wilby emphasizes the insurance policy aspect: “The ROI depends on not defaulting. A serious non-compliance can cost you dearly and can close a business down, so being an insurance policy, it’s invaluable.”
Key ROI factors include:
- Avoided regulatory fines: That can reach millions of dollars
- Resource efficiency: One compliance officer managing enterprise-wide compliance
- Reputation protection: Maintaining trust with patients and partners
- Business continuity: Avoiding operational shutdowns from violations
Key Takeaways for Healthcare Organizations
- Don’t wait for a crisis: Proactive compliance management prevents costly violations
- Invest in the right tools: Manual processes cannot scale with organizational growth
- Automate where possible: Technology should handle routine tasks while humans focus on strategy
- Maintain continuous monitoring: Compliance is not a one-time project but an ongoing commitment
- Leverage expert support: Partner with specialists who understand the regulatory landscape
Alabama Cancer Care’s transformation to 96% completion demonstrates that with the right tools and approach, any healthcare organization can build a robust, efficient compliance program. The Guard’s comprehensive platform not only simplified their compliance management but also provided the confidence and documentation needed to operate safely in today’s complex regulatory environment.
As Wilby concludes: “If you want to do this properly and you want to stay safe and in compliance, go with The Guard.”
