Failproof Strategies for Hospital Regulatory Compliance
When it comes to hospital regulatory compliance, no two days are ever the same. Constant change related to evolving regulations, new threats, and shifting policies is the norm, not the exception. This means hospital compliance teams must foster a culture that embraces continuous improvement and responsiveness to change. Below we offer several strategies that can support a continuous improvement mentality for the long-term, leading to regulatory compliance excellence and ultimately improved patient safety.
Improving audit-readiness
When it comes to external audits for hospital regulatory compliance, it’s not a question of “if” an auditor will come. It is just a matter of when. SAI360’s 2025 Healthcare Compliance Benchmark Report survey indicated 50 percent of respondents had faced an enforcement encounter in the past three years, including visits from organizations like DHHS OCR, HHS OIG, or a Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.¹
Regulators have pointed out the value of utilizing independent auditors to perform healthcare regulatory compliance assessments. However, survey results found only one in three respondents reported they had an independent assessment conducted within the past three years.
Hospital regulatory compliance missteps can be costly in terms of patient safety, fines, and reputational damage. Whether preparing for a hospital regulatory compliance inspection, seeking to enhance patient care, or simply aiming to strengthen internal controls, independent audits offer objective evaluation based on unbiased perspectives from industry experts.
Improving internal alignment
Hospital regulatory compliance takes a village. Formally, the Compliance team works with Legal, IT, Finance, HR, and Operations to ensure the various components of regulatory compliance are managed successfully. At the end of the day, however, compliance is the responsibility of all hospital employees.
Internal alignment with multiple departments, especially when using disparate systems, can be challenging. A siloed approach relies on manual processes that can lead to errors. This is where integrated GRC regulatory compliance technology offers a competitive edge. Centralizing regulatory compliance management brings together various departments and responsibilities into a single solution. Automated workflows reduce errors associated with manual tasks while also improving efficiency.
Working from a single source of truth supports continuous improvement by providing deep visibility and accountability across the organization.
Improving reporting capabilities
Tracking meaningful data supports continuous improvement because numbers tell the story. In addition to bringing departments together, regulatory compliance technology provides analytic dashboards and reporting capabilities to monitor compliance-related outcomes. From hotline response times to compliance training completion rates, this insight is valuable to individual departments as they track progress. Data can also be easily shared with regulatory officials.
Final Thoughts
A continuous improvement mindset is important considering today’s complex and ever evolving regulatory landscape. Using independent auditors and leveraging technology to improve internal alignment and reporting are just a few strategies to support continuous improvement.
¹2025 Healthcare Compliance Benchmark Report
