Healthcare Regulatory Compliance ConsultingHow Saltmarsh Can Help

12/9/2024 - By Jennifer Ziolkowski, MBA, CLSSYB & Kelly Smith, PhD, CPHQ, CLSSBB

In today's healthcare landscape, regulatory compliance is crucial for operational success and resident care. Healthcare organizations face complex regulations that can be challenging to navigate. Healthcare regulatory compliance consultants provide essential guidance to help organizations be proactive about meeting standards, avoiding penalties, and improving operations in general.

This is where Saltmarsh comes in. Saltmarsh is a consulting firm with extensive healthcare experience and a sophisticated approach to regulatory compliance that can help you stay ahead of your compliance obligations. Keep reading to learn more about how we can help you.

Understanding the Healthcare Regulatory Landscape

Healthcare regulations change, with new rules introduced and existing requirements modified and updated frequently. To stay compliant, healthcare organizations need to stay informed about both federal and state requirements. These regulations vary depending on the type of healthcare facility and its location and are constantly evolving.

An external partner like Saltmarsh can make an enormous difference in this effort. Our healthcare compliance consultants stay ahead of the latest developments in healthcare regulations. Our professionals are fluent and have expertise in dealing with practical challenges faced by healthcare organizations on a day-to-day basis. It’s our commitment to quality that makes our team an ideal resource for leaders that want to get ahead of their obligations proactively or respond to identified compliance issues.

Key Areas of Focus in Compliance Consulting

Healthcare regulatory compliance consulting covers several critical areas. Saltmarsh's expertise spans these key areas, allowing us to provide comprehensive support to a variety of healthcare organizations, including skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies, and more:

Survey Compliance

Federal and state agencies conduct regular surveys to assess whether facilities meet established care and operational standards. Failing to meet these standards can result in penalties, including loss of funding or operational licenses.

Fundamentally, Saltmarsh takes a proactive approach to survey compliance. We conduct thorough mock surveys covering all aspects of healthcare operations, including environmental safety, personnel, and emergency management. These surveys are designed to simulate actual regulatory inspections and can help you identify potential issues early.

In the event of a compliance issue, Saltmarsh can help you create and submit corrective action plans that address all identified issues and satisfy regulatory requirements. Once the plan has been approved by regulators, we’ll also provide guidance on implementation and help you ensure that all changes are effectively integrated into the organization's operations.

Policy and Procedure Development

Healthcare organizations need to adhere to quality care standards, both for regulatory compliance reasons and for patient satisfaction. If you fail to meet these standards, you risk penalties and reputational harm.

Saltmarsh helps organizations develop policies and procedures that align with regulatory requirements while also meeting or surpassing quality care standards. In this way, Saltmarsh helps clients not only stay aligned with regulations, but also streamline processes and improve their overall service delivery. In short, Saltmarsh aims not just to help you not only satisfy obligations, but also to strive for overall excellence in patient care.

Staff Compliance Education

Staff education is essential to healthcare compliance because it ensures that all team members understand their roles and responsibilities in delivering safe, effective, and lawful care. As policies and procedures are updated to align with new laws, clinical guidelines, or best practices, educating employees ensures they stay informed and prepared to meet compliance expectations.

Saltmarsh helps organizations design educational programming that supports adaptability in a constantly evolving regulatory landscape and empowers staff to recognize and mitigate risks proactively. By prioritizing education, healthcare leaders invest in the competence and confidence of their teams, ensuring alignment with compliance goals and ultimately improving patient outcomes.

Billing and Coding Compliance

Accurate billing with proper documentation is essential for healthcare organizations. Improper billing practices can lead to audits, financial penalties, and reputational damage.

Saltmarsh provides clients with proactive guidance on documentation practices and billing procedures to ensure your processes are fully compliant. We can also help educate staff on best practices, helping teams to avoid audits and ensure well-supported claims.

This approach helps mitigate risks associated with billing errors while also fostering accountability within the organization. Because of this, many organizations opt to work with a partner like Saltmarsh proactively.

The Saltmarsh Approach: Why Choose Us for Healthcare Regulatory Compliance Consulting

Saltmarsh stands out in healthcare regulatory compliance consulting through our unique approach and key strengths:

Customized Solutions: We tailor each engagement to the specific needs and challenges of your healthcare facility, focusing our time and resources on your areas of highest impact.
Deep Industry Experience: Our team comprises professionals with extensive healthcare backgrounds, allowing us to relate directly to your challenges and provide practical solutions.
Education and Empowerment: We act as educators, empowering your staff with knowledge about compliance issues and how to ensure each process can withstand scrutiny during a survey.
Proactive Risk Management: By analyzing trends from past surveys and industry data, we help you identify potential weaknesses before they become compliance issues, enabling efficient problem-solving.
Comprehensive Support: As part of a CPA firm, we offer additional resources for data analysis, financial reporting, and cost reporting as needed, providing a broader range of services than many specialized consulting firms.
Long-term Partnership: We focus on building lasting relationships with clients, fostering continuous improvement over time. Our goal is to help you succeed and eventually reduce your reliance on external consultants.
A Reputation for Excellence: We've built a strong reputation for technical expertise and practical, effective solutions in healthcare compliance.

This approach ensures that you receive not just immediate solutions, but also the tools and knowledge to maintain compliance independently in the future. These factors combine to make Saltmarsh a trusted partner for healthcare organizations seeking to navigate the complex world of regulatory compliance.

Saltmarsh: Your Partner in Healthcare Compliance Excellence

In a constantly shifting healthcare regulatory environment, staying on top of compliance is essential for organizational success. By partnering with the Saltmarsh healthcare consulting team, you can navigate these challenges with ease, all while enhancing operational efficiency and safeguarding against potential risks.

Saltmarsh can help you not just meet compliance standards, but also excel in delivering high-quality care. Whether you have an upcoming survey to prepare for, or simply want to raise your standard of excellence, we can help. Contact Saltmarsh today to get started.