Consultant Spotlight: Jennifer Kirchner, Senior Consultant
As a licensed attorney, certified in Healthcare Compliance and Healthcare Research Compliance, Jennifer Kirchner began her career as a prosecutor for the Medical Prosecutions Unit of the Illinois Division of Professional Regulation, prosecuting licensed physicians accused of professional misconduct. As a prosecuting attorney, Ms. Kirchner was responsible for interpreting state licensing laws and regulations. Since joining Strategic Management Services, Ms. Kirchner has assisted organizations including physician practices, nursing facilities, academic medical centers, and hospital systems in developing, implementing, and maintaining their compliance program. She notes that “the variety of projects is exciting. You will hear it said that no two Compliance Programs are the same. This is true, and no two organizations are the same. I enjoy the challenge of advising clients on what will work best for them and tailoring solutions to their operational cultural needs. I’ve had the opportunity to work with many different organizations and to adapt to a variety of leadership styles. It’s promoted my growth as a consultant tremendously.”
She has served as an Interim Compliance Officer and an Interim Research Compliance Officer for various organizations. She has also assisted organizations under Corporate Integrity Agreements with Independent Review Organization services. Ms. Kirchner has also conducted compliance program effectiveness reviews and gap analyses for physician practices, hospital systems, long-term care centers, nursing facilities, and managed care organizations. In reflecting on her time with Strategic Management Services, Ms. Kirchner has “enjoyed the experience of coaching executives and Boards of Directors on how to make their Compliance Programs more effective. Nothing is more rewarding than feeling like your client really understands the value of Compliance and being a part of driving a strong compliance culture forward.”
When asked what advice she had for individuals in the compliance space, Ms. Kirchner emphasized the need to listen and ask questions: “I learned early on from a mentor that a great strategy during interviews is just to pause after a thought because this often leads to additional, thoughtful points from your interviewee. You get a lot of useful information when you take your time to ask questions and solicit answers during an interview, and it generally results in a more productive conversation. Also, no question is a stupid question.”
Connect with Jennifer Kirchner at [email protected] and keep up-to-date with Strategic Management Services by following us on LinkedIn.
