The Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) MA-RI Chapter and the New England Healthcare Internal Auditors (NEHIA) are excited to jointly present this highly anticipated 2.5 day in-person educational conference. The conference attracts compliance, internal audit, and healthcare finance professionals from throughout New England to learn from expert presenters in healthcare compliance, privacy, security, and internal auditing.
Meet the speakers for the HFMA MA-RI Chapter and the New England Healthcare Internal Auditors (NEHIA) 2.5 day in-person educational conference from December 3 – 5, 2025. Click here to register!
Kelly Sauders
Partner, Compliance
Deloitte
Tell us about your compliance career journey.
- Kelly: I started my career out of college in external audit with a Big 4. I also had an MBA in healthcare administration, so after 2 years in the audit practice I transferred into consulting in 1998. My firm was working with the American Hospital Association (AHA) to develop the first compliance program guidance/implementation guide for hospitals, and I immediately started working with hospitals in the Northeast to develop and implement compliance programs. Over the next few years, the OIG issued initial sets of compliance program guidance, so I worked with a team continuing to help with program development and implementation. The rest is history – I’ve been working with compliance programs ever since. I’ve helped develop and implement programs, assess programs, support government investigations, work with organizations under corporate integrity agreements and even serve a few times as an interim chief compliance and privacy officer. I’ve learned so much over the years and continue to enjoy working in this field.
What are your tips on staying informed & effectively disseminating news, given the ever-changing healthcare landscape?
- Kelly: It’s important to stay on top of regulatory developments. Each day, I scan to see what’s new with CMS, OIG and other guidance. I follow Becker’s Healthcare, Crain’s, etc. and also work closely with our national health policy team to stay abreast of what’s coming. HCCA and HFMA also offer great programs to help with continuing education.
What does the future of healthcare compliance look like for you?
- Kelly: I suspect that we’ll see an increase in enforcement under the current administration, as we’re hearing a lot about “fraud, waste and abuse” in the system. I also think the government will get more sophisticated with data mining and using AI to help detect potential FWA in claims.
If somebody googled you, what would they not find out about you?
- Kelly: Hmmm… likely that I’m a huge fan of cats (we have two that are “family members”) and I’m an avid reader in my free time. I’m also known for going to bed as early as possible most nights, which my young adult daughters think is funny.
