Two Academies, one Chicago experience: Bringing key compliance principles to life for real-world program success
In July, compliance professionals from across industries and healthcare organizations gathered on Chicago’s famed Magnificent Mile for four days of practical, hands-on learning at SCCE’s Basic Compliance & Ethics Academy and HCCA’s Healthcare Basic Compliance Academy.
With intentionally limited class sizes and an agenda built around real-world application, the Academy experience provided attendees with a deeper understanding of the core elements of effective compliance program management, everyday scenarios where those principles apply, and the knowledge and confidence to put their learnings into practice.
Building a strong compliance foundation
Both Academies focused on the fundamentals of building and managing effective compliance programs, including risk assessment, auditing and monitoring, investigations, organizational culture, privacy and information security, and the seven elements of an effective compliance program.
From there, attendees explored topics specific to their areas of practice.
- HCCA Healthcare Basic Compliance Academy attendees examined healthcare-focused issues such as HIPAA privacy and security, Stark Law and the Anti-Kickback Statute, billing and reimbursement, and healthcare investigations.
- SCCE Basic Compliance & Ethics Academy attendees focused on organizational compliance and ethics topics, including policies and procedures, due diligence, anti-corruption, discipline, training, and program improvement strategies.
Both groups also examined AI risks and compliance management, reflecting the growing role emerging technology plays in compliance program initiatives.
Practical education for essential skills
Attendees appreciated how the Academy balanced foundational knowledge with real-life scenarios, working through case studies and small-group exercises that mirrored the kinds of decisions compliance professionals face every day. The addition of a session on AI risks and compliance management gave many their first structured look at how to integrate emerging technology into the compliance framework.
Attendee perspective: “I really enjoyed the amount of real-life examples that helped apply the material to practice.”
Attendees work through a group exercise during the Chicago Compliance Academies
Learning from experienced faculty
Participants took advantage of the ample opportunities afforded by the smaller class sizes to interact with faculty as well as with each other. Academy faculty is hand-selected for their expertise on key topics, and instructors are encouraged to share their own experiences to maximize situational learning. The caliber of the teaching staff was mentioned by many attendees as a real highlight – with the ability to interact one-on-one with faculty to get specific questions answered.
Attendee perspective: “I very much appreciated the high level of knowledge brought to us by the faculty. Their enthusiasm and passion for the topics infused the sessions with energy and provided invaluable expertise.”
Shared learning and networking with peers
A key feature of the Academy is the emphasis on collaborative learning, group problem solving, and building professional relationships. From compliance officers and audit managers to data privacy specialists and legal pros, attendees compared notes across industries, discovering that many of the challenges they face—building buy-in, structuring investigations, managing privacy concerns, keeping policies current—are shared across very different organizations. Understanding how their peers address similar challenges was a prime benefit, giving attendees new perspectives, fresh approaches, and proven solutions to employ.
Attendee perspective: “I appreciated the opportunity to connect and learn alongside other compliance professionals who are equally focused on strengthening ethical culture, organizational accountability, and effective compliance programs.”
Certification and what’s next
For some attendees, the Academy also served as a step toward professional certification. Qualified HCCA participants had the opportunity to sit for the Certified in Healthcare Compliance (CHC)® exam, while qualified SCCE participants could sit for the Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional (CCEP)® exam on the final day. A separate application and fee is required for certification exams, which attendees submitted in advance.
Thank you to everyone who joined SCCE and HCCA in Chicago and contributed their questions, experiences, and perspectives throughout the week.
Interested in building your compliance knowledge through an Academy? Explore upcoming SCCE and HCCA Academies and find the program that best fits your role and professional goals.