By Adam Turteltaub

Providence is a US-based healthcare system with over 165 years of history behind it. But, the Providence Global Center in India started just in 2020. It was founded as an engineering and operations hub and has a startup culture.

Anitha Vittal, Head, Risk and Compliance, was charged with getting the program off the ground. To get things started she first spent time talking with staff. Happily, she learned that attitudes towards compliance were very positive. While each person may have had a different definition of compliance, there was an eagerness for guidance and, for some, to have others responsible for managing the many legal and regulatory requirements.

After considering how to make the program effective and relevant, she ultimately decided to leverage the start-up culture and position compliance differently. Instead of speaking of it as a control, she positioned it as a way to make each endeavor successful.

This approach includes three key elements:

* Each new hire, as part of their two-day orientation, is given a thirty-minute introduction to the compliance program featuring an engaging story-telling approach

* A compliance champions network

* Encouraging a speak-up culture

In addition, the risk assessment results were characterized in a new way, with each area labeled either “asking for help”, “may need help in the future”, or “no help needed”. Using this nomenclature, she found, was much more successful at providing dimension to risk areas.

Looking to the future, 2023 plans include embedding compliance into the organization’s DNA, exploring opportunities for insourcing resources, and leveraging technology to enhance productivity and bring efficiencies.

Listen in to learn more about what she and Providence are doing.