Employee dental benefits sound simple… until insurance fraud, wage and hour issues, HIPAA, PPO contracts, and surprise audits slip into the operatory.

In this episode of Compliant AF, Amy Wood and Kara Kelley are joined by Rick Garofolo - CEO of The Dental Practice Mechanic and founder of the Dental Billing & Business Academy - to unpack more dental compliance myths that just refuse to die. From “we just waive the employee portion” to “the hygienist can clock out to clean her husband’s teeth,” this conversation goes exactly where you think it will: straight into the land of please stop putting that in writing before someone subpoenas it.

This conversation was just so good, we had to make it TWO episodes! In Part 1, we’re breaking down the compliance chaos hiding inside common dental practice habits…

• billing insurance while writing off employee balances
• treating employee dental care like a casual perk instead of an actual policy
• making hygienists clock out when they are still performing work for the practice
• assuming PPO contracts, HIPAA rules, and “cash pay” preferences all magically agree with each other
• letting office managers, spouses, or Facebook experts drive decisions that can trigger audits
• believing “we’ve always done it this way” is a defense strategy instead of a cry for help

...and more! Learn why free or discounted dental care for employees and family members needs to be structured intentionally, documented clearly, and reviewed through the lenses of insurance billing, HR, HIPAA, wage and hour, and contract compliance. Because generosity is lovely. Accidental fraud is less charming.

Rick also explains why insurance audits are increasing, how AI is making it easier for carriers to spot billing red flags, and why one failed audit may invite a whole compliance conga line of insurance companies and agencies. Cute, right?

Featured Expert

Rick Garofolo is the founder and CEO/President of The Dental Practice Mechanics, which he launched in 2001 after marrying a dentist and seeing firsthand how much support dental practices needed with business management, practice growth, and operational systems.

Over the years, Rick and his team have helped dental practices strengthen the business side of dentistry through proper accounting techniques, recall and follow-up systems, treatment plan presentation, billing systems, and more than 20 other practice management systems. Rick takes pride in leading a close-knit, full-time, in-house team with no overseas or work-from-home outsourcing.

Through The Dental Practice Mechanics, Rick helps practices understand what is expected and required of them so they can improve profitability, create safer environments for patients and team members, and maybe even let the dentist sleep at night.

Meet the Hosts

Amy Wood Founder of Copper Penny Consulting, Amy is a nationally respected HIPAA, cybersecurity, OSHA, and compliance expert serving dental and healthcare practices. Known for her no-nonsense approach to vendor risk, technology, and real-world compliance, Amy helps practices reduce risk without overcomplicating operations.

Kara D. Kelley, SHRM-SCP, SPHR As a Fractional HR Business Partner to dental leaders and healthcare executives and CEO of Clinical HR, Kara specializes in HR compliance, workforce strategy, leadership development, and helping practices build systems that are both compliant and sustainable. She is also a nationally recognized speaker and business coach.

Have a Compliance Question? Email compliantafpodcast@gmail.com

Disclaimer This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, tax, or medical advice. Listening to this episode does not create a client relationship with the hosts or their companies. Laws and regulations vary by state and situation; practices should consult with qualified legal, financial, HR, compliance, and cybersecurity professionals regarding their specific circumstances.

Mobile dentistry and teledentistry are growing fast - and so are the ways practices can accidentally create compliance problems on wheels (or Wi-Fi).

In this episode of the Compliant AF Podcast, Kara Kelley and Amy Wood dig into what really changes when you take healthcare out of a controlled environment and drop it into vans, schools, nursing homes, living rooms, and video calls. Because the moment you lose the four walls, you also lose a lot of the assumptions that were quietly keeping you compliant.

From lost laptops and questionable Wi-Fi to patients within earshot and team members working across state lines, the risks aren’t new - but the way they show up is.

Amy breaks down the HIPAA and cybersecurity realities of mobile and telehealth setups, including why your “good enough” tech stack might not actually be good enough anymore (looking at you, free Zoom accounts and social media messaging). Kara brings the HR perspective, unpacking travel time, wage and hour landmines, multi-state headaches, and how quickly “simple” operational decisions turn into compliance exposure.

Also in this episode:

• Why mobile dentistry is easier to get wrong
• Situational awareness (and why not every team member has it)
• The real question behind new tech isn’t “can we use it?” - it’s “should we?”
• How telehealth can create privacy risks before you even realize it
• Wage and hour traps in mobile teams, including travel time, remote work, and “portal-to-portal” pay
• Multi-state compliance challenges when work is performed across state lines
• How small leadership decisions can unintentionally set costly precedents for your entire team
• Scaling mobile operations without scaling your compliance problems
• Why your managers and regional leaders need HR compliance training before they start making field decisions

Bottom line: if your compliance plan for dentistry on four wheels is the same as dentistry within four walls, it’s already outdated.

Kara D. Kelley, SHRM-SCP, SPHR As a Fractional HR Business Partner to dental leaders and healthcare executives and CEO of Clinical HR, Kara specializes in HR compliance, workforce strategy, leadership development, and helping practices build systems that are both compliant and sustainable. She is also a nationally recognized speaker, author, and coach.

Amy Wood Founder of Copper Penny Consulting, Amy is a nationally respected HIPAA, cybersecurity, OSHA, and compliance expert serving dental and healthcare practices. Known for her no-nonsense approach to vendor risk, technology, and real-world compliance, Amy helps practices reduce risk without overcomplicating operations.

Email: compliantafpodcast@gmail.com

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, tax, or medical advice. Listening to this episode does not create a client relationship with the hosts or their companies. Laws and regulations vary by state and situation; practices should consult with qualified legal, financial, HR, compliance, and cybersecurity professionals regarding their specific circumstances.

Multi-location growth sounds like a flex - until payroll, policies, and penalties enter the chat.

In this episode of Compliant AF, Amy Wood and Kara Kelley are joined by Alan Twigg of Bent Ericksen & Associates to unpack the real-world compliance landmines that show up when dental practices expand into multiple locations, multiple states, or simply start hiring remote employees. We're breaking down the biggest compliance blind spots emerging groups run into...

- assuming separate tax IDs means separate payroll

- trying to force one handbook across multiple states

- mishandling overtime when employees float between locations

- treating remote work like an automatic 1099 situation (it’s not)

...and more! Learn why HR + compliance experts needs to be involved early - before contracts are signed, systems change, and “we’ve always done it this way” turns into an expensive problem.

Kara D. Kelley, SHRM-SCP, SPHR As a Fractional HR Business Partner to dental leaders and healthcare executives and CEO of Clinical HR, Kara specializes in HR compliance, workforce strategy, leadership development, and helping practices build systems that are both compliant and sustainable. She is also a nationally recognized speaker, author, and coach.

Amy Wood Founder of Copper Penny Consulting, Amy is a nationally respected HIPAA, cybersecurity, OSHA, and compliance expert serving dental and healthcare practices. Known for her no-nonsense approach to vendor risk, technology, and real-world compliance, Amy helps practices reduce risk without overcomplicating operations.

Email compliantafpodcast@gmail.com

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, tax, or medical advice. Listening to this episode does not create a client relationship with the hosts or their companies. Laws and regulations vary by state and situation; practices should consult with qualified legal, financial, HR, compliance, and cybersecurity professionals regarding their specific circumstances.

Buying or selling a practice comes with costs that don’t show up on a balance sheet. Beyond the purchase price, transitions often uncover compliance gaps, misclassified employees, outdated policies, vendor risks, and benefit promises that quietly inflate the true cost of the deal. In this episode of the Compliant AF Podcast, Kara Kelley (Clinical HR) and Amy Wood (Copper Penny Consulting) break down the hidden HR, HIPAA, and cybersecurity expenses that surface before - and especially after - closing, and explain why waiting until the paperwork is signed is the most expensive mistake practice owners make.

Key Takeaways

• When to bring in HR and HIPAA/cybersecurity support on the front end of a transition

• Why vendor contracts, antivirus, backups, and access controls can’t wait until “after closing”

• How compliance gaps change the true cost of a practice, including payroll surprises like misclassified hygienists and unpaid mandated leave

• Why “just use the seller’s handbook” and recycled onboarding packets are a trap (hello, expired I-9 forms and policies written for the wrong office)

• What brokers, CPAs, and even attorneys often don’t ask — and the questions that should be asked anyway

• How to handle legacy perks, inflated wages, PTO promises, and benefit changes without detonating morale

• The mindset shift that matters most: you can redecorate later, but nobody audits your paint color

Bottom line - when HR, HIPAA, cybersecurity, and employment obligations are treated as afterthoughts, the true cost of the transition shows up later in audits, complaints, and avoidable risk. This episode delivers a clear-eyed look at what actually matters, so practice owners can protect the investment, set the team up for success, and move forward without inheriting someone else’s mess.

Downloadable Resource

Smooth Handoffs Transition Questions

Email compliantafpodcast@gmail.com

Kara D. Kelley, SHRM-SCP, SPHR As a Fractional HR Business Partner to dental leaders and healthcare executives, Kara specializes in HR compliance, workforce strategy, leadership development, and helping practices build systems that are both compliant and sustainable. She is also a nationally recognized speaker, author, and coach.

Amy Wood Founder of Copper Penny Consulting, Amy is a nationally respected HIPAA, cybersecurity, OSHA, and compliance expert serving dental and healthcare practices. Known for her no-nonsense approach to vendor risk, technology, and real-world compliance, Amy helps practices reduce risk without overcomplicating operations.

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, tax, or medical advice. Listening to this episode does not create a client relationship with the hosts or their companies. Laws and regulations vary by state and situation; practices should consult with qualified legal, financial, HR, compliance, and cybersecurity professionals regarding their specific circumstances.

The end of one year and the start of another is when compliance gaps show up fast- and get expensive just as quickly.

In this episode, Kara Kelley and Amy Wood share their HR and HIPAA/cybersecurity checklists every dental and medical practice should be tackling before January (or early in the new year). From HR audits and payroll reviews to HIPAA risk assessments, access controls, passwords, and backups, this conversation focuses on the things practices think they have handled - until they don’t.

You’ll hear real-world examples of:

• Outdated policies and onboarding paperwork

• I-9 and payroll mistakes hiding in plain sight

• Vendors, software changes, and cloud systems triggering HIPAA risk assessments

• Temps, former employees, and forgotten system access

• Password habits that create unnecessary risk

• Backup systems that haven’t been tested (and may not work)

• Training, benefits, and compliance calendars that only exist in someone’s head

If your practice is busy, short on time, or relying on “we’ve always done it this way,” this episode will help you reset, prioritize, and start the year compliant AF - without panic, guesswork, or dumpster fires.

Perfect for practice owners, office managers, and leadership teams who want fewer surprises and fewer frantic phone calls in the year ahead.

Email compliantafpodcast@gmail.com

Kara D. Kelley, SHRM-SCP, SPHR Founder & CEO of Clinical HR, Kara is a nationally recognized HR consultant, speaker, and advisor to dental leaders and healthcare executives. She specializes in HR compliance, workforce strategy, leadership development, and helping practices build systems that are both compliant and sustainable.

Amy Wood Founder of Copper Penny Consulting, Amy is a nationally respected HIPAA, cybersecurity, OSHA, and compliance expert serving dental and healthcare practices. Known for her no-nonsense approach to vendor risk, technology, and real-world compliance, Amy helps practices reduce risk without overcomplicating operations.

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, tax, or medical advice. Listening to this episode does not create a client relationship with the hosts or their companies. Laws and regulations vary by state and situation; practices should consult with qualified legal, financial, HR, compliance, and cybersecurity professionals regarding their specific circumstances.

Employee embezzlement doesn’t start with a million-dollar theft. For most busy practice owners, it starts when clinical demands crowd out oversight, reports stop getting reviewed (if they were in the first place), and safeguards never get built.

In this episode, Kara Kelley and Amy Wood are joined by Susan Gunn, CFE, a fraud expert who’s seen a clear uptick in embezzlement in 2024–2025 as practices returned to “heads-down clinical mode.” Susan breaks down the practical prevention moves that matter most: treating cash like a real control point (not an afterthought), tightening access to systems and merchant services, and reviewing practice software reports monthly so anomalies don’t have years to hide.

🎧 Listen in to learn how to protect your practice by counting the cash, locking the access, and actually reading the reports.

Legal Disclaimer: This podcast and any related content are for informational and educational purposes only and do not constitute legal, financial, medical, tax, or regulatory advice. Clinical HR LLC and Copper Penny Consulting LLC are not law firms, and listening to this podcast does not create a client, consulting, or advisory relationship. Laws and regulations vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always consult qualified professional advisors regarding your specific situation. Featured Expert: Susan Gunn - susan@susangunnsolutions.com

www.susangunnsolutions.com

Podcast Hosts:

Amy Wood - CEO of Copper Penny Consulting LLC

www.copperpennnyconsulting.com

Kara Kelley - CEO of Clinical HR LLC

www.clinicalhr.com

AI is everywhere - your phone system, your vendors, your practice management stack, even your hiring process. But when the buzzwords collide with HIPAA, HR, and real-world operations in a dental or healthcare practice? That’s where things get messy.

In Part 2 of our Q4 Compliance Buzzword Extravaganza, Amy and Kara break down what’s actually happening behind the scenes with AI tools, VoIP systems, transcription services, call analytics, and the vendors who swear they’re “HIPAA compliant” (they’re not). We walk through what’s real, what’s hype, what’s dangerous, and what practice leaders must start doing now to protect PHI, their teams, and their credibility. This episode covers:

• How AI has been around for decades - and why today’s usage poses new risks

• Why “HIPAA compliant” is marketing language, not a legal designation

• Red flags in vendor contracts, BAAs, phone systems, and third-party integrations

• The zero-trust model: why HIPAA starts with “prove it”

• AI bias, hiring tools, and call-analysis systems that create HR and discrimination problems

• The growing legal issues with VoIP systems, recordings, and AI-powered call routing • SOC 2 certification, offshore access, and how to vet vendors without being a tech expert

• When to use AI safely in your practice - and when to run the other way If you’ve wondered how AI tools pull data, why your phone system might expose PHI, or whether your vendors are actually secure - or just saying the right words - this conversation will save you a world of hurt.

Grab a coffee, take a breath, and join us as we break down what “responsible innovation” actually looks like in a practice trying to stay compliant AF.

*Disclaimer: This isn’t legal advice. We are not your lawyers. The content in this podcast and any associated clips is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, medical, tax, or regulatory advice. Clinical HR LLC and Copper Penny Consulting LLC are not law firms, and listening to this podcast does not create a client relationship. Always consult a qualified professional advisor for guidance specific to your situation.*

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The Compliant AF Podcast is the brainchild of Clinical HR LLC and Copper Penny Consulting LLC. Hosted by Kara D. Kelley, SPHR, SHRM-SCP (Fractional HR Business Partner for dental and healthcare practices) and Amy Wood (cybersecurity and HIPAA compliance expert), the show helps dental leaders and healthcare executives turn compliance into a true competitive advantage. We break down HR, OSHA, HIPAA, cybersecurity, and practice operations in plain language - with real-world examples, practical frameworks, and just enough snark to keep it interesting.

OSHA and infection control aren’t “nice to haves” – they’re literally the difference between safe care and “we just made the news.” In this episode, Kara and Amy sit down with OSHA and infection control badass Deanna Otts-Whitfield, RDH, MS, CIC, CDIPC, to talk about all the dirty things happening in real dental practices – and what it actually takes to keep patients and teams safe.

Deanna breaks down the real difference between OSHA vs. CDC guidelines, why scrubs are not PPE, and how “we’ve always done it this way” is getting offices in trouble. From dental unit waterline testing and documentation to hand hygiene, nails, PPE, sharps containers, sterilization, and laundry, this is a practical, non-sugar-coated guide to bringing your infection control program out of 2003 and into reality.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your office is truly compliant or just “hoping for the best,” this is the episode to listen to before your next OSHA inspection, patient complaint, or viral Facebook post.

Deanna Otts-Whitfield, RDH, MS, CIC, CDIPC is a practicing dental hygienist with 16+ years of chairside experience, a master’s degree in healthcare quality and safety, and dual certifications in infection control and dental infection prevention & control through the Association for Dental Safety. She temps, trains, and consults with dental practices nationwide to help them modernize OSHA and infection control, close dangerous gaps, and build systems that actually work in the real world.

Connect with Deanna:

• Website: www.CopperPennyConsulting.com

• Instagram: @deannardh

• Email: compliance@copperpennyconsulting.com

The content in this episode (and any related clips, posts, or show notes) is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, medical, tax, or regulatory advice. Kara D. Kelley, Clinical HR LLC, Amy Wood, and Copper Penny Consulting LLC are not law firms and are not your attorneys. Listening to this podcast does not create a client or attorney-client relationship. Always consult qualified professional advisors licensed in your state for guidance specific to your situation.

The Compliant AF Podcast

The Compliant AF Podcast is the brainchild of Clinical HR LLC and Copper Penny Consulting LLC. Hosted by Kara D. Kelley, SPHR, SHRM-SCP (Fractional HR Business Partner for dental and healthcare practices) and Amy Wood (cybersecurity and HIPAA compliance expert), the show helps dental leaders and healthcare executives turn compliance into a true competitive advantage. We break down HR, OSHA, HIPAA, cybersecurity, and practice operations in plain language - with real-world examples, practical frameworks, and just enough snark to keep it interesting.