Mary Ellen McLaughlin has been appointed Corporate Compliance Officer of Eagleville Hospital.

Her decision to accept the new position came down to one thing: an immediate synergy with the team with whom she would be working.

“The leadership team that Eagleville’s CEO, Gene Ott, has put together was the driving force for me,” McLaughlin says. “It’s comprised of some really great, very talented people. Beyond that, Gene is incredibly supportive of the hospital’s compliance program, and that’s important to me and the role I’ll be filling.”

According to McLaughlin, compliance only works if the message is coming from the top down, and that’s exactly the environment that Ott is fostering. “I’m really excited to know that this effort is supported by the leadership,” she says. “Collaboration is important when you’re working to build a culture of compliance, and with this team, I know I’ll have the information necessary to make sound decisions from the get-go.”

McLaughlin spent the last 12 years at Revint Solutions/IMA Consulting, in Chadds Ford, Pa. Most recently, she served as the firm’s Senior Organizational Coding and Compliance Officer, directing corporate compliance and ethics programs for the many healthcare organizations with whom Revint partners. Previously, McLaughlin served as the Interim Compliance Leader and Advocate for two of Revint’s local health system clients.

“My prior roles have taught me the importance of working as a team to gather sound information,” she says. “After all, the decisions that I make are only as good as the information I have. And when you’re talking about compliance and the success of an organization, good information is very important.”

Another critical component is staff buy-in, and this is where McLaughlin expects to invest much of her energy. “The organization is in the midst of a culture change, and one of my challenges will be gaining the trust of the staff,” she says. “I want them to know that if they come to me with a concern related to compliance, I will look into it and provide them with an answer. My hope is that I can help staff do their job better.”

McLaughlin earned a Master’s degree in Public Health (with certification in Gerontology) from West Chester University and a Bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Sciences from Penn State University. She holds a Certification in Healthcare Compliance, a Paralegal Certification, and she’s a Certified Professional Coder. Additionally, McLaughlin is a member of the Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA) and the American Academy of Professional Coders. She has also had articles published in HCCA Compliance Today.