MD - Health Care Compliance Association

Editor’s note: This interview with Alan
Pierce, HCCA’s Editor/Product
Manager, took place in late November
2005 and was conducted by Margaret
Dragon. Alan may be contacted at
888/580-8373 and by e-mail at
alan.pierce@hcca-info.org.
MD: Alan, would you tell our readers
about your writing and editing background
AP: Most of my writing and editing experience
has come from newspapers. I started my
career as a reporter at a small daily newspaper
in Creston, Iowa, where I covered school board,
city council, and county board meetings. I also
covered law enforcement and the fire department,
so I’ve seen more than my share of car
accidents, house fires, and trials. Later, I
became an assistant editor at the Ottumwa
Courier. I supervised two reporters who worked
out of our news bureaus, and I edited articles
written by correspondents who possessed various
degrees of ability. However, I continued to
write, because the newspaper had a small staff.
The journalism background has helped me
tremendously in my later positions. Working in
newspapers forced me to master a lot of information
quickly and then turn around and produce
accurate and clear articles. That skill
helped my in my previous job as a children’s
book author and editor. In 18 months, I wrote
19 history books that were roughly 5,000
words each. My newspaper background has
helped me as an editor at HCCA where I must
grasp the complexity of health care compliance.
did you decide to move into the compliance
field
AP: I joined HCCA on September 6,
2005.The challenge of this position and the
subject matter intrigued me. Essentially, I am
responsible for developing products for a
field that is relatively new. I wasn’t an expert
on a lot of issues I wrote about as a reporter,
but I try to learn. I’m learning now. I’m
always learning.
MD: Tell us how do you go about developing
product ideas and would it be helpful
for members to email their ideas to you
AP: I’ve been attending conferences and
asking compliance professionals questions
about what types of products would benefit
them. I try to stay up on the trends in the
industry. But really, I need assistance from
members. It’s similar to being a reporter. I can
attend meetings and ask people questions, but
the compliance professionals are out in the
field and they encounter compliance issues
every day. I encourage them to send me ideas
about products. To me, generating and sharing
ideas are largely what HCCA is about.
MD: How do you research a product and
determine its viability
AP: Some ideas come from conferences
I’ve attended. I try to discern important
issues and develop products that address key
concerns. I also look to the HCCA survey as
a guide to see what the priorities are for compliance
professionals.
ALAN PIERCE
AP: I expect to contact members more in
the future as HCCA plans new products.
Right now, I’m focusing on finishing products
that were started when I joined HCCA.
MD: What products are you currently
developing for HCCA
AP: We are developing several products.
First, Debbie Troklus is updating HCCA’s
Compliance 101 book. The book is popular
with members and is a necessary resource for
people working in health care compliance. I
think they will be pleased with the new version.
Second, HCCA is developing an
Auditing and Monitoring Manual. This manual
will be comprised of tools and policies
submitted by members and it will be a superb
resource for professionals who are starting an
auditing and monitoring program or are
wanting to improve their program. Third, we
plan to offer pay-per-view white papers on
the Web site and at conferences. I envision
these publications to run 20 to 50 pages.
MD: When is the target date for these
products to be available for purchase
AP: My goal is to have these products
available in time for the Compliance
Institute in April.
January 2006
32
MD: When did you join the HCCA staff,
what intrigued you about the work, and why
MD: Will you contact members to conduct
research or to get their help
Health Care Compliance Association • 888-580-8373 • www.hcca-info.org
MD: What help could HCCA members
provide to you in developing these products