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 Beyond the purchase price, transitions often uncover compliance gaps, misclassified employees, outdated policies, vendor risks, and benefit promises that quietly inflate the true cost of the deal.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