In episode 34 of Good Morning, HR, Coffey talks with Kara Kelley about how medical and dental practice management has changed during the pandemic.

They discuss initial responses to Covid, the challenges of implementing new safety protocols, employee retention, and operating medical practices on significantly reduced margins. They also discuss how practices can address employee retention challenges; Kara’s prediction that qualified staff will continue to be hard to recruit for years to come and how to address it; and the importance of background checks when hiring medical staff. They also commiserate as extroverts about virtual conferences.

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This episode is pre-approved for .5 hour (General) recertification credit for HRCI-certified professionals and .5 professional development credit for SHRM-certified professionals. Slide down the page to claim your recertification credits!

Kara Kelley

Kara Kelley is a Dental HR Consultant who loves sharing her knowledge of the business side of dentistry. She is the founder and CEO of Clinical HR LLC, an advisory firm for dental and medical practices. Kara focuses on cultivating leadership skills, managing employee relations issues, and implementing competitive total rewards systems. She also works with practices to develop employee policies and establishing compliant HR systems.

Her love of working with dentists began in 2012 at a Dental CPA Firm in Central Texas. There, she worked with dental and medical practices, primarily focusing on business development and human resources advisory to helped practice owners become practice leaders while also managing internal HR and marketing for the firm. Kara developed a passion for all things HR. She worked with clients to set strategic goals, draft employee handbooks, develop pay structures, and integrate the financial side of dentistry with the leadership side. She also drafted business plans and helped clients understand how the non-financial side of a practice can impact their bottom line.

Kara has a Bachelor of Science in Business with a concentration in Human Resource Management. She is a Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) and holds Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) designation from the HR Certification Institute (HRCI). She is also a Wiley Certified Everything DiSC Workplace ® Facilitator.

A life-long learner who is never content with the status quo, Kara serves on several professional boards and committees. She is the Co-Chair of the Mentorship Committee and member of the Legal & Legislative committee for Austin SHRM. Kara is also the current Program Chair for the National Speakers Association Austin chapter, and Immediate Past President of T-werx Toastmasters of Cedar Park. She stays current on federal and state employment regulations through extensive continuing education.