Medical Practice Management During COVID

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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About our Guest:

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.

Kara can be reached at

About Mike Coffey:

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, human resources professional, licensed private investigator, and HR consultant.

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations firm helping risk-averse companies make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.

Today, Imperative serves hundreds of businesses across the US and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence and has twice been named HR Professional of the Year.

Additionally, Imperative is included in the prestigious Best Places to Work in Texas list and has been named the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year.

Mike is a member of the Fort Worth chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization and volunteers with the SHRM Texas State Council.

Mike maintains his certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute. He is also a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).

Mike lives in Fort Worth with his very patient wife. He practices yoga and maintains a keto diet, about both of which he will gladly tell you way more than you want to know.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the unique HR challenges faced by medical and dental practices.

2. Identify new ways to retain and engage clinical practice staff.

3.  Implement new recruiting and employee selection practices to alleviate current staffing shortages.