Regional Compliance Officer, Molina Healthcare of South Carolina & Molina Healthcare of Puerto Rico

This interview with Niurka Adorno (niurka.adorno@molinahealthcare.com) was conducted by SCCE & HCCA CEO Gerry Zack in the last quarter of 2018.

GZ: Thanks for taking the time to be interviewed for Compliance Today. You have a diverse background in your career, starting with your work for a law firm. When did you first get interested in law as a career?

NA: Thank you, Gerry, for the invitation. As you mentioned, I have a diverse background personally and professionally. I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where I lived until a year-and-a-half ago. For my undergraduate degree, I attended the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus. My major, industrial management, required a course called Commercial Law. During that course, I became fascinated with the legal world and how attorneys provide guidance to corporations. And that became my goal, to work as a corporate attorney.

GZ: After that, you took a position as in-house legal counsel with a health plan. Was this your first exposure to healthcare? What drew you to an internal position?

NA: Yes, it was indeed my first exposure to healthcare. What first drew me to an in-house position was learning about two new areas: health and insurance law. Managing many aspects of only one client was another side of the position that made it challenging and appealing. Although the position was of a corporate attorney, in practice it was much more than that. I had to be ready to deal with a much bigger group of coworkers, including senior leadership and, although I reported to the general counsel, I needed to determine the appropriate course of action and strategy for each situation. It helped me develop the ability to communicate with different areas within the company in order to get the right response for the specific issue(s) in a more efficient manner. I also gained experience dealing with external audits and regulatory requirements. Bottom line, the excitement of a high learning curve, an environment that is always changing and evolving, and the fact that one has to be prepared and aware that one decision can impact different departments drove me to dive into the position with a lot of energy and enthusiasm.