Amber Simonds
Missoula
Summary
Enterprise healthcare compliance and privacy executive leading system-wide privacy and regulatory compliance programs across multi-hospital health systems. Trusted advisor to executive leadership and regulators with expertise in privacy governance, incident response, audits, monitoring, and merger integration.
Results-driven professional with extensive experience in systems management and operational leadership. Known for streamlining processes and fostering collaborative environment to achieve organizational goals. Committed to driving excellence and adapting to dynamic challenges, with proficiency in strategic planning and team development.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
System Director of Compliance & Privacy
Logan Health
Kalispell, MT
01.2022 - Current
- Lead the design, implementation, and ongoing management of an enterprise-wide privacy and compliance program for a multi-hospital health system supporting 5,000+ workforce members, ensuring alignment with federal healthcare program requirements, HIPAA, HITECH, and applicable state privacy laws. Serve as a key advisor to executive leadership on compliance risk, ethics, and regulatory exposure.
- Serve as the System Privacy Director, exercising delegated authority over privacy governance, investigations, sanctions, and regulatory response, including direct engagement with OCR and state regulatory agencies. Provide guidance to senior leaders and facility leadership on privacy, ethics, and compliance matters, recommending controls to mitigate identified risks.
- Direct the full lifecycle of privacy incidents and breach response, including intake, investigation, risk assessment, mitigation, patient notification, and corrective action planning. Ensure issues are addressed promptly, consistently, and in accordance with regulatory standards, internal policies, and organizational risk tolerance.
- Work collaboratively with IT, Information Security, HIM, HR, Legal, and operational leadership to design and enforce role-based access controls, minimum necessary standards, and monitoring mechanisms, strengthening safeguards against inappropriate access and supporting a culture of accountability and compliance.
- Lead privacy and compliance integration activities during complex organizational transactions, including the Logan Health–Billings Clinic merger, aligning governance structures, policies, procedures, training programs, and oversight mechanisms across newly integrated entities.
- Oversee auditing, monitoring, and corrective action processes related to privacy and compliance risks, including follow-up monitoring to ensure sustained remediation and continuous improvement.
- Successfully guided years 3–5 of a federal Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) to completion with no findings, demonstrating effective program maturity, executive engagement, and sustained adherence to compliance obligation.
Retail Manager I
First Interstate Bank
Cut Bank, MT
01.2017 - 01.2022
- Managed operational compliance for high-volume branch operations.
- Maintained zero audit findings across five consecutive years.
- Improved employee retention by 49% through targeted leadership and development initiatives.
Victim Advocate & Legal Assistant
Glacier County Attorney’s Office
Cut Bank, MT
01.2015 - 01.2017
- Ensured lawful handling of highly sensitive information and strict confidentiality compliance.
- Coordinated with prosecutors, law enforcement, and courts on complex criminal cases.
Education
Master of Arts - Legal Studies
American Public University System
01.2026
Bachelor of Arts - Communication
University of Montana
12.2010
Skills
- Regulatory privacy oversight
- Engagement with OCR and state agencies
- Audit and compliance oversight
- Role-based access control
- M&A compliance management
- Organizational development
- Workforce planning
- Business intelligence
- IT systems management
- Decision-making
- Team building
- Task prioritization
- Self motivation
- Risk assessment
- Time management abilities
Affiliations
- Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA)
- American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)
Certification
- Certified in Healthcare Compliance (CHC) – HCCA
- Certified in Healthcare Privacy Compliance (CHPC) – HCCA
- Certified in Healthcare Privacy & Security (CHPS) – AHIMA
Timeline
System Director of Compliance & Privacy
Logan Health
01.2022 - Current
Retail Manager I
First Interstate Bank
01.2017 - 01.2022
Victim Advocate & Legal Assistant
Glacier County Attorney’s Office
01.2015 - 01.2017
Bachelor of Arts - Communication
University of Montana
Master of Arts - Legal Studies
American Public University System