LRMC Compliance Auditor Draws on 42 Years of Experience to Strengthen Patient Safety

Official Statements

• Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, November 10: “LANDSTUHL, Germany — Hospitals rely on sensitive information, including medical histories, laboratory results, and personal health records. Protecting that information while maintaining high standards of patient care requires accountability, attention to detail and continuous oversight.

  At, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Barbara Schulz, a local national compliance auditor, helps ensure the medical center meets regulatory requirements and maintains processes that support patient safety and quality care.

  “Our mission is to proactively identify vulnerabilities, uphold rigorous regulatory standards, and reinforce patient safety across every level of care,” Schulz said. “By holding our systems accountable, we empower our healthcare providers to focus on what matters most, which is delivering the highest standard of care to those who serve.”

  A central part of the compliance team’s work is ensuring patient privacy is more than a policy requirement. The team monitors compliance with federal privacy laws, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, as well as Defense Health Agency requirements.

  “We look beyond medical records; we look at the processes, and ask questions: Are sterile instruments tracked properly?” Schulz said. “By auditing these day-to-day habits, the team helps eliminate blind spots before they can ever affect a patient in a bed.”

  Schulz also played an important role in preparing LRMC for its recent Joint Commission survey. She participated in tracer teams a peer-led, multidisciplinary groups that conduct audits using methods similar to those employed by the Joint Commission surveyors.

  “We essentially did a deep-dive rehearsal of the Joint Commission's process,” Schulz said. “By walking in their shoes beforehand, we were able to spot gaps early and make real-time improvements where they mattered most."

  The compliance team also supports efforts to improve the informed consent process, ensuring patients understand their treatment options before making decisions about their care.

  "To us, informed consent isn't just a form to sign; it’s an open, honest conversation,” Schulz said. “It’s our way of making sure you fully understand your treatment options, the benefits, and any risks, so you can make the absolute best decision for your own health."

  Another area of focus is the transition from paper records to electronic health records. Schulz said the change supports compliance, information security, and continuity of patient care.

  After 42 years at LRMC, Schulz has witnessed significant changes in the medical center’s approach to documentation, compliance, and quality improvement.

  “In the early days, we focused purely on the immediate care in front of us, and documentation was almost an afterthought,” Schulz said.

  Over time, she said, the medical center’s work with organizations such as The Joint Commission helped establish more structured processes and greater attention to documentation, accreditation, and patient safety. LRMC is also aligning its quality improvement efforts with Leapfrog standards.

  "At this point in my career, what I truly love is the educational side of my job,” Schulz said. “Collaborating with our clinical documentation improvement specialists and helping our providers understand the 'why' behind the data.”

  Schulz said accurate data is essential to the auditing process and helps the medical center identify opportunities to improve care and protect patients.

  One continuing challenge is maintaining consistent training in a military medical environment, where personnel frequently rotate to new assignments.

  “The trickiest part is the training cycle, and in a military environment like LRMC, providers are often only here for two or three years,” Schulz said. “Just when you get a team perfectly trained and in sync, they rotate out, a new group arrives, and we start the education process all over again. It’s a constant challenge, but keeping our standards high for every new arrival is what keeps us safe."

  Schulz career has been defined by her commitment to maintaining standards and helping colleagues understand their role in protecting patients. As she looks toward retirement in the next three years, she said the relationships she has built with patients and providers will be what she misses most.

  "Looking back, I can truly say I love my job, and as I plan for retirement over the next three years, what I will miss most is that daily interaction with our patients and providers,” Schulz said. “Hearing sick or injured service members arriving from across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East look our staff in the eye and thank them for saving their lives, there is simply nothing like it. It fills me with so much pride to know that I am a member of this incredible team.”

  Schulz said the medical center’s mission has kept her committed to improving its processes throughout her career. She intends to continue supporting that mission and maintaining high standards until her final day at LRMC.”