By Vanessa Orr

From the moment she arrived in Florida as a young girl from Cuba, Mairelys Delgado knew she wanted to become a lawyer. While studying criminal justice at Florida International University and later attending Shepard Broad College of Law at Nova Southeastern University, she envisioned a future in that field.

What she didn’t yet realize was that her legal path would lead her into healthcare, a direction that became clear only after KIDZ Medical Services offered her a position right out of law school. That opportunity didn’t just launch her career; it revealed a calling she now finds both challenging and deeply meaningful.

“After I passed the bar in 2017, I started applying for jobs, and KIDZ was one of the first companies to contact me,” said Delgado, who joined the organization as in-house counsel. She soon took on leadership of the legal department, rising from second attorney to senior attorney and, ultimately, to chief compliance officer.

“One of the things that I love about working for KIDZ is that our leadership team strives to help you succeed,” she said of her growing career trajectory. “Even though there have been a lot of changes during this time, KIDZ has remained true to its mission, to its families and to its team.

“Now that I’ve been here for so long, it feels like family,” she added. “There’s a real sense of community here, especially because some team members have been here 30-plus years!”

A private, physician-owned multispecialty healthcare organization committed to excellence in neonatal, pediatric, and women’s healthcare since 1988, KIDZ Medical Services employs more than 400 clinicians and team members who care for patients and families across dozens of hospital partner sites and medical practice locations throughout South Florida.

As the company’s chief compliance officer, Delgado works at the center of an ever changing healthcare landscape, where new challenges often emerge. Her role spans the full spectrum of organizational needs, from onboarding and training new employees to safeguarding IT systems, shaping policies and protocols, and responding to incidents or compliance risks as they arise.

“Beyond the core compliance work, my role touches several other areas,” she said. “I update HIPAA policies, prepare contracts for new providers, support visa sponsorships for those coming from outside the United States, and step in to help clarify billing questions or disputes. The day never goes exactly as planned.”

Delgado is also involved in creating webinars to teach KIDZ team members about updated rules and regulations and in addressing medical documentation issues.

“Medical documentation plays such an important role in safe patient care and guarding against malpractice,” she said. “I have to ensure that our documentation process accurately reflects what’s happening during care while not adding any unnecessary administrative burden to our team.”

Serving as chief compliance officer for the corporate office and all KIDZ practices means supporting a broad and diverse workforce—something Delgado acknowledges is both a challenge and a responsibility she takes seriously.

“We employ so many different people, from doctors and nurses to clinical staff and administrators,” she said. “They all have different responsibilities and different levels of compliance exposure. It’s my job to make sure that they understand their obligations, receive continued training, and are aware of the different risks.”

Delgado also plays a key role in helping the organization stay ahead of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, which continues to shape clinical and operational practices in today’s healthcare landscape. KIDZ Medical has already incorporated AI consent into its general consent forms for patients and parents, and the team is now developing thoughtful policies to guide the responsible use of these evolving tools.

While her job keeps her very busy, Delgado says she likes the variety her position offers. She also appreciates that while many healthcare companies outsource compliance, KIDZ Medical Services has kept the role in-house.

“I love being able to do everything I can to make the company better and to ensure that patients are satisfied and getting the best care possible,” she said.