Kara Kelley on Hiring, Retention, and Compliance in Dental Practices
February 26, 2026
In this episode of The Dental Economist Show, host Mike Huffaker sits down with Kara Kelley founder and CEO of Clinical HR.
Clinical HR is a specialized advisory firm that helps dental and medical practices design strategic human resources systems, develop leadership, and build competitive reward programs to attract and retain top talent.
The conversation explores how HR serves as an advocate for the business by protecting it through compliance, audits, and well-defined culture. Kara shares her unique journey from clinical massage therapy to dental HR consulting and provides actionable advice on navigating modern hiring challenges, the risks of "working interviews," and how to effectively scale HR functions as a practice grows.
#humanresources #dentallitigation #dentalculture
In this episode of The Dental Economist Show, host Mike Huffaker sits down with Kara Kelley founder and CEO of Clinical HR.
Clinical HR is a specialized advisory firm that helps dental and medical practices design strategic human resources systems, develop leadership, and build competitive reward programs to attract and retain top talent.
The conversation explores how HR serves as an advocate for the business by protecting it through compliance, audits, and well-defined culture. Kara shares her unique journey from clinical massage therapy to dental HR consulting and provides actionable advice on navigating modern hiring challenges, the risks of "working interviews," and how to effectively scale HR functions as a practice grows.
#humanresources #dentallitigation #dentalculture
If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, like, and comment📱
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction & Meeting Kara Kelley
02:17 From Massage Therapy to Dental HR Consulting
04:03 Unique HR Challenges in the Dental Industry
05:52 How to Build a Practice Worth Working For
09:01 Understanding the Psychology of Team Motivation
13:21 Tools for Career Alignment and Accountability
15:40 Managing Multi-State Compliance and Legal Risks
22:57 Why You Should Avoid "Working Interviews"
30:35 Knowing When to Hire In-House vs. Fractional HR
35:50 Cultural Red Flags and the Power of True Onboarding
Connect with the team:
👉 Mike Huffaker on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/huffaker/
👉 Kara Kelley on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/karakelley/
👉 Clinical HR Website: https://clinicalhr.com/
👉 Planet DDS Website: https://planetdds.com/
You can also listen to our podcast here:
👉 Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3SeeOfY
👉 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3tMmaO7
👉 Fame Host: https://bit.ly/4aQNQ51
Want to be a guest on The Dental Economist Show?
If you’re a growth-focused leader in the dental business world or someone shaping its future through technology, consulting, or innovation—we want to hear from you.
Submit your interest here: https://forms.gle/BjAmyYLsFgNJBf8f8
Whether you’re leading a DSO, building the next big dental SaaS tool, or redefining patient experience, this show is where the smartest minds in dental business come to talk strategy!
Clinical HR is a specialized advisory firm that helps dental and medical practices design strategic human resources systems, develop leadership, and build competitive reward programs to attract and retain top talent.
The conversation explores how HR serves as an advocate for the business by protecting it through compliance, audits, and well-defined culture. Kara shares her unique journey from clinical massage therapy to dental HR consulting and provides actionable advice on navigating modern hiring challenges, the risks of "working interviews," and how to effectively scale HR functions as a practice grows.
#humanresources #dentallitigation #dentalculture
If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, like, and comment📱
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction & Meeting Kara Kelley
02:17 From Massage Therapy to Dental HR Consulting
04:03 Unique HR Challenges in the Dental Industry
05:52 How to Build a Practice Worth Working For
09:01 Understanding the Psychology of Team Motivation
13:21 Tools for Career Alignment and Accountability
15:40 Managing Multi-State Compliance and Legal Risks
22:57 Why You Should Avoid "Working Interviews"
30:35 Knowing When to Hire In-House vs. Fractional HR
35:50 Cultural Red Flags and the Power of True Onboarding
Connect with the team:
👉 Mike Huffaker on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/huffaker/
👉 Kara Kelley on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/karakelley/
👉 Clinical HR Website: https://clinicalhr.com/
👉 Planet DDS Website: https://planetdds.com/
You can also listen to our podcast here:
👉 Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3SeeOfY
👉 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3tMmaO7
👉 Fame Host: https://bit.ly/4aQNQ51
Want to be a guest on The Dental Economist Show?
If you’re a growth-focused leader in the dental business world or someone shaping its future through technology, consulting, or innovation—we want to hear from you.
Submit your interest here: https://forms.gle/BjAmyYLsFgNJBf8f8
Whether you’re leading a DSO, building the next big dental SaaS tool, or redefining patient experience, this show is where the smartest minds in dental business come to talk strategy!
The Dental Economist Show with Mike Huffaker is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so