Conflict, clarity, and courageous integrity: How UNT Health streamlined compliance with CoreStream GRC

About UNT Health

The University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNT Health) formerly known as HSC, is a dynamic academic health center with a 50-year legacy. With 6 schools, including the newly added College of Nursing, and 4 research institutes focused on eye health, Alzheimer’s, health disparities, and human identification, UNT Health is a cornerstone of innovation and service in Texas.

• Industry: Academic Health Science Center / Higher Education / Research
• Employees: 1,890 Faculty and Staff
• Students: 2,332
• Alumni: 12,003
• Established: ~1975 (50+ years of history)
• Headquarters: Fort Worth, Texas

Values

• Courageous Integrity
• Be Curious
• We Care
• Better Together
• Show Your Fire

Desiree Ramirez, Chief Integrity and Privacy Officer, leads the Office of Integrity and Awareness, which overlays a values-based framework onto traditional compliance. This approach puts people first and positions integrity as the foundation for decision-making.

While Desiree Ramirez leads the strategic vision for integrity and compliance at UNT Health.

Desiree’s report, April Daniel, Director of Compliance Operations, plays a critical role in operationalizing that vision, especially when potential conflicts arise in relation to conflict of interests via the hot line or through the staff declarations

Challenge

A fragmented compliance landscape. Initially, processes were manual with spreadsheets

UNT Health faced a fragmented compliance landscape. Initially, processes were manual with spreadsheets. Later, a legacy tool was introduced to consolidate conflict of interest disclosures across research and institutional domains. But it created confusion.

No system to manage approvals or plans

Meanwhile, HR had no system to manage outside employment approvals or conflict management plans, despite state-level requirements.

Desiree explains: “HR had no system to do that… we had a lot of issues that came up that highlighted the fact that there was no repository of management plans and no central place to do it.”

The stakes were high. Open Payments demand transparency from healthcare providers. UNT Health needed a solution that could support compliance, not just in theory, but in practice, which everyone could benefit from.

Clunky, hard to use systems

This wasn’t just a compliance team problem. Faculty, researchers, and administrators, many of whom don’t live in the world of policy and regulation, were required to engage with the system. Clunky, hard to use UX/UI systems were adding to the burden, as non-compliance users were having to ask for so much help, to be able to log a simple conflict.

Lack of integration across departments

Plus, the lack of integration across departments meant data was siloed, and the compliance team couldn’t get a clear picture of what was happening across the organization.

For April, she couldn’t get access to the old system, due to a license restriction.

“There was no platform for me to go on… it was manual, tedious labor, I had to check with Desiree and email employees. Communications were forgotten about, and it meant lots of chases.” April said.

The search and implementation

CoreSRamirez and her team needed a solution that could:

• Integrate with HR processes and Open Payments
• Support Texas RAMP certification
• Provide a centralized repository for disclosures and management plans
• Be intuitive for both administrators and end users with unlimited licenses

Simplicity and flexibility

CoreStream GRC stood out for its simplicity and flexibility, and expert team.

Desiree explains: “CoreStream GRC was just very easy, from a production standpoint and for people to utilize. The end user, me as an administrator, it was very easy to use and adjust.”

Working with CoreStream GRC’s team, including Delivery Lead, Alex Wiehe and Sr. GRC Client Executive & Customer Success (North America), Mike Vidoni, UNT Health experienced a smooth implementation process despite internal delays from IT and HR, with an implementation cycle of 60 days.

Collaborative design

The collaborative design process allowed UNT Health to tailor the solution to its unique needs, including prompt customization and workflow design.

“Working with UNT Health from the very first sales call through implementation and ongoing support has been a privilege. One of the standout moments was navigating the TX-RAMP certification requirement, something new to us at the time. I had no doubt our team would deliver. We put customers first and swiftly adapt to meet their security and functional needs. Our existing ISO certification qualified us for provisional approval, and we secured full TX-RAMP certification in just 6 months, a process that typically takes a year! That speed and commitment reflect how seriously we take our partnerships.”

– Sr. GRC Client Executive & Customer Success (North America), Mike Vidoni, CoreStream GRC

Solution

A tailored approach with CoreStream GRC’s flexible, integrated Conflict of Interest Management

CoreStream GRC delivered a flexible, integrated Conflict of Interest Management solution tailored to UNT Health’s unique needs. The platform enabled staff to disclose potential conflicts openly, recuse from decision-making when necessary, and implement clear ethical guidelines, all while maintaining independent oversight and conducting regular reviews.

Now, with CoreStream GRC in place, April can independently access disclosures, monitor completion status, and trigger next steps with HR and supervisors, all within a centralized system.

“I like the way that the people can go in and complete it and then it automatically uploads… we have a centralized place. Just in case somebody needs to go back and review it, it’s already in the system.” This shift has dramatically improved efficiency and responsiveness: “It has cut down time tremendously… I’ve gone from days of trying to logistically get the information to minutes.” April explained.

The solution was designed to be intuitive for both administrators and non-compliance staff, with customizable workflows, question sets, and automated reminders to ensure full participation and data integrity.

A key requirement was the Open Payments integration, which gave UNT Health a proactive edge in meeting regulatory transparency requirements. The side-by-side view helped users understand what data existed about them and encouraged honest disclosures.

“The system has helped employees to be honest about their conflict because it’s just so easy to do. I don’t have to go searching for it!”

The platform also integrates with UNT Health’s HR tool, enabling centralized management plans and streamlining collaboration across departments.

Desiree explains: “It gives me insight into what is happening on campus… where the conflicts potentially are.”

CoreStream GRC’s platform didn’t just digitize a process, it transformed it. By making conflict of interest management seamless and compliant, UNT Health gained confidence that risks were being identified and addressed proactively.

“We were proud to deliver a conflict of interest solution with Open Payments integration that helped UNT Health streamline their compliance processes and meet both state and federal requirements. It’s not just about technology, it’s about enabling transparency, trust, and operational efficiency across the organization.”

– Sr. GRC Client Executive & Customer Success (North America), Mike Vidoni, CoreStream GRC

Results

• Efficiency gains: Time saved through automation, streamlined workflows, and intuitive design.
• Improved insight: 52 conflicts identified in the first campaign, many of which would have gone unnoticed.
• Cultural impact: The tool reinforced UNT Health’s integrity-first culture, Desiree outlines: “It gave me faith in my campus. People were being honest. It helped people live the values, not just hang them on a wall.”
• User experience: Minimal disruption, positive feedback, April emphasized the ease of use for occasional users like herself: “It’s still easy for me to quickly pick it back up and just go in and do what I need to do. It’s not complicated at all. I don’t need to remind myself with how-to videos, it’s intuitive enough to just get on with the job.”
• Scalability: Research will onboard next fiscal year, and other campuses are already expressing interest.

Summary

UNT Health & CoreStream GRC’s Conflict of Interest Management journey

UNT Health didn’t just adopt a new tool, they embraced a new way of working. CoreStream GRC’s platform empowered the organization to align technology with values, streamline compliance, and foster a culture of courageous integrity.

“This has worked well for us. It’s a nice moment in time to reflect on how the tool has helped us live our values.” – Desiree Ramirez, Chief Integrity and Privacy Officer

“If I go off to another compliance office and they don’t have anything like this in place, I will be suggesting CoreStream GRC. I think it’s a great system. It’s an easy process, for employees and for us. We can log in and very easily do what we need to do. I really do enjoy CoreStream.” – April Daniel, Director Compliance Operations, UNT Health

About CoreStream GRC: the flexible, no-code solution for GRC success

CoreStream GRC is a dynamic, flexible platform that revolutionizes governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) management. Built to be scalable and intuitive, CoreStream GRC empowers organizations to design and implement their ideal GRC solution with ease, supported by a team of experts. With a user-friendly, no-code interface and customizable features, CoreStream GRC is the perfect tool for businesses that need efficiency and flexibility without the complexities of traditional software.

CoreStream GRC’s platform is trusted by global organizations such as the BBC, Deloitte, NHS, PwC Middle East, and Shell Energy, delivering real, measurable value to help companies manage their risks and compliance requirements. Want to see the GRC platform in action? Request a demo here, or speak to our team here.