Criminal Background Checks

Background check practices in schools have received a fair amount of attention in the last few years. Indiana, for example, is among the 12 states and the District of Columbia to recently receive an F for the screening of their teachers, according to an investigation by USA Today with IndyStar.

Employers and human resources leaders have seen several changes to their background check process and policies in the last few years. Today, the increasing number of class-action lawsuits and ever-present threat of data breaches have prompted employers to review their current screening practices and apply proper safeguards to protect patients and their sensitive healthcare information.

In theory, it would make logical sense that a background check based on biometrics such as fingerprints would result in a highly accurate investigation. Background screening experts agree, however, that the FBI fingerprint background check should never be considered a “gold standard” in employment screening. If your healthcare organization currently conducts fingerprint background checks, you’re likely doing so because of a legal requirement. But there’s quite a bit of confusion around and strong misconceptions about the quality of fingerprint based checks.

Criminal background checks can be an effective risk mitigation tool for healthcare organizations and medical staff departments in vetting the quality of physicians. Unfortunately, not all states require background checks for doctors, which can pose a safety risk for patients.

This January, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) released an Interim Report on the National Background Check Program for Long-Term-Care Employees. According to the OIG, ensuring that long-term-care employees in nursing facilities, home health agencies, and hospices have undergone a minimum level of screening helps protect the safety of patients in these settings.

In case you may have missed it, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) published its latest Work Plan for fiscal year 2016 last week. Each year, healthcare organizations should review their compliance programs to ensure they address the regulatory agency’s latest areas of focus.

Medical services professionals are often seen as the “gateway” to healthcare organizations. They are key to ensuring the healthcare professionals hired and given privileges to serve organizations’ patients are fully qualified They also ensure the organization remains compliant with state and national regulations on qualifications and credentials. It’s an important role, and that won’t change as 2016 approaches, but some things will.

Here are four changes MSPs can expect to see in 2016 and beyond.

The “Ban the Box” background check movement has progressively become more common throughout the U.S. over the past few years, with over 100 states and cities adopting them, including major retailers such as Target and Wal-Mart.

This month, PreCheck’s Vice President of Compliance Vu Do will be participating in our talent management software partner HRsoft’s Talent Takeaways webinar series to discuss the latest background check best practices for employers.

While physicians deserve the utmost respect for their important role in taking care of patients, the following recent news stories show that there’s bad doctors out there. Fortunately, there are ways healthcare organizations can minimize risk. For example, incorporating a criminal background check in a medical staff credentialing process can help hospitals safeguard both patients and staff. Cases like these are alarming reminders of why background checks are so important.