Criminal Background Checks

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.

When it comes to employment background checks, employers have to comply with an assortment of regulations, including the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) as well as the EEOC’s Enforcement Guidance on use of criminal records.

According to a MetroNews article earlier this month, the State Department of Health and Human Resources announced plans to require criminal background checks with long-term healthcare workers in West Virginia.

It’s official. Beginning on August 1, 2015, providers considered at “high risk” for defrauding state Medicaid programs will undergo a criminal background check that includes fingerprinting. In a June 1, 2015 letter, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued guidance as part of the implementation of Section 6401 of the Affordable Care Act, Provider Screening and Other Enrollment Requirements under Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Most health sciences and allied health professions schools require background checks for students entering clinical programs, but should colleges require background checks for all students? The University of Iowa has recently implemented changes to their process that would standardize the use of background checks for student applicants. Beginning this month, all student applicants to the University of Iowa will have to disclose whether they’ve ever been convicted of a crime or subject to prior scholastic discipline.

In May 2015, the U.S. Office of Inspector General (OIG) released the report, “Home Health Agencies Conducted Background Checks of Varying Types,” which contains key considerations for a sector of the healthcare industry that provides care, often unsupervised, to patients in their homes.

As we observe Healthcare Risk Management Week at PreCheck, I thought I would share five healthcare background screening tips to help your organization drive safe and trusted healthcare. As a healthcare background screening firm, protecting patient care as at the heart of our mission and the following list is by no means an exhaustive one. There are certainly more ways that you can mitigate risk through employment screening practices, but the following five best practices are a great way to start.

When it comes to employment background checks, there’s a lot that can go wrong. Most healthcare employers use background checks as part of their due diligence process to protect the safety of their patients and staff. With so much at stake, it’s important that healthcare employers have an effective and efficient background screening program. Putting together a thorough employment screening program can be challenging. My colleague Vu Do, Vice President of Compliance at PreCheck, offers the following four tips for improving your employment screening program.