The Importance of Background Checks for Healthcare

Healthcare employees are trusted with patients’ private information and, in some cases, their lives. It makes it essential that hospitals, medical practices, and other healthcare organizations have a thorough and accurate background check policy to protect patients.

It may include professional verification checks, employment history verification, a national sex offender search, credit checks, social security number validation, identity verification, and motor vehicle reports. Each company will determine the specific elements based on their needs and requirements.

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Background Checks

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Whether they work at a hospital, urgent care clinic, or private physician’s office, healthcare professionals should be vetted thoroughly. Patients trust medical personnel with their lives, and hiring teams must have peace of mind that the people they hire will be safe and responsible on the job.

Depending on state law and specific workplace requirements, background checks may include criminal records checks, verification of education and professional licensing, verification of employment, national sex offender registries, social security number validation or identity verification, motor vehicle reports, drug screenings, and more. The most critical part of a background checks for healthcare is ensuring that the person who applies to work at a hospital or clinic is the same person who appears in background checks and other verifications.

Hiring a pharmacy driver with a DUI or a bookkeeper with a history of fraud can create big problems for a healthcare organization. A background check will catch these issues and help prevent them from ever impacting the safety of patients, employees, or the company. The simplest way to ensure that an applicant is who they say they are is to run a basic identity check. Doing this can save companies time and money in the long run, as it helps to avoid fraudulent activities like forged credentials and false employment history.

Drug Screenings

Healthcare professionals’ work is incredibly important and, in many cases, life-saving. They are responsible for saving and preserving life, caring for the most vulnerable members of society, controlling how potentially lethal pharmaceutical products are distributed, and more. These healthcare employees are responsible for keeping patients safe and must have the right background to do their jobs.

While criminal history checks are important for any workplace, healthcare employers should consider incorporating additional elements into their background check policies. These include verifications that examine education, employment history, and professional license status. Healthcare employers should also consider using role-specific background checks. For example, a motor vehicle record check wouldn’t make sense for a doctor or nurse but would be vital for an ambulance driver.

In addition to these verifications, healthcare organizations should consider drug screenings for their workforce. Because healthcare workers have access to powerful prescription drugs, they have a higher risk of addiction than others in the workforce. Drug screenings can help spot signs of addiction that might not show up during an interview or a thorough criminal background check.

The healthcare industry’s current standard of pre-employment and “for cause” drug testing has not achieved its intended goals. It is time to move towards a more effective approach that can be demonstrated to have clear and significant benefits for both patients and the healthcare workforce.

Criminal Record Checks

Most healthcare professionals work in clinical settings, such as hospitals, specialty clinics, or private practice medical offices. This type of job often involves a higher level of responsibility than other roles. As such, a more in-depth criminal background check is warranted.

Depending on the role, additional checks may be relevant as well. For example, if a hospital hires home health aides responsible for driving patients, a motor vehicle record check could prove crucial to the hiring process. In addition, credit history checks can shed light on financial responsibility and can be helpful for certain healthcare jobs that involve financial management.

Another search that is unique to the healthcare industry is the sanctions check. This verification is used to identify individuals or entities who have been sanctioned by the Office of Inspector General or the Department of Health & Human Services. An employer or healthcare company that hires an authorized individual may be prohibited from participating in federal healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.

Many crimes could disqualify a potential candidate from working in the healthcare industry. Convictions related to child or elder abuse, theft, drug offenses, misrepresentation of educational credentials, and other crimes are all reasons why healthcare organizations must be thorough with their vetting processes. It shows a commitment to patient safety and a willingness to minimize risks.

Education Verification

In addition to checking criminal records and drug screens, healthcare background checks should include verification of candidates’ education. It is not uncommon for applicants to embellish their education on resumes and applications, and this can have serious ramifications in the medical field, where patients’ lives are often at stake.

To verify education, an employment screening company will contact the applicant’s school(s) to confirm attendance dates, degrees earned, and other relevant information. Because of FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), this can take some time, especially if the school is not easily accessible or is reluctant to release records.

Some positions in the medical field require licensure, and a healthcare background check should also verify that the candidate holds valid licenses. Applicants with suspended or expired permits may be unable to work in the field, and an employer can be held liable for negligent hiring in these situations.

A background check that includes a federal exclusion search can help employers avoid hiring workers who have been banned from participating in government-funded healthcare programs like Medicare and Medicaid. This is an important screen for any healthcare position, as it will prevent an employer from being sued by the federal government or subjecting themselves to costly and damaging audits. To conduct a national exclusion search, a CRA will use an individual’s full name, Social Security number, plus the name of their school to check for exclusions.