Performing Criminal Offender Record Information checks at reappointment

Q: Should employees go through a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check again at time of reappointment or just at initial hire?

Carol Cairns, CPMSM, CPCS: It depends upon your policy. I would match the way criminal background checks are requested for employees in general—not just physicians. If a nurse on the floor has a criminal background check done initially and only thereafter for cause, I probably would match that same piece for physicians. If, however, that nurse on the floor has criminal background checks done periodically, then I would do it more often for physicians.

In polling our audiences, we are seeing criminal background checks done on the vast majority initially and interestingly enough at reappointment on an increasing basis. Again, it’s what the organization feels is the appropriate policy for them—and then following that policy. It does concern me when employed physicians have a criminal background check done and non-employed physicians do not. That would be very difficult to defend in the court of law that you did not do a criminal background check on this doctor and information that was really important was not obtained.

Source: News & Analysis