The medical industry includes hospitals, clinics, wellness organizations, non-profit city-county-state facilities, medical billing organizations, labs, nursing homes, physicians, nurses, aids, and employees who perform medical office duties.

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the Federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regulate screening standards for the medical industry. The OIG has mandated that every healthcare organization is responsible for the actions of all individuals employed within their facilities.

To assist organizations with the responsibility of maintaining compliance with this directive, the OIG maintains a Medicare Sanction List of Excluded Individuals and business entities, which lists those individuals and organizations that have been excluded by law from receiving federal monies, such as Medicare and Medicaid. Hospitals and healthcare providers are restricted from hiring or working with any individual or entity that appears on this list. UNISOURCE SCREENING provides Medical Sanction List Screening through FACIS. The "Fraud and Abuse Control Information System" (FACIS) is a Web-based information service that allows subscribers to look up the sanction history of both individuals and entities associated with the healthcare field.

A variety of other mandatory screening laws and regulations exist within the governmental agencies and many states have enacted their own screening regulations for the healthcare industry.

Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (J.C.A.H.O.) is an independent, not-for-profit organizations that evaluates and accredits healthcare industry and other related programs in the United States. Joint Commission has maintained state-of-the-art standards that focus on improving the quality and safety of care provided by health care organization.

The organization will earn a Gold Seal of Approval once the Joint Commission's completed their comprehensive accreditation process and able to meet the certain performance standards. One of J.C.A.H.O's requirement, and depending upon the state's law is that a healthcare organization must conduct a background check to any staff, student, or volunteers. Click here for more information.

• Protection of medical and patient documents
• Protection of expensive medical equipment
• Protection and management of drugs and medications
• Safe and secure interaction between staff, vendors, patients, and visitors
• Valid and current medical licensing of physicians and nurses
• Valid educational certification of physicians and nurses

It is important to note that the healthcare industry is no more immune from problems than any other professional group. The migration of physicians to the United States from virtually every corner of the globe requires that institutions properly verify professional licensing and educational certification.

Reports for employees interacting with patients in office setting

• Social Security Search
• County Criminal Checks
• Previous Employer Verification
• Workers' Compensation History

Reports for employees handling medical or patient documents

• Social Security Search
• County Criminal Checks
• Previous Employer Verification
• Workers' Compensation History
• Consumer Credit Report
• Professional Reference Check

Reports for physicians and nurses interacting with patients

• Social Security Search
• County Criminal Checks
• Sex Offenders Search
• Education Verification
• Professional License Verification
• FACIS Check
• Professional Reference Check

Our largest medical client wished to begin a full background screening of all new and current physicians. Such a measure would keep them fully apprised of all physicians' status and in compliance with OIG mandates.

Utilizing the operative federal and state systems, UNISOURCE prepared a program that actively screens each physician twice a year. Results are monitored by hospital administration and if adverse action is needed, the hospital is then capable of moving forward in a timely, confident and efficient manner.