Conducting background checks on new employee candidates

We all know that physician practices (and any other employer) should conduct criminal, civil and credit checks on all potential employees in every state where it is allowed. Most services charge around a $125 one-time registration and around $50-$100 per employee to conduct these checks. When it comes to your medical practice, this is pretty cheap insurance.

Keith Borglum (www.practicemgmt.com) however reminded me of an added benefit of the background check that for some reason I never really thought about: Merely asking candidates to sign a release for background checks gets rid of some bad apples in advance. Never really thought of it that way but it's obviously true.

Here are some of Keith's experiences with background checks:

• Found one candidate who sued every prior employer as an "exit bonus";
• Another one was apparently in jail during the employment interview - ie candidate had unknowingly had her identity stolen and the thief was in jail using the candidates name!;
• Another was a registered sex offender; and
• Another was on work-furlough and had to go back to jail every night after being convicted of embezzling her last employer - another doc!

Moral of this whole story: It's better to be safe than to be sorry!!