On January 1, 2004, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
(JCAHO) instituted new regulations for accreditation of hospitals, home health agencies, clinics, etc. to gain or maintain accreditation status. One of these new regulations requires that all persons who are involved in patient care activities, including employees, volunteers,
AND STUDENTS, must have criminal background checks and other health care-related checks. Most public/private school systems are requiring background checks as well.
Initiating the Background Check
Prior to their final acceptance and initial enrollment in classes, conditionally accepted applicants will be directed to have a background check* completed by Validity Screening Solutions. Online results will be emailed to the SHP Student Affairs Office where they will be reviewed and accessible through Validity Screening Solutions. Your acceptance into a program in the School of Health Professions will not be final until the School of Health Professions has received background check information from the reporting agencies.
*The background check performed by Validity Screening Solutions includes:
-
Social Security Number Trace (primarily serves as an address/identity verification tool)
- Criminal History (felony/misdemeanor convictions/pending cases at county, state, and federal levels)
- OIG/GSA (searches Office of Inspector General and General Service Administration for fraud against any federally funded health care program, i.e., Medicare, Medicaid, etc.)
- Multi-State Sex Offender Registry
- Global Screen
- Employment Verification
The student must pay the one-time fee directly to the company performing the background investigation. Please be aware that while most health care facilities with whom KU has affiliation contracts will accept this verification of a background check, some may require a more current report. The School of Health Professions requires only one background check prior to final acceptance and subsequent enrollment into an academic program.
International Students: students arriving to the U.S. for the first time are not required to provide a background check since one has already been completed as part of the visa process. However, if the applicant has spent time in the U.S. after receiving the visa, a new background check will be required.
Other Reports
The School of Health Professions will also run an Employment Disqualified List (EDL) check for enrolled students. This check reviews Missouri records for any individuals who have been disqualified from working in a health care facility in that state. Students will not provide additional information for this check, nor does this require an additional fee or expense. Results will be faxed to the Student Affairs Office where they will be stored in a confidential file.
If you should be sent to a Missouri hospital for a mental health clinical rotation, you will need to complete the Missouri Department of Mental Health Disqualification Registry Report. Currently the cost is $9.00 (+$1.00 if filed online) as of September, 2009. Contact Moffett Ferguson, SHP Student Affairs, if you are assigned a mental health clinical rotation in Missouri.
Results
Should a background check or report come back with an unacceptable offense, the school will review the information and make a decision on the applicant's eligibility. The department will then notify the applicant regarding their status to enter a program in the school. These cases will be considered individually and, under extenuating circumstances, an exception could be made. Normally, the following convictions will prevent admission:
- Felony convictions
- Misdemeanor convictions or felony deferred adjudications involving crimes against persons (physical or sexual abuse)
- Misdemeanor convictions related to moral turpitude (prostitution, public lewdness/exposure, etc.)
- Felony deferred adjudications for the sale, possession, distribution, or transfer of narcotics or controlled substances
- Registered sex offenders
- OIG, GSA and Medicaid Sanctions
If there is a conviction that does not disqualify the applicant/student from a program and subsequent affiliation, the student should be aware that this may not be the case for the professional certifying agency. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm whether or not the conviction will prevent them from taking a certification/ qualifying examination upon completion of an academic program.
For specific details and instructions for completing these requirements, please view the documents below:
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Background Check Instructions and Log-in 