Five Keys to Medical License Verification and Monitoring
It’s a simple rule: if someone is going to practice medicine, they should be licensed to do so. This is the law in all 50 states, and it is based in a desire to provide effective and safe medical care to patients. However, there are some people who attempt to practice without a license — and if you hire them, your facility could be facing some terrible charges.
Anyone who works in healthcare has to undergo a thorough background check, ensuring that they are licensed to do the work for which they’re applying. But how can you be sure that your background check is accurate — and how will you know if your employee KEEPS their license after getting hired? Here are the keys to effective medical license verification and monitoring.
Check the Correct Databases and Registries
The United States doesn’t have a standardized medical system. Each state has its own licensing board, which means that a doctor who is licensed to practice in one state may not be licensed in another. When you hire any medical professional, you need to make sure that you check all applicable databases and registries to confirm that their license is valid and current.
Which databases are the correct ones? You want to examine a national health care certification and registration organization such as American Allied Health, as well as the State Board of Medical Examiners for your state. These databases should help you determine which candidates have valid medical licenses.
Make sure you check multiple registries to confirm that your applicants have an up-to-date license. While most medical licensing databases are updated frequently, it’s always worthwhile to double-check — after all, the well-being of your patients is on the line.
Go Above and Beyond
These days, it is not enough to simply check that an applicant has a valid medical license. The legal landscape in the healthcare industry is complicated, and a poor hire can leave you subject to future litigation. It’s essential that you go above and beyond during the hiring process to ensure that your candidates have valid licenses and spotless reputations.
In addition to checking the national and state databases, it can be worthwhile to check the Federation of State Medical Boards. This website will inform you of a candidate’s certification, education, active licenses, and any action that has been taken against the physician. This information can help determine which doctor will provide the best care to your patients — and this extra step can make all the difference between a thriving practice and a malpractice lawsuit.
Utilize Automated Systems
Even after you hire a qualified healthcare professional, you must still keep track of their license and accreditation. If a professional forgets to renew their license or loses it due to some form of malpractice, the results can be disastrous for your facility. Therefore, it is recommended that healthcare facilities continue to keep track of their employees’ licenses.
The average hospital employs up to 80 physicians, as well as many more nurses and other healthcare professionals. Years ago, it would have been impossible to regularly check the licenses on each and every employee — but today, this can be done with the click of a mouse. There are many automated software programs that will check licensing databases and registries for you. Just set up the software and let it run, and you’ll be alerted to any status changes for any of your employees.
Establish Ongoing, Continuous Monitoring Practices
As we just mentioned, hiring someone with an active license doesn’t always mean they will stay that way. Physicians can lose their licenses due to myriad unethical behaviors, or licenses can expire if the doctor doesn’t renew it. Therefore, it is essential to have continuous monitoring practices throughout your facility.
How often should you be monitoring licenses? The answer will vary depending on where you live. Some states require monthly monitoring, while others have no requirement at all. However, it is recommended that you check your physicians’ licenses at least quarterly to ensure that they are up-to-date and that there are no complaints lodged against the physician.
This continuous monitoring is made even easier when you have an automated system regularly checking licenses. In fact, many automated systems allow you to check licenses daily, ensuring that you are aware of any change to a healthcare professional’s license as soon as it happens.
Partner with a Third Party
Finally, one of the best ways to efficiently and regularly monitor medical licenses is to work with a third-party company. There are many organizations, such as ComplianceLine, that can provide you with automated software as well as expert support to help you streamline this process and effectively keep track of your staff members’ licenses.
Additionally, a third-party monitor can help mitigate some of the workload from your human resources department. This can help reduce burnout among HR professionals and other administrators, helping you retain employees longer and minimize in-office errors.
ComplianceLine can help you verify and monitor medical licenses quickly and easily. With the help of our software, you’ll be able to hire the very best candidates and keep track of their licenses automatically — which will result in a smoothly run facility and better care for your patients. Request more info today!
