Tenet requires background checks to verify identity, qualifications, ability and character to work in a healthcare environment and around sensitive information. Candidates cannot start work until the background screening results have been reviewed by HR. Exceptions for an employee to begin conditional employment may be granted by the Tenet HR Director for situations where the educational history check is pending results, but the other areas of the background check are completed.
- Prospective employees
- Employed physicians**
- Contract workers
- Students
- Volunteers
- Temporary administrative staff
- Physicians with relocation agreements
- Non-employed persons that have contact with patients, patient records, personal property of Tenet Facility employees, patients, and guests
- Social Security Number trace (identity, aliases, residential history)
- 7-year criminal record search (states and/or counties in applicable locations)
- Credit history* (if applicable for position)
- Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) (if applicable for position)
- Professional licenses and education
- Sexual offender registry (county/state of residence)
- OIG/GSA federal exclusion lists search (Office of Inspector General List of Excluded Individuals/Entities, the General Services Administration List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Non-procurement Programs and state healthcare exclusion lists)
- Other element required by Tenet Facility to meet state law requirements
- Annually or as needed when there are regulatory requirements or changes in corporate policy
- As needed on current employees (e.g., audit results find missing background check on employee)
- Students
- Completed for over the age of 18 prior to a student’s first assignment
- Completed by Tenet Facility or the contracting agency
- All minimum required checks must be completed
- Background check not required when students are only observing or assigned to a facility for five days or less and accompanied with individual with a completed Tenet background
- Contract Workers
- Completed before the contract worker can begin work
- Completed by Tenet Facility or the contracting agency
- All minimum required checks must be completed within the last 6 months.
- OIG/GSA check must occur prior to hire
- Background check not required if work assignment is less than five days
- Contracts with provision for attestation need to be amended at renewal to exclude attestations and enforce background check requirement
- Volunteers
- Completed for over the age of 18 prior to a volunteer’s first day of work
- Completed by Tenet Facility
- Transferred Employees
- Background check not required for transfers unless:
- Promotion is from a non-management position to a Manager level or above
- More than six months has lapsed since the employee’s last background check
- New position requires credit check because of the nature of the position
- Copy of original background check or drug screen is not in the employee’s file
- Rehired/Reinstated Employees
- Complete background check if older than six months prior to the rehire or reinstatement
- OIG/GSA check must occur prior to hire
- Candidates may review results of a background check or receive contact from HR to:
- Review negative results from a background check (e.g., criminal history) to provide more information regarding the results
- Opportunity to correct pre-employment investigation results/errors in report
- Address criminal conviction results and provide more information to HR
- HR reviews background check results for pre-adverse actions to:
- Notify and present candidate with the Pre-Adverse Action letter, copy of FCRA Summary of Rights and copy of the background screen results
- Initiate findings review process if candidate disputes material findings in the background screen
- Conduct further investigation to respond to the candidate in a reasonable time period
- HR determines candidate does not meet Tenet’s hiring standards
- Provides a copy of the Adverse Action letter to the candidate
- Background check results less than six months old can be shared between Tenet Facilities only
- Third parties never receive any copies of the report