Fingerprint Based Background Check in Long Term Care
HB2582, which was adopted in 2012, changed the previous requirements for name based background checks to begin use of fingerprint based national background checks by employers in a variety of health care settings. The law established fingerprinting requirements for all future employees with direct patient access to residents and clients and their financial information. The goal of the program is to reduce the rate of abuse, neglect and theft through more informed hiring practices, and to protect at-risk citizens in these settings.
A network of sites developed to collect fingerprints for nurses, teachers and child care workers has been expanded and is used to collect fingerprints electronically. See IdentoGO Fingerprinting Sites in Oklahoma. The fingerprint images are sent to the State and Federal Bureaus of Investigation. The results are sent to the Department of Health (OSDH) for review and determination of eligibility. Employers will be notified of applicant eligibility status by email through the OK-SCREEN web portal operated by the OSDH.
Employers will pre-screen applicants using this portal. The site will provide employers with a single portal for checking sex, violent and other disqualification registries required under the new law. Providers currently contracting with companies to screen applicants may authorize those companies to use OK-SCREEN on their behalf.
An employer includes: nursing, residential care, adult day care, and assisted living facilities; home health and hospice agencies; intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities; providers of personal care services under Medicare & Medicaid; staffing agencies contracting with these agencies and providers; and independent contractors contracting with these agencies and providers. Providers of Medicaid Home and Community-based waiver services are authorized to participate on a voluntary basis.
The program uses electronic monitoring of criminal histories. This allows the FBI and OSBI to notify the OSDH of a change in an applicant's history. A second fingerprinting is not required if the applicant changes employers as long as the employee is enrolled in the system.
Barriers to employment are established by law and are based on the applicant's license, permit, certification, or employment class. See Employment Disqualifiers in the Long Term Care Security Act (PDF).
The program relies on an application fee of $19. The provider pays the fee through the portal after registry screening is completed and authorization for fingerprinting is requested. Billing accounts are also available. If an applicant was previously found eligible, after the provider performs a current registry screening, the provider pays the same $19 fee to enroll the applicant as their employee. There is a $10 one-time applicant-scanning fee.
For more information and to register for training or an OK-SCREEN account, see the Department’s Oklahoma National Background Check program grant website here: http://onbc.health.ok.gov, or call 405.271.3598 / Toll-Free: 855.584.3550 or email okscreen@health.ok.gov.
The program office contact information is shown below:
Walter Jacques, Administrative Program Manager
Oklahoma National Background Check Program
Oklahoma State Department of Health
1000 NE 10th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73117
Phone: 405.271.3598 / Toll-Free: 855.584.3550
Fax: 405.271.3611
E-mail: okscreen@health.ok.gov
If you have any questions regarding the information provided above, please feel free to contact us via Smarter Mail at: aauproviderquestion@aau.okdhs.org
