More sources for employee background checks

Looking for websites to run pre-employment background screens through? Here is what my clients are using:

 

www.publicdataworks.com
www.ceoinfosolutions.com
www.allisontaylor.com

I shouldn’t have to state the obvious but you need to conduct backgrounds checks on every hire you make. It’ll save you and prevent a lot of grief in the future.

How to analyze a resume

Whether a job applicant is a physician, an administrator/office manager or a medical technician, reviewing the resume is your first step in the selection process. Ostensibly, that resume provides the candidate's objective history, but it's really meant to convince you that he or she is the best person to hire.

Therefore, properly analyzing a resume calls for some detective skills: You need to search for hidden clues, reading between the lines to determine whether you and your manager want to spend the valuable time interviewing that particular job candidate. Resumes and CVs are often created by professional firms specializing in their preparation. Don't get hooked by wishful thinking based on the format and language. Take the facts, consider them critically and don't wander beyond them.

Starting physician salary information

The HealthCare Group’s Physician Starting Salary Survey for 200 is an excellent source of starting salary information. It also includes information on issues like covenants not to compete. You can find the survey here:

https://www.thehealthcaregroup.com/Productdownloads/2009PSSSreport.pdf

Job description for a managing physician/director in a group practice

GENERAL SUMMARY OF DUTIES:  The Managing Director is the elected representative of the Board of Directors. This representation is both external and internal to the organization, especially with regard to managing, supervising and directing the professional clinical staff of the organization, including all employed physicians, and employed or contracted allied health professionals (physician assistants (PAs), and nurse practitioners (NPs)).  He/she will serve as the Chair for all meetings of the organization, including Executive Committee and Board of Directors meetings.

 

A primary responsibility of the Managing Director is the implementation of the organization’s  strategic plan.  The Managing Director and the Administrator work together to attain the goals and objectives of the organization in accordance the approved actions of the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors, and accepted business practices.

 

SUPERVISION RECEIVED:  Day to day supervision and accountability will be to the  Executive Committee, with ultimate accountability to the Board of Directors.

 

SUPERVISION EXERCISED:  Supervises the clinical support staff through the Nursing Supervisor and the Research Supervisor; and the physician assistants through the Senior Physician Assistant.

 

Responsible for the day to day supervision of the Administrator, the XXXX Clinic, Director, the  Medical Directors of the XXXXXX, and The XXXXX Medical Director.  As required, may assume the role of Medical Director for one or more of the office-based services or one or more of the surgery centers.

 

TYPICAL PHYSICAL DEMANDS:  Requires prolonged sitting, some bending, stooping and stretching.  Requires eye-hand coordination and manual dexterity sufficient to operate a keyboard, telephone, calculator and other office equipment.  Requires normal range of hearing and eyesight to record, prepare and communicate appropriate reports. May require lifting up to 40 pounds.

 

TYPICAL WORKING CONDITIONS:  Normal medical practice environment, including both office, ambulatory surgery center and hospital settings.  Frequent evening or weekend work.  Some business travel is required. Position is very demanding and stressful.

 

DUTIES: (This list may not include all the duties assigned.)

 

1. Works with the Board of Directors and the Administrator to chart and implement the group’s strategic vision in response to the changing needs of the community.

 

2. Develops, recommends, and updates strategic long-range plans to support the group's mission, vision, and values.  Has primary responsibility for implementing the organization’s strategic plan as approved by the Board of Directors.

 

3. Informs the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors about current trends, problems, and activities in the medical field both locally and nationally to facilitate policy making.

 

4. Chairs all Executive Committee and Board of Directors meetings.

 

5. Approves unbudgeted expenses or purchases in accordance with the organizations purchasing guidelines, as established by the Board of Directors. Unbudgeted expenses or purchases in excess of the established maximum must be approved as outlined in the organization’s purchasing guidelines.

   

6. As provided by the policies and procedures of the organization the Managing Partner will act in concert with the Executive Committee and/or the Board of Directors; however, he/she may act independently in areas reserved for Executive Committee or Board of Directors action when convening a meeting of the Executive Committee or Board of Directors is not possible or feasible. When taking such independent action the Managing Director will coordinate decision making with members of the Executive Committee.  Should the Managing Partner take such independent action without consulting either the Executive Committee or the Board of Directors the Managing Director is required to report such action to the Executive Committee or the Board of Directors as soon as possible..

 

7. In accordance with company policy, the Managing Director is responsible for the development of monthly and annual work schedules for all employed physicians, PAs and NPs,  and is authorized and responsible for posting all final monthly clinical work schedules in a timely manner.   The Managing Director is also responsible for resolving scheduling issues, including short-notice requests for physician time-off, schedule changes, and/or schedule conflicts.

 

8. Supervises the group’s Administrator. Initiates regular contact by phone, email, and in person to maintain a high level of coordination and focus with the Administrator, reinforcing the physician/administrator team management philosophy.

 

9. Helps set work priorities for the Administrator and clinical supervisors as identified above, monitors delegated duties, and reviews and acts on leave requests,.

 

9. Works with the Administrator to recommend policy positions regarding administrative and legislative matters.

 

10.    Works with the Administrator and Assistant Administrator to develop and present an annual budget to the Board of Directors.  Reports monthly financial data to the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors.

 

11.    Directs and participates in the training of new members of the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors.

 

12.    Works with the Board of Directors, professional staff and other members of the organization to monitor medical activities to ensure that the community's needs for quality health care are met.

 

13.    Directs and coordinates the efforts of the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors, and the Administrator to recruit, develop, evaluate, and retain physicians and allied health professionals.

 

14.    Participates in and supports the development and administration of clinical research trials, including the evaluation and reporting of results and outcomes of care.

 

15.    Works with the Administrator to encourage the integration of the practice with the community through effective communication and public relations programs.

 

16.    Represents the organization in its relationships with other health care organizations and government agencies. As appropriate, participates in negotiations with third party payers.

 

17.    Approves recommendations regarding the employment or termination of all clinical support staff, including the Nursing Supervisor, the Research Supervisor, allied health professional staff, and all  Laboratory Technical Directors.  As appropriate, participates in decisions regarding the employment of non-physician clinical staff.

 

18.    Provides assistance to the Nursing Supervisor, the Research Supervisor, allied health professional staff, and all  Laboratory Technical Directors in establishing department philosophies and objectives.

 

19.    Maintains professional affiliations and enhances professional growth and development to keep abreast of trends and advancements in group practice leadership.

 

20.    Maintains strictest confidentiality regarding the organization’s business affairs and strategic plans.

 

21.    Performs related work as directed by the Board of Directors.

 

PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS:

 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

 

Knowledge of the purposes, organization and policies of the community's health systems sufficient to interact with other health care providers at a senior leadership level.  Knowledge of the policies and procedures of a medical group practice sufficient lead the organization to achieve its goals and objectives.  Knowledge of the principles and practices of a medical group practice sufficient to ensure clinical staff productivity and retention.  Knowledge of effective personnel practices, including how to supervise physician staff. Skill in exercising a high degree of initiative, judgment, discretion and decision-making to achieve organizational objectives.  Skill in analyzing situations accurately and taking effective action.  Skill in organizing work, making assignments, and achieving goals and objectives.  Skill in organizing and conducting internal and external meetings. Ability to assume responsibility and exercise authority over assigned work functions.  Ability to establish and maintain clinical quality control standards.  Ability to organize and integrate organizational priorities and deadlines.  Ability to represent the best interests of the organization without prejudice.  Ability to make decisions and act objectively and without partisanship. Ability to bring a long-term vision to the strategic planning process.  Ability to provide leadership in all areas of group practice governance.

 

QUALIFICATIONS:

 

Must hold a valid license to practice medicine and surgery in the State of XXXX; be a member of the Board of Directors of XXXXX Medical Practice; and be elected by the Board to the position of Managing Director.

 

Experience:

 

At least five (5) years of prior service as an active member of the organization’s Board of Directors is required.  At least three (3) years tenure as a member of the organization’s Executive Committee is preferred.  Prior experience as a manager with training in management and supervisory techniques is desirable.

Exit interviews

The value of exit interviews is directly correlated to what you will do with the information, and the number of interviews you do. If you have a low number of folks you want to do these on, the value of the information will be less valuable and more influenced by individual bias.  If you don’t do anything with the information, or don’t trust the reliability of the interviewee, why bother???

I have seen these used in the past by clients to focus on areas where they suspect problems - the usual ones of training, supervision issues, orientation.   The biggest help they have gained is in revising the orientation and training processes.  The most helpful questions have been "How would you change the training/orientation process?  What did we not teach you that you now realize would have been incredibly helpful?"

Believe it or not, many clients don’t ask questions about the departing employee’s new wages, hours, and benefits provided by their new employer; these clients utilize other methods to ensure a competitive place in the marketplace.

Unauthorized prescription call in

Suppose a clinical employee comes to you and says that she overheard one of your RN’s calling in a prescription yesterday for her daughter.  As best the employee could tell, she was calling it in under the name of your nurse practitioner (who was not even at work that day).  She also heard a conversation regarding “my nursing license allows me to do this” “the nurse practitioner would call this in if she were here”.  Let’s say the prescription was for Zithromax and there is no paper documentation that you can find.  To make matters more interesting, this RN has actually resigned from your practice and her last day is Friday this week.

 

Do you confirm this has happened by calling the pharmacy and finding out if the RX was actually called in, who called in and under what name the prescription was authorized?  Do you confront the employee? If it is true, do you report it to the Nursing board?, what else do I need to do?

 

As far as confirming the information, I would recommend checking with the pharmacy first to verify the script was called in but I would not notify the nursing board. It isn't that you don't want to allow employees to utilize your services to help them or their families. What you do want to be sure of, is that she is not circumventing appropriate medical care for her child and taking short cuts that could, in the end, cause her child harm.

 

If she wasn't already leaving I would have given her a formal warning about abusing her position. A second time and I would have let her go. All she had to do was ask and I’m sure someone would have ok'd the prescription but someone like this could become untrustworthy.

 

Do you have a written policy about employees seeking medical attention from one of your doctors? We have all run across cases where one of your very kind doctors is being taken advantage of by employees by going to him for all their aches and pains. Consider writing and adopting a policy that would allow an employee to seek out one of your doctors with their managers permission. That doctor would complete a very short form stating what their findings were and any scripts they wrote for the employee. The form should state that the employee is expected to contact their PCP for follow up. In the end, you may have less time missed at work to see the PCP or for illness.

Lawyers Warn: Bosses Who 'Friend' Are Begging to Be Sued

Tresa Baldas

The National Law Journal

October 23, 2009

 

Bosses who "friend" their subordinates on social networking sites may seem warm and harmless, but they've got liability risk written all over them. So warn employment lawyers.

Managers sending friend requests to staff via Facebook, Twitter and other sites constitute a growing trend in the workplace. And it's one that needs to stop, the lawyers stress, because online relations between boss and employee can trigger or exacerbate a host of legal claims, including harassment, discrimination or wrongful termination, as well as touch off cries of favoritism if the boss friends only a select few subordinates.

"The intention may not be a bad one," said management-side attorney Michael Schmidt of the New York office of Philadelphia's Cozen O'Conner. But "it's the unintentional consequences" they need to be concerned about.

Given that social networking sites are loaded with personal information, Schmidt said, a manager is bound to learn things about an employee that he or she will wish the boss didn't know. Moreover, when a manager learns of some personal attribute through the site, the worker now has the opportunity to argue that any later adverse employment decision "was based on this personal information," Schmidt said.

For example, a supervisor may learn from someone's Facebook page that he or she belongs to a gay rights group. If the same employee is later fired for a performance problem, the employee could claim he or she were fired for being gay.

Shanti Atkins, an attorney and president of ELT Inc., which specializes in compliance training in the workplace, listed other kinds of intensely personal information -- religious affiliation, age, ethnicity, political affiliation, health problems -- that is not supposed to influence employment decisions but does appear on social networking sites. She posited a boss, planning to discipline or even terminate an employee, who sees a profile update about the person's severe medical condition or frustration over perceived religious intolerance. Will this knowledge influence the manager's decision -- or be seen as doing so?

Atkins pointed up another way that online friendships between managers and workers can put the managers in a difficult position. If the employee refers to being drunk at work or makes discriminatory remarks about co-workers, the manager may be obligated to investigate such behavior and report it to higher authorities at work.

Atkins said employers need to upgrade their policies on online worker-manager friendships. Specifically, she said, employers should ban them. "You should just, very politely, tell everyone, 'Don't do this,' " she said.

Meanwhile, employees may also want to hold off on friending their bosses. According to a recent survey by the staffing service Office Team, nearly half — 48 percent — of executives are uncomfortable being friended by those they manage. Another 47 percent don't want to be friended by their bosses either.

Jury duty

A client the other day asked for sample language to address jury duty in their human resource policy manual; here is what I provided:

 

Jury service is considered to be a community obligation except in those rare cases when such service would be an undue hardship to the practice. If it should prove a hardship to the practice for the employee to serve on jury duty, the practice may petition the court for the employee to be relieved from serving this duty. When an employee receives a notice for jury duty, he or she should provide a copy of the notice to the administrator on the next working day.

 

[COMPANY] will pay employees the difference between the regular daily payment amount and the payment received for jury duty for a maximum of five days per year. This service will not be charged against the PTO for any employee. In order to be reimbursed for this additional pay, the employee must provide to the administrator a copy of the jury duty notice and copies of the checks received from the local jurisdiction for this jury duty payment. Failure to do so will result in the days missed being taken as leave without pay.

Bereavement Leave

A client recently asked my advice on employee bereavement leave of absence. Here is one I usually recommend:

Employees who wish to take time off due to the death of an immediate family member should notify their supervisor immediately,

Up to three (3) consecutive calendar days (not including weekends or holidays) of paid bereavement leave will be granted to eligible employees in the following classifications:

ﾷ     Regular full-time

ﾷ     Regular part-time

ﾷ     Introductory

Bereavement pay is calculated based on the base pay rate at the time of absence and will not include any special forms of compensation, such as incentives, commissions, bonuses or shift differentials.  Bereavement leave will be paid for those days and hours that the employee is normally scheduled to work.

"Immediate family" includes an employee's spouse, child, parent, brother, sister or grandparent. 

Employees – can you be both friend and a boss?

You are a boss and a friend of an employee. I have found, from experience that it is difficult to remain objective and it is also hard to identify the lack of objectivity in oneself when this happens.  I believe the mixing of business with pleasure can be complicated and tricky. It is a professional standard, for many corporations and professions that management not mingle with staff outside of work. I personally think a person, in your position of authority, has the potential of setting themselves up with real or imagined scenarios that can be career ruining. You are in a position of authority according to the law.

 

If you review many of the lawsuits brought against businesses, you will find that the trouble began in circumstances very innocent. Whether you like it or not, there is the potential for an employee to say that they went along with everything because you were their boss (ie...facilitator) and they felt that they would lose their job if they didn't. For example, during one of your after work adventures with your employees, one of the employees comes on to you or worse yet, accuses you of coming on to her or him. It may have been an innocent hug, hand on the shoulder, or kind comment taken wrong. You may have not treated this employee (i.e. friend) any different than you treated the others. Another example, discrimination claims, employee states they did not get as large of a raise or were not treated the same because they do not want to be part of the big happy family and do activities outside of work with their co-workers and especially with their boss.

It does not matter if it is true or not, the practice will spend thousands defending their position of innocence. Who will be at the heart of the debate? How many tens/hundreds of thousands will it take to make this person go away?  How much damage will it do to the practices reputation in the process?

 

So being “good friends” with workers and supervising them can be tricky at best. However if done correctly it can create a great working atmosphere.  The problem is most managers aren’t successful at this. So be aware.