Background checks for Michigan healthcare workers receive supplemental revisions

Two significant changes have been made in the background screening process for healthcare workers in the state of Michigan, according to MLive. Employees in the healthcare industry that plan to change jobs can do so as long as they've undergone a criminal history check with their previous organization within the past 12 months, with no gaps in employment during that time, notes the news source. In addition, the rules for conditional employees - ones that have been hired but have not completed the screening process - have also changed. The media outlet adds that while these workers typically cannot provide direct service to patients, staff members can be exempt from this rule if he or she has resided in Michigan uninterrupted for the last 12 months, and provides the state with a set of fingerprints 10 business days after conditional employment. Such tight restrictions are necessary for healthcare employees because the helplessness of certain patients leaves them susceptible to foul play. For example, an Indianapolis Star investigation in 2010 found several instances in which nurses failed to report arrests or convictions on their license renewal applications without the nursing board knowing about the incidents, according to Bloomberg.