Increase in Workforce Background Check Audits (SNF/AL)

The Long-Term-Care State Licensing Section (LTCSLS) now has access to the Workforce Background Check records and will be increasing the auditing of these records. MCL 333.20173a requires that all nursing facilities and homes for the aged employees, independent contractors and those being granted clinical privileges with direct access to residents or who are providing direct services to residents complete a criminal background check and be deemed eligible for employment through the Workforce Background Check (WBC) system. 

LTCSLS will reach out to facilities that have alerts in the WBC account that need attention. These alerts could cover employees who are no longer eligible to work, active applications with findings or pending affiliations. Clearing these alerts will ensure that records in the WBC system will remain accurate.

Additionally, LTCSLS will no longer verify facility staff eligibility by requesting a copy of the WBC eligibility letter during licensure or complaint surveys. Instead, LTCSLS will review the records in the WBC account and verify that all employed and contracted staff, and individuals with clinical privileges or direct access to residents, have active applications in the WBC system. Complete guidance and resources can be found on the WBC website.