There is a huge demand for healthcare professionals as the American population continues to age.  To achieve workforce flexibility, many healthcare providers are filling their open positions with contractors. This creates a tremendous opportunity for recruiters who can work this niche.

If you place healthcare contractors, though, you will want to take extra care to qualify healthcare contractors and take steps to protect your firm from liability. Failing to handle healthcare contract placements properly could result in severe consequences for your clients, their patients, and the employer (which is you if you run your own back-office).

To avoid problems, be sure that you (or your contract staffing back-office if you outsource):

1. Have a Certificate of Insurance that includes sufficient medical professional liability insurance.
2. Run background checks and drug screenings on every healthcare contractor.
3. Have healthcare contractors sign a HIPPA Agreement stating that they understand and will comply with the Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA).
4. Verify their immunizations, specifically Hepatitis B and Tuberculosis.
5. Verify that they have any required licenses, and those licenses are up-to-date.
6. Conduct an OIG/HHS (Medicare Fraud) Search.
7. Conduct an Excluded Parties List System Search (EPLS).
8. Conduct Bloodborne Pathogens training and testing. 
   
9. Have contractors complete occupation-specific skills checklists.
10. Verify their CPR training and certification.
11. Conduct FBI fingerprinting if the contractor will have contact with children.