Every finding on record at American Care Concepts Hospice LLC

It is required that the hospice obtains a criminal background check on all hospice employees who have direct patient contact or access to patient records. Criminal background checks are obtained in accordance with state requirements. In the absence of state requirements, criminal background checks are obtained within three (3) months of the date of employment for all states in which the individual has lived or worked during the past three (3) years. This standard was not met as evidenced by document review, interview and personnel record review. 3 of 10 (30%) personnel records reviewed revealed the hospice agency did not ensure criminal background checks were completed upon hire per the hospice agency policy. Document 9: Policy# 602 titled Hiring (effective 8/1/2022) sub-section Procedure two (2) (CB stated in part, "After selection of the candidate, the Director of Human Resources processes by extending a verbal offer of employment pending verification of references and criminal background check as required by law or regulation." Personnel Record 2: An employee with a hire date of 8/1/2022 had an employee file with a criminal background check in the employee file dated 2/2/2022. Personnel Record 4: An employee with a hire date of 3/1/2023 had an employee file in which the criminal background check was dated 8/29/2022. The employee file contained an Office of Inspector General (OIG) report dated 6/20/2023. Personnel Record 8: An employee with a hire date of 8/1/2022 had an employee file with a criminal background check dated 12/3/2020. The employee file contained an Office of Inspector General (OIG) dated 6/20/2023. A joint record review and interview with the administrator on 6/21/2023 confirmed the hospice agency did not obtain a criminal background check on employees according to the agency policy. The administrator reported the agency uses a human resource management organization for personnel record keeping. It was the agency's understanding they did not need to run a background check upon hire or within three (3) months of hire because the human resource company was already managing the employee file while the employee worked for another hospice agency.