Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait and Yemen. Investigators now say he fabricat-
ed his Middle East employment in order to gain employment — and
access to fentanyl.
• He'd been court-martialed. In 2011, for stealing fentanyl while enlisted in
the U.S. Navy.
Despite these red flags flapping in his background, Swedish hired Mr.
Allen in August 2015 and fired him 6 months later — but not before
about 2,900 patients had surgeries while Mr. Allen worked there
(Swedish has offered those patients free tests for HIV, hepatitis B and
hepatitis C).
Swedish maintains that it checks applicants thoroughly. "Like most
hospitals, our hiring process includes a background check by a third
party, interviews by managers and peers, confirmation of training and
certification, state registration and pre-employment drug screening,"
says a Swedish spokeswoman in a statement.
What can we learn from the hiring of Mr. Allen? You have a responsi-
bility to learn all you can about potential hires. Follow these 3 steps to
keep your facility in compliance with employment regulations and
limit the potential of future legal liability.
Review public records
Establish a relationship with a reputable consumer reporting
agency (CRA) — firms that perform credit and criminal background
checks — and ensure that each potential new hire signs a consent
form authorizing a background check. If you're running a background
check, the potential new hire must also receive a Summary of Rights
(osmag.net/JyF2Vq) as a requirement of the Fair Credit Reporting Act
(FCRA). Have your CRA run a local, state and federal records check.
Recent guidance issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC) says you can't use an applicant's arrest records
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