Ask the TMA Knowledge Center Trust the answer
The TMA Knowledge Center is a free member benefit that can help you with legislative/advocacy information; payment, cod- ing, and billing; workers’ compensation; continuing medical education; and more. The experienced staff can answer all of your questions and help you with any number of situations in your practice. Contact the TMA Knowledge Center by telephone at (800) 880-7955 or by email at
knowledge@texmed.org.
Q. Can our practice conduct criminal background checks on job applicants/prospective employees?
A. Yes. State and federal laws permit employers to conduct criminal background checks on prospective employees. How- ever, employers should consider guidance offered by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission when considering hiring employees with criminal convictions (
www.eeoc.gov/laws/guid ance/
arrest_conviction.cfm). The Texas Workforce Commission offers guidance for Texas
employers considering using background checks in their hiring process (
www.texasworkforce.org/news/efte/references_back ground_checks.html). Note that the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires an employer
to give written notice that a credit or background check will be done and to get written authorization from an applicant to do the check if an outside agency will be used (the notice and the authorization can be on the same form). Furthermore, if the applicant is turned down, the employer must tell the applicant why, give the applicant a copy of the report, and let him or her know the name and address of the service that furnished the information.
Legal articles in Texas Medicine are intended to help physicians understand the law by providing legal information on selected topics. These articles are published with the understanding that TMA is not engaged in providing legal advice. When dealing with specific legal matters, readers should seek assistance from their attorneys.
10 TEXAS MEDICINE October 2013
loaned by the Texas Department of Pub- lic Safety Museum in Austin. The remainder of the exhibit will fo- cus on such forensic techniques as the autopsy and poison analysis, as well as forensic medicine in fiction. The exhibit closes next September.
Academic physicians: Get the credit you’re due
The TMA Award for Excellence in Aca- demic Medicine recognizes teaching phy- sicians who are clinicians and have a re- cord of TMA leadership, scholarly activ- ity and mentoring, professional develop- ment, advocacy, and community service. If this sounds like you, TMA encourages you to apply for this award program cre- ated for doctors like you. “TMA is eager to recognize our phy- sicians who are consummate teachers, role models, and medical profession- als,” said David P. Wright, MD, chair of the TMA Council on Medical Education. “These awards underscore their value in preparing the future physician workforce and as leaders within TMA and their communities.” The program has four recognition lev-
els: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Eligibility criteria increase for each level. Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels are self- nominating, and all who meet the crite- ria will receive recognition. A selection committee of TMA member physicians chooses the sole Platinum-level winner each year from among Gold-level recipi- ents. Gold recipients remain eligible for the annual Platinum award for three years, with no need to reapply during that period. All award recipients receive a printed certificate and recognition by the TMA Council on Medical Education and Sub- committee for Academic Physicians at that year’s TexMed meeting. The Plati- num winner also receives a $5,000 cash award.
In addition, winners are recognized
in Texas Medicine; in It’s Academic, TMA’s monthly e-newsletter for academic phy- sicians; and in the Handbook for Del- egates at TexMed, the TMA House of Delegates’ annual meeting.
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