Provider Registration Needed to Comply with Background Check Act and Requirements

Purpose

This Information Bulletin is to remind providers of their responsibility to comply with the Health Care Worker Background Check (HCWBC) Act (225 ILCS 46), Illinois Department of Public Health (DPH) rules and Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) policies related to obtaining electronic fingerprint criminal background checks for their employees.

Process and Procedure

To comply, providers must register for access to the IDPH Web Portal. When DPH grants access, providers must use this system exclusively to obtain electronic fingerprint criminal background checks through qualified livescan vendors and keep the employment records of their employees current so they can be notified immediately if an employee is convicted of a disqualifying criminal offense.

Fingerprint criminal background check results using the livescan system are reported to the Health Care Worker Registry (HCWR) within two business days. Until DPH authorizes access to the HAN Web Portal and fingerprinting system, providers may continue to use name-based Illinois state police background checks.  These results must be reported by fax or mail to the DPH Health Care Worker Registry. 

Note: Providers found not to have registered for access to the DPH HAN Web Portal are subject to fines levied by the DPH and administrative sanctions imposed by the DHS Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD).

In September 2009, the DDD mailed providers a packet of materials provided by the DPH that described amendments to the HCWBC Code (77 Illinois Administrative Code 955). Providers were informed at that time that the DPH was implementing a web-based process for providers to meet the HCWBC Act requirements to use a web-based system and livescan vendors to obtain electronic fingerprint criminal background checks and keep HCWR records updated for their employees. Access to the DPH HAN Web Portal was rolled out by geographic area and the DPH notified providers when the web-based system was available in their area. 

Providers not yet registered to access the DPH HAN Web Portal must do so immediately.

DDD-funded providers not registered for the DPH HAN Web Portal must take the following steps:

1. Designate one staff person as its Portal Registration Authority (PRA). This person will serve as a liaison with the DPH for managing your portal accounts and application security. If your organization has several sites, one PRA can be designated at each site or you can have one PRA for all sites. The PRA coordinates registration and approval of other DPH HAN Web Portal users for your agency. The PRA must register even if he/she does not intend to actually be a user.
2. The PRA registers for an IDPH Web Portal account online by clicking on "Register for a Portal Account" and agreeing to the Web Portal User Agreement.
3. The PRA completes the DPH HAN Web Portal User Registration form online. Only online submissions are accepted.
4. The PRA completes all other information requested by the online registration process.
5. Only online submissions are accepted.

• Questions or information about the IDPH Web Portal registration process or PRA function should be directed to DPH.Security@illinois.gov or (217) 557-5496.
• HCWR questions should be directed to (217) 785-5133.
• Questions about Direct Support Person (DSP) training records not posting to the HCWR can be directed to the DHS Division of Developmental Disabilities at (217) 782-9438 or DHS.BQM@illinois.gov.