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Australian Doctor Arrested After Practicing Medicine Despite Being Banned

Mark — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:03:49 +0000

In Australia, a trial date of February 2010 was set for former obstetrician Graeme Reeves. Reeves was arrested and charged with nine counts of aggravated sexual assault, six counts of indecent assault, a count of female genital mutilation, and a count of maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Reeves continued to practice as an obstetrician despite previously being banned from the practice; he lied about being banned in order to gain a job as an obstetrician. A report by Special Commissioner Peter Garling found that health executives failed to conduct adequate background checks on Reeves. However, Mr. Garling placed blame with Dr. Reeves.

Source: Natasha Wallace, “I’m sorry, says the Butcher of Bega,” Sydney Morning Herald, August 1, 2008, p. 1. news.ninemsn.com.au/national/870567/doctor-to-face-mutilation-trial-in-2010

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Florida Sheriff Implements Random Drug Testing Policy

Mark — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:04:40 +0000

Robbyn Brooks reports in the Northwest Florida Daily News that Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson implemented a new random drug screening policy for employees in September 2009. Employees with a positive test result will be disciplined and possibly fired. According to the article, several local sherriff’s offices throughout the state of Florida require random drug testing. For example, at the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, 10 Okaloosa Sheriff ‘s Office employees are selected randomly each month for drug and alcohol screening.

Source: Robbyn Brooks, “Walton Sheriff’s Office begins drug screening for employees.” Northwest Florida Daily News (Fort Walton Beach, FL) (Sept 28, 2009). Florida Background Check

City Employees in Durham, North Carolina Victims of Identify Theft

Mark — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 21:52:49 +0000

According to an article by Ray Gronberg in the Herald-Sun, city officials in Durham, North Carolina have warned employees on Durham’s payroll about an identity theft case that victimized three workers and urged workers to check their credit reports periodically. Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the case: Alexis Brooke Faison, and Floyd Allen McSwain III. The police said Faison and McSwain III obtained the information on the workers from a 2006 master list of city employees; the police have not yet determined how Faison and McSwain III were able to obtain the confidential employee list.

Source: Ray Gronberg “City workers warned to check credit reports.” Herald-Sun (Durham, NC) (July 15, 2009). North Carolina Background Check – Durham Background Check

Boston Mayor Urges Lawmakers to Pass Law Requiring Drug and Alcohol Testing for all Public Safety Employees

Mark — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:35:19 +0000

Boston Globe correspondent Jazmine Ulloa reported in the Globe that Boston’s Mayor Thomas Menino has urged state lawmakers to pass a law that would require random drug tests and alcohol testing for all Massachusetts public safety employees. The city’s union of firefighters is opposed to such a measure. Currently, Boston firefighters undergo random alcohol and drug testing during their first year of employment; but after that, they are only tested if they show signs of being impaired on the job. The Boston police approved random testing several years ago.

Source: http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/06/mayor_menino_ba.html?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed7. Also see: Szaniszlo, Marie. “Menino pushes statewide drug tests.(News).” The Boston Herald (June 26, 2009): 014. Boston Background Check

How to Deal with an Inaccurate Credit Report

Mark — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:42:13 +0000

Federal law mandates that credit reporting agencies investigate and promptly correct any errors consumers report to them. An article in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution provides tips on how to protect oneself from an inaccurate credit report. First, it is important for a consumer to review his/her reports. Second, if there are errors, consumers should dispute the errors in writing and send the letter to the credit bureau by certified mail with a return receipt requested. Third, notify the lender who may have sent the false information to the credit bureau. Fourth, provide evidence, such as canceled checks or a letter from a creditor showing a balance was paid in full. Fifth, complain to regulators, such as the Federal Trade Commission and the state office of consumer affairs. Finally, if the credit bureau refuses to correct the error, talk to a lawyer who specializes in Fair Credit Reporting Act cases. Lawyers specializing in such cases can be found through the National Association of Consumer Advocates, www.naca.net.

The article also provides the following useful resources:

For more information about disputing credit report errors, go to: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre21.pdf

Federal Trade Commission report to Congress on the credit reporting dispute process: http://www.ftc.gov/os/comments/fcradispute/P044808fcradisputeprocessreporttocongress.pdf

National Consumer Law Center report on credit report disputes: http://www.nclc.org/issues/credit_reporting/content/automated_injustice.pdf

Source: “Credit report fix turns fiasco.(Metro News).” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Atlanta, GA) (June 14, 2009).

Illinois Woman Charged with Identified Theft for Accessing the Credit Report of another Woman

Mark — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:26:40 +0000

Josh Stockinger reports in Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL) that a woman in Illinois (Claudia Madrigal) was charged with identity theft after accessing another woman’s consumer credit report, although no money or property was stolen. The Class 3 felony is punishable by two to five years in prison. Madrigal used her position at an insurance company to access the report. The victim notified the police after she learned that an insurance company had inquired about her credit even though she had no ties to the company. Obtaining or possessing personal information constitutes identity theft, even if the information is not used for anything.

Source: “Aurora woman charged in ID theft.(News).” Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL) (April 2, 2009): 4. Custom Newspapers. Gale. Westchester Library System. http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/start.do?prodId=SPN.SP00.

FTC Launches Videos to Showcase its AnnualCreditReport.com

Mark — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 01:08:52 +0000

Ellen Gabler reports in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched a series of music videos about its web site, annualcreditreport.com, which allows people to receive a free copy of their credit report once each year. The FTC said in a news release that the videos were intended to show the differences between AnnualCreditReport.com and other sites that claim to provide free credit reports. For example, despite its name, FreeCreditReport.com users must pay a fee if they do not cancel their membership within seven days of signing up.

Source Citation:”FTC warns of misleading credit report sites.” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee, WI) (March 10, 2009).

States and Federal Government Push for Rules to Restrict Employer Credit Checks

Mark — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 19:59:41 +0000

Thomas Frank reports in USA Today that, given the economic recession, five states (Hawaii, Connecticut, New York, Missouri, and Texas) and the federal government are pushing new rules to restrict job applicant credit checks run by employers. Frank reports that about 43% of U.S. employers run credit report checks on job applicants, according to the Society for Human Resource Management and security consultant Kroll. The state of Washington enacted restrictions in 2007.

Source: Frank, Thomas. ”Job credit checks called unfair.(NEWS).” USA Today (Feb 13, 2009).

Connecticut Hospice Volunteer Refuses to Submit to Background Check

Mark — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:27:16 +0000

The Middletown Press’ Sloan Brewster reports that a Middlesex Hospice volunteer (Donald McGinnis) who has refused to submit to a background check will not be able to retain his position, under a new federal law. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid recently implemented a law requiring that all hospice volunteers have background checks conducted on them. Since the government pays for hospice care, it expects full compliance, even for those who have a long-term history of volunteering. McGinnis, who has been a volunteer at the hospice for 18 years, does not agree with the law, in principle.

For full article, please see: Source: Sloan Brewster, Local volunteer won’t succumb to Big Brother,” The Middletown Press, November 27, 2008 7:02 PM EST. http://www.middletownpress.com/articles/2008/11/27/news/doc492f34fe9baf5101665604.prt

California Hospital Employees Suspended Because Found to Have Criminal Histories

Mark — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 15:24:24 +0000

Garrett Therolf reported in The Los Angeles Times that 19 Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital employees were fired and 45 others disciplined after it was revealed that employees had been able to stay on staff despite the fact that background checks indicated past crimes that would make them ineligible for employment.

In July 2008 The Los Angeles Times reported that 16 employees at Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital’s outpatient clinic in Los Angeles were suspended after it was discovered that they had serious crimes in their past or had lied about their criminal history. In response to this issue, Los Angeles County Supervisor Yvonne Burke said the county should reevaluate its process of conducting criminal background checks for all of its employees to make sure that they occur with sufficient regularity and that they are acted upon.

Source: Garrett Therolf, “King-Harbor hospital to fire 19 over criminal records,” Los Angeles Times, October 29, 2008, http://articles.latimes.com/2008/oct/29/local/me-king29. Garrett Therolf, “County suspends clinic workers;
The 16 King-Harbor employees were found to have histories of criminal offenses,” Los Angeles Times, July 16, 2008, p. 1.