A new rating system looks to make it easier for people to hire healthcare providers.
C-Screen was created by Chris Rothwell and Tom Boles, owners of C3 Group, a consulting firm that specializes in risk management, HR and group health insurance for employers.
Rothwell says the cases of abuse, neglect and theft he dealt with inspired this new technology system to expose companies' screening practices.
“I thought to myself, who in their right mind would ever put their loved one in this nursing home knowing what I know?,” Rothwell said, recalling one particular sexual abuse case. “And what I knew at that time was, that nursing home, the administration would hire anyone off the street, they did very little background checks, no drug testing, nothing.”
C-Screen creates ratings for healthcare employers on a scale from zero to 100, based solely on how much the company screens its new and current employees. The data is collected straight from the employers.
C-Screen also provides best practices guides for employers and shows them how they can implement all the policies to get a perfect score.
“High C-Screen-rated companies have lower turnover, they have better retention, lower insurance premiums, it’s proven. So long-term, it’s a win for everybody,” Rothwell said.
Jason Kavulich, director of the Lackawanna County Area Agency on Aging, says people often call his office for recommendations for nursing homes or personal care agencies to hire.
“We get that question all the time. Everyone who works for me will hear that question this week. So we needed to be able to make some objective recommendations, that it’s not just based on what I think is the best nursing facility, or what I think is the best personal care agency,” Kavulich said. “It’s really a family’s choice as to which one they use, but we can tell them that based on their score that tells you how good their hiring practices are. With good hiring practices, you know you’re going to have quality people working for them.”
In addition to having C-Screen reports available for the public, Lackawanna County has set a standard for providers that are contracted with the county. They must have at least a 65 on C-Screen’s zero to 100 rating system to secure their contracts for in-home services.
