Effective July 1, 2009, health care clinic applicants must meet background screening requirements as stated in § 408.810(1), Florida Statutes. The applicants must meet Level 2 Screening Standards pursuant to Chapter 435, Florida Statutes.
No license will be issued to any clinic until all its required Level 2 background screening responses from the Florida Department to Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) have been received by the Agency and the individuals screened have been determined cleared. All pending charges or cases must be resolved and documentation of such resolution must be submitted to the Agency for review before a license will be granted.
Who is required to be screened?
- Individuals owning or controlling, directly or indirectly, ten-percent (10%) or more of the interest in the clinic;
- The facility’s administrator or a similarly titled person who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the clinic;
- The financial officer or similarly titled individual who is responsible for the financial operation of the clinic;
- Licensed health care practitioners employed or under contract with the clinic, including the Medical or Clinic Director.
Submit a fingerprint card(s) and processing fee, along with a completed Request for Level 2 Background Screening Verification form. You may use one form when sending multiple cards if all the individuals being screened work for the same facility.
How to complete a fingerprint card: Completing a fingerprint card correctly will help prevent unnecessary delays in your license application. A card submitted incorrectly and/or incomplete, and without the correct screening fee, will be returned to the applicant. Click here for instructions.
What is the cost of a Level 2 screening?
The cost for a Level 2 screening request is $43.25 per screening. When you submit a fingerprint card, include a check or money order, made payable to the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). When submitting multiple cards, please submit only one check for the total of all the screenings you are requesting.
How do I get fingerprint cards?
If you need fingerprint cards, please call (850) 488-1365 and ask that fingerprint cards be mailed to you.
***NEW SCREENING REGULATIONS EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2009***
Employees’ Background Screening Affidavits
Each employee that works at a health care clinic, who is required to undergo a Level 2 background screening, must complete an Affidavit of Compliance with Background Screening Requirements. This form does not need to be submitted to the Agency, but it must be retained in the clinic’s personnel file.
Providing Level 2 Screening from Another Agency
The Health Care Clinic Unit will accept screening results from the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, Department of Children and Families, or Department of Financial Services, if the proof of Level 2 screening provides all information needed (this includes FDLE and FBI results). The results must also show a satisfactory completion of the required Level 2 screening within the last 5 years, and must be submitted with a completed Affidavit of Compliance with Background Screening Requirements form. This affidavit will not be accepted without a copy of the results from one of the agencies mentioned in this paragraph. Please be aware that background screening offered via the internet are not equivalent to the screening required by § 435, F.S.
Renewal Applications – Employer Affidavit of Background Screening Compliance
Employers are required to submit an affidavit of compliance with screening for covered employees. See § 408.809(6), F.S. (2009). Employers may use this recommended form Affidavit of Compliance with Level 2 Background Screening for Covered Employees (disregard the word “annually” in this form) to meet this license renewal requirement.
