Hey there, congrats on taking the plunge into the exciting world of travel healthcare! So, what comes next after you’ve decided to embark on this adventure?

Well, once you’ve signed that contract, it’s time to dive into the nitty-gritty. Get ready for your credentialing to-do list, but before you get started, we want to take a moment to talk about the credentialing process. Most credentialing is a mix of paperwork, online forms, medical records, and even drug screenings – basically, the stuff you need to do before you officially start your assignment.

Credentialing is the part most of the industry usually hates the most, but it is such an important part of providing care to our customers. You want an agency that adheres to the highest standards when it comes to patient safety.

At Junxion Med Staffing, our team of credentialing specialists work hard to get you started on time for your assignment while also making sure that we meet the highest standards when it comes to providing care to patients which as a healthcare professional we know if important to you.

As a matter of fact, our team of credentialing specialists work so hard that during our 2023 Joint Commission review, we received 0 incidences on our report. They do all that work to make sure you work for a reputable company and that we all provide the best care.

Some of it might feel like trying to crack a secret code or negotiating with a government agency for top-secret clearance (well, not quite, but you get the picture!). But fear not, it’s totally manageable because our team here at Junxion Med Staffing will all be here helping you along the way.

Here’s the scoop on travel healthcare onboarding. If this is your first assignment ever or your first time with a new company, you’ll go through a full onboarding process. You will be required to gather all the required documents for not only your travel agency but also the facilities and any vendors. Again, sometimes it can be a lot but know that it is again to provide the highest standards of health to your patients.

Here are some of the most common items that we ask for when onboarding a traveler for a new assignment:

Resume:

Yes, we know you gave this to us for the submission but we do have to make sure there are very specific items when we start the credentialing process. If there are any travel assignments on the resume, we must have facility, city, state, and agency information if the work history was a travel assignment.

We verify education as part of our onboarding process and our commitment to hiring highly qualified healthcare professionals. Please make sure we have the name of the institute, city, state, degree type, and completion date. This will significantly speed up the background check for your assignment.

When we submit you to an assignment, we already have requested any gap information. However, during the background check sometimes dates will come back slightly different which can create new gaps on a resume. Please make sure that you have all dates correct and be willing to quickly get us any updates if necessary.

Zip Codes:

You would be surprised how something so small can make a huge difference when it comes to getting you through the credentialing process as quickly as possible. We need the zip code for the area in which you want to complete your credentialing.

The zip code allows us to start working on orders to get any of the required medical criteria orders for you immediately. Nothing is worse than getting pushed because your agency could not get you out in time to start a lab. Having a zip code at the time of signing your contract allows the team to get a jump start on your credentialing.

Medical Records:

This brings us to the medical records. Here is the part that most people start to get frustrated, and we completely get it. Joint Commission has very specific standards that we must meet as organizations when hiring healthcare professionals. Not only that but each facility and vendor will have specific requirements to meet their standards as well.

Our team works hard to ensure that every document you provide meets the standards for not only us as the agency but any other party involved such as the facility or specific unit. This means that there will be times we have to reject reasonable sound documentation, but it may still not meet specific requirements.

That is when our team will work with you to get everything squared away for meeting any medical requirements. Here are the most common things we require for new assignments. If you start uploading anything you have right away into our Traveler Success Portal or through the mobile app, the team can review the documents to help set you move through credentialing faster and smoother.

• MMR- titer or 2 doses. Most facilities require titers to be completed within the last 5 years and if you do happen to have a low titer, most will require additional booster(s)
• Hep B- titer, 3 series dose, or declination
• TB- TB blood draw or PPD skin test. This is driven mostly by the facility’s needs. Also, most facilities require a TB to have been completed within the last 30 days but it can vary by facility
• Drug Test- All contracts require a drug test to be completed within 30 days of the start date.
• Physical- Most facilities accept the physical from within the last 12 months, but the documentation must state “free and clear of communicable diseases/ fit to work” This component is a Joint Commission-specific requirement
• FIT test- This is not required for all facilities but if you have it please provide it for future assignments. Most FIT test require a specific mask that is dictated by the facility and most have to be completed within the last 12 months.
• TDAP- This is facility-specific but we have seen an increase in facilities that will require a TDAP from within the last 10 years.
• Flu/COVID Records- Flu or COVID declinations and exemptions are something we have to work directly with the facility to approve. If you need to request one of these for your assignment, make sure you get with your recruiter right away so we can get all the documents lined up immediately.

Here is a tip for you. If you want to be a traveler, make sure you store these items somewhere you can access when you are away from home. Some people like to use Google Drive or One Drive, but since you are already here and talking to us, you can always use our Traveler Success Portal or mobile app to keep your records within easy reach on the road.

Now, let’s look at some of the specific requirements we may need for your job or specialty. Depending on your specialty – whether it’s ultrasound, OR, Labor and Delivery, or something else – you might face job-specific online assessments. Sometimes the assessments do not seem in line with what you would typically see as a requirement for your specialty. It could be that this facility requires it, but either way, if you’re not sure why you are being asked to complete the assessment, please don’t hesitate to ask your recruiter or the compliance team here at Junxion Med Staffing. We are happy to explain.

Speaking of costs, who foots the bill for all these hoops you jump through? Well, it depends on the testing and access to testing, but Junxion Med Staffing pays and schedules as much of the items as we can for you. If we can’t get it scheduled and paid for directly, then we will reimburse you on your first check.

Credentialing Timeline:

Typically, the timeline for credentialing looks like this, but depending on how quickly you can get items to us and schedule appointments, sometimes the process can be sped up.

The first thing you can do is download our mobile app so that you can upload your documents even before your sign the contract [here].

Usual steps:

• You sign your contract
• As soon as you can, start uploading as many documents as you can find. Again, the app makes this fast and easy. [here]
• Within 24 hours, you will receive some preliminary emails with all the items that are required for the assignment
• Our credentialing team will reach out to you to go over all the requirements for the assignment
• Our credentialing team reviews your file every 24-48 hours and will provide you with an update on the status of any missing items
• Communication is imperative during this time. Please make sure you are talking to and working with our credentialing specialist.

Alright, so here’s what you can do to make your life easier: gather your medical records, have your IDs handy, get ready for some online assessments, and don’t shy away from asking questions and talking to our team. We are here to answer your questions and make this as smooth as possible. So, take a deep breath – you’re totally ready to rock this travel assignment!