Health Professional Boards

Instructions and Information for Criminal Background Checks

All applicants applying for initial licensure in Tennessee (not renewal or reinstatement, required for nursing reinstatement) will be required to obtain a criminal background check conducted by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Click to register for fingerprinting services with IdentoGO

Applicants Living in the State of Tennessee

ll applicants applying for initial licensure in Tennessee (not renewal or reinstatement) will be required to obtain a criminal background check through the State of Tennessee selected vendor, IdentoGO.   

You may register online or by telephone.  Click for electronic print locations. 

You must have your prints scanned within two weeks of registration, or you will be required to re-register and pay the $37.15 processing fee again.  

• Click this link to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and click “Schedule New Appointment”.
• Enter the OCA code provided to you by the requesting agency.
• Follow the prompts to proceed with the registration process.

If Fingerprints Are Rejected

TBI will notify the Health Related Boards and a letter will be sent to the Applicant from the Health Related Boards.

Schedule a Reprint Appointment (If Rejected)

1. Go to this webpage of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation  
2. Click Tennessee on the map or choose Tennessee in the drop down box and click “Go”.
3. Near the bottom of the screen, click “Online Scheduling”.
4. Choose the preferred language by clicking on either English or Spanish.
5. From the “Welcome” screen, scroll to the bottom of the page under “EXISTING APPOINTMENTS”.
6. Click on “I have received a rejection notice and need to schedule an appointment."
7. On the rejection details screen, type the TCR Number provided in the rejection notice in the blank box and click “Go”.
8. Select the location where the reprint appointment will be scheduled.  Selection may be made by entering a zip code, clicking on the picture of the map or choosing a region of the state from the drop down box.  Once the location has been chosen, click “Go”.
9. Choose your preferred location and desired date for reprinting and click on the words “Click to Schedule”.
10. If a date further in the future is desired, click the “Next Week” link.  Once the location and date are selected, choose the appointment time and click “Go”.
11. Print or write down the confirmation number, appointment time and place.  Please make sure that you arrive at your scheduled reprint appointment and location on time.

If you are unable to schedule your reprinting via the internet, the reprint appointment may be scheduled by calling IdentoGO scheduling center at (855) 226-2937 between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (Central Time). 

When calling, please inform the Customer Service Representative that this is for reprinting and give the representative the TCR #.

Rescheduling

• Applicants paying for fingerprinting fees via credit card online must keep their originally scheduled appointment or be rescheduled within two (2) weeks of that original appointment date. 
• Failure to do so will result in forfeiture of paid fees.Applicants paying via credit card are encouraged to call the scheduling office at (855) 226-2937 to reschedule their appointment.

Refunds

Refunds will be given under the following circumstances:

• Initial fingerprint appointment was not kept and second appointment was unable to be made within two (2) weeks of initial appointment, or appointment was unable to be kept due to unforeseen circumstances agreed to by customer and IdentoGO.

Refunds will not be given under the following circumstances:

• If the customer did not reschedule their fingerprinting appointment within the two (2) week period after their original appointment.
• If the customer rescheduled their fingerprint appointment within the two (2) week period after their original appointment, but did not show up to the second appointment.

Requests for refunds should be sent to:
IdentoGO
6840 Carothers Parkway, Ste. 601
Franklin, TN 37067

Information required in the letter:

Contact person’s name
Contact person’s phone number and address
Email address
Date and method of the payment
Transaction reference number (if applicable)
Reason for request

The customer is advised to send the refund request letter by priority or certified mail to ensure receipt of the request by IdentoGO.  IdentoGO will not be responsible if the customer’s refund request letter is lost in the mail.

Standard turnaround time for refund is within one month from the date IdentoGO receives the customer refund request letter.  IdentoGO will notify the customer of the decision to accept or reject the refund request for the reasons stated within this policy within one month from the date IdentoGO receives the customer refund request letter.

Obtain a Copy of Your Criminal Background Check

Procedures for obtaining a copy of a FBI criminal history records are set forth at Title 28, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Section 16.30 through 16.33. See this Federal Burueau of Investigation webpage. 

Changing, Correcting, or Updating Information on Your Criminal Background Check

• Procedures for obtaining a change, correction, or update of an FBI criminal history records are set forth at Title 28, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Section 16.34. Information is on this FBI webpage. 
• The FBI Noncriminal Justice Applicant’s Privacy Rights are available  on this webpage of the FBI website. 
• The Agency Privacy Requirements for Noncriminal Justice Applicants are available on this page of the FBI website.

Applicants Outside the State of Tennessee

Click here for printable instructions

Additional Information for Fingerprint Cards

You may contact your profession's board and request a fingerprint card.

OCA Professions and Code Numbers

Background Checks to Provide Patient Care

Before any person who will be providing direct patient care is hired, for whom a background check has not been completed, health care facilities, emergency medical services, and individual health professionals are required by law to conduct background checks using the state sex offenders registry, the state abuse registry and the abuse registries for states in which the prospective employee has lived in the previous 7 years, according to Public Chapter 1084.

Read Public Chapter 1084

Tennessee Sex Offender Registry

National Sex Offender Registry

Tennessee Abuse Registry

Disciplinary Action Reports

Listed below are the monthly summaries of disciplinary actions taken against health professionals and/or unlicensed individuals. Any actions taken by the boards must be filed with the Administrative Procedures Division of the Secretary of State’s Office in which effective dates will be assigned.  The Administrative Procedures Division is the administrative court for the State.

While searching for information on a particular health care professional, consumers should be aware that there are several locations available to aid them with their research.

Tennessee Department of Health issues a monthly media release listing all disciplinary actions taken by the health related boards during the prior month. Receive the monthly Disciplinary Action Report by e-mail. Please include your name, title/position, organization name, office phone and email in your request.

Monthly Disciplinary Actions by Year

Tennessee's Online Licensure System 

Practitioner Profiles

To view your current Practioner Profile, go to the Licensure Verification webpage  and enter your license number and profession, then click the Practitioner Profile link.

To update your Practitioner Profile, log in to the Online Licensure System.

The professions required to submit and maintain a practitioner profile questionnaire are:

• Advanced Practice Nurses
• Alcohol and Drug Counselors
• Audiologists
• Chiropractic Physicians
• Clinical Pastoral Therapists
• Dentists
• Dietitian/Nutritionists
• Dispensing Opticians
• Electrologists
• Licensed Registered Respiratory Therapists
• Licensed Certified Respiratory Therapists
• Licensed Laboratory Personnel
• Marital & Family Therapists
• Massage Therapists
• Medical Doctors
• Nursing Home Administrators
• Occupational Therapists
• Optometrists
• Orthopedic Physician Assistants
• Osteopathic Physicians
• Pharmacists
• Physician Assistants
• Physical Therapists
• Podiatrists
• Professional Counselors
• Psychologists
• Respiratory Care Assistants
• Social Workers
• Speech Language Pathologists
• Veterinarians

Tennessee Code Annotated Title 63 Chapter 51 requires the following information to be reported to the Board for dissemination to the public on practitioner profiles:

• The location of the licensee's primary practice setting;
• A description of any criminal convictions for felonies and, as determined by the board, serious misdemeanors, within the most recent ten (10) years. For the purposes of this subsection (a), a person shall be deemed to be convicted of a crime if such person was found or adjudged guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction. Misdemeanor convictions later expunged by a court of competent jurisdiction shall be stricken from the provider's profile;
• A description of any final board disciplinary actions within the most recent ten (10) years, which actions shall include final board action as defined by § 4-5-314, and reprimand action taken pursuant to a board practice act;
• A description of any final disciplinary actions of licensing boards in other states within the most recent ten (10) years;
• A description of revocation or involuntary restrictions of hospital privileges for reasons related to competence or character that has been taken by the hospital’s governing body or any other official action of the hospital after procedural due process has been afforded, or the resignation from or nonrenewal of medical staff membership or the restriction of privileges as a hospital taken in lieu of or in settlement or a pending disciplinary case related to competence or character in that hospital, all as taken pursuant to procedures promulgated by the board for licensing health care facilities.  Only cases that have occurred within the most recent ten (10) years shall be disclosed by the department to the public;
• All medical malpractice court judgments, all medical malpractice arbitration awards in which a payment is awarded to a complaining party and all settlements of medical malpractice claims in which a payment is made to a complaining party beginning with reports for 1998 and each subsequent year; provided, such reports shall not be disseminated beyond the most recent ten-year period, but shall include the most recent ten-year period for which reports have been filed. Each provider licensing board shall set by rule adopted pursuant to the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5, a threshold amount below which judgments or settlements shall not be reportable; provided, such threshold shall, for chapter 6 or 9 of this title licensees, be set at seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000), for doctors of chiropractic, regulated pursuant to chapter 4 of this title, be set at fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), for dentists, regulated pursuant to chapter 5 of this title, be set at twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000), and for all other licensees under this title be set at ten thousand dollars ($10,000). Dispositions of paid claims shall be reported in a minimum of three (3) graduated categories indicating the level of significance of the award or settlement. Information concerning paid medical malpractice claims shall be put in context by comparing an individual licensee's medical malpractice judgment awards and settlements to the experience of other providers within the same specialty. Information concerning the existence of a court-sealed settlement shall be reported in cases involving such a settlement. Information concerning all settlements shall be accompanied by the following statement: “Settlement of a claim may occur for a variety of reasons which do not necessarily reflect negatively on the professional competence or conduct of the provider. A payment in settlement of a medical malpractice action or claim should not be construed as creating a presumption that medical malpractice has occurred.” (Pending malpractice claims shall not be disclosed by a board to the public.);
• Names of medical schools or professional and training schools and dates of graduation;    
• Graduate medical education or other graduate-level training;
• Specialty board certification as determined by the relevant board;
• Names of the hospitals where the licensee has privileges;
• The location of the licensee's primary practice setting;
• The identification of any translating services that may be available at the licensee's primary practice location;
• An indication of which managed care plans in which the licensee participates;
• An indication of TennCare plans in which the licensee participates;
• Appointments to medical school faculties and indication as to whether a licensee has a responsibility for graduate medical education within the most recent ten (10) years; (optional)
• Information regarding publications in peer-reviewed medical literature; (optional) and
• Information regarding professional or community service associations, activities and awards; (optional)

Filing Complaints Against Health Care Professionals

The Tennessee Department of Health has the authority for various licensing Health Related Boards whose responsibilities are to protect the public interest. This is accomplished through the enforcement of the particular statutes of each Health Related Board, which examines, licenses, and oversees the practice of the individual licensees. You have the right to file a complaint against a licensed health care professional when you believe they have violated the practice act or the rules of their profession. To review the practice act/rules for a particular profession, click here

How to File a Complaint

Click to file an online complaint against a healthcare provider.

Call 800-852-2187 to speak with someone in the Office of Investigations

Click to download a copy of the complaint form to print and mail.

File a complaint about an ambulance service or EMS provider.

Click for an on-line EMS complaint form or click to download the EMS Complaint/Investigation Form.

Download a pharmacy complaint form.

Customer Service Survey

Due to the nature of complaints and complex legal and medical issues that are involved, your patience, cooperation and understanding is appreciated.

Responsibility of Health Professional Boards

The Department of Health has the authority for various licensing boards whose responsibilities are to protect the public interest. This is accomplished through enforcement of the particular Practice Act of each board, which examines, licenses, and oversees the practice of the licensees. The licensing boards oversee individual practitioners and in some instances regulate educational programs.

The responsible board evaluates the credentials and qualifications of each practitioner. After practitioners become licensed, the Board will review any complaint received that may put the professional behavior and/or performance of the practitioner in question. Such complaints may suggest a violation of the Practice Act. Complaints are received from various sources, i.e. the general public, insurance companies, hospitals and other health care facilities, health professionals and the news media. If you feel that a practitioner has failed to live up to his/her professional responsibilities, the Health Related Boards want to hear from you.

While a board cannot assist with civil or criminal matters and does not represent individuals, the Tennessee Practice Acts allow the licensing boards to act on behalf of the people of Tennessee at large. When a board determines that disciplinary action against a practitioner is necessary, the action focuses on prevention of further problems with the practitioner and the protection of future patients. In essence, a board has the power to control a practitioner’s ability to practice in the future in the state of Tennessee, but cannot impute criminal penalties.

Any person seeking to recover fees or monetary remedies for injuries should consult a private attorney regarding those matters. The State of Tennessee has no jurisdiction over these types of situations.

Complainants Frequently Asked Questions

Healthcare Professionals Frequently Asked Questions

Office of Consumer Right to Know

Tennessee law mandates that specific health care professionals submit information to the Department regarding details of their training, specialty certification and practice. 

The Office of Consumer Right to Know is charged with seeking and collecting this information and providing it to consumers via the Department’s web site.

The professions that are required to submit information are:  alcohol and drug abuse counselors, audiologists, certified nurse practitioners, chiropractors, clinical pastoral therapists, dentists, dietitian or nutritionists, dispensing opticians, electrologists, marital and family therapists, massage therapists, medical doctors, medical laboratory personnel, nursing home administrators, occupational therapists, optometrists, osteopathic physicians, pharmacists, physical therapists, physician assistants, podiatrists, professional counselors, psychologists, registered nurse anesthetists, respiratory care practitioners, social workers, speech pathologists and veterinarians.

Any change to information is required to be reported within 30 days of the change. Click to change or update a Practitioner Profile.