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Health Science Background Information Policy
All Health Science students who will be providing direct patient care in health care institutions regulated by the MS Department of Health should be aware that Mississippi law requires background checks for individuals seeking employment in a health care facility.
According to the Mississippi State Law Code 43-11-13, an individual may not be eligible for employment if the criminal history record check discloses a felony conviction, guilty plea or plea of nolo contendere to a felony of possession or sale of drugs, murder, manslaughter, armed robbery, rape, sexual battery, sex offense listed in Section 45-33-23 (h), child abuse, arson, grand larceny, burglary, gratification of lust or aggravated assault, or felonious abuse and/or battery of a vulnerable adult that has not been reversed on appeal or for which a pardon has not been granted.
Clinical agencies have the right to refuse employment or eligibility to participate in clinical experiences based on background information. Students who have any eliminating background record will not be allowed admission to any health science program. A student may also be denied the ability to progress in a program of study based on eliminating background information.
The background record check is completed by submission of fingerprints by MDCC to the Mississippi Department of Health. The student is responsible for the fingerprinting fee. The background check MUST be completed prior to admission to a Health Science program or prior to clinical experiences, as defined by the program. Students who have a current background clearance letter processed through a Mississippi clinical agency and the Mississippi State Department of Health may submit that documentation to the program director/supervisor. If the background clearance expires during a student’s program of study, the student must repeat the background records check. Students will also be subject to repeat a background record check based on clinical agency requirements, changes in the Mississippi law, rules, or regulations, or any suspicion of criminal behavior.
Students admitted to Health Science Programs may be required to complete additional paperwork and pay additional fees related to the background check requirement.
Students assigned to some agencies may also be required to have additional background checks to comply with specific clinical agency contracts which may include criminal record check, credit check, driving history check and license check.
No disqualifying events:
Effective July 1, 2026, the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) Background Check Unit will consider a background check result returned as ‘OK’ in the SAFER system as indicating no disqualifying events; the student will be issued a notarized clearance letter from the Dean of Health Sciences that is good for two years, as long as the student is continuously enrolled. These letters are to be used for school purposes only.
May have a disqualifying event:
If the student’s report is returned as “may have a disqualifying event” Effective July 1, 2026, the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) Background Check Unit will review all healthcare background reports and make final employment eligibility determinations. If the MSDH legal team identifies a disqualifying offense as outlined in Mississippi Code §43-11-13, the background report will be mailed directly to the student. MDCC shall defer disqualification determinations to MSDH. The student should retain the MSDH background report for their records.
If a disqualifying event is identified, MSDH will issue a “NO” determination through SAFER. Students receiving a “NO” determination will be ineligible for admission to, and/or continuation in, the program.
If the student disagrees with MSDH’s rendering the student has the right to request an appeal. Students who wish to file an appeal must do so within forty-eight (48) hours.
To appeal the decision and submit any relevant legal documentation to the MSDH background
check unit.
• If legal documentation is provided proving the applicant was found not guilty, charges
were dropped, and/or the case was dismissed, the MSDH Criminal History Fingerprint
Unit will issue an “OK” letter in SAFER.
• If the applicant is unable to provide sufficient legal documentation, the MSDH Background
Check Unit will issue a “NO” letter in SAFER.
Please note that the use and creation of waiver letters will be discontinued under this new process for any new healthcare rap sheets processed on or after July 1, 2026.
Students must be able to attend clinical agency sites in order to meet the requirements of their specific Health Science Program. Therefore, if a student is barred from any clinical agency, they will lose the ability to progress in a program and will not be able to continue.
In addition to educational requirements, licensure and certification boards may require a criminal background check or background check compliance statement prior to licensure/certification exam testing, and at their discretion, may deny any application to sit for the exam or application for licensure due to, but not limited to, conviction of a felony, or commission of fraud or deceit in the application process.