Credentialing & Compliance for Locum Tenens: A Facility Leader's Checklist

Why credentialing is the make-or-break step

A locum tenens clinician can be perfectly matched, available, and willing — but if their credentialing file is incomplete, they cannot deliver care. For facility leaders, credentialing is the single highest-risk step in the locum tenens process. A missed document can delay deployment by weeks and trigger compliance findings.

What "primary-source verification" actually means

Primary-source verification (PSV) means confirming each credential directly with the issuing entity — not accepting a copy or a self-attestation. Joint Commission standards require PSV for:

• Medical education and training
• Licensure in every state of practice
• DEA registration
• Board certification (when required by privileging)
• Work history and professional references
• Malpractice history and claims

Agencies that shortcut PSV expose facilities to liability. Always ask your agency for evidence of PSV — not just a credentialing packet.

The facility leader's credentialing checklist

Before deployment

1. Confirm the agency performed PSV for every required element.
2. Verify the clinician's license is active and unencumbered in your state.
3. Confirm DEA registration is valid and matches practice address.
4. Review malpractice coverage (claims-made vs. occurrence) and tail coverage.
5. Validate immunizations, TB screening, and fit-testing are current.
6. Confirm BLS/ACLS/PALS as required by specialty.

At privileging

1. Ensure the locum clinician's privileges match the scope of practice.
2. Confirm your medical staff office has reviewed the file within your bylaws timeline.
3. Document any temporary or locum-specific privileging approvals.

Ongoing compliance monitoring

1. Set calendar alerts for license and DEA expirations during the assignment.
2. Monitor the National Practitioner Data Bank for new reports.
3. Re-verify malpractice coverage at renewal.
4. Track continuing education if required by your state or specialty board.

Red flags that should disqualify an agency

• No PSV evidence: If the agency cannot produce primary-source verification, walk away.
• Stale files: Files older than 90 days without re-verification are a compliance risk.
• No ongoing monitoring: Credentialing is not one-and-done. Agencies must monitor expirations and sanctions.
• Opaque data handling: If the agency cannot explain how candidate documents are stored and encrypted, your facility is at risk.

How Falcon Locums handles credentialing

Falcon Locums performs primary-source verification for every clinician, maintains Joint Commission-aligned compliance files, and monitors licenses, DEA registrations, and malpractice coverage throughout each assignment. Our 98% credentialing pass rate reflects a process built for audit-readiness.

Conclusion

Credentialing and compliance are non-negotiable for locum tenens. Use this checklist to vet your staffing partner and protect your facility. When credentialing is rigorous, locum tenens becomes a reliable, low-risk strategy for closing coverage gaps.