Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE), AFT Healthcare’s New Jersey affiliate, is applauding a settlement between the New Jersey attorney general and a healthcare staffing firm in which the company must pay a $134,000 fine and revise its business practices to comply with state regulations.

O’Grady-Peyton International (USA) Inc., the company that supplies temporary nurses and healthcare professionals to Bergen Regional Medical Center in Paramus, N.J., failed to perform background checks and maintain required records in connection with certain placements.

“HPAE applauds the strong action taken by the New Jersey division of consumer affairs to protect patients—and the nursing profession—from agencies and employers who cut corners and violate laws at the expense of our patients,” says Ann Twomey, president of HPAE, which represents 400 nurses and health professionals at Bergen.

The medical center employed nurses from O’Grady-Peyton before, during and after a three-week strike of nurses and health professionals at the hospital last year. 

HPAE raised concerns that the nursing licenses and backgrounds of agency nurses were not properly checked before they were allowed to care for patients, said Twomey. “The consent agreement certainly points to the sloppy practices of Bergen Regional Medical Center in monitoring the actions of their contracted nursing agencies.  Once again, it is clear that cutting corners and making a profit are more important to the Bergen Regional owners than patient care.”  

Under the settlement, the company has agreed to verify that the individuals it employs or places are properly licensed and to maintain its records in accordance with state regulations. Moreover, the settlement requires that O’Grady-Peyton disclose to its healthcare professionals who take on temporary placements in the state what their working conditions and living arrangements will be like.

“New Jersey patients deserve care from properly trained and licensed medical professionals,” said attorney general Peter Harvey. “Although O’Grady-Peyton’s professionals hold temporary positions, that does not lessen the company’s responsibility to perform background checks and maintain records on them as required by state regulations. The same concern exists to ensure that patients are cared for by licensed, responsible practitioners.”