TotalMed: Hiring, Background Check & Employment Verification FAQs

TotalMed was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Appleton, Wisconsin. What began as a healthcare staffing agency has grown into a national workforce solutions partner serving hospitals, health systems, health plans, life sciences organizations, and healthcare providers across the country.

In May 2025 TotalMed announced a strategic merger with Travel Nurse Across America, a North Little Rock, Arkansas staffing firm launched in 1999, combining the two platforms into one of the larger healthcare staffing organizations in the United States. Reporting on the deal noted the combined company would serve roughly 2,200 care sites, and Tim McKenzie, previously president and chief executive of Travel Nurse Across America, became chief executive of the merged organization. Candidates may still encounter both the TotalMed and TNAA brands during the transition.

The service portfolio runs wider than travel nursing alone. TotalMed offers travel, local, per diem, strike, crisis, contract, and permanent placement staffing, plus managed service provider programs, recruitment process outsourcing, vendor management, and workforce consulting. Specialized divisions cover nursing, allied health and therapy, life sciences, health plan staffing, provider services, and hospital non-clinical roles, and the company also offers business process outsourcing for health plans in areas such as utilization management, appeals and grievances, physician review, care management, and clinical call center services.

Two distinct groups of people work with TotalMed. The larger group is the clinical and professional talent placed on assignment: registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, certified nursing assistants, radiology and laboratory technologists, therapists, social workers, physicians and advanced practice providers, and non-clinical hospital staff. The second group is internal corporate staff, including recruiters, account managers, credentialing and compliance specialists, payroll and billing teams, and technology and marketing roles.

Company culture and employee programs:

TotalMed states its core values as building trust, moving forward, and leading with care, and frames its mission around improving lives through talent solutions. For candidates on assignment, the company publishes a benefits framework that includes the following:

Specific pay packages, benefit eligibility, and housing arrangements vary by assignment, facility, and contract length, so confirm the details with your recruiter before accepting a placement.

Yes. Employers and staffing firms in the healthcare industry, including TotalMed, are legally permitted to conduct pre-employment background checks on candidates provided they follow applicable federal, state, and local law. In the United States, employment screening is governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which requires a standalone disclosure, written candidate authorization, and a two-step adverse action process. Healthcare adds further layers, because facilities and accrediting bodies impose their own credentialing and screening standards on anyone working in a patient care environment.

TotalMed is generally reported to conduct background checks as part of onboarding, which is standard practice throughout healthcare staffing. Clinicians work with vulnerable patients, controlled substances, and protected health information, and the hospitals and health systems that host an assignment typically require the staffing agency to complete a defined screening and credentialing package before a traveler can start. The scope of a TotalMed background check may vary by profession, by state, and by the requirements of the specific client facility.

The TotalMed hiring process usually begins with an application or a conversation with a recruiter about specialties, licensure, and preferred locations. The recruiter presents matching assignments, and the candidate is submitted to the client facility, which may request an interview with a nurse manager or department lead. Once an offer is accepted, the compliance and credentialing phase begins: license verification, certifications, immunization and health records, references, a background check, and drug screening. Corporate roles in Appleton and elsewhere follow a more conventional recruiter screen, hiring manager interview, conditional offer, and pre-employment screening sequence.

Turnaround depends on the searches ordered, how quickly courts, licensing boards, past employers, and clinical references respond, and how many jurisdictions and states a candidate's history and licensure cover. Many reports are returned within a few business days, but the wider credentialing package around them is often the longer pole, because immunization records, physicals, and facility-specific requirements all have to be assembled before a start date. Candidates who want a fuller picture of screening timelines can review background check turnaround times.

The staffing firm and the client facility together determine which searches are included. For a healthcare staffing assignment, a background check may include some or all of the following:

Review the disclosure and consent documents provided during onboarding to see which searches apply to your assignment.

The lookback window depends on the search type and on the law of the state where the candidate lives or works. Under the FCRA, consumer reporting agencies generally may not report most adverse information older than seven years, with limited exceptions tied to salary thresholds and to record types such as criminal convictions. Healthcare-specific searches often work differently: licensure and disciplinary records maintained by a state board and federal exclusion lists are not bound by the same seven-year framing, and client facilities may set their own requirements. Candidates licensed in multiple states may see different windows applied across the same file.

TotalMed does not publish a detailed policy on candidates with felony records, and decisions of this kind are typically made case by case, with the client facility often holding the final say on who may work on its premises. Employers generally consider the nature and severity of the offense, the time elapsed, and its relevance to patient care duties. Many states have enacted "ban-the-box" laws that limit when criminal history may be asked about during hiring. Healthcare adds a separate consideration, because some convictions can affect licensure or trigger exclusion from federal healthcare programs, which is determined by regulators rather than by the employer.

Candidates are generally asked to review a standalone disclosure and provide written consent before screening begins. Be prepared to supply your full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and address history so searches run in the correct jurisdictions. Clinical candidates should also expect to provide license numbers and issuing states, certifications such as BLS or ACLS, immunization and titer records, a recent physical, references from recent clinical supervisors, and a detailed work history. Assembling these documents early is the single biggest factor in how quickly an assignment can start.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act is the US federal law that governs how consumer reporting agencies collect, use, and share background check information. It requires employers to obtain written authorization before ordering a report, to provide a copy of the report and a summary of rights before taking adverse action based on it, and to give candidates a genuine opportunity to dispute inaccurate or incomplete information before a final decision is made. For a detailed explanation of how the FCRA works alongside Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidance, see Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

Beyond the standard background check, clinical assignments typically carry a credentialing package driven by the client facility and by accreditation standards. That commonly includes primary source verification of licensure, verification of certifications, a drug screen, tuberculosis testing, proof of immunizations, a physical or health statement, references covering recent clinical work, and facility-specific training or competency assessments. Requirements differ by state, by specialty, and by facility, and some hospitals add their own fingerprinting or badge process on arrival. Your recruiter and the compliance team should give you a checklist specific to the assignment.

Running a personal background check with Checkr lets you preview what TotalMed may see and helps you identify potential inaccuracies before they affect your application. In one secure report you can review:

Create your report in minutes at Checkr Personal Background Checks. To showcase verified credentials proactively, build a free Checkr Profile you can share with recruiters, hiring managers, or potential employers.

Check your report status in the Candidate Portal. Or, visit the Checkr Help Center for FAQs, dispute steps, and to contact support.

The resources and information provided here are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Always consult your own counsel for up-to-date legal advice and guidance related to your practices, needs, and compliance with applicable laws.