Health Admissions Forms and Program Requirements

Preliminary Background Check Form

Beginning July 1, 2016, students will be responsible for ICHAT.

Students must:

Conduct your own ICHAT online and email the results, along with the Preliminary Background Check Form, to GRCC Health Admissions at healthprograms@grcc.edu

OR

Bring the Preliminary Background Check Form, with $10 cash or check, to the GRCC Police Department or the Health Admissions Office.

Students may pick up a Preliminary Background Check Form at the Health Admissions Coordinator located in 600 College Park Plaza.

Students should also be aware that before entering the actual clinical/fieldwork components of their chosen program, they will be required to submit to a more extensive criminal background check in the form of being fingerprinted by GRCC Police.  The PDF form for this process is available on the curriculum webpage for each program.  There is currently a $63 charge for this service.

The results of the CBC are maintained by GRCC Police and may be kept on file by the Program Director.

All GRCC health students are subject to Public Health Code Act 368 of 1978 including Chapter 333.20173 and section 20173a.

As a result of the Public Health Code Act 368 of 1978 change, effective May 2002, under the law, a nursing home, county medical care facility, or home for the aged would be prohibited from employing, contracting with, or granting privileges to an individual who would be providing direct care to patients or residents without first running a background check if he or she has been convicted of the following:

• A felony or an attempt or conspiracy to commit a felony within the 15 years immediately preceding the date of application for employment or clinical privileges or the date of the execution of the independent contract.
• A misdemeanor involving abuse, neglect, assault, battery, or criminal sexual assault conduct or involving fraud or theft against a vulnerable adult as that term is defined in the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.145m, or a state or federal crime that is substantially similar to a misdemeanor within the 10 years immediately preceding the date of application for employment or clinical privileges or the date of execution of the independent contract.

Effective April 1, 2006 Public Health Code 368 was amended to include section 20173a: Section 20173a includes many misdemeanors formerly excluded also, the statute of limitations has changed on some misdemeanors from 10 years to 3 and 5 years depending on the offense. To see the bill in its entirety visit Senate Bill No. 621.

Public Health Code Act 368 Chapter 333.20173 states: If an applicant has not been a continuous resident of Michigan for the past three years, the applicant will be required to obtain a CBC through the use of fingerprints.

If the background check does not receive clearance, the student’s admission will be forfeited, placed on hold, or delayed until the next available opening in the program. Additionally, it is advised that students apply for this early, as without clearance, admittance into a health program may be delayed or forfeited.

The student will follow the criminal background check procedure for Grand Rapids Community College health programs. Additional CBC’s are required to be submitted to the Nursing Programs office at least one month prior to any clinical rotation that requires a CBC. You must have a CBC before starting any clinical at a long term care and many acute care facilities. The facility will make the decision to accept or not accept the student based on his or her previous criminal record. 

The student will follow the criminal background check procedure for Grand Rapids Community College health programs. Upon receiving clearance, a student will be admitted to the Radiologic Technology Program and allowed to begin his or her clinical placement when appropriate. If the background check does not receive clearance, the student’s admission will be forfeited, placed on hold, or delayed

If upon review of the background check it is found that a student has a misdemeanor or felony, a student must apply to the ARRT for a ruling on the impact of their criminal background on their eligibility for certification and registration. Students cannot take the registry exam and thus practice as a Radiologic Technologist without approval from ARRT. Failure to secure eligibility status (allowed to take the registry exam at the end of the RT Program) from ARRT will result in denial of admission to the program. The fee for this application is $100.00 which is non-refundable and will be paid by the student. To obtain the ARRT Pre-application for Review of Eligibility: Contact the American Registry for Radiologic Technologists at www.arrt.org and click on ethics – or log on directly to print off the “Pre-Application Review of Eligibility”. This pre-application should be completed and the results shared with the Program Director prior to initiating an Educational Development Plan with the Department at the point of admission into the program.

The student will follow the criminal background check procedure for Grand Rapids Community College health programs. Upon receiving clearance, the student will be admitted to the Occupational Therapy Assistant program. If the background check identifies a felony conviction, the student must contact the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT) for early determination review (1-301-990-7979) the fee for this review is $100.00 and is paid for by the student. Please check the NBCOT web site at www.nbcot.org for the specific information that must accompany the early determination request. Type in “Character Review” in the search box and follow the directions under Early Review, if you answer “yes” to any of the questions listed below. The student must notify the OTA program director of the early determination results.

• Have you ever been charged with or convicted a felony?
• Have you ever had a professional license revoked, suspended, or subject to probationary conditions?
• Have you ever been found by any court to have committed negligence, malpractice, recklessness, or willful or intentional misconduct which resulted in harm to another?

In addition to contacting NBCOT students must contact the Michigan Registration Board ((517) 335-0918) if there is a misdemeanor or felony criminal record. The student will speak to personnel regarding Criminal Convictions and Disclosure and identify the crime and discuss implications for state registration. The student will contact the Occupational Therapy Assistant program director and indicate the person contacted and report the decision of the Michigan Registration Board. A second background check is required prior to the fieldwork placements to comply with the facility’s regulations. The facility will make the decision to accept or not accept the student based on his or her previous criminal record.

The student will follow the criminal background check procedure for Grand Rapids Community College health programs. Upon receiving clearance the student will be admitted to the respective dental program and allowed to begin his or her clinical courses when appropriate. If there is a problem revealed in the background check, the student’s admission will either be forfeited or delayed until the issue is satisfactorily resolved.

According to the State of Michigan Department of Community Health, if you have ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, it may stop you from being able to obtain your dental license. This type of information is reviewed on an individual basis. The Department of Community Health will review your file and make a decision at that time. Please keep in mind that they do take into account the type of conviction, the age when the incident occurred, and the time that has elapsed since the conviction. For more information, please check the website for the Department of Community Health www.michigan.gov/healthlicense .

Students who fail to pass a drug screen as required by their clinical agencies will be denied placement at their clinical sites and thus will be unlikely to complete their program requirements.

 Health students are required to have current immunization records. A failure to maintain current immunizations will result in a student being withdrawn from his or her clinical site and not completing his or her clinical requirements.

• In addition to tuition, fees and books there are also costs for uniforms, etc. Estimates of additional costs may be obtained from the Health Program Office.
• Individuals who have a history of chemical, latex or other sensitivities and/or allergies which occur in the work or clinical environment should be aware such conditions will limit the applicant's ability to complete the clinical requirements of the GRCC health programs. Specific requirements must be met for graduation from each respective GRCC health program.
• Individuals who elect not to have the hepatitis B vaccination series should be aware such conditions may limit the applicant's ability to complete the clinical requirements of the GRCC health programs. Specific requirements must be met for graduation from each respective GRCC health program.
• Students with felony convictions or certain misdemeanors will be prevented from participating in clinical experiences and taking state or national licensure and registry examinations.
• Effective, 2006, federal and state laws require students assigned to long-term care facilities, psychiatric agencies, nursing homes, county medical care facilities and homes for the aged to have criminal background checks. GRCC will secure student’s consent to perform these criminal checks and release the findings to the facility.

GRCC clinical site partners have various requirements students must meet prior to being allowed to participate in clinical experiences within their facility. Students may be required to complete:

• Basic and/or Advanced Life Support training
• clinical site orientation
• vaccines
• background checks
• provide documentation of a health physical 
• maintain health insurance and car insurance
• and other documentation. 

See program-specific pages for more information.

While you are on the waiting list you should complete the remainder of your general education courses required for the program. See the GRCC Online Catalog for this list.
 

General education courses for Nursing

General education courses for dental

Etc

• Liberal arts and behavioral science courses that are required by specific health programs are accepted without time limitation on date of completion.
• Life and physical science courses, in order to be acceptable as transfer courses into health programs, must have been completed within eight years of graduation/completion of the specific health programs at GRCC.
• Transfer credit from college credit-granting institutions for equivalent health courses may be granted if completed within three (3) years of application and a grade of "C" or higher were earned. The determination of the transferability of course credit rests with the Program Director and the Associate Dean of the School of Health Sciences. In case of conflict, the Dean of the School of Health Sciences shall render a judgment.

See program descriptions for specific program entrance requirements. Call the Health Admissions Coordinator at (616) 234-4348 for additional information.

Life science courses (BI 117, BI 121, BI 122, GH 125, BI 127, and CHM 210) must have been completed within eight years of graduation/completion of your desired Health Program at GRCC (This includes Life Science courses that are transferred in from other institutions regardless of the date on which they are transferred).

Individuals may seek exemption or entitled accommodations due to a diagnosis or chronic condition defined as a disability by the Americans with Disabilities Act or the ADA Amendments Act. To be considered for the exemption, GRCC requires an Exemption Attestation Form to be submitted.

Clinical Requirements 

Students who receive an approved exemption may not be eligible to participate in clinical requirements for their selected program. GRCC will inform clinical partners if a student placed with their site has received an exemption. Clinical partners are not required to accommodate the exemption and may not allow the student to fulfill clinical requirements at their site.

NOTE: Individuals who elect not to meet clinical site requirements such as vaccines, immunizations, maintaining health insurance, and other forms of clinical compliance should be aware such conditions may limit the student’s ability to complete the graduation requirements of the GRCC health program.

Vaccine Exemption Attestation Form

You may print and sign your Vaccine Exemption Attestation Form, then submit it to the support staff of your program of interest.