Group One

lexcourben · Jun 8, 2006

Hi Chris,

You have to go to the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council to get to Group One. Here's the link:

http://www.dfwhc.org/groupone/index.asp

Sandy

chris_at_lucas_RN, RN · Jun 8, 2006

Hi Chris,
You have to go to the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council to get to Group One. Here's the link:
http://www.dfwhc.org/groupone/index.asp
Sandy

Sandy, you are a gem. I always know I am going to get help when I ask at allnurses!

From the URL you gave me, I found their phone number, spoke with someone the phone (she was a little snotty at first--talked real fast and when I asked her to please slow down, she responded she was talking fast because I had been? :uhoh3: )

But this is what I got from her:

In order to get a copy of one's "report,"

Write them a letter requesting a copy of your consumer report
Provide your current mailing address
Provide your daytime telephone number
Give them your social security number
Provide your date of birth
At the bottom of the letter, hand print your name and sign it with your legal signature (apparently just typing your name won't work)
The request can be faxed. You must write "I authorize Group One to fax my consumer report to the following fax number," and then give them your fax number.
If you are unemployed and looking for work, there is no charge. But you have to say that you are unemployed and looking for work.

Haunted · Jun 8, 2006

What is Group One? Sounds like the axis of evil if they have a report on you as a nurse. Maybe we all should start a Group Two and write up facilities, and patients, and co workers!!!

ZASHAGALKA, RN · Jun 8, 2006

What is Group One? Sounds like the axis of evil if they have a report on you as a nurse. Maybe we all should start a Group Two and write up facilities, and patients, and co workers!!!

Group One is a DFW (Dallas/Ft. Worth) based coalition of hospitals that use the guise of a 'credit reporting agency' to blackball nurses they don't like as a group.

The intent is to bypass the liability of giving other employers subjective data about your employment.

As a result, your supervisor's comments regarding your termination and/or resignation follow you.

If your boss in DFW says to you, "You'll never work in this town again," they MEAN it.

Some Group One threads:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f175/group-one-background-checks-texas-108647.html?highlight=Group

https://allnurses.com/forums/f175/group-one-someone-please-help-me-146078.html?highlight=Group

https://allnurses.com/forums/f87/group-one-107377.html?highlight=Group

https://allnurses.com/forums/f175/group-one-114340.html?highlight=Group

https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/non-group-one-hopsitals-108318.html?highlight=Group

~faith,

Timothy.

Haunted · Jun 8, 2006

Group One is a DFW based coalitions of hospitals that use the guise of a 'credit reporting agency' to blackball nurses they don't like as a group.
The intent is to bypass the liability of giving other employers subjective data about your employment.
As a result, your supervisor's comments regarding your termination and/or resignation follow you.
If your boss in DFW says to you, "You'll never work in this town again," they MEAN it.
Some Group One threads:
https://allnurses.com/forums/f175/group-one-background-checks-texas-108647.html?highlight=Group
https://allnurses.com/forums/f175/group-one-someone-please-help-me-146078.html?highlight=Group
https://allnurses.com/forums/f87/group-one-107377.html?highlight=Group
https://allnurses.com/forums/f175/group-one-114340.html?highlight=Group
https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/non-group-one-hopsitals-108318.html?highlight=Group
~faith,
Timothy.

Call me ignorant but how is something like this legal? Is this "list" only available to employers? Can the average consumer see this information also? I don't think I would feel real comfortable having information, including biased comments from disgruntled employers as part of my permanent record.

Could be slander.

ZASHAGALKA, RN · Jun 8, 2006

Call me ignorant but how is something like this legal? Is this "list" only available to employers? Can the average consumer see this information also? I don't think I would feel real comfortable having information, including biased comments from disgruntled employers as part of my permanent record.
Could be slander.

The trick is that because they hide as a 'consumer credit reporting agency', they fall under the FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act).

And there are means under that act to harrass THEM back.

If you drown THEM in paperwork, they legally CANNOT ignore you and must answer and investigate EACH AND EVERY request made by you. It's the law.

If you are persistent, you can bug the heck out of that supervisor that made the comment - to the point to get them to forget or change the comment. See, if you contest the comments, the LAW says they have to inquire about its accuracy. If that inquiry is either unsubstantiated or goes unvalidated for 30 days, the LAW says they must remove that info from your file.

A. So, you send in a request to investigate. They send a letter to your former employer. That employer has to deal with it. Your former employer spends their time and energy on the matter. Group One send you a letter back saying it's investigated and substantiated.

B. You send them another letter requesting an investigation.

C. The LAW says they have to REPEAT A. - Again. And Again. And Again. As long as and as many times as you make a legally allowed inquiry, they are legally required, under the FCRA, to investigate.

Personally, I would request my Group One report, and send a letter asking for the investigation of the complaint itself. The next day, I'd send a letter asking them to investigate and change my license number (whether correct or not), The next day, I'd send them a letter asking them to investigate the incorrect spelling of my name (whether they spelled it right or not). The next day, I'd ask them to investigate that they are confusing me with someone else. The next day, I'd ask them to investigate blah blah blah.

I'd send a formal letter, under the rules of the FCRA, asking them to investigate a unique and different aspect of my file EVERY DAY. What's a 40 cent stamp and 5 minutes of my time/day (form letter on computer, change a detail, print and mail) when my dander is worked up?

If you have a little time and money, after a few weeks, a letter on a lawyer's stationary asking them to verify their investigation processes to your 'attorney' could make them stick to the CFRA and play the long and drawn out game with you fairly, by the long and complicated Federal rules. Surely you could find a lawyer that would lend you the credibility of a formal legal inquiry at a reasonable price.

(This is the SAME process, btw, that some companies use to claim that they can improve your credit rating. And, in point of fact, you can do the SAME thing with the big three real credit agencies, sometimes with dramatic results in your credit rating, but, I digress.)

~faith,

Timothy.

sunnyjohn · Jun 8, 2006

Timothy gave you the lowdown and how to beat Group One at their own game.

Those rat bazzztads tried to destroy me with FALSE information once, but I use the FCRA to get my report cleaned up (and got a nice settlement for my troubles to!) :lol2:

meownsmile, BSN, RN · Jun 8, 2006

Wow talk about making up jobs for people. What a mess, so then is your file frozen until all investigations are completed? This just sounds completely nuts to me.

chris_at_lucas_RN, RN · Jun 8, 2006

Timothy gave you the lowdown and how to beat Group One at their own game.
Those rat bazzztads tried to destroy me with FALSE information once, but I use the FCRA to get my report cleaned up (and got a nice settlement for my troubles to!)

Did you use an attorney? I am assuming you are in the DFW area, although apparently they have hospitals in other states as their "clients."

Personally, and this is totally conjecture on my part, Group One is only hiding behind the FCRA. This is not about credit at all, but a catchall for frustrated or sicko managers or supervisors to file potentially damaging secret (since they don't tell you they are doing it and you have no opportunity to respond or rectify the problem AND they are darned hard to find--try googling them!).

I think it's time for a class action suit. Anyone with a "file" there has potentially been damaged, whether they know it or not. And what the heck happened to the Privacy Act? This may not be a governmental agency, but they are sure as heck acting like one.

sunnyjohn · Jun 8, 2006

Nope, I did it all myself.

IMO Group one will eventually be brought down by some class action suit.

Little Panda RN, ASN, RN · Jun 8, 2006

Wow, I found this thread very interesting. If someone attacks you in writing is that not called "libel". I would hate to be the person or company at the other end of said lawsuit!