Verify a License or Access Health Care Provider Discipline

Do you need to know if your license is active or if a potential employee has the appropriate credential? Are you aware of your state resources when it comes to learning about your prospective employees, employers, or health care providers in general?

The Department of Health offers a provider credential tool which is an easy way to access information about healthcare professionals in Washington state. The provider credential tool can provide information that includes a health care provider’s license type, license status, and any current restrictions or disciplinary actions. Any action taken against a healthcare provider since July 1998 will be displayed in the database. If a provider has had disciplinary actions taken in the past, you will see “Yes” under the Enforcement Action column. You can then click on the provider’s credential number, and the legal disciplinary actions will be available for viewing.

You can access the Provider Credential Search on the Department of Health website.

It is important to remember that if a staff member allows their credential to expire yet continues to provide patient care, both the staff member and the employing dentist may be subject to discipline.