How the Transparency & Standing Profile works
Every band in the directory is produced by one published, deterministic method. Same evidence, same band — for a solo practice or a 300-clinic platform. Here is the entire method, in plain language.
What the profile looks at
The profile scores organizations against published quality signals across five dimensions. It surfaces what the public record shows — it does not inspect clinics or evaluate clinical care.
Identity & Registration
Is the organization anchored to a federal National Provider Identifier (NPI) record, and who is its authorized official? Registration ties a directory profile to a real, accountable legal entity.
Integrity Records
Does the HHS Office of Inspector General exclusion list contain a record matched to the organization? Exclusion records are federal, public, and serious — so they outweigh every other signal.
Independent Accreditation
Has a third party with published standards — BHCOE accreditation or verified CASP membership — independently reviewed the organization? Someone besides the provider vouching for the provider.
Ownership Transparency
Who owns the organization? Private-equity platform and sponsor relationships are disclosed on every profile where our research identifies them. Disclosure is the point; ownership type never changes a band by itself.
Engagement & Accountability
Has the organization claimed its profile and put its own evidence on the record? Claiming signals a provider willing to stand behind its public information — and unlocks the right of reply.
And one thing it never looks at
Third-party review-site ratings (Google, Glassdoor, Indeed) are shown on profiles for context, in a clearly separated strip — but they never enter the band calculation. Outside platforms have their own methods; we don't launder them into ours.
Not all evidence weighs the same
- Tier 1 — Federal record. NPI registration and OIG exclusion screening. Government-published, entity-level, verifiable by anyone at the source.
- Tier 2 — Independent third party. BHCOE accreditation and verified CASP membership, checked against the accreditor's own published rosters.
- Tier 3 — Organization-attested. Information supplied by the organization through a claimed profile, tied to a verified email and NPI check.
- Tier 4 — Contextual, display-only. Third-party review-site ratings. Shown for context; never part of the band.
Five bands, no public numbers
We publish bands rather than scores. A number implies false precision; a band tells you honestly how much verified evidence stands behind an organization.
| Band | An organization holds it when… |
|---|---|
| Verified · Strong | No OIG exclusion record; the profile is claimed by the organization; an independent accreditation or verified membership (BHCOE or CASP) is on record; and the organization holds a federal NPI registration. The strongest combination the profile tracks. |
| Verified | No OIG exclusion record; a federal NPI registration is on record; plus at least one further verified signal — a claimed profile, BHCOE accreditation, or verified CASP membership. |
| Listed | No OIG exclusion record and a federal NPI registration matched — identity anchored, further signals not yet verified. |
| Unrated | Insufficient published evidence to assign a band. A neutral statement about our evidence — not a judgment about the provider. |
| Flagged | A federal (HHS-OIG) exclusion record is matched to the organization. This surfaces the public record for your review at the source; it overrides all other signals until the record is resolved or shown to be a mismatch. |
Every profile shows the exact evidence rows behind its band — which signals are present, which are absent — so you never have to take the band on faith.
Transparency runs both ways
Every organization in the directory — regardless of band — can, at no cost:
- Claim its profile through an email- and NPI-verified process, and keep its information current.
- Correct the record by submitting documentation where our published-source data is wrong or stale. Verified corrections change the profile.
- Appeal a band by showing that the underlying evidence is misattributed — for example, an OIG record matched to a different entity. Appeals are reviewed against the sources, and outcomes are reflected on the profile.
We correct mistakes visibly and promptly. An accountability resource that can't be held accountable isn't one.
What this is — and what it is not
The profile is…
- A lens on the published record: it surfaces evidence and makes ownership visible.
- A deterministic method, published in full on this page, applied identically to every organization.
- Free, independent, and unaffected by advertising — placement in results is never for sale.
- Correctable: organizations hold a standing right of reply and appeal.
The profile is not…
- A license, certification, or credential — ESBAP does not confer or revoke anyone's ability to practice.
- A rating of clinical quality or outcomes; no band can tell you how care will feel for your child.
- A legal or regulatory determination — bands describe published evidence, nothing more.
- A substitute for your own questions, visits, and judgment.