November 16, 2012
As OHLA Director Randy Everitt Retires, Board of Nursing Director Holly Mercer Named OHLA Interim Director
Oregon Health Licensing Agency (OHLA) Director Randy Everitt has retired after serving as OHLA director since August 2009, and the current Executive Director of the Oregon State Board of Nursing, Holly Mercer, JD, RN, will be serving as the OHLA Interim Director starting November 19.
“Randy provided stability and consistency at OHLA at a crucial time, demonstrating strong leadership while taking on additional agencies when needed,” says Michael Jordan, Department of Administrative Services Chief Operating Officer. “We wish him good fortune in all his future endeavors and thank him for his many years of splendid service.”
“It has been an honor to serve with you,” says Everitt. “We have traveled through challenging and rewarding times together and created an agency that is not only effective in carrying out its public health and safety mission, but that is a great place to work as well.”
Mercer has served as Executive Director of the Oregon Board of Nursing since 2008. Prior to joining the Board, she served as the
Assistant Manager of the Medical Section of the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services’ Workers’ Compensation Division. Her experience includes public sector medical dispute resolution, public health program management, and private sector safety and risk management.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New Mexico; a Juris Doctor degree from Lewis and Clark Law School; and, an Associate Degree in Nursing from Boise State University. She is a member of the Oregon and Idaho State Bar Associations, and is a licensed RN in Oregon and Idaho.
“I want to thank Holly for her willingness to accept this new assignment,” says Jordan. “OHLA has succeeded under Randy’s leadership, and I am confident Holly will continue that path. Please join me in congratulating her and supporting this transition for her and the dedicated team at OHLA.”
“I’m looking forward to working with the Oregon Health Licensing Agency’s boards, professions, and staff,” says Mercer. “I want to thank DAS leadership for its confidence in me, and I’m excited to start working on the diversity of licensing and regulatory issues that OHLA addresses overseeing multiple health and related professions.”
OHLA Proposes Grading System for Cosmetology, Body Art Facility Inspections
The Oregon Health Licensing Agency (OHLA)is considering using an "ABC" grading system for cosmetology and body art
facilities, similar to what previously was used to grade restaurants by public health officials in Oregon. OHLA inspectors would grade each facility after conducting an inspection, with an "A" grade indicating full compliance, a "B" grade indicating "noted deficiencies" but overall compliance, and a "C" grade indicating that the facility doesn't comply with regulatory requirements. 
"We inspect thousands of facilities each year across the state, but consumers don't have a quick way to determine whether the salon or body art shop they are about to patronize is upholding state health and safety requirements," says OHLA Regulatory Operations Manager Bob Bothwell. "With this system, they would."
Currently, cosmetology facilities and independent contractors and body art facilties are required to post their inspection sheets in public view. However, the inspection sheet most often goes unnoticed by the public, without any large, clearly visible lettering or marking.
OHLA intends to propose administrative rules that would specify the details of how the grading system would work.
A First for Oregon: Denture Technology College Opens, to Offer Online Degree
Prior to the opening of the American Denturist College, individuals interested in gaining the required associate's degree to 
practice the profession in Oregon either had to go out of state or cobble together the requirements from different community and private colleges in Oregon.
As of September 2012, the new college, with headquarters in Eugene, began accepting students, and online classes are scheduled to begin January 2013.
Todd Young, the college's director of education and a former chair of the Board of Denture Technology, said that obtaining approval and licensure from the state Department of Education, Private Career Schools. was a "rigorous" process.
"The process really helped us establish an educational resource that will greatly benefit students," Young says.
At the board's 9/24/12 meeting, Young received a letter of official recognition and acceptance from OHLA stating that the college meets the formal post-secondary education requirements as specified in denture technology state law.
Sleep Technicians Have Until January 1 to Gain Licensure through Grandfathering; OHLA Offers Q&A
With licensure of polysomnographic techologists required beginning January 1, 2013, the Oregon Health Licensing Ag ency (OHLA) has produced a question-and-answer fact sheet to assist applicants in the licensure process.
For example, applicants applying through the grandfathering process must do so by January 1. In addition to the question-and-answer sheet, applicants should review application requirements on the How to Get Licensed page for polysomnography.
OHLA Offers Live Access to Board Meetings, Online
OHLA offers online live access to all regularly scheduled full board meetings. To view, just click on the link on a meeting page
of the specific board.
The agency is offering this new feature to provide stakeholders who can’t make the trip to Salem an opportunity to learn more about licensing and regulatory developments.
Visit http://www.oregon.gov/OHLA/Global/Board_Meetings.shtml for more information.
OHLA At-a-Glance: 11 Boards, More than 36,000 Licensees
The Oregon Health Licensing Agency (OHLA) oversees licensing and regulation of multiple health and related professions represented by 11 volunteer citizen boards. The agency ensures qualification standards and ongoing professional requirements for more than 36,000 individual licensed practitioners, nearly 5,000 licensed facilities and nearly 8,000 independent contractors.
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Licensing Line is distributed to provide periodic updates on licensing and regulatory news of the Oregon Health Licensing Agency (OHLA) and OHLA-regulated professions.
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