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| Everitt Highlights First Six Months as OHLA Director |
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In highlighting his first six months as director of the Oregon Health Licensing Agency (OHLA), Randy Everitt stresses the importance of recognizing the efforts of everyone from staff to stakeholders in addressing a wide range of regulatory issues.
"Everyone has a role to play in ensuring OHLA is pursuing its consumer protection mission," says Everitt. "Everyone has a voice in the process so that we are all working toward a common goal: putting qualified Oregonians to work and protecting Oregon consumers."
Click here to read the Message from the Director.
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| What Is Advanced Esthetics? Specialty Certification Explored |
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As the field of esthetics continues to incorporate new technologies and services, OHLA and the Board of Cosmetology are exploring how best to ensure public health and safety through creation of a new specialty certification in advanced esthetics.
Besides the public health and safety issues involved, OHLA and the board are addressing a wide range of related issues such as developing a new advanced curriculum and examination and determining qualification standards for the new certification. OHLA and the Board of Cosmetology are conducting initial meetings leading to proposed administrative rulemaking.
Click here to learn more and to comment.
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| Series of Midwifery Meetings Focus on Home Birth Safety |
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Should Oregon midwives deliver all types of births in the home setting? If so, are current regulatory requirements enough to protect mother and baby? And how much information should be required to be communicated on any risks associated with home births?
OHLA and the Board of Direct Entry Midwifery are addressing these issues and more in a series of sub-committee meetings scheduled through the end of April.
"We know this is a challenging and sometimes contentious issue, but we are obligated to take a very thorough look at health and safety issues of all of our regulated professions," says OHLA Director Randy Everitt. "When the health of mothers and babies are involved, that obligation is even more paramount."
For more information on the issues involved, go to the Board Meetings page to find a schedule of upcoming meetings and previous meeting minutes.
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| Uniform Standards Established for Treatment of Sex Offenders |
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The Sex Offender Treatment Board (SOTB) has established practice standards for the evaluation, treatment and management of juvenile, adult male and developmentally disabled sex offenders.
"We have established these standards because traditional psychotherapy is not sufficient for sex offense-specific treatment," says SOTB Chair Dr. William Davis. "These standards acknowledge the unique evaluation and treatment methods for adults, juveniles and those with developmental disabilities."
The SOTB, in collaboration with OHLA, established the first-ever practice standards for the profession in Oregon after initiating administrative rulemaking in March 2009. The Oregon Legislature established the SOTB in 2007 to provide oversight for the practice of sex offender treatment.
Click here for more information.
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| Out-of-State Tattoo Artists Allowed at Events on Limited Basis |
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The initial Oregon Ink and Portland Tattoo Expo events in 2009 provided tattoo afficionados the opportunity to browse a veritable smogasbord of tattoo artists and vendors from throughout Oregon.
Now, thanks to a regulatory and industry partnership, out-of-state tattoo artists will be able to show their stuff, and get paid for it, at such events. Oregon tattoo consumers will have access to out-of-state talent, but only after out-of-state artists have passed qualification requirements to help ensure public health and safety.
OHLA and the Advisory Council for Electrologists, Permanent Color Technicians and Tattoo Artists have adopted new requirements allowing event facility permits and temporary practitioner permits, effective April 1.
"We didn't want to exclude qualified tattoo artists from coming to Oregon for these events," says OHLA Regulatory Operations Manager Tim Molloy. "We also wanted to keep these events safe for the public. Thanks to the input from event organizers and others in the industry, we've accomplished that goal."
Click here for more information.
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| Fees Reduced for Midwives, Respiratory Therapist Temporary License |
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As OHLA continues to refine its cost-allocation model for establishing licensing fees for all OHLA-regulated professions, some professions will see fee changes to better align fee amounts with the cost of providing licensing and regulatory oversight
OHLA and the Respiratory Therapist Licensing Board recently reduced temporary license fees for respiratory therapists from $150 to $50 for the application and from $100 to $50 for a six-month temporary license.
OHLA and the Board of Direct Entry Midwifery are set to reduce fees for midwives on April 1 from $500 for an application to $150, and from $1900 for two-year licensure to $630 annually.
"Our goal is to establish fees that are fair and equitable," says OHLA Business Manager Sylvie McMillan. "We are working toward that goal by throroughly reviewing agency costs for each board, council and program we oversee."
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| OHLA, Other State Offices Closed on Friday April 16 |
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As part of state government efforts to reduce costs, state employees are taking 10 or more unpaid days off during the 2009-11 biennium. The next mandatory unpaid day for state employees is Friday, April 16. OHLA will be closed on that day but will reopen on Monday, April 19. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Click here for more information.
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| Visit OHLA Web Site at www.oregon.gov/OHLA |
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OHLA's Web site at www.oregon.gov/OHLA offers numerous features and extensive content for licensees, consumers and other agency stakeholders.
Licensees can renew online, download applications and learn about new licensing and regulatory developments. Consumers can access public education campaign materials and other helpful resources to become more informed about OHLA-regulated professions and the agency's consumer protection activities.
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| Licensing Line Reader Feedback |
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Comments, questions and suggestions on the issues we cover are appreciated. Contact OHLA Public Information Officer Kraig Bohot at kraig.bohot@state.or.us or call 503-373-1939.
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