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| Mission Statement |
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The Oregon Health Licensing Agency (OHLA) puts qualified Oregonians to work while protecting Oregon consumers. OHLA sets, communicates and enforces regulatory standards for multiple health and related professions.
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| OHLA Central Agency |
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OHLA’s primary purpose is to provide more unified and standardized regulatory oversight that results in greater regulatory accountability and efficiency. The volunteer citizen boards and councils of OHLA provide profession-specific expertise and consultation but are not responsible for central agency operations.
As a state consumer protection agency, OHLA plays a leading role in safeguarding the more than 3.5 million Oregon citizens who purchase services from professionals and businesses licensed by the agency. OHLA issues approximately 70,000 licenses and nearly 40 types of authorizations in nearly 20 diverse professions.
Click here for an overview of OHLA-regulated professions.
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| Agency Goals |
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The OHLA agency works to achieve the following goals:
- Actively promote consumer protection through education, enforcement and partnerships
- Promote a positive business environment by reducing barriers to professional practice
- Provide excellent customer service to all agency clients and stakeholders
Regulatory Streamlining, Performance Measures
The agency proactively pursues regulatory streamlining initiatives (to access, click on link and choose "Quick Report," then choose OHLA) in an effort to make regulations faster, simpler and more cost-effective for both individuals and business owners.
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| A Partner in Business Success |
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OHLA has a strong governing presence in alignment with the governor’s priorities. OHLA strives to make regulation faster, easier and cheaper for licensees through regulatory streamlining initiatives, attempts to reduce barriers to professional practice and promotes a positive business climate.
OHLA’s goal is to regulate in a manner that protects the public while allowing regulated individuals and businesses to effectively compete in today’s fast-changing, challenging economic environment.
The agency oversees regulation of nearly 5,000 businesses statewide ranging from sole proprietorships to national corporations, as well as 7,000 independent contractors.
OHLA monitors these businesses and independent contractors to ensure compliance with safety and health regulations while collaborating with other regulatory entities on cross-jurisdictional issues, such as worker safety concerns with the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division.
OHLA also sets standards and monitors the nearly 40,000 hearing aid purchase contracts transacted in Oregon annually to protect consumer's rights, including the right to return a hearing aid. These businesses and individuals are important contributors to the state’s economic well-being, and OHLA strives to be a partner in their success by providing streamlined regulatory services and oversight.
Agency initiatives resulting in more effective regulatory oversight include:
- Redesigning business practices that make licensing faster, easier and cheaper (regulatory streamlining)
- Redesigning conflicting regulatory laws, most notably those creating problems for providers, patients and insurers
- Reevaluating the workforce as inclusive
- Reforming competencies through monitoring and re-certification of skills
- Communicating to the public their rights and the state’s role
- Redesigning entry to practice systems
- Redesigning the organizational context of regulation
- Evaluating and redesigning regulatory programs for effectiveness
- Collecting data on health professions and identifying the need for regulation
- Reforming priorities by evaluating the needs of client and target populations
- Government and stakeholder relations
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| Director's Office |
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The Director's Office provides overall vision and leadership and determination of policy formulation and establishes the ageny's strategic goals, legislative initiatives and long-term planning.
The office oversees board and council operations, including planning and coordination of board and council meetings, and manages administrative rulemaking for the agency and for each regulated profession.
The office also oversees human resource management and public information activities to communicate with the agency's wide range of stakeholders.
The agency director assumes ultimate responsibility for the accountability of the agency, for achieving outcomes, complying with state law and ensuring stewardship of the funds entrusted for agency operations by the Legislature.
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| Business Services Division |
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The Business Services Division develops and oversees a cost allocation model that determines how regulatory programs are assessed fees to cover their costs to the agency; and develops and maintains policies, procedures, and management practices to implement cash, purchasing, property, and inventory controls to protect the assets of the agency.
The division also oversees development and management of the agency’s data processing software system.
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| Licensing Division |
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The Licensing Division reviews applications and conducts examinations to determine if applicants for an authorization to practice are qualified to practice. The division also monitors continuing education compliance for professions with a continuing education requirement.
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| Regulatory Operations Division |
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The Regulatory Operations Division manages and develops regulatory compliance programs for facility, business, independent contractor and practitioner license holders, and criteria for consumer contracts.
The division directs all disciplinary and regulatory aspects of the agency, managing the operations for routine business/practitioner inspections; complaint investigation resolution and mediation; and contested case hearings.
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