| Oregon Health Licensing Agency's Licensing Line |
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July 31, 2008
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| OHLA Participates in Performance Project |
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OHLA protects public by responding to unlicensed activity
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The Oregon Health Licensing Agency (OHLA) is participating in a project aimed at standardizing performance measures among health related licensing boards and agencies.
The project is a joint effort between the Legislative Fiscal Office and the Department of Administrative Services, Budget and Management Division, that is being developed with assistance from UCLA public policy graduate student intern Bruce Stoffmacher.
What are performance measures and why should they be standardized?
Performance measures are like report cards showing how well state agencies are progressing toward goals in key areas of performance. In Oregon, all state government agencies are required to report on a set of key performance measures annually and as part of the budget development process.
OHLA measures its performance by how well the agency responds to "critical status" complaints that involve unlicensed and potentially high-risk health issues, the percentage of online license renewals, same-day business licensing and customer service satisfaction.
This project surfaced in response to a need to find ways to help smaller agencies meet performance measurement requirements with limited resources and little in-house technical support for performance improvement initiatives. Licensing agencies have a high degree of commonality in agency functions; however, there is currently many different ways that performance is measured.
The goal of the project is to identify key areas where creating standardized performance measures would contribute to improved information for agency decision-makers and to help agencies demonstrate greater levels of transparency and accountability to their stakeholders, the Oregon State Legislature and the public.
Click here to review OHLA's annual performance reports
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| Students Voice Concern over Proposed Fees at Rules Hearing |
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Students and administrators from Oregon cosmetology colleges expressed concern over proposed fees at a public rules hearing on 7/23/08 at the Oregon Health Licensing Agency (OHLA) in Salem.
The hearing was the last opportunity for public comment on proposed changes to Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR) that increase fees for labor-intensive and sometimes complex services such as examinations and application processing while lowering fees for authorizations to practice for most OHLA-regulated professions.
Representatives from other OHLA-regulated professions, including hearing aid dispensing and body piercing, also attended the hearing.
OHLA had previously met with cosmetology career college owners and agreed to postpone fee increases for applications, examinations, certification fees, and late fees until July 1, 2009.
Bert Krages, the independent administrative hearings officer who conducted the meeting, commended the hearing participants for providing “uniformly excellent” comments.
Krages will review the proposed fee changes and public comments submitted to OHLA and make recommendations to the agency in an official report that will be posted at www.oregon.gov/OHLA/Laws_and_Rules.shtml.
OHLA will then consider Krages’ recommendations before adopting the changes in administrative rule. The new fees go into effect September 1, 2008, except for new examination, application, practice certification and late fees for the Board of Cosmetology, which will go into effect July 1, 2009.
Click here to review proposed fee changes for OHLA-regulated professions.
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| OHLA to Consider More Streamlining Initiatives, Thanks to Feedback |
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OHLA is responding to stakeholder feedback from the administrative rules hearing on 7/23/08 (see above) by considering changes to agency rules that would streamline the licensing process for business relocations and for practitioners who work in multiple locations.
The goal is to reduce costs for small businesses starting out that relocate to a new location without changing ownership. OHLA is also considering issuing duplicate authorization documents for individuals who work at multiple locations across all OHLA-regulated professions, such as denturists who work at various labs or settings and cosmetology independent contractors.
OHLA plans to propose new agency rules later in 2008. Watch for updates in Licensing Line and at www.oregon.gov/OHLA.
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| Board, Council Member Biographies Now on OHLA Web Site |
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Interested in learning more about the diverse group of individuals who serve on the nine different volunteer citizen boards and councils OHLA oversees?
OHLA recently completed posting short biographies of each active board and council member on its Web site at www.oregon.gov/OHLA.
"Board and council members bring a broad spectrum of experience and expertise to the agency's regulatory efforts," says OHLA Director Susan K. Wilson. "These biographies highlight each individual's background while showcasing the rich diversity among these 57 board and council members."
To access board and council biographies, click on About Us at the top of the left navigation menu for the specific profession at www.oregon.gov/OHLA.
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| OHLA Opens at 9 am on Mondays, Still Open During Lunch |
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To allow all OHLA staff the opportunity to participate in staff meetings, the agency now opens at 9 am instead of 8 am on Mondays.
OHLA continues to remain open during the lunch hour to serve our customers. The agency closes at 4:30 pm to complete customer transactions.
Click here for more information on OHLA hours and staff contacts.
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| Where to Find Licensing Line Back Issues |
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| Licensing Line Reader Feedback |
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Comments, suggestions and questions about Licensing Line and the issues we cover are appreciated. Contact OHLA Communications Coordinator Kraig Bohot at kraig.bohot@state.or.us or call 503-373-1939.
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