August 2009 - Oregon
Taking License | by Kraig Bohot
Every August, Taking License highlights key developments in licensing and regulation in Oregon in the past year.
From management changes at the Oregon Health Licensing Agency (OHLA) to continuing concerns related to licensing fees, the past year has been one of transition, adaption and opportunities to build on past successes.
1. OHLA Management Change: As a result of an agency assessment by the Department of Justice and Department of Administrative Services (DAS) initiated in early February, three OHLA managers were dismissed, including former director Susan K. Wilson. After a recruitment that drew more than 35 candidates, Randall Everitt was appointed the agency’s new director in early August. (See related story.)
2. Concerns Continue Over Fees: Despite postponing fee increases nine months and offering a $5 discount for online renewals, OHLA continues to hear concerns from stakeholders related to recent fee increases. Stakeholders have another opportunity to comment on August 31 at a public rules hearing and OHLA has another opportunity to explain why the fee increases are necessary. (See related story.)
3. OHLA Marks 10 Years as Agency: As Oregon celebrates its 150th birthday this year, OHLA marks its 10th year as a state consumer protection agency. The agency’s 10-year report online at www.oregon.gov/OHLA highlights progress and accomplishments over the past 10 years and features regulatory timelines and central issues of OHLA-regulated professions, including the four fields of practice of the Board of Cosmetology.
4. Advanced Esthetics Practice Nearer: Thanks to the passage of OHLA legislation (House Bill 3232) in this year’s legislative session, the agency and Board of Cosmetology are closer to recognizing advanced practice in esthetics. Next up: information gathering prior to administrative rulemaking to determine the specifics of establishing a “specialty certificate” in a field of practice.
5. Plethora of Product Safety Statements: The agency and Board of Cosmetology addressed several new products and services on the market in a flurry of activity by the board’s Product Safety / Public Protection Committee and OHLA staff to make determinations. In: aqua-chi (although not endorsed), hair threading and laser hair enhancement. Out: fish pedicures, ear candling, and laser tattoo removal.
6. Know Thy (Oregon) Laws & Rules: To ensure out-of-state applicants and Certificate of Identification holders are knowledgeable of Oregon’s regulatory requirements, OHLA and the Board of Cosmetology began requiring them to pass the Oregon Laws and Rules examination.
7. Fingerprinting, Fitness to Practice: Due to increasing concerns related to ensuring applicants are who they claim to be and whether or not past disciplinary actions against applicants affect their “fitness” to practice. OHLA established new requirements to address these emerging issues. The bottom line: most applicants and practitioners are unaffected.
8. Connecting the Regulatory Dots: By virtue of its participation in the Oregon Collaborative for Healthy Nail Salons (OCHNS), OHLA continues to leverage the knowledge and efforts of a diverse group of member agencies and organizations to make salons safer for workers and consumers.
9. Finally FAQs for You: Have a regulatory question you would like answered? You may be able to find it in the new answers-to-frequently-asked-questions (FAQ) section at www.oregon.gov/OHLA/COS. This new online feature addresses general and field-of-practice-specific questions to assist practitioners with staying in regulatory compliance.
10. Employee or Independent Contractor? While OHLA does not oversee tax reporting requirements, the agency continues to field questions related to the difference between employees and independent contractors. The agency is collaborating with other regulatory entities to provide answers.
What will the next year hold? Stay tuned for what promises to be another busy period as OHLA enters its second decade as a state agency. We will continue to partner with the Board of Cosmetology to develop regulatory solutions that foster a positive relationship with the industry while protecting the public.
Kraig Bohot is Public Information Officer at the Oregon Health Licensing Agency (OHLA), a state consumer protection agency providing centralized regulatory oversight of multiple health and related professions. He can be reached at (503) 373-1939 or at kraig.bohot@state.or.us.
Randall Everitt, a veteran of state government with expertise in management, investigations and professional licensing, is the new director of the Oregon Health Licensing Agency (OHLA).
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| Randall Everitt named OHLA Director. |
Scott Harra, Director of the Oregon Department of Administrative Services, said that Everitt is the right person at the right time to lead the agency.
“Randall Everitt has established a strong record of integrity and effectiveness over a career in state government that spans more than three decades,” Harra said. “I know he will use his skills and abilities to enable all the members of the OHLA team to contribute their best efforts on behalf of the people they serve.”
Everitt comes to the position from the Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC), where he has logged five years of service as chief of the Special Investigations Unit. The unit investigates contraband smuggling and misconduct by inmates and staff. In that position, he has overseen management of the DOC’s 500 “high-alert” inmates.
Everitt has also served as assistant director of the training division of the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training. In that job, he supervised the academy’s training coordinators and developed curriculum for training police and corrections officers.
“My main goal as the new director of the Oregon Health Licensing Agency is to restore confidence in the agency,” Everitt said. “The public—as well as the professionals and businesses people who depend on us—needs to know the agency is above reproach, and that it does its job to the highest standards. Total honesty and professionalism are the principles that will guide us, and we will never settle for less.”
In 1972, Everitt began his career in Idaho, where he served as an investigator in the state Department of Law Enforcement. He investigated drug crimes for the state and supervised multi-jurisdictional narcotics operations. He rose to the rank of captain, supervising training, criminal intelligence, executive protection and liaison to the Idaho legislature.
In 1988 he joined the Idaho Attorney General’s Office specializing in homicide, public corruption and medical fraud. Everitt supervised a multi-jurisdictional task force that investigated medical health fraud throughout the state of Idaho and became a member of a joint state/federal task force investigating fraudulent medical devices and health care. He then worked for the Idaho Bureau of Occupational Licenses where he provided investigative services for 15 professional licensing boards.
Stakeholders have the opportunity to comment until August 31 on fee increases that became effective on July 1 after being delayed from October 2008. The Oregon Health Licensing Agency (OHLA) will accept written comment at ohla.info@state.or.us and at a public rules hearing on August 31 at 9 am at OHLA in Salem.
The following fee increases became effective on July 1:
Practitioner Late Fee = $25 first month, $10 each month after, up to two years Visit www.oregon.gov/OHLA/COS for more information. To avoid late fees and save, practitioners can renew online with OHLA’s online license renewal feature. Just click on the “I’m ready to renew my license online” link under OHLA Resources at www.oregon.gov/OHLA.
“By the Numbers” gives you the big-picture look at the latest cosmetology statistics for Oregon in three main categories: Examinations, Licensing, and Regulatory Compliance.
Oregon Health Licensing Agency
700 Summer Street NE, Suite 320 • Salem, OR 97301-1287
Licensing Office (503) 378-8667 • Enforcement Unit (503) 378-4294
www.oregon.gov/OHLA
OHLA Agency Staff:
Brian DeForest, Acting Director
Tim Molloy, Regulatory Operations
Board of Cosmetology:
Michael D. Snook, Salem - Chair
Debora Masten, Salem - Vice Chair
Linda Bergmann, Florence
Patricia A. Hall, Pendleton
Herb Hirst, North Plains
Sharon Wiser, Lake Oswego
Shelly Couch, Gladstone
