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| Mission Statement |
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The Oregon Health Licensing Agency (OHLA) protects Oregon citizens from harm by setting, communicating and enforcing uniform regulatory standards for multiple health and related professions while promoting a positive business environment that puts Oregonians to work.
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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.
The OHLA central agency, Office of the Director, provides leadership, policy direction and strategic planning direction for OHLA's three divisions. The central agency designs policy to license, to investigate complaints, and to take disciplinary action against businesses and practitioners in violation of the law.
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 nearly 70,000 licenses and 34 types of authorizations in 17 diverse professions. A cadre of 57 volunteer citizen members (including eight physicians) is appointed by the Governor to serve as representatives on nine advisory councils and boards and one licensing program.
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. The agency’s performance measures, which can be accessed online by clicking here, provide a quick snapshot of how well it is achieving its mission and accomplishing its public service goals.
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| A Modern Regulatory Model |
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OHLA, established in 1999 by the Oregon Legislature, offers a contemporary regulatory model of governance. Making regulation responsive to both the public and licensees, OHLA designs and carries out policy and continually reviews the appropriateness of statutes and regulations as they relate to the scope of practice of the health professions under its jurisdiction and within the long-range strategy for their governance.
Recent proposed legislative reforms have placed focus for accountability and assessment of services with the OHLA Director in an effort to help align and promote the priorities and objectives determined by the Governor. The agency structure positions OHLA to be a leader in preparing a competitive workforce by taking a new look at how the State of Oregon licenses professionals and determines the education and training necessary to offer quality providers while remaining competitive and responsive in the marketplace.
What distinguishes OHLA in the regulatory environment from other professional licensing boards is that the central agency is responsible for designing the regulatory architecture, unlike other regulatory entities which function under a “Board of Directors.” The reforms found in ORS 676.605 place the focus of accountability from the boards and councils to the central agency.
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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. OHLA 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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| Office of the Director |
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The Legislative impetus for establishing a regulatory central agency such as OHLA was to devise a model that spans beyond administrative (determining programs, policy, budgeting and personnel) and regulatory (licensing, investigations, discipline and sanctions). As a result, the Office of the Director provides overall vision and leadership for and determination of policy formulation and establishes the organization’s mission and vision, strategic goals, legislative initiatives and long-term strategic plan.
The diversity of program areas among multiple regulated professions requires establishing reporting relationships and controls over program operations, to coordinate among the agency’s three divisions in order to ensure compliance with established policies and objectives.
Agency Director Susan K. Wilson is responsible for the overall direction and performance of the agency and programs under the agency’s administration. 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.
Click here to view the Message from the Director.
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| Policy & Strategic Planning |
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OHLA's Policy & Strategic Planning Divison develops the agency’s policies among the regulated programs, volunteer citizen boards and councils, and with external agency partners, stakeholders and consumers.
The division coordinates board policies with agency mission and goals, developing long and short term planning and strategies; participates in legislative issues, development and implementation of administrative rules, program policies and directives of the agency boards, councils, and standing committees.
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| Administrative Services |
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OHLA's Administrative 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 coordinates human resource services and development and management of the agency’s data processing software system.
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| Regulatory Operations |
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OHLA's 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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