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Respiratory Therapist Licensing Board


Respiratory Therapists Treat Cardiopulmonary System
Respiratory Therapist
A respiratory therapist is a specially trained and licensed care provider responsible for the treatment, management, diagnostic testing and care of patients with abnormalities associated with the cardiopulmonary system, all performed under the direction of a licensed physician.

Respiratory therapists provide specialized care for people with breathing difficulties, such as those with chronic lung problems, such as asthma, bronchitis and emphysema. But they also provide care to heart attack and accident victims, premature infants, and people with cystic fibrosis, lung cancer, or AIDS.

The Oregon Health Licensing Agency (OHLA) oversees regulation of respiratory therapists and other health and related professions. To access OHLA's home page, go to Department at the top of the left navigation menu and click on Oregon Health Licensing Agency.
Respiratory Therapy: Profession in Brief (PDF)
OHLA Resources
Online License Renewal
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It's secure, speedy and saves you a stamp! OHLA's online renewal feature is part of our ongoing efforts to provide customer service excellence and a streamlined regulatory environment.
Consumers Find Help at OHLA
Regulatory compliance
If you can't resolve a problem or issue with a practitioner of one of the health and related professions OHLA regulates, we can help.
Check a License Holder's Status
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Check our online database or to see if a professional is licensed or has been subject to disciplinary action (license suspension, probation or revocation).
News You Can Use
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Learn about openings on OHLA's volunteer citizen boards and councils and access regulatory news, publications and OHLA's online newsletter, Licensing Line.
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Current Topics
Board Reviews Position Statement on Specialty Practice by Therapists
The Respiratory Therapist Licensing Board is considering adoption of a position statement that supports specialty areas of practice by respiratory therapists if they have appropriate training and education and are working under the oversight of a medical director.
OHLA Director Search Continues
More than 35 people applied for the director position of the Oregon Health Licensing Agency (OHLA).

After initial screening, 14 applicants are scheduled to be interviewed in June by a balanced panel of agency staff and volunteer citizen board chairs.

The director of the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) appoints executive-level positions such as the OHLA director.

The appointment is expected to be made by July 1, the beginning of the new fiscal year and biennium.
Fingerprinting: Most Applicants, Licensees Not Affected
fingerprint
OHLA clarifies recently adopted agency administrative rules related to fingerprinting in an answers-to-frequently-asked-questions section linked below.

The key word in the new rules is "may," which means the agency may use fingerprinting as one more tool to confirm an applicant's identity and determine the applicant's fitness to practice any of the multiple health and related professions the agency oversees.

However, OHLA will not require fingerprinting of all applicants, only in instances where the agency has reasonable cause for concern that an applicant or licensee has falsified application information or whose background, specifically any criminal history, may pose a risk to the public.
OHLA Revises New Identification Requirements for Applicants
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OHLA has revised new identification requirements in response to stakeholder feedback and upon further review by agency staff. Applicants for authorizations to practice should review the new requirements prior to sitting for an examination or applying.

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