January 2009
Taking License | by Kraig Bohot
Last year at this time, the Oregon Health Licensing Agency (OHLA) was well into an agency reorganization that has resulted in improved service and more streamlined operations.
While the reorganization is mainly completed, OHLA continues to review and fine-tune licensing and regulatory services and the way we do business as a state consumer protection agency.
We couldn’t have done it without you – the articulate and informed feedback of cosmetology school owners and students, industry practitioners and salon owners and other interested parties was instrumental in putting the final touches on a new licensing fee structure that was a key part of the reorganization.
Many thanks also to the Board of Cosmetology and other regulatory participants who provided expert consultation and a consumer’s perspective.
Now, as we head into 2009, let’s look at some of the ways we can all do better in the New Year.
• Finally FAQs for You: Since resolutions are usually personal, I’ll start with my own. I resolve to add answers to frequently asked questions to the Board of Cosmetology section of OHLA’s Web site at www.oregon.gov/OHLA/COS.
Want to know the proper use and disposal of lancets or other information pertinent to your practice? In 2009, you’ll be able to look online and find answers to this question and many others.
• Face, Body & Beyond: Like a rocket speeding through space, the field of esthetics continues to provide opportunities for practitioners and consumers and challenges for regulators. Together, we can make 2009 another watershed year for addressing the rapid progress in this field. Legislation to recognize advanced education and training provides the stage. See related article.
• Know Thy Laws & Rules: While not the most thrilling reads, the state statutes and administrative rules that specify the intent, scope and requirements of cosmetology regulation are the roadmaps to regulatory knowledge and success. Practitioners and facility owners should resolve to brush up.
• Speed, Safety & Security: OHLA resolves to continue to find ways to deliver services quickly, such as same-day licensing, while also ensuring the safety and security of the licensing qualification and examination process. See related article on current administrative rulemaking.
• Take Advantage of Training: OHLA continues to offer health, safety and infection control training workshops to practitioners as an alternative to paying a civil fine. Even practitioners who haven’t been cited for violations have requested to participate in the workshops.
Resolve to know more about your field, whether you’re cited or not, whether you take an OHLA training workshop or obtain post-graduate training at a conference, school, through a manufacturer, or other provider.
If all you do is visit the Oregon 150: Sustain the Spirit Web site to read the Oregon Story of Seski the Sasquatch, you will be part of the state’s 150th birthday party in 2009.
But perhaps you might want to do more if you’re in the partying mood. Visit www.oregon150.org to find out how you can participate in this statewide sesquicentennial celebration.
Established in 1999, OHLA marks its 10th year in 2009. While highlighting a decade of the agency’s accomplishments and progress in the upcoming year, we will also provide regulatory overviews and timeframes of each OHLA-regulated profession in a special 10-year report.
Did you know the Board of Barber Examiners was established in 1897 and the Board of Cosmetic Therapy in 1927?
See the complete overview and timeline of the Board of Cosmetology in next month’s Northwest Stylist, or online at www.oregon.gov/OHLA/COS.
Kraig Bohot is Communications Coordinator 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.
Do you have a question about licensing or regulatory compliance issues? This new monthly feature will provide answers. To submit a question, e-mail kraig.bohot@state.or.us or call 503-373-1939.
Q: I’m moving my salon to a new location. What do I need to do?
A: You’ll need to obtain a new facility permit.
OAR 817-020-0015: Facility Licensing Requirements
(1) A facility owner or license holder shall meet the requirements of a new facility (refer to OAR 817-020-0011) and submit a new facility application and required fees when any of the following conditions exist:
(c) An existing facility moves or relocates to a new physical address. Facility licenses are not transferable from location-to-location.
The Oregon Health Licensing Agency (OHLA) and Board of Cosmetology held a Rules Advisory meeting on Wednesday, January 7, to discuss and develop rules related to interpreter assisted examinations and requirements for applicant identification, examination, certification and certificate of identification authorizations.
OHLA also reviewed and discussed agency administrative rule concepts related to mediation, confidentiality, background checks and fingerprinting as well as requirements for applicant identification, the examination process, and licensure at an OHLA Customer Connection Committee meeting the same day.
The meetings were held after the deadline for this month’s Northwest Stylist. Look for more information in next month’s issue.
Estheticians interested in the Oregon Health Licensing Agency’s proposal to recognize advance training, education and experience for advanced practice should look for updates after the Oregon State Legislature’s session begins on January 12, 2009.
Find legislative updates and more information on OHLA legislative proposals in upcoming editions of Northwest Stylist and at www.oregon.gov/OHLA.
The Oregon Collaborative for Healthy Nail Salons (OCHNS) has launched a Web site at www.oregonhealthynailsalons.org and recently won an award for its first brochure.
OCHNS, of which the Oregon Health Licensing Agency (OHLA) is a member, works to improve the environmental health of nail salon workers and customers through education and outreach. OCHNS member organization OR-OSHA provided leadership in developing and producing the brochure, which won the 2008 Award of Excellence from the Public Relations Society of America.
The brochure is available for download in both English and Vietnamese on the OCHNS Web site www.oregonhealthynailsalons.org.
How many practitioners and facilities are active in Oregon? (Numbers in parentheses +/- change from previous month.) According to Oregon Health Licensing Agency (OHLA) records as of December 31, 2008:
Practitioners 30,954 (-29)
Facilities 4,504 (-11)
Independent contractors 6,939 (-52)
Certificate of ID 165 (+2)
Barbering 5,664 (-45)
Esthetics 13,538 (-18)
Hair Design 20,934 (-39)
Nail Technology 14,840 (-57)
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:
Richard McNew, Administrative Services
Tim Molloy, Regulatory Operations
Dixie Bryant, Program Development
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
