REPRESENTATIVE MITCH GREENLICK

House District 33 

Historic Tuality County 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                         CONTACT

June 19, 2009                                                                                      Tom Powers (503) 986-1433

Reforms for Health Regulatory Boards Given Final Legislative Approval

SALEM, Ore.—The Oregon House of Representatives today gave final legislative approval to bills that reform the state’s health professional licensing boards.  A series of bills introduced this session by the House Committee on Health Care responded to inadequacies of current law that were exposed by several disturbing health care-related incidents in 2007. 

“With the reforms contained in these bills, patients in Oregon can have confidence that the regulatory boards for their doctors, nurses and other health professionals are steadfastly committed to the protection of the public,” said Rep. Mitch Greenlick (D-Portland), chair of the committee.

Working over the interim to hear testimony related to the nearly 20 health professional licensing boards in Oregon, the Health Care Committee introduced the following legislation:

• House Bill 2058 – Standardizes provisions for appointment, terms of service and discharge for members of health boards; ensures each board contains at least 2 members of the public to give a voice to patients and consumers.
• House Bill 2059 – Requires licensee of a health professional regulatory board to report prohibited conduct to the board; requires the board receiving the report of prohibited or unprofessional conduct to investigate and present the facts to the appropriate law enforcement agency.
• House Bill 2345 – Requires that health professional licensing boards develop process to deal with impaired professionals; establishes uniform standards for monitoring impaired professionals; directs health professional licensing boards to impose sanctions on impaired professionals.

“By overhauling the way that health boards deal with professionals who are impaired with an addiction, HB 2345 will protect the safety of patients while ensuring that practitioners who are in recovery can come back into the health workforce,” said Rep. Ron Maurer (R-Grants Pass), vice-chair of the committee.  “Each board will now have the same standard of professional conduct to ensure protection of patients.”

Representative Chris Harker, vice-chair of the committee, became a member of the Health Care Committee halfway through the interim hearings on health licensing boards.  After receiving testimony about the failure of certain boards to take action against dangerous licensees, Rep. Harker worked with Rep. Greenlick and Rep. Maurer to draft reform legislation.

“Health care consumers must be able to rely upon the expertise and credentials of practitioners,” said Rep. Harker. “The bills we have passed into law will help to improve the safety and quality of the health workforce.”

The House Health Care Committee will continue to review the policies and performance of Oregon’s health professional licensing boards during the 2009-10 interim. 

House Bills 2058, 2059 and 2345 are now at Governor Kulongoski’s desk for his approval.

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